Deconstructing Media

Understanding Media

Media effects are subtle. Few people believe everything they see and hear in the media. Few people rush out to the store immediately after seeing an ad. However, because we are so immersed in media, the effects are still powerful. Part of this lies in the nature of media itself, as well as how our brains work.

We process time-based media differently than static media. When we read a newspaper, magazine, book or website, we have the opportunity to stop and think, reread something, and integrate the information rationally. The information and images in TV shows, movies, video games, and music, on the other hand, often bypass the analytic brain and trigger emotions and memory in the unconscious and reactive parts of the brain. Only a small proportion surfaces in consciousness.

Media are most powerful when they operate on an emotional level. Most fiction engages our hearts as well as our minds. Movies and TV shows use a variety of audiovisual techniques (like camera angles, framing, reaction shots, quick cuts, special effects, lighting tricks, music, and sound effects) to reinforce the messages in the script. Advertisements take this further, and seek to transfer feelings from an emotionally-charged symbol to a product.

Most media are controlled by commercial interests. In the United States and Canada, the marketplace largely determines what we see on television, what we hear on the radio, what we read in newspapers or magazines. As we use media, we should always be alert to the self-interest of corporate media makers. Are they concerned about your health? Do they care if you’re smart or well- informed? Are they interested in creating active participants in our society and culture, or merely passive consumers of their products, services, and ideas?

Media also convey ideological and value messages. Ideology and values are usually conveyed in the subtext. Two examples include news reports (besides covering an issue or event, news reports often reinforce assumptions about power and authority) and advertisements (besides selling particular products, advertisements almost always promote the values of a consumer society).

Fortunately, media messages can be decoded. By “deconstructing” media, we can figure out who created the message, and why. We can identify the techniques of persuasion being used and recognize how media makers are trying to influence us. We notice what parts of the story are not being told, and how we can become better informed and even work toward change.

Changing the media system is a justice issue. Our media system produces lots of negative, demeaning imagery, values and ideas. It renders many people invisible. It provides too little funding and too few outlets for people without money, privilege, influence, and power to tell their stories. Christians can and should be actively working to ensure that all people, who are made in God's image, are represented truthfully and fairly, and are protected from manifestations of greed and oppression.

Deconstructing Media Messages

One of the most important media literacy skills is deconstruction – closely examining and “taking apart” media messages to understand how they work. Deconstructing a media message can help us understand who created the message, and who is intended to receive it. It can reveal how the media maker put together the message using words, images, sounds, design, and other elements. It can expose the point of view of media makers, their values, and their biases. It can also uncover hidden meanings – intended or unintended. There is no one “correct” way to deconstruct a media message – each of us interprets media differently, based on our own knowledge, beliefs, experiences, and values. Just be prepared to explain your interpretation.

Key Concepts for Deconstructing Media

Source

All media messages are created. The creator could be an individual writer, photographer or blogger. In the case of a Hollywood movie, the scriptwriter, director, producer, and movie studio all play a role in creating the message. Ads are usually put together by ad agencies, but the “creator” is really the client – the company or organization that’s paying for the ad. The key point is: Whose message is this? Who has control over the content?

Audience

Media messages are intended to reach audiences. Some – like TV shows - are designed to reach millions of people. Others – like a letter or email – may be intended only for one person. Most media messages are designed to reach specific groups of people – defined by age, gender, class, interests, and other factors – called the “target audience.”

Text

We often use the word “text” to mean “written words.” But in media literacy, “text” has a very different meaning. The text of any piece of media is what you actually see and/or hear. It can include written or spoken words, pictures, graphics, moving images, sounds, and the arrangement or sequence of all of these elements. Sometimes the text is called the “story” or “manifest text.” For most of us, the text of a piece of media is always the same.

Subtext

The “subtext” is an individual interpretation of a media message. It is sometimes called the “latent text.” The subtext is not actually heard or seen; it is the meaning we create from the text in our own minds. While media makers often create texts that suggest certain subtexts, each person creates their own subtext (interpretation) based on their previous experiences, knowledge, opinions, attitudes, and values. Thus, two people interpreting the same text can produce two very different subtexts.

Point of View

No one tells the whole story. Everyone tells part of the story from their point of view. Deconstructing a media message can expose the values and biases of the media maker, and uncover powerful ideological and value messages.

Persuasion Techniques

Media messages use a number of techniques to try to persuade us to believe or do something. If we can spot the techniques being used, we’re less likely to be persuaded, and more likely to think for ourselves. We're also more or less likely to be persuaded based on our personality or brain makeup and how advertisers tap into our tendencies, good and bad. Check out the videos below to learn more, especially regarding ads.

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