Stereotypes- Media institutions use stereotypes because the audience understand them and they act as visual shortcuts (like a clue)
Archetypes- The 'ultimate' stereotype. For example, the blonde bimbo
Countertype- A representation that challenges traditional stereotypical associations of groups, people or places
The media takes something that is already there and represents it to us in a way that they choose. The representations are created by producers (the people who create the media).
Gatekeepers are the people who choose what they present to us. It is any person involved in a media production with the power to make a decision about something the audience are allowed to read, hear or see. Gatekeepers also include people such as a newspaper editor who has the final say on what goes into their newspaper, where it goes within the pages, next to what other piece, with which pictures, strap-lines and headlines etc.
The gatekeeper's job is to ensure their decisions and actions are 'transparent' or 'invisible' to the audience which is why media consumers are mostly unaware of there 'gate-keeping' decisions. However the news and perceptions on the world are often strongly influenced by the gatekeeper's decisions.
A mogul (e.g. Rupert Murdoch) is the person who would, for example, actually owns the newspaper.
When analysing representation, think about:
Who
What
Why
Where
The Male Gaze (Laura Mulvey)-The concept of the gaze is about how an audience views the people presented visually (she created this concept in 1975). The male gaze involves:
- How men look at women
- how women look at themselves
- How women look look at other women
The 'male gaze' brings women down to the status of objects. The female audience must experience the narrative through the eyes of a male.
Richard Dyer argues that how we are seen determines how we are treated and how we treat other people is based on how we seen them. This comes from our understanding of representation. He believes that stereotypes come down to power. Those who have power stereotype those who don't.
Myths- Roland Barthes theory looks quite closely at the idea of mythology, usually in regards to people and places. He suggested that the media often gives us mythic representations or a fairytale- like portrayal or a particular place/person.