The Blueprint of Media All Media are Constructed

The Blueprint of Media All Media are Constructed Essential Questions: What is real here? What isn’t? How do we know? What are the clues to assessing the validity of the message? Content is based upon W. James Potter’s book, Media Literacy, SAGE Publications: 1998 Additional content is adapted from: http: //cehd. ewu. edu/faculty/ntodd/EDUC 538 Julie. html http: //www. medialit. org/Reading. Room/keyarticles/skillsandstrat. htm

All media are constructed Overview of Concepts Covered All media are constructed Constructing a media message takes creativity, planning and teamwork Media as a construct may not be real or authentic Deconstructing media messages helps us to understand how media distorts the reflection of our society Media (specifically TV) is formulaic

All media are constructed Reality vs. Media It is imperative to understand that ALL media (including reality programming, news, etc. ) is constructed. It is produced, edited and assembled to become an interpretation or view of reality.

All media are constructed Media messages are carefully constructed using a creative language with it’s own rules Media are carefully constructed products – from newspaper headlines to nature documentaries; from billboard advertisements to Internet web sites. Whether we are watching the nightly news or passing a billboard on the street or analyzing text in an essay found on the web, the media message we experience was constructed by someone or a group of people. Putting together text, images, sound and other multimedia elements is more than a physical process. n Consider what happens: Whatever is "constructed“ by just a few people then becomes "the way it is" for the rest of us. As the audience, we don't get to see or hear the words, pictures or arrangements that were rejected. We only see, hear or read what was accepted.

All media are constructed Decisions and Choices Understanding what choices are made in determining what to include and exclude and understanding how media is put together, helps us understand how media shapes what we know and understand about the world we live in. This understanding can help us to navigate our lives in a global and technological society. Consider hours of footage taken to produce a TV show or film. Production teams have to make careful decisions about what to include and exclude to make a 30 -minute sitcom.

All media are constructed What’s “real? ” New technologies make it possible to edit, alter, combine and otherwise manipulate images, blurring the distinctions between “authentic” and “fake. ” Consider the two pictures of Scott Wolfe from “Party of Five. ” Which one is real and which one is authentic?

All media are constructed Is it authentic? A media literate person is aware that many decisions are made in the construction of each media product and that even the most realistic images represent someone’s interpretation of reality. What we see isn’t always real. Consider the website about “tropical” Minnesota http: //www. lme. mankato. msus. edu/mankat o/mankato. html How do you determine if this site is authentic or representative of reality? Teaching Tip: Refer to the Assessment worksheet for guidelines on assessing the reliability of a website. This can also be used as a classroom resource.

All media are constructed Production is a Collaboration: Producers are not alone in the TV universe Producers create a TV program but the production of the show is a completely collaborative process. No single person is responsible for the creation of a program. There are primarily four groups involved all with differing interests: n Program creators (writers, producers, directors, actors) who want creative autonomy to develop their vision. n Programmers (decision makers at the TV networks) who seek to build the largest audience possible to increase advertising revenue. n Advertisers who want to get their message out to consumers through a medium that does not alienate or offend their target audience. n The Public (citizens action groups and federal regulators) who have specific political agendas they put forth in the hopes of influencing the other groups. This group also includes the public at large who buy what the advertisers sell and therefore support the programming. Conceptually, the same collaborative effort applies to the production of other medium such as web design.

All media are constructed The Storyboard Process In media there are tools that help production teams construct their message. Typically across all medium, the basic process of pre-production (or construction) is referred to as storyboarding. In Film and TV, storyboarding is a map of where a scene will go so that directors know what to set-up and expect in each shot. It’s a means to arrange a sequence of images, scenes and text. Teaching Tip: Check out the storyboarding example http: //pblmm. k 12. ca. us/Tech. Help/Storyboarding. html This is also a terrific resource for seeing how other educators use a multimedia curriculum in their classrooms.

All media are constructed The Storyboard Process Production of web sites and multimedia projects also uses the storyboarding process. Essentially the process is used to organize the flow, navigation and resources. Teaching Tip: Refer to this storyboarding resource when producing your own media http: //www. uncc. edu/webcourse/sb/worksheet. htm or see if you can find additional online resources

All media are constructed Constructing for Audiences You will learn during Week 5, that there are inherent values and bias in all forms of media. That’s because all shows and other media are competing for the same thing – an audience. What makes a show popular is creativity within an established formula: n For example, drama must have a quick beginning to establish a problem, followed by conflict among characters, which is resolved nicely at the close of the program (unless it’s a serial show in which the show ends with a cliffhanger). The creativity of a good show would be a twist on a character, an unexpected plot turn, etc. Most people watch TV to “veg”. They don’t necessarily want to think or be too challenged trying to figure out a plot. If people are confused or bored, they will turn the channel. It’s that simple. Producers are under no obligation to present an accurate account of world, they are charged only with the task of building as large an audience as possible and keeping that audience happy. This topic will be further explored during Week 3.

All media are constructed Deconstruction…. The process of deconstructing a media messages helps to understand how it is constructed. Consider this activity for either yourself or your students to help you understand the various elements of a message and the process and decisions that need to be made to produce it. Commercials are good choices for deconstruction because they are short and tightly packed with powerful words and images, music and sounds. Find a commercial to analyze by recording just the commercials during an hour or two of TV watching. Play the tape and look for a commercial that is particularly interesting. Replay it several times. § Write down everything you can about the visuals lighting, camera angles, how the pictures are edited together. § Turn down the sound and simply watch the moving images. What visual elements did you notice that you didn’t notice before? How is it different without sound (mood, etc. ) § Turn the picture off and listen to the sound track. Write down all the words that are spoken. § Who says the words? What kind of music is used? Does it change in the course of the commercial? How? Are there other sounds? What is the purpose of the sounds?

Relevant Articles This is an article from Entertainment Weekly that shows that even “reality” TV may not be reality. It shows that those programs are highly structured productions within a environment souped-up to guaranteed chaos, which translates to increased ratings http: //www. ew. com/ew/report/0, 6115, 16 8642~3~~, 00. html In this EW article, producers fess up about how “un-real” reality shows are. http: //www. ew. com/ew/report/0, 6115, 101752~7~~, 00. html The fact that TV is a construction is best seen in “reality” TV. More un-real than real, this still relatively new craze can work for the media literate like a virtual lie detector test for TV.

What’s Next? Media literacy also involves the skill of producing media, so that youth in particular can offer their own perspectives and/or interpretation of reality Refer to your toolkit for the weekly assignment, and be prepared to answer the weekly questions posted by your instructor.