The M6QI3. Stli< Book

Fourth Edition

GILL BRANSTON and ROY STAFFORD

|3 Routledge j j j ^ ^ Taylor 61 Francis Group

LONDON AND NEW YORK

Contents

List of illustrations Acknowledgements

XI1

xviii

Introduction 1

Part I: Key Concepts 9

I Interpreting media 11

Semiotic approaches I I

Structuralism 14

Denotation and connotätion 17

Debates 25

Content analysis 27

Case study of the two methods in action: 'violence and the media' 29

References 31

Further reading 32

Case study: Ways of interpreting

Images from photojournalism

Content analysis

Voices and sound images

References and further reading

33

33

37

38

40

Narratives

General theories of narrative

Narration, story and plot

Narratives in different media

Institutions and narratives I: broadcasting and soaps

Institutions and narratives 2: Computer culture

References and further reading

41

41

49

52

56

61

63

Case study: CSI: Miami and crime fiction

Crime fiction

Plotlstory

Todorov

65

65

67

69

CONTENTS

Applying Propp 69

Applying Barthes 69

Applying Levi-Strauss 70

Narratives, institutions, ideologies 70

References 73

Further reading 73

Genres and other classifications 74

Genres and Classification 74

Repertoires of elements 78

Examples of elements and their fluidity 79

Status 'art' and genres 83

Genres, escapism and verisimilitude 86

Other kinds of Classification 89

Conclusion 92

References 92

Further reading 93

Case study: J-horror and the Ring cyc/e 94

Horror cycles 94

The beginnings ofthe Ring cycle 95

Replenishing the repertoire through repetition and difference 96

Building on the cycle 99

Industry exploitation and circulation 99

Fandom and the global concept ofgenre 101

Summary: generic elements and Classification 101

References and further reading 102

Institutions 103

Defining 'Institution' 104

An institutional analysis of photography 105

Applying ideas about media institutions 114

Media institutions and society 119

References and further reading 126

Case study: Television as Institution 128

An outline history ofUK television 128

Ownership and control in the television industry 130

Financing television 132

Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) 134

Audience questions 136

The culture ofproduction 138

References and further reading 140

CONTENTS ,

5 Questions of representation 141

Stereotyping and'scripts' 142

Case study I: Racial Stereotyping 143

Case study 2: Representations and gender 147

Debates on positive and negative images 152

Genres and realism 155

Historical and institutional processes 158

Conclusion 160

References 161

Further reading 162

Case study: Images of migration 164

Thinking about 'migration' 164

News media and the right to representation 166

The 'grain oftruth' in stereotypes? 168

Varieties of media representations 170

References and further reading 173

6 Ideologies and power 174

Origins of the term: Marxist approaches 175

The persistence of class and its (in)visibility 179

Post-Marxism and critical pluralism 181

Discourses 184

Lived cultures 188

References 192

Further reading 193

Case study: News 194

News and dominant values 194

News values 196

'News Professionals' and news cultures 201

Impartiality and news 203

References 206

Further reading 206

7 Industries 207

Media production as a factory process 208

Long-life media - a different process? 210

Types of activities 211

Six stages of media production 213

Organisation of production 226

The media business environment 234

C O N T E N T S

'Independence' and 'alternatives' in the media industries 239

References and further reading 242

Case study: The major players in the media industries 244

The majors 244

The European majors 250

Other American corporations in Europe 251

A special case 253

Media corporations outside North America and Europe 253

Debates about consolidation 254

References and further reading 255

Case study: The music industry, technology and synergy 257

An outline history ofthe music industry 257

The structure ofthe industry 261

Synergy, convergence and the contemporary music industry 264

References 267

Further reading 267

Audiences 268

Media representations of audiences 268

Academic representations of audiences 270

The effects model 271

Media influence 273

The uses and gratiflcations model 275

'Encoding/decoding' 277

'Cultural' approaches 278

References 283

Further reading 285

Case study: Selling audiences 286

Advertising agencies and their sources 287

Television and advertising 289

Recent changes 291

Summary 292

References 294

Further reading 295

Advertising and branding 296

Advertising: debates and histories 297

Marketing and branding: histories and debates 304

The influence of 'commercial culture' 308

References 315

Further reading 316

Case study: Celebrity, stardom and marketing 317

From stars to celebrities 317

Stars, celebrities and advertising 319

Dumbing down? 324

References 327

Further reading 327

Part II: Media Practices 329

10 Research 331

Primary or secondary research 331

Content or background research 333

Using the internet for research 339

Production research 344

Audience research 344

Academic research 348

References and further reading 349

Case study: Researching mobile phone technologies 350

Getting started 350

Using Wikipedia 351

Company Websites 352

Keeping your eyes and ears open 353

Academic research into phone use 355

Googling 356

References and further reading 357

11 Production Organisation 358

The production process in outline 358

Setting out 359

Negotiating a brief 366

Pre-production 367

Production 370

Post-production 377

References and further reading 382

12 Production techniques 384

Technical codes in print products 385

Technical codes in video production 396

.,;•:..-. ..; . : ; ; - •• • : CONTENT*

'Narrative' codes in film and video production 404

Technical codes in audio production 408

References and further reading 414

13 Distribution 416

Distribution structures in media industries 416

Case study I: Film distribution and exhibition in the UK 422

Distributing 'advertising-led' products 425

Case study 2: Tabloids and 'compacts' 427

References and further reading 435

Case study: Contemporary British cinema 437

Institution: what is a British film? 438

British film culture 443

British film-makers and film-making trad'itions 444

References and further reading 451

Part III: Media Debates 453

14 Documentary and 'reality T V

Documentary and assumptions about 'realism' and truth

Performance and documentary

Case study 1: 'Direct Cinema'

Ethics and documentary

Case study 2: Michael Moore

'Reality TV'

Case study 3: Jamie Oliver's School Dinners (Channel 4 2005)

Case study 4: Big Brother

References and further reading

15 Whose globalisation?

A global village?

'Globalisation': histories and technologies

Case study: Divine advertising: an exercise in global awareness

Debates: cultural imperalism?

A closer look at US cultural power

Regions, flows, networks

Corporate domination?

References

Further reading

455

456

460

461

465

466

470

473

475

477

479

480

481

485

488

490

494

498

503

504

C O N T E N T S

16 'Free choices' in a 'free market'? 505

Politics and economics 506

Regulation or 'freedom'? 507

Historical background 508

Deregulation, liberalisation and media institutions 513

The contemporary regulatory environment 514

What might a 'free market' mean for the UK? 519

References and further reading 529

Part IV: Reference 531

Glossary of key terms 533

Bibliography 553

Useful information 562

Index 565