A useful glossary to support GCSE Media students

1. Media Term with Explanation and Example
Anchorage: In Media Studies this is the fixing ofmeaning. A piece oftext[words on a poster] or pairing ofimages in a
product’s contentthat attempts to anchor (i.e. fixes to one understanding) the meaning of an image for an audience.
E.g.: Happy upbeat music in the opening credits might help us understand that the programme is a comedy or light-
hearted. Ominous music would suggest that the product is something that will be tense or frightening. Think of the
music pads used for radio news.
Alignment: The way that a media productattempts to position an audience in relation to what they are being shown –
the deliberate attemptto make us feel abouta person, place,object, idea the way that the producer wants us to. E.g.:
we may sympathise with a character if we are shown situations from their point of view, if we have shared their
suffering. The opening beach sequence from Saving Private Ryan is a good example of Spielberg creating a feeling of
understanding in the audience for the horror of war and what these soldiers endured to make the world a ‘better’ place
for us. News stories might in their coverage present a point of view of people in a story that makes us
sympathise or be hostile to them – stories/images of immigrants in the Daily Mail
Anti-hero: An antihero (or anti-heroine) is a central character who lacks conventional heroic qualities such as idealism,
courage, or morality. An anti-hero is a flawed hero, and therefore, often is much more interesting than the more
traditional heroes. They can be working on the side ofgood, butwith a tragic flaw, or a horrible past, or for reasons that
are selfish and not entirely pure. These darker heroes can be jerks, pathetic, hard, jaded, or mean. However, all anti-
heroes musthave enough heroic qualities and intentions to gain the sympathy ofthe audience. E.g.: Batman; Riddick;
Catwoman; Snake Plisken; Suicide Squad
Audience: In media terms there are many types ofaudience that we might refer to. These might include the size –
Global-mass-cult-niche – or refer to their age and interests – demographics and psychographics.Often we use the term
target or preferred or primary to indicate the group ofpeople to whom a media productis being marketed.E.g.: the target
audience for Call of Duty is predominantly young males. The readership of The Sun is predominantly manual and
semi-skilled workers.
Binary opposition: The contrast between two mutually exclusive concepts or things that creates conflictand drives a
narrative e.g. good/evil, day/night, male/female, presence/absence, old/young. A theory or way of understanding media
products devised by Claude Levi –Strauss which tries to explore the appeal ofmedia products for audiences and the
way that an audience mightread meaning into a productor a narrative.
Brief: Information provided by an institution or clientabout the content and purpose ofa media product. Often contains
details oftarget audience, intended outcome and desired contentand approach. Sometimes a briefwill give specific
details aboutthe form/platform.
Censorship: Control over the contentof a media text. Different media forms have different forms ofcensorship. This
might range from the ratings given to films [PG; 15 etc] or the ratings of computer games or the advisory warnings on
some CDs. The purpose is usually stated as to protectwhat are seen to be vulnerable groups ofsociety [usually the
young] from content that might disturb or affect them. E.g.: the British Board of Film Classification. This might be
linked into Gatekeeping Theory in news.
Convention: The widely recognised way ofdoing something - this refers to content and form. This constructs
expectations among the targetaudience as what they mightexpectin a product. E.g.: aliens in a science –fiction film;
futuristic gleaming cities etc. In a game show this might be the use of a host, the podium for contestants to stand at or
the seating of panelists, the presence of an audience etc. Sometimes media producers will manipulate these in
unexpected ways to create a productthat is unconventional which might develop a new audience for such products.
Convergence: The way in which technologies and institutions come together in order to create something new. Cinema
is the result ofthe convergence ofphotography,moving picture technology and sound. The PS4 allows convergence of
gaming, films and music. In news this can be the way that different organisations have a range of products –
Rupert Murdoch owning Sky and The Sun and The Times.

2. Contemporary: Meaning of the current time, the things that are happening now butalso things that were happening at
the time a media productwas produced. E.g.: When game shows were first introduced in the 1950s the TV audience
ideas of what made a game show exciting was the prize at stake, and the idea of what made a good prize was
influenced by contemporary ideas of value such as the then desirability of refrigerators, holidays or cars.
Cut: The sudden transition from one camera shotor audio sequence to the next. This is the manner used for the linking
of mostshots in a film or TV programme and the one that we are mostaccustomed to seeing.See also Dissolve and
Fade.
Demographics: The study ofaudiences according to factors such as age and gender that allow an analysis of who they
are and attempts to understand and explain which type ofaudience behaves in which way. This is key for institutions
and advertisers in deciding both where and who to market their products to.
Diegetic: A way to describe sound in a media product. All sound where the source is clear in the productis said to be
diegetic. Where the sound is notin the frame [overlaid music in a chase sequence]itis said to be non-diegetic. Most
news sound is diegetic, it is the ambient sound of the environment where the report is recorded.
Dissolve: A transition from one shotto another that is gradual and used for effect. The slow transition ofthe dissolve
might enable the audience to better understand a relationship between two characters or two locations or events or it
might suggestan emotional response from the audience. Itwill always allow time for the audience to consider whatthey
have just seen or heard in the previous scene/shot. Dissolves and fades are used to create a specific effectas opposed
to the more functional cut. When dissolves or fades are used you should always consider why this choice was made
and do the same for your own use of it in your storyboard or script. In radio news the cut is used more than the
dissolve in using sound clips in news reports.
Edit: The process by which a still image [such as a movie poster or magazine cover] or clip offilm or a section ofaudio
is treated to create the intended outcome ofthe photographer, editor, director, artist, producer etc. who is constructing it
This might include cropping,changing the brightness or contrastor using specialized software to add effects.
Enigma: A question that is not immediately answered and thus draws an audience into a media product. This might be
as simple as a whodunit ion a murder or crime film but might also include puzzles in a trailer or poster. Newspaper
photographs or the above the fold blurbs to intrigue the reader to purchase the newspaper.
Expectation: Very much linked into convention, the idea that an audience will have pre-knowledge ofthe kind of
experience or pleasures thata media productwill offer them. Linked into genre, this allows media producers to market
products on linked and shared understandings. E.g.:an audience will know what a horror film is and thus expect it to be
scary; a comedy to be funny etc. They would expect a newspaper or radio news [marketed on its format] to be
exciting, funny, tense, knowledgeable etc.
Format: The way that a media productpresents its contentto the target audience. Itinvolves a setway of doing things.
This might be that in a game show there are setrounds each week or setchallenges that contestants have to negotiate
to win the prize. It mightalso be that the hosthas a role where they act in a certain way [Dara O’Brien in Mock The
Week; Paddy McGuiness in Take Me Out] or begins the show with a joke with the audience etc. For newspapers and
radio it might be the structural layout – the front page; the location of the sports section etc.
Franchise: Media products based on the same background characters or situations. This might be a simple series of
one successful film – Fast and Furious is now in its seventh release or itmay involve a range ofmedia forms and
platforms (Star Wars – the films, website, animated adventures, games, toys,etc; Spiderman - films, games, comic
books, clothes, merchandise etc.) Sometimes this may take the form of a spin-off programme such as the CSI series
which takes the format or some minor characters and then creates a new series around them.
Genre: The linking ofmedia products by a series ofcommon elements or ideas.Horror films share certain similaritie s in
character types and narrative plots. Science fiction share similar ideas aboutthe shape offuture worlds. Genres are a
marketing invention that aid media producers in identifying profitable markets for their products and allows audiences to

3. make quick decisions aboutthe vast range ofproducts available to consume. These can be narrowed further into sub -
genres to allow very specific and targeted marketing.
Hammocking: The term used by TV schedulers when a less popular [or new] programme is scheduled to air between
two more popular programmes.The idea is that the attraction of the programmes either side will entice viewers to keep
on the station and thus watch the ‘hammocked’ programme that is hung between the two bigger programmes.This
gives the hammocked show exposure to a much larger audience than it might otherwise attract by itselfand makes it
more valuable to advertisers. E.g.: programmes aired between Coronation Street [7 million viewers average] which
airs 19:00 till 19:30 and I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here [ 9 million viewers average] which airs at 20:00. A good
example is the placing of Gino’s Italian Escape which in August2016 was hammocked between two episodes of
Coronation Street [19:00 – 19:30 and 20:00 – 20:30 with Gino’s programme aired 7:30 – 8:00].
Icon: An instantly recognizable actor, character or location or event. E.g.: Batman is an icon; A view of the Staue of
Liberty is iconic of New York.
Institution: In Media Studies we are concerned with using the meaning of an organization that creates and distributes
media products.
Ideology: This is a complex concept. In simple terms, for this subjectat GCSE it is a setof ideas or beliefs which are
held to be acceptable by the creators ofa media product. E.g.: A text might be described as having a feminist ideology,
meaning it promotes the idea that women are the equal of men and should not be discriminated against on the grounds
of gender. Or, on the other hand, it might be criticized [as many action films and game shows are,] for promoting a
heavily male dominated narrative with women reduced to minor roles.
Narrative: The way in which a story, or sequence ofevents, is puttogether within a text. All media texts have some sort
of narrative. In the pack we look at the most used theory offilm narrative, that of Todorov who saw films as following a
basic storyline pattern of: equilibrium - disequilibrium - new equilibrium.
Masthead: The title and main details ofa newspaper or magazine printed in a fixed position on every product. For
newspapers this may include a logo, a mission statement and in some cases details of articles or offers in the
newspaper.
Mise-en-scene: From the French - everything in the frame - what is included within a particular shotin a film or TV
programme. Mise-en- scène is linked to creating a mood in a film and has specific conventions linked to the kind offilm
– its genre. It mightbe the ominous dark castle in the thunderstorm at night of a horror or the long establishing shotat
the start of a sci-fi revealing a distant planet or strange civilization. It is the combination ofsound, costume, image,
lighting, music that creates the tone and meaning ofthe sequence as well as establishing the kind offilm we are
watching. In news this is linked into the way that sound clips and reports convey the idea of the product.
News values: A theory developed by Galtung and Ruge, two Scandinavian researchers, who found in an analysis of
newspapers from around the world a striking similarity in both the contentof news [what was reported] and the
prominence given to it[the space and position in newspapers]. These values also operate in radio and TV news and on
internet news sites such as Vice. The values include issues ofproximity [people like those accessing the news] celebrity
[the relative fame of those in the news event] and bad news [tragedy more likely to be reported than good news.
Palette: The range of colours used in a film. Often a filmmaker will follow a restricted colour palette to help create an
understanding ofthe films narrative. In Sci-fi this is often a cold palette ofblues and greys or one where much ofthe
brightcolour has been washed outto give a cold, futuristic alien effect. Sound can fulfil this role too. In newspapers the
layout and format of the newspaper uses a range of palettes that are familiar to readers.
PoV [point of view]: A first-person camera shotthat shows a scene from an individual character’s viewpoint. Used to
help the audience understand what is happening in a character’s head. E.g.: A predator stalking his/her prey is shown
as if we are the predator and we watch events unfold from that point of view. Linked with Alignment this helps create a
sense of identification or understanding of the character and their motives.

4. Preferred reading: The meaning of a media productwhich the producers intended. The opposite of‘preferred reading’
is ‘aberrant reading’, such as when people interpreta productdifferently to that intended. E.g.: We are meant to see that
Marks and Spencer food products are worth the extra money and thus we ourselves are deserving of it. They are
advertised as ‘not just chocolates but Marks and Spencer chocolates’ suggesting that this immediately makes them
better and worth the additional cost.
Representation: The way in which the media “re-presents” the world around us in the form ofsigns and codes for
audiences to read.
Scheduling: The timing of when programmes air on TV stations. The day and time are key elements in ensuring that
the ‘right’ audience is enabled to watch the show at what is considered the premium time for that genre ofshow to be
viewed. This mightinclude understanding what the competition for the audience is – we often hear that Strictly will not
be scheduled against X-Factor or The Voice against Britain’s Got Talent or the big soaps scheduled atthe same time.
Strap-line: The line of text on a poster that adds interestand sometimes mightcreate an enigma to help in the
marketing of a film. E.g.: In space no-one can hear you scream. In newspapers the teaser for stories inside or the
continutation of a front page lead.
Storyboard: A visual breakdown ofa scriptoften produced by a director in order to demonstrate to a camera operator
or production team how a scene is designed to be shot. Often includes elements of mise-en-scène as well as camera
movements, types ofshot, accompanying sound and other technical information which a camera operator might need.
Might also be used during the editing process. Can be very simple or quite complicated, depending on the needs ofthe
production or the team. Usually produced as partofthe pre- production process after a scripthas been produced.
Star: A person who has become famous appearing in many sorts ofmedia, whose image is instantly recognisable as a
sign, with a whole range of meanings or significations. Often they have celebrity status – they are recognizable for
things they have done or [sadly] for merely being famous [Big Brother contestants; Kardashians etc] – but celebrity does
not always mean that someone is a star.
Stereotype: Stereotypes are representations ofpeople thatrely on ideas aboutthe group that person is perceived as
belonging to. Itis assumed that an individual shares personal characteristics with other members ofthat group and thus
shares further attributes associated with them. E.g.: blondes are all stupid, people who wear spectacles are clever etc.
Sub-genre: A smaller off-shootof one ofthe main genre forms. E.g.: In horror the ‘slasher’ sub-genre; in action films the
‘buddy’ film etc.
Syndication: Media products [usually TV, Radio and print] are licensed to differentorganisations to be broadcastor
printed on their own station. This is seen as costeffective as the stations may not have the means to produce
programmes themselves or they are using what is an established productwith a known audience. In TV, Game of
Thrones is made by HBO who then license itto be shown around the world on other networks. In news, over a
hundred local and national commercial radio stations syndicate their news feed from the IRN saving on the
cost of employing their own journalists, reporters and editors.
Trailer: A short advertmade up ofedited highlights ofthe film being promoted, often including a voice -over and giving
key information aboutelements such as stars, genre and release date. A key elementhere is often the reference to
existing or known media products that might attract that audience or the use ofenigmas or stars.
Viral: The name given to any kind ofpromotion which spreads in the manner ofa virus. Often communicated via word-
of-mouth rather than more traditional distribution mechanisms giving the viral an exclusive quality. Users are
encouraged to pass on materials by themselves. Increasingly used by film institutions as a means of advertising their
film cheaply and with some sortoffashionable or quirky edge to it.