These are five media theories used in various aspects of the media

1. FIVE MEDIA THEORETICAL IDEAS
IFE POPOOLA

2. INTRODUCTION TO GENRE THEORY:
DANIEL CHANDLER
The word “genre” derives from the French/Latin word for “kind "or “class”
This is used mostly in literary theory, media theory in order to categorize types of text
For example in literature Shakespeare’s plays were categorized into tragedy and Comedy
Contemporary media genres classify texts into more specific groups than Tragedy and comedy
Today films are categorized into specific types :westerns ,thrillers and others which people can identify with
However many theorists believe that there are many genre’s and subgenres that cannot be identified (Fowler 1989, 216;
Wales 1989, 206)
Carolyn Miller suggests “the number of genres in any society depends on the complexity and diversity of society” (Miller
1984, in Freedman & Medway 1994a, 36).
There are often theoretical debates about specific definitions of genre
“A genre is ultimately an abstract conception rather than something that exists empirically in the world ,” Jane Feuer (1992,
144) pointed out
One theorists genre definition will be different to another theorist
Themes are ineffective when describing genre as David Bordwell expresses 'any theme may appear in any genre' (Bordwell
1989, 147). Bordwell provides a range of films categorized and awarded their genre by many people
• Grouped by period or country : American films of the 1930s
• Grouped by literature-comedy ,melodrama
• Director or star- Astaire-Rodgers films
• Budget based –blockbusters
• Artistic status- art house film
• Locate-the western
•

3. • Bordwell concludes that 'one could... argue that no set of necessary and sufficient
conditions can mark off genres from other sorts of groupings in ways that all experts or
ordinary film-goers would find acceptable' (Bordwell 1989, 147).
• Nicholas Abercrombie mentions that since 'television comes at the audience as a flow of
programmes, all with different generic conventions, means that it is more difficult to
sustain the purity of the genre in the viewing experience‘ (Abercrombie 1996) . David
Buckingham argues that 'genre is not... simply "given" by the culture: rather, it is in a
constant process of negotiation and change' (Buckingham 1993) . Abercrombie explains
that the boundaries between genres are shifting and becoming more permeable

4. GENRE THEORY APPLIED TO HORROR In relation to horror the generic definitions and reference to films within the genre is an clear definition. In terms of
horror there are two key questions regarding the horror genre .
1. what is meant by the term horror or how does one define horror?
2. What is a film genre or what is meant my the term genre ?
Many theorists believe that genre should not be centred or focussed on the search for specific elements or feature of
the genre ,they have introduced alternative ways of defining genre. These Theorists proclaim that genre “has less to
do with group artefacts than with a discourse-a loose evolving system of arguments and readings helping to shape
commercial strategies and aesthetic ideologies’ ( Naremore 1995-6) According to James Naremore genre should not
be a group of texts that share similar features ; rather it is a classification process that creates “ a relationship of
homogeneity, filiation , authentication of some texts used by others ( Naremore ) Nar more demonstrates that films
that identify with a certain genre can change. During the 1960s and 70s ; The innocents (1961) , Repulsion ( 1965)
and Satyricon were seen as key moments in the history of the horror genre however recently there is no
mention of them . Alternatively “ German expressionist” classics like ; The cabinet of Dr Caligari (1919) or
Nosferatu ( 1922) were not seen as horror films in their time but are frequently used as horror examples today .
However writings still insist that the horror genre is a known and familiar genre .David Russell dismisses the
previous idea of the horror genre and insists that “the basic definition of any horror film may be centred around its
monster character and the conflict arising in the fantastical and unreal monster’s relationship with normality ….”
(Russell 1998)
Some theorist suggests that the classification and separation of genres are becoming less strict for instance in recent
years the horror genre has incorporated romantic and comedic elements within the text for instance Shaun of the
dead (2002) and warm bodies ( 2013 )

5. AUDIENCE THEORY :CULTIVATION
THEORY
• Cultivation theory is the notion that television shapes or “cultivates” the viewers’
conception of reality. The massive exposure of television on the viewers over time
shapes the perception of social reality on the individual and our culture. Gerbner
argues that mass media cultivate ideas and attitudes that are present in society.
The media maintains these beliefs towards the members of society .He argues that
television tends to cultivate the majorities political perspectives. Gerbner calls
this effect “ mainstreaming” .. For example the science fiction horror films of the
1950s The Thing (1951), It Came From Outer Space (1953) ,The Invasion of the
Body Snatchers (1956) and other 50s horror films originated out of the fear of the
atomic bomb and the threat of communist invasion from the cold war. These films
seemed like the reality of the American society as the threat of was and violence
led to the creation of these films . The use of these films showed the invaders as
the communists and scared the Americans thus proving the influence these films
had on the audiences perception of reality.

6. MEDIATION AND STEREOTYPING
Every media text we encounter is a concept of reality that someone constructed . It is easy to get distracted
and forget this point when watch a text . This medium removes use from reality and places us in an alternate
reality by taking a real person or an event and manipulate it to form and produce this text .This is called
mediation .For example this is present in most Horror films . 1920 films such as The cabinet of Dr.
Caligari (1919) , Nosferatu (1920) these film makers have taken a male character and manipulated them
into scare ,strange evil characters set in a strange alternate reality through trick in photography ,lighting and
set design . There are three area in which mediation creates these texts
1. Selection- what ever is on the screen things have been removed and left out of it like areas in a film
that does not build tension
2. Organisation – the elements have been organised carefully and craftily using mise-en scene and the
organisation of narrative
3. Focusing –mediation forces the audience to focus on a certain aspect of the text in a horror film the
camera will pan to the antagonist or monster highlighting their importance .
Stereotypes are used in representation in media texts particularly in horror films . A stereotype is a over
simplifies attitude or picture or assumption of a social group or individual . For example in horror films it is
very stereotypical for the antagonist to be male and the victim to be female like in Halloween ( 1978) this is
due to the sexist generation responsible for horror films .Another stereotype in horror is that if a couple is
having sex or about to have sext they will be killed .This is due to the traditional and religious view that sex
before marriage is a sin and those who commit this sin will die .

7. TODOROV’S NARRATIVE THEORY
Todorov's theory states that most film plots or stories a specific follow a pattern which has 5 steps .
1. Equilibrium – this is the first part of the story when everything is normal and everyone is happy i.e.
in atypical horror film a family has moved into a big new house everyone is happy to begin a new life
2. A Disruption – this next part of the story feature a problem or something that will disrupt the
happiness – A strange artefact or book is found in the house , creepy things start to happen
3. Realisation -third part of the plot when everyone realises the issue and the chaos it brings - the
family realise their house is being haunted
4. Restore order – The penultimate part of the plot is when the character s attempt to resolve the
problem – the family finds out the reason why the house is haunted and try to help the ghost be put
to rest
5. Equilibrium again- The final part of the plot the problem is solved – the house is no longer
haunted
many horror films follow this exact path other horror films are more alternative and controversial for
example in the Blair witch project (1999) the story is unresolved and it is concluded with an open ending
other films have sequels and continue the story such as; Saw (2002) ,Halloween(1978) or The final
destination (2000)

8. SEMIOTICS
Semiotics is the study of signs this is originated from the Greek word “semeiotikos “ meaning
“interpreter of signs” . Signs underlies all forms of communication everything in human
communication is defined as a sign such as gesture ,facial expressions ,film etc.
For example the facial expression of a character in a horror film could mean something bad is
going to happen .
• Icon – the signifier or denotation is seen a resembling or imitating the signified or
connotation a picture representation a photograph of an artists sculpture this is an icon
because they imitate or copy aspects of their subjects . Icons in horror movies are evil
horrible antagonists such as Dracula in Dracula (1931) , Freddy Krueger (1984) these are
iconic monsters have make these films horrific through there use of terrorising their victims .
Dracula who would hypnotise his victims before drinking their blood or freddy Krueger who
haunts victims through the use of their dreams .
• Index- this is a factual or casual connection that points to an object . i.e a puddle of blood on
the floor suggests someone has been killed or murdered or , dead bodies on the floor suggests
a killer is on the loose ,