This document provides an overview of key concepts related to media language. It defines media language as the visual language of signs used in media texts. It explains that signs have a denotation, which is the literal meaning, and a connotation, which is the implied or underlying meaning. The document also introduces several types of codes that carry meaning in media, such as symbolic codes involving images, colors, gestures, and body language, and technical codes involving camera angles and lighting.

1. CW MEDIA Language 22/09/2015
9/22/2015 Term 1, Lesson 2 1
Learning Objective:
To know what is meant by the terms
Media Language
Learning Outcome Level
All: Will understand the key term – Media Language 1
Most: Will be able to use the terms correctly to describe media texts 2
Some: Will be able to identify links between Denotation & Connotation 3

2. Key Concepts in Media
9/22/2015 Term 1, Lesson 2 2
M ediaLanguage
I nstitution
G enre
R epresentation
A udience
I deologies
N arrative
E conomical, social,politicscontext

3. Signs and Codes
• When we talk about DENOTATION and CONNOTATION in
Media, we are talking about SIGNS!
• Frederick Saussure offered a two-part model of the sign. He
defined a sign as being composed of:
– a 'signifier' - the form which the sign takes; and
– the 'signified' - the concept it represents.
• We call this visual language of signs SEMIOTICS!
22/09/2015 Term 1, Lesson 3 3
Discover

4. SIGN
(DENOTATION?)
SIGNIFIED
(CONNOTATION?)
Develop

5. Codes
Codes are a series of visual signs that
carry a meaning.
• A colour might be a code.
• A facial expression might be a code.
• A logo might be a code.
• An outfit might be a code.
Much like the media term connotation, we look at the
underlying meaning of a code.
Discover

6. Copy bullet points in your ppt!
• Semiotic analysis means interpreting and decoding the ‘signs’ and ‘codes’
used in the media.
• This includes:
– Symbolic Codes
• Images/Colours/Gestures/Body language
– Technical Codes
• Camera Angles/Lighting/Focus
– Narrative Codes
• Is there a story being told through the picture?
– Text Codes
• Text content/Text style/Anchorage
Semiotic Analysis - Codes

7. What codes can you spot in this poster and what
connotations do they have?