John Menzies Media Portfolio Page

Reflective approach is presented through mirroring the real world as the audience sees it. However, it has limitations, not accounting for whole ranges of variations in text readings, whilst also ignoring mediation processes. The approach is suggesting that real life is the reason for what we see and hear through the media, due to the reflection. The producers lead the audience to believe that something is being recreated in the mind of the audience. For example, in the British episode of Family Guy, a lot of stereotypes are used to present the British in a certain way, but also has a purpose to entertain. A lot of the aspects incorporated within the episode are taken from traditional British values, such as the Queen riding in a horse-drawn carriage, which reflects reality in British society. Another clear representation of the British within the episode is depicted in the Queen herself, Elizabeth II. In the episode, she is represented just as she is in real life, posh, upper class...

Within the television and entertainment industry and in terms of genre of magazine, there are lots of different types of magazines. Some of these include film magazines, like Empire and Total Film, whilst types of television magazines include What’s On TV, TV Choice and Inside Soap. Each of these detail or expand on the latest goings-on in terms of television, film and entertainment. Total Film and Empire both illustrate and print the news surrounding films across the world, including the latest block-busters and updates on the newest, incoming films or sequels. Displayed above, Total Film has displayed an image of the Joker, who is an iconic villain, very first created in the comic, Batman. This will identify with the audience who recognise the long-standing villainous figure, with the words “Joker” displayed across the page and it will intrigue them into reading the magazine and finding out what is in it. The target audience with Total Film will primarily be aimed at an older audie...

The theory of two step flow was developed by a man called Paul Lazarsfeld and his specialist team of researchers. They analysed the role that media products such as radio broadcasts and newspaper articles and how they influenced voters during American presidential elections. In their research, they discovered that the greatest influence came through individuals that were considered opinion leaders. The masses of audience would view these people as being aware and up to date in terms of what was happening around the world and whose ideas, beliefs and actions are trusted to be honest and true, alongside matching the interests and opinions of the audience themselves. An example that can relate to the two step flow would be the whole fiasco of Fyre Festival. A man named Billy McFarland was responsible for the whole event and ended up promising thousands of people around the world, including celebrities like Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner, the opportunity to attend one of the best music...

A man named Albert Bandura developed a theory based around social learning and how behaviour is acquired and constructed. Bandura believed that humans (particularly children) took example from their role models’ behaviour through observation, imitation and modelling. For example, he developed the Bobo doll experiment, in which he got a child to watch an adult physically attack and beat the Bobo doll continuously, by using violent behaviour towards it. The experiment would be repeated, but this time with the child, to see how they would act and react around the Bobo doll. Each time he did the experiment, Bandura found that he was getting the same results each time, with the child copying the behaviour that they saw and would repeat this by acting aggressively towards the Bobo doll, taking example of the adults behaviour since the adult is their role model, who they look up to and imitate their behaviour. In terms of media, social learning theory is brought in to justify criminal and...

The earliest effects theory is known as the hypodermic needle theory. The approach considers the relationships between the media product and its audience, believing ideas are directly intercepted into the audience’s ideologies, which leads them to form an opinion of the text. Hypodermic needle theory is seen to be an example of passive audience theory, which incorporates the approach of audiences absorbing ideas from the consumed media product, however they do not engage with them very much and believe what they see or read. Hypodermic needle theory is usually much centred around the impact that the media product has on the audience. An example that can link to this theory is video games. High age-rated games such as GTA (Grant Theft Auto) find themselves being labelled as violent and has even been tied with possibly contributing towards violent behaviour from individuals. This can also be said for the likes of horror movies, such as Chucky or Child’s Play. The ideology about video...