Image and Representation: Key Concepts in Media Studies - Hardcover

Lacey, Nick

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 031221202X ISBN 13: 9780312212025

Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan, 1998

Synopsis

This book offers readers a lively, clear and practical introduction to two of the most central concepts in the study of media, culture and communication: media language and representation. Beginning with the basic components of image analysis, including framing, mise-en-scène, anchorage and genre, this book goes on to examine the contribution of semiotics to our understanding of the messages media texts convey. It then considers debates around authorial intent, "preferred" readings, ideology and discourse. The book subsequently explores the web of codes and interpretation that constructs representation and looks at important issues to do with stereotyping, propaganda, realism and the documentary. Packed with graphic and memorable examples and case studies taken from a range of contemporary and classic media texts, and carefully interspersed with suggestions for further activity or study, the book offers a lucid review of key theories that pays due attention to their practical application.

About this title

Review

Reviews of the first edition:

'...illustrated with occasional diagrams, photographs and film stills, and divided into bite-size sections and subsections...this is a tightly structured, complete, coherent course.'
- In The Picture

'This is a stimulating and helpful book, with loads of material and texts from a wide range of media. Despite having to bring in some difficult concepts, Nick Lacey's obvious love and enthusiasm for his subject should encourage and spur his target audience - the post-16 media student - to a more careful and critical approach to all aspects of media texts.'
- AC Dewar, Media Education Journal

'I liked Lacey's tone to his reader: getting them involved, chatting to them almost, in the manner of Open University course books. This involvement with the reader is further reinforced by the number of exercises (again varying in difficulty) which the reader is expected to do...This is a stimulating and helpful book, with loads of material and texts from a wide range of media. Despite having to bring in some difficult concepts, Nick Lacey's obvious love and enthusiasm for his subject should encourage and spur his target audience - the post-16 media student - to a more careful and critical approach to all aspects of media texts.'
- Media Education Journal

'At last, a straight forward foundation book on the analysis of image and representation. This book will teach everyone to read images.' - Customer Review, Amazon
 
 

From the Author

A summary of why this book was written
this book was written because I found that teaching all the variables of image analysis was not the most interesting part of a Media Studies course. A book which gave explanations of these variables was needed; chapter one of 'Image and Representation' is that book.

Each of the key concepts in Media Studies can be dealt with at varying levels of difficulty. For example, media language can be dealt with in a relatively straightforward fashion but can also be exceptionally complex involving the ideas of semiotics and the functions of ideology. This book is differentiated so it presents the concepts in a basic fashion and then with greater complexity.

The last two chapters of this book considers the key concept of representation. It offers a variety of case studies including television news, More! magazine and the film 'Blue Steel'. The advanced section offers a history of realism and considers the influence of May '68 on Media theory.

This book is aimed at advanced and degree-level students. My students like it, but then they would say that. I am interested in your opinion.

Edition details

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 031221202X
• ISBN 13: 9780312212025
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 256