Analysing Bias & The Construction Of Representation (Stuart Hall)

Analysing Bias & The Construction Of Representation 

- Masthead
- Main Image
- Lead story (a splash)
- Stand alone
- Spread
- Folio
- Barcode
- Caption
- Headline
- Page numbers
- Quote
- Body text
- Byline

Key:
   - All three images
   - First image
   - Second Image
   - Third Image

Reality is a fickle term. We have a pretty clear idea on what is real, and yet we are simultaneously aware of the fact that every media producer fights to put forward her ideology in every media product.

Therefore it is often argued, representation is not reality. Taking Donald Trump for an example we probably still have a very definite view of the man. Where did this interpretation come from? It is created through re-presentation.

However, we also need to take into consideration the possibility that representation constructs reality. Beliefs and attitudes are repeated, reinforced and legitimised. Audiences can often reach their own conclusion on media products, but there is generally a dominant ideology or 'right' way to think presented. As British citizens, our perception of other countries may entirely be created through carefully constructed representations. 

Therefore, we need to be wary of bias and agenda when analysing a media product. 

Bias/media bias - Where the producers of a text demonstrate a prejudice towards a certain group, or favouritism towards another. A one sided perspective.

Agenda - the ideological goals of a media product. Often a media product will attempt to change the ideology of an audience, for example in a party political broadcast

Is It Biased?

Discerning newspaper bias can be done through the following ways:

• Bias through selection and omission 
• Bias through placement 
• Bias by headline 
• Bias by photos, captions and camera angles 
• Bias through use of names and titles 
• Bias through statistics and crowd counts 
• Bias by source control 
• Word choice and tone 

The second newspaper is the only one with republican leanings, they use the new president's face as the cover with a title of the "the new world", this is a clear indication that this change is for the better, unlike from the other two who have a deliberate critic of Trump, comparing it to the biggest shit show of 2016 Britain, Brexit and depicts the statue of liberty weeping into her hands at this apparent destruction of the liberty in America. 
3rd image presents the American people as destructive people, like those at a football match, this presents the idea that they are uneducated and immature people as well as a the headline creating a comparison of 

Theorist - Stuart Hall § Reception

Reception Theory

Preferred reading

- The 'right' reading of a text, which can be enforced by positioning 

- This concept has to be appropriated carefully: often texts initially have multiple meanings/readings

Dominant reading

The audience agrees with the dominant values in the text, and agrees with the values and ideology of the text. 

Oppositional Reading 

The audience completely disagrees with the values and ideologies

Negotiated Reading

The audience generally agrees with what they see, but they may disagree with certain aspects.

Representation – The ways in which a media product constructs the world and aspects in it. E.g. social groups, individuals, issues and events.

The study of representation looks at:

1. The group, place or issue on which a media text is focusimg
2. The technical devices that media text uses in order to present these groups or issues
3. The message about the group or issues being created within the text
4. The impact of this message on the target audience

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