Key Concepts (LIIAR)

There are five key areas/concepts in media studies:

Language: The specific terminology and technical terms used to describe the subject. Media language is predominantly used on the splash of magazine covers for example, masthead, cover line, bar code, but are also used throughout the magazine.

Institution: The organisation that creates media texts, for example, BBC, Q, NME. If these institutes are well known the name on the magazine may be covered as the magazine is already recognisable. Most institutions have websites and some even have a TV channel. The main content in the magazines, used by institutions is entertainment and as most institutions' purpose is to make money adverts are included throughout the magazine.

Ideology: Values, ideas and beliefs that represent ideas about certain stereotypes. They are represented by either single individuals or groups and are a system of beliefs that we are share that include legal and moral values.

Audience: The audience are the consumers of the product that the institutes aim to target. The target audience are the group of people that an institute specifically aim at, for example, 16-19 or 25+. The predominant target audience for most music magazines are 15-25.

Representation: Institutes re-present ideas back to the audiences about British society and social groups along with people, places, objects and events. They also represent values. Respresentation can be shown in either speech, writing or a moving image.

The first letters of the key concepts spell 'LIIAR'