LESSON 6: Media and

Information
Languages
 Media and Information
Languages
It is the way in which the meaning of the media text is conveyed to the
audience. One of the ways media languages works is to convey meaning
through signs and symbols suggested by the way a scene is set up and
filmed.
TYPES OF MEDIA
LANGUAGES
 WRITTEN LANGUAGE
The representation of a spoken or gestural language by means of a writing
system. The language chosen generates meaning. Captions allow the
publication to present a story in a particular way.
 VERBAL LANGUAGE
It is how the language is delivered and it’s context used are important factors
in the way meaning is generated for the audience. It is commonly used in
medias such as televisions, radios, and films.
 NON-VERBAL LANGUAGE
This is in terms of a body languages such as gestures and body actions. The
meaning received by the audience is seen trough how the actor uses his/her
body.
 VISUAL LANGUAGE
 What is on the screen has been chosen specifically to generate a series of effects and meanings.
Specific camera angles and movements are chosen to interpret the story and meaning of the scene in
medias such as television and films. For example, the first picture, the dark setting creates a scene of
a war. The second picture, you could see the bright setting indicates a happy scene. Third, the dull
setting gives the audience and idea of a sad scene.
 AURAL LANGUAGE
 The aural language of the media text helps the audience define the genre of a piece.
Sound helps in creating a scene to construct the environment, atmosphere, and mood,
such as diegetic and non diegetic sounds. For example, the gunfire sounds indicate that
there is war.
 CODES
These are the systems of signs that are put together to create an
arbitrary meaning.
 TECHNICAL CODES
 The ways in which equipment is used to tell the story in the media text. It is important to
bear in mind the camera angles, framing, lighting, and exposure of a scene. For example,
seeing sand everywhere in a place tells us that the setting of the scene is in a dessert. And
the other picture is the camera angle used in the setting indicates the scene of a sunset.
 SYMBOLIC CODES
 These are things that interpret something more than what is seen (object, setting, body language, clothing, etc.).
For example, the logo of FedEx you can see the arrow between E and X which represents the company’s thinking
ways and outlook towards it’s future. And then the logo of amazon. You can see the arrow linking the A to Z. it says
they have everything from A to Z which can satisfy you.
WRITTEN CODES
 CONVENTIONS

It is generally accepted practice or technique that is widely used in

media to communicate ideas, information, and knowledge.
 TYPES OF
CONVENTIONS
 TECHNICAL CONVENTION
• This is applied on technical areas, such as the length of the films,
series, T.V shows, and music videos. For example in movies they
usually make it 1 hour up to 2 hours and in T.V series they usually
make it from 25 minutes up to 1 hour.
 GENRE CONVENTION
• A typical or standard trope of a plot, setting, character, icon theme, or effect in a genre story. For
example in every love story in the movies or series there always be a love affair between the lover
and another woman or man. Sometimes in every love stories the one is rich and the other one is poor
like bride for rent.
 AUDIENCE
It is one of the most important elements in media, without
audience, media would not have evolve throughout the generation
when it had started.