Diegesis: term used to describe narration in a story used for exposition and to detail aspects of the world/storyline through descriptions of character thoughts/feelings. The narrator is typically detached from the story and is only there to add further details.

Anchorage: Anchorage is a term used in media studies to describe the process whereby a media product fixes meaning by using another piece of media to reduce the number of connotations, allowing the audience to interpret the intended meaning. Anchorage can be achieved through captions, shot types, costumes, or other elements of a media product. The words that accompany an image give the meaning associated with that image, and if the caption or voiceover is changed, then so may be the way in which the audience interprets the image.

A paradigm is a model or pattern for something that may be copied. It can also refer to a theory or a group of ideas about how something should be done, made, or thought about. A paradigm can be a model of something, or a very clear and typical example of something. For example, a company can be seen as a paradigm of entrepreneurship.

Syntagm:  a chain which leads, through syntagmatic analysis, to an understanding of how a sequence of events forms a narrative. 

Equilibrium: Todorov’s theory posits that most narratives follow a simple structure: a state of equilibrium is disrupted by an event, causing a disruption; the characters then work to restore the equilibrium, and in the end, a new equilibrium or resolution is achieved.

Media language

1. Intertextuality= when one text references another to create deeper meaning.
2. Anchorage= how a text helps clarify the meaning of an image.
3. Ideology= how beliefs and ideas shape how individuals perceive and interpret the world
4. Paradigm= a set of signs that belong to the same category and can replace each other to change meaning.
5. Syntagm= The arrangement of signs to create a specific meaning
6. Diegesis= fictional world of a story
7. Quest narrative= Stories structure where the protagonist overcomes a challenge.
8. Causality= relationship between events where one causes the other to happen
9. Master plot= recurring narrative structure that appears across various genres. Less risk- familiarity
10. Genres of order= Involve conflict and resolution through action. (Thomas Schatz)
11. Genre of integration= Social relationships and emotional connections e.g rom coms
12. Mytheme= a key element of narrative structure from which myths are created.
13. Ideological reading= uncovering media texts to reveal beliefs and ideologies it conveys
14. Pastiche= when a media text mixes styles or borrows from others without mocking them.
15. Bricolage= creating something new by combining existing pieces.
16. Implosion= Implosion is when boundaries blur, like between reality and media representations.
17. Simulacra= copies of things that no longer have an original version.
18. Simulation= when representations are treated as reality.
19. Hyperreality= the line between real life and simulation is blurry.

Media Representation

1. Dominant ideology= main set of beliefs and values promoted by those in power.
2. Constructed reality= A version of reality created and shaped by media.
3. Hegemony= The dominance of one group’s ideas making them seem acceptable.
4. Fluiditiy of identitiy= identity is not fixed but constantly evolving
5. Constructed identity= how identity is formed through social cultural and media influences
6. Negotiated identity= balance between who an individual is and what society expects from them
7. Collective identity= shared identity of a group e.g with similar values and beliefs
8. Voyeurism= watching others, often without their consent, for personal pleasure or interest.
9. Raunch culture= objectifying individuals, especially women
10. Female gaze= Media created from a woman’s perspective, highlighting female experiences and viewpoints.
11. Gender as discourse= Ideas about gender are created and shaped through communication and media.
12. Subversion= Challenging norms can disrupt traditional views of gender.
13. Cultural imperialism= Dominance of one culture over others through media and institutions.
14. Multiculturalism= A celebration of diverse cultures living together.
15. Imagined communities= A sense of belonging to a group created through shared media and ideas.
16. Marginalisation= Pushing certain groups to the edges of society or media representation.
17. Orientalism= Stereotyping Eastern cultures as exotic, backward, or other.
18. Otherness (alterity)= Viewing certain groups as different or inferior to a dominant group.
19. Double consciousness= Feeling divided between two identities, like being both Black and British.
20. Diaspora= Groups of people who leave their homeland and mix cultures to form new identities.
21. Free market = An economic system where prices and production are determined by competition between privately owned businesses.
22. Media concentration = The ownership of multiple media outlets by a small number of large companies.
23. Neo-liberalism = A political approach that supports free markets and less government control.

Media audience

1. Cumulation = The repeated exposure to media messages over time.
2. Standardisation = The process of making things uniform or similar.
3. Enculturation = The gradual acquisition of the characteristics and norms of a culture.
4. Bardic function = Media acts as a storyteller, shaping cultural narratives.
5. Mean World Index = The belief that the world is more dangerous than it actually is, due to media exposure.
6. Prosumer = A consumer who also produces content.
7. Textual poaching = Fans creatively reinterpret and repurpose media content.
8. ‘We the media’ = The idea that ordinary people can create and share media content.
9. Web 2.0 = The second generation of the internet, focused on user-generated content and interactivity.
10. Mass amateurisation = The rise of amateur content creators due to accessible technology.
11. Cognitive surplus = The collective time and creativity of people, used to create and share media content.