‘Organising meaning in media texts: genre and narrative’

Guy Starkey (2007): ‘A question of balance: reality and representation’ and Long & Wall – Chapter 2: ‘Organising meaning in media texts: genre and narrative’

Both ‘A question of balance: reality and representation’(2007) by Guy Starkey and Chapter 2: ‘Organising meaning in media texts: genre and narrative’ by Paul Long and Tim Wall both discuss how meanings are constructed in media and how people, places and situations may be represented In the media.

Both pieces discuss how realities are conveyed and represented in the media be it in film or in print or in the news. The piece by Guy Starkey discusses how reality may be altered in the news. He discusses how through the news and the information that journalists and news reporters may give us may change the public’s idea of what it actually happening in the world into a construction that may possibly be made up by the journalist and/or news reporter. The chapter by Paul Long and Tim Wall discuss how meaning can be conveyed for example through images and photographs. They also discuss genres and how there is almost always a given narrative for certain types of genres of movies or TV shows.

Long and Wall are both lecturers and their chapter is probably written for students who may want to learn about putting different narratives together and how realities and meanings may be constructed in the media. Long and Wall take a rather unbiased view as to whether the creation of narratives is wrong or not which is possibly down to the fact that it is meant to be more of an informative and educational piece. From reading the chapter by Guy Starkey it is possible to think that his writing is aimed at potential researchers and also people that may have an interest in bias in the media. He also takes a slight unbiased viewpoint of the topic.

If further research was to be conducted on how the media may construct meanings and reality there could be a study on whether pieces of media that are made to convey a true and completely realistic reality such as documentaries are really that effective in putting across the full truth to the public or if all forms and pieces of media are made for the sole intention to sell to a mass audience and to put forward a marketable truth

Long, P and Wall, T (2012). Media Studies: Texts, Production, Context. 2nd ed. Essex: Pearson Educational Ltd.. 70-98.

Starkey, G (2007). Balance and Bias in Journalism: Representation, Regulation and Democracy. England: Palgrave Macmillan. 1-20.