Week 1 - Text and Context

The first lecture of 'Introduction to Media Studies' - here are just some brief notes:

• It's important to consider whether media texts such as social media, television dramas, radio, newspapers etc have been shaped in any way by the context in which they have been produced
• Is context important? - The 'stand alone' school argues that texts should be able to 'speak for themselves'
• What is context? - cultural, economic, political and social (Technological)

Historical Context
There are several different understandings of media history:

Version One

• Media history as 'events' and 'breakthroughs'
• For example - inventions
• There's a problem with this - it's not that simple, at times there are several inventors working on one thing. Another problem is that the economic and political conditions had to be right for the inventions to emerge

Version Two

• A technological determinist model of history
• For example - progress occurs when ideas are refined and developed, it's a process of smooth development
• Problem - the best technologies don't always triumph and economics can sometimes hold technologies back

Version Three

• "The March of the Progress"
• For example - the media play a role, British television grows more independent
• Problem - not much a 'march of progress' as a sense of struggle over control

• Technological Conversions = lots of different medias on one thing
• Corporate Synergy = a brand