Language and Institutional Encounters: Hidden Power
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The nature of mass media is often not clear
There are differences between face-to-face interactions
Lack of feedback
Media discourse designed with mass audiences in mind: construction of ideal subject
Involves grammatical constructions, vocabulary and language
Not neutral forces of nature
Produced and reproduced:
--coercion and consent
Discourse agent of ideology
Discourse and social control
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Institutional Settings and Discourse
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Educational, health, judiciary, the media, etc.
Transmit and maintain societal structures
Involves participants separated in place and time
Involves hidden power relations
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Differences: face-to-face discourse and media discourse
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1. One-sided nature of media discourse
--sharp division: producer and audience( interpreter)
--no room for contestation
2. Lack of close interaction in media discourse
--adaptability of face-to-face discourse
--mass media design for mass audiences
Why do we need to understand media discourse?
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Influence of media unquestionable
Construct and reconstruct particular realities
Aura of partiality of media is deceiving
Expressed bias: they highlight some items and ignore others
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Syntactic Constructions and Media Discourse
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Agents of actions and subjects
Example:
--Anna ate a pizza
--The pizza was eaten by Anna
Shifting focus from agent of action to recipient of action
--The pizza was eaten
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TV, Film
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Similar hidden messages
Focus on particular topics
Sounds influences moods
Organization of images