The best way to define representation!

Representation is one of the key concepts that will pop up in MS1 as well as MS3 and MS4 in Media Studies. It is something that affects our daily lives thanks to the mass consumption of media whether it is through TV, the internet, Facebook or Twitter, newspapers and even XBOX or PLAYSTATION games! With this clearly being an important area that may appear in a question, here is the easiest way to remember this:

The word 'presentation' is a view of or a perspective on a person, subject or issue. A 're-presentation' is a constructed view of that person, subject or issue. It has been constructed by the producer or editor to convey a particular message to the consumer (us). A 'representation' does not 100% present the person, subject or issue correctly: several events or characteristics may have been exaggerated or dramatized in order to create a particular reading. According to Stuart Hall's theory of Preferred Reading, a representation can create one or more of the following;

• A PREFERRED READING (where the majority of the representation's audience agrees with the message)

• AN OPPOSITIONAL READING (where the majority of the representation's audience disagrees with the message)

• A MIXED READING (where the audience's perception is balanced)

Representation in the media targets:

• Gender
• Age
• Ethnicity
• National/Regional Identity
• Political Events
• Issues (e.g.; disabilities, homosexuality and the LGBT community, eating disorders, etc.)

There are many theories, which have been released, that give a more in depth insight into how the media represents these factors. You will tend to find more theories based on gender and age rather than issues because these factors are more approachable in mainstream media and the messages behind these representations can be understood by a larger population of people.