12 COLAND SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE, INC.

HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

SINSUAT AVENUE, COTABATO CITY

Media and Information

Languages

Quarter 2 - Module 6:

The Concept of the Constructedness

A Self Instructed Module in

Media and Information Literacy
First Semester
School Year 2020-202
Lesson
The Concept of Constructedness
1
What I Know

Multiple Choice. Select the letter of the best answer from among the given choices.

1. Media is a collective term for all communication medium such as books, newspapers,
radio, television, film and the Internet.
A. True B. False
C. Maybe D. Neither True or False

2. A media and information literate individual knows how to examine and take apart the
media message so that its parts are exposed to him.
A. True B. False
C. Maybe D. Neither True or False

3. It pertains to the codes, conventions, formats, symbols and narrative structures that
indicate the meaning of media messages to an audience.
A. Languages B. Media Types
C. Media Languages D. Media Sources

4. These are systems of signs which when put together create meaning.
A. Languages B. Codes
C. Media Languages D. Conventions

5. It refers to the recipients of information or the consumers of media.

A. Media audience B. Media producers
C. Media Languages D. Media Sources

What’s In

In our previous lesson, we have been accustomed to the types of media - the Print
Media, Broadcast Media, and the New Media. Additionally, we have also mastered the
sources of media. Popular sources are the libraries, the internet and indigenous sources.

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 What I Need to Know

Activity 1: Video Analysis

Choose a short amateur video on youtube or on any platform which caught your
attention. It could be a short random clip, a music video, or an advertisement. Ask yourself
some of these questions:
1. How was the video created?
2. What materials were used in producing the video?
3. What steps were made to make it more entertaining?
4. What was included, and what was excluded?

What Is It

The previous exercise was to prepare you about how media messages are “constructed”.
Just as books use letters to make words, words to make sentences, sentences to
make paragraphs and paragraphs to tell us a story, we can say that all media messages
are constructed. The capacities of the human mind aided by today’s technology enable the
process called construction of media and information messages.
When we say that all media messages are constructed, we mean that all media
messages have been assembled by someone. That “someone” could be a single person, or
it could be a large organization. The messages and values contained in this particular piece
of media come from the people who created it.

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Image credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/shooting-videographer-model-3621806/

In photographs, the photographer’s own vision of what he/she wants to show within
the frame demonstrates her own values and beliefs. A newspaper writer’s articles may be
based on his own beliefs, or maybe based on the beliefs and ideas of his publishers, or
perhaps even the beliefs of the companies who advertise in that particular newspaper.
Since all media messages are constructed using the ideas and values of the creator,
media messages from different creators will have different ideas planted in them. Those
ideas come from the creators’ own experiences, and since everyone’s experiences are
different, we can expect that each media message should be different as well.
Accordingly, while you may experience a certain media message in one way, there
are others who will certainly come across it in a completely different way. For example, while
you may find a certain media message entertaining, there may be others who find it
offensive.
The process of construction requires the use of deliberate choice on what and what
not to include, what to put on spotlight, and what should serve as a backdrop.
Now that it is clear that all media messages are constructed, the first step to fully
appreciating the “constructedness” of media and information messages is to deconstruct.
It means closely examining and taking apart the media message so that its parts are
exposed to you.
Deconstructing a media message can help us understand who created the message,
and who is intended to receive it. It can reveal how the producer put together the message
using words, images, sounds, design, and other elements. It can expose the point of view of
media makers, their values, and their biases. It can also uncover hidden meanings–
intended or unintended.
Key Concepts for Deconstructing Media
(adapted from www.nmmlp.org © 2008 New Mexico Media Literacy Project)

Source. All media messages are created. Subtext. The “subtext” is an individual
The creator or the source of media could interpretation of a media message. It is
be the writer, photographer or blogger. In sometimes called the “hidden text.” The
the case of a movie or film, the scriptwriter, subtext is not actually heard or seen; it is
director, producer, and movie studio all play the meaning we create from the text in our
a role in creating the message. The own minds. Each person creates their own
question to ask is: Whose message is this? subtext or interpretation based on their
Who has control over the content? previous experiences, knowledge,
opinions, attitudes, and values. Thus, two
people interpreting the same text can
Audience. Media messages are intended
produce two very different subtexts.
to reach audiences. Some are designed to
reach millions of people like the primetime
shows on the television. Others are may be Persuasion Techniques. Media messages
intended only for one person like an email use a number of techniques to try to
or a letter. persuade us to believe or do something.
If we can spot the techniques being used,
we’re less likely to be persuaded, and more
Text. We often use the word “text” to mean
likely to think for ourselves.
“written words.” But in media literacy, “text”
has a very different meaning. The text of
any piece of media is what you actually Point of view. No one tells the whole
see and/or hear. It can include written or story. Everyone tells part of the story from
spoken words, pictures, graphics, moving their point of view. Deconstructing a media
images, sounds, and the arrangement or message can expose the values and
sequence of all of these elements. biases of the media creator, and uncover
powerful messages in the process.

What’s More

Activity 2: Deconstructing Media

Choose one print advertisement on a magazine and paste it on a separate sheet of
paper. Answer the following questions to quickly deconstruct any media message coming
from the printed advertisement you have chosen.
1. Whose message is this? Who created or paid for it? Why?
2. Who is the “target audience”? What is their age, ethnicity, class, profession, interests,
etc.? What words, images or sounds suggest this?
3. What is the “text” of the message? (What we actually see and/or hear)
4. What is the “subtext” of the message? (What do you think is the hidden or unstated
meaning?)
5. What “tools of persuasion” are used? (Ex. Beautiful people, Association, Bandwagon,
Symbols)
6. What positive messages are presented? What negative messages are presented?
7. What part of the story is not being told?
 What I Have Learned

One basic principle in Media Literacy is that all media messages are .
The first step in fully appreciating the constructedness of media and information messages is
to . It means closely examining and taking apart the media message so
that its parts are exposed to you.