Sohn-Rethel (2003) describes four forces at work in media production which we can use as a framework for analysis. These forces are:
1. Technological
2. Economic
3. Cultural
4. Regulatory
Representation is a cultural force as it relates to tastes, identity and interest that are shaped by the culture in which we inhabit. Representation is also related to regulation, and people have legal means to respond to representations that they consider inaccurate or harmful. OFCOM (the regulatory body overseeing broadcasting), can intervene when a programme makers represent issues in a controversial way. Representation is increasingly shaped by technology, as the audience is able to watch a series in a staggered fashion or all at once, with a range of interactive features that may not appeal to all viewers--this is described as a fragmented audience.
A basic level of media literacy allowed a person to understand the narrative of a television drama. Advanced media literacy enables us to 'deconstruct' a television drama--to understand how it has been out together. To do this successfully, we would need to work at both micro and macro levels of a specific text.
Micro level involves pulling apart the detailed aspects of the texts frame by frame construction--camera angles and movement, shot composition, use of point of view, specific edits and transitions, cutaways and visual effects, pieces of dialogue, music and sound effects, lighting choices, props and costumes. All of this builds up to work at macro level. This is all about drawing conclusions from the micro work about how the sequence overall represents people, events, places and themes--how it portrays a sense of the 'reality' being dramatised.
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