Semiotics and Media Studies

Semiotics

In this lecture, Carl Jones (University of Westminster) will discuss semiotics. In the first module, we look at how semiotics is connected to media studies. After this, we will look at the semiotics thinker Roland Barthes. Then, we will look at some definitions and applications in the field of semiotics. In the fourth module, we look at some of the key ideas in semiotics. Then, we look at how we carry out semiotic analysis in media studies. Finally, we look at critiques of Barthes, other semiotics thinkers, and some new approaches.

Semiotics and Media Studies

In this module, we look at how semiotics is connected to media studies. In particular, we will focus on: (i) defining semiotics as the study of signs and symbols, aiding the understanding of how meaning is created and conveyed in media texts; (ii) how the theory of semiotics was developed independently by Ferdinand Desussour and Charles Sanders; (iii) how media industries inundates us with messages daily, such as in advertising, which is a designed communication using signs and symbols to persuade; (iv) how semiotics can be applied in media studies to analyse signs and symbols in media texts like films, ads, podcasts, and websites, revealing underlying messages; and (v) how semiotics is also used to explore media representation of groups, cultural meanings of signs, and how audiences interpret and consume media texts, offering insights into meaning creation, conveyance, and interpretation.