This week’s reading raised some interesting and eye opening points on how consumers of media digest the information and images presented to them. Meyrowitz suggests to us that there is much more to be considered than the physical, straight forward content given.In order to practice media literacy, it is vital that we be able to recognize that varying tones in which content is presented to us. Having the ability to read the words on a page is only the first step; is this article written in a light hearted, conversational tone? Or a formal and somewhat morbid way? By writing in certain tones, a journalist or media creator can suggest and guide a consumer how to feel about the content. They may even be able to skew their biased or change their opinion on a topic.
What really caught my attention in this reading was Meyrowitz emphasis on attention to the physical presentation of media. This means, the tangible aspects in which images are shown to us. When he aids that “The selective use of close-ups, medium shots, and long shots can reshape the perceptions of both fictional and nonfictional sequences. Shot framing often draws on the culturally patterned uses of interpersonal distances in real-life interactions” (Meyrowitz 101) I could not help but think about the white borders users add to their Instagram images. It seems extremely mundane, but simply adding a white border to an image on Instagram produces significantly better user response; more likes and views. This may be because presenting an image with a white border gives users the feeling that the picture is of higher quality, or more importance; reminiscent of a fine art or photography gallery, where almost every image is mounted with white borders in their frame. Maybe it’s just a silly trend – either way it is concrete support that the way in which media is physically presented can heavily skew how consumers prioritize its content.
Meyrowitz also mentions that physical traits like font size, color, bold, italic, vertical, horizontal, etc. –the way words are presented on a page dictate how a consumer will feel when they see them. He explains that “key grammar variables that can be manipulated in…types of media to create certain impressions” (Meyrowitz 100). This point in the article is what I related most to. As the Direct of Brand Development for a major online media and music firm, I can vouch that this is 100% true. When it comes to promotional images, merch, and just about anything that must visually stimulate our audience – FONT IS EVERTHING. As we aim to cater to a more sophisticated, well-read audience; it is my job to make sure the images and fonts we use attract said demographic. For now, this means using simple, thin, unembellished fonts; mildly spaced and easy to read – direct parallels to these characteristics can be drawn to the minimal, clean cut, monochromatic style we see in today’s current fashion trends. It seems so absurdly elementary, but I know for a fact that if our next merch line featured pieces with crazy, curly, bold fonts plastered in different directions, no one would want anything to do with it. Our audience would find it child-like, cheap, and frankly – completely déclassé. It’s quite interesting that the same exact idea can be exhibited in media outlets like journals, film, and advertisement. Meyrowitz rightfully presented to us that the physical presentation of media is just as important as informational content.
Shannon Lachman says
I enjoyed this post by Sydney because she has expertise in many areas of media that I do not. I focused on a music video in my post, but this post delves deeply into the depiction of text and still image. I think the purpose of a piece of media is vital to it’s appearance. As she pointed out, the fonts used for a professional website should be just that: professional. But a flyer to encourage people to join a club or a sports team may require more colorful letters and pictures. She also posted two pictures of a cat, one with a banner and one without. The one with the banner was supposed to look better, but, in my opinion, the other picture looks more professional. Deriving meaning from an image requires an understanding of the methods (like focusing, zoom, and wide angles), but also a personal judgement. Often, our personal judgements are based on cultural norms. Learning about the different types of media literacies makes it very clear to me that there are more meanings to media than one person can possibly understand.