MEDIA, INFORMATION SOURCES, AND conference proceedings, data exchange,

INFORMATION LANGUAGES dissertations/thesis, government

documents/publications, market research
Media need information to create messages.
reports, online documents, oral presentations,
This is what they distribute to their chosen
technical reports, and working papers. Authors
channels to receive feedback from their
of this type of source must belong in the same
desired audience. Knowing where to get
field that they are writing about with a high
accurate information is vital in preserving the
degree of education. Gray literature is hard to
media’s reputation. This module will introduce
locate most of the time but some can be found
you to the various sources of information, how
through print or electronic means.
messages are made through codes and
conventions, and discuss the receiving end of CODES AND CONVENTIONS
the messages which are the audience. Different people have different interpretations
SOURCES OF INFORMATION of media outputs. The first step in
comprehending the meaning in media is
The previous modules have discussed the
rhetorical analysis. Rhetorical analysis is defined
various sources where you could get
as the “construction and manipulation of
information and its distinct qualities. There are
language by the creator of a text for affective
four main types of sources of information:
purposes.” This asks the question, “how are
PRIMARY SOURCE – these are sources from media texts put together as media texts?”
original manuscripts, documents or records that
Codes has a set of rules which determine how
are used in preparing for a published or
each element may be used and combined
unpublished work. This type of source includes
with other elements. This is a system of signs
autobiographies, case studies,
wherein when put together, create meaning.
correspondence, diaries/personal papers,
We can recognize a code because we
dissertation/thesis, films, first-person accounts,
associate it with a related meaning. One of the
historical documents, laboratory data, minutes
most prominent examples of codes are
of meetings, original manuscripts/documents,
languages.
original research, photographs, religious
documents, speeches, technical reports and When we learn a new language, we learn its
works of literature. The authors of this type of writing system, vocabulary and grammar. For
source are either authors writing about personal example, in English, we have to know the
experiences/work or an expert or graduate alphabet, first and foremost, and how to read
student in the same field. them. Upon learning how to read and
recognize letters, that’s when we begin to learn
SECONDARY SOURCE – these are published and
the words used in the language, making up our
unpublished works that heavily rely on a primary
vocabulary knowledge. After familiarizing
source. Some examples of this type of source
yourselves with English words, constructing them
are analysis, biography, criticism,
into a coherent sentence would be the logical
dissertations/thesis (the literature review part),
next step. With each letter, word and sentence,
editorials, film documentaries, and reviews of
a different meaning is made. There are
literature. The author of this type of source must
different types of codes used in media. These
have a genuine interest in the topic he/she has
are:
written or an expert in the field.
TECHNICAL CODES – these are codes which
TERTIARY SOURCE – these are works that were
show the techniques used using the equipment
used secondary sources as reference. Some
to present the media output. For example, in a
examples of this type of source are film
movie, these are the camera techniques,
documentaries. The author of this type of
framing, depth of field, lighting and exposure.
source must have a genuine interest in the topic
he/she chose to write, or freelance writers and SYMBOLIC CODES – these are codes that are
staff writers who can research on the field they shown visually. Its meaning lies beneath the
choose to write for. surface of what we see. These codes are used
in objects, setting, body language, clothing
GRAY LITERATURE – these are sources that are
and color.
not usually made available for distribution.
Some examples of this type of source are
WRITTEN CODES – these are codes in text. Some Codes: a system of signs that create meaning
examples include headlines, captions, speech when put together
bubbles and language style.
Conventions: are meanings attached to media
While codes rely on symbols, conventions are that were learned from past experiences and
known as “habits or long accepted ways of practiced through culture
doing things, mostly learned and practiced
Audience: mostly passive receivers of
through repeated experiences.” Through its
messages.
repetitive and habitual nature, the audiences
become used to and familiar with the meaning. Producers: creators and distributors of
messages.
The meanings attached to media through
convention are often fixed socially or in culture. Stakeholders: active receivers of messages.
This has become an unwritten agreement
among people of similar culture or groups to
understand that a particular sign stands for one
meaning.
Conventions are said to be genre specific.
Genre came from the French word which
means “type” or “class.” The genre of a
particular work is determined through its
common distinguishing features. Through
genres, audiences can expect a particular
code to appear in similar ones. Most texts
produced by media are made to suit a genre
for the audience to easily choose what it is
they’re particularly interested in.

AUDIENCE, PRODUCERS AND STAKEHOLDERS

Steininger (2014) has differentiated audience
and stakeholders in her article entitled,
Audiences and Stakeholders: Knowing the
Difference is Critical to Reputation
Management.
She said that audiences are the receiver of
messages. Audiences were typically meant to
just receive the message without returning
feedback. For example, when the media
releases news, its goal is for the information to
be disseminated. It does not expect or intend to
have the audience respond to his/her message
or participate in the discussion but rather let the
audience observe media only.
On the other hand, stakeholders are defined by
Steininger (2014) as “groups or individuals who
are directly impacted by the decisions and
actions of an organization and company.”
These are groups or individuals that willingly and
actively participate in the discussion that
revolve around the messages they receive.

GLOSSARY
Rhetorical Analysis: the analysis of how words
were used in order to create meaning.