Writer's Choice Grade 7

Unit 27: Viewing and Representing

Overview

All forms of mass media—television, radio, print advertising, newspapers, movies, music, and the Internet—send messages to you, day in and day out. What do you do with all that information? How do you process it? Should you believe everything you see or hear?

Learning to interpret media messages will help you assess the value and truthfulness of each message. Become familiar with the techniques used to create these messages, and remember that all media messages are constructed carefully to emphasize a particular point of view. For visual messages, designers or artists use the elements of visual design (line, shape, and color) and composition (the arrangement of features in a picture) to influence and manipulate your reactions. For example, an artist or designer might use thick vertical lines to suggest power, boldness, or status. Filmmakers employ their own set of techniques, using angles, lighting, special effects, music, and editing to elicit desired responses. For instance, filmmakers might use high camera angles to make a subject seem smaller or less important.

Advertisements and commercials are used to try to persuade an audience to buy a product, use a service, or agree with a particular point of view. Common advertising techniques include bandwagon, testimonial, partial truth, card stacking, and name calling. Some advertisements you see or hear are public service announcements (or PSAs). Free PSAs are created by government agencies, charities, or community groups to convey useful information to the community and to urge viewers to take action. Paid PSAs are sponsored by a business, political party, or political action committee to convey useful information to the community and urge viewers to take action as well; however, these paid PSAs also subtly mention the name of the sponsor to encourage viewers to form a favorable opinion of that group.

Now that you are familiar with the techniques used to create media messages, you can more effectively analyze the messages that you see and hear. To analyze media messages, draw on your own knowledge and ask common-sense questions: What do I already know about this subject? What techniques are used to persuade the audience? Is this message fair or unfair? Is it based on reality or fantasy? Is the message based on facts or opinions? What additional sources might I use to find other viewpoints that I can trust on this subject?

Another way to increase your understanding of media messages is to apply the techniques you've studied to produce your own media message. To create a PSA, brainstorm, identify your purpose and message, list your facts, decide on visual messages, draft and revise your text, and decide on a layout. To create a television commercial, build a production team (director, scriptwriter, organizer, actor(s), lighting expert, video operator, and music arranger), think about or view other commercials, brainstorm, work cooperatively to plan the commercial, rehearse, shoot, and present your commercial.