MYP English Lang & Lit Media Construction Notes

Media Construction

1. Media texts do not simply "mirror" reality.
2. They are constructed: people and institutions make choices about what to include, what to exclude, and how to present information.
3. Understanding media construction helps you judge credibility, spot bias, and recognise persuasion in an age of mass information.

Media Texts Are Built from Choices, Not Found as Facts

1. A news story, a social media post, an infographic, a podcast episode, or a documentary all feel like they are "about the world".
2. But each one is created through decisions: what event counts as news, which quote is used, what headline is chosen, and which image is shown first.

3. These decisions shape meaning.

4. This matters because, in today's information environment, you receive messages from many places (search results, news sites, friends' reposts, video platforms, group chats).
5. Even when the topic is real, the version of reality you see is a designed product.

Construction Begins with Selection and Omission

1. The first stage of construction is selection: creators choose which events, details, and voices enter the text.
2. Selection includes:
   1. Which event is covered (and which is ignored)
   2. Which facts are highlighted (and which are backgrounded)
   3. Which sources are quoted (experts, witnesses, officials, "ordinary people")
   4. Which data is used (and how much context is provided)
3. Omission is powerful because audiences often assume that what they see is "the whole story."
   1. If a report includes one perspective repeatedly, it can create the impression that other perspectives do not exist or do not matter.

Framing Shapes How We Interpret the Same Event

1. After selection, texts use framing: the angle or "lens" that guides interpretation.
2. A single event can be framed as:
   1. a problem needing control
   2. a human-interest story needing empathy
   3. a conflict with winners and losers
   4. a moral issue about right and wrong
3. Framing is often visible in headlines, the order of information, the first image shown, and which background facts are provided.

Language Choices Create Emotion and Imply Judgement

1. Media construction is strongly shaped by language.
2. Words such as "shocking," "heartless," "brave," "illegal," "flood," or "crisis" can intensify emotions and push readers toward a judgement.

1. Implication can appear through:
   1. rhetorical questions ("What are they hiding?")
   2. vague attributions ("Many people say…")