Semiotics

Part 2: Media Magazine theory drop - Semiotics 

1) What did Ferdinand de Saussure suggest are the two parts that make up a sign?

The signifier and the signified

2) What does ‘polysemy’ mean?

A single word or phrase to have multiple related meanings

3) What does Barthes mean when he suggests signs can become ‘naturalised’?
Culturally invented ideas are seen as ordinary common sense

4) What are Barthes’ 5 narrative codes?

Hermanuetic, Proairetic, Semantic, Symbolic, Refferential

5) How does the writer suggest Russian Doll (Netflix) uses narrative codes?

Part 3: Icons, indexes and symbols

1) Find two examples for each: icon, index and symbol. Provide images or links.

Icon: Bicycle, cat

Index: Footprint, Pawprint

Symbol: Apple logo, Red Heart

2) Why are icons and indexes so important in media texts?

3) Why might global brands try and avoid symbols in their advertising and marketing?

4) Find an example of a media text (e.g. advert) where the producer has accidentally communicated the wrong meaning using icons, indexes or symbols. Why did the media product fail? (This web feature on bad ads and marketing fails provides some compelling examples).

5) Find an example of a media text (e.g. advert) that successfully uses icons or indexes to create a message that can be easily understood across the world.