Television Study

Name some key approaches to television study as discussed by Burton.

Burton argues that television, and those who operate the television system, is a part of society and culture, and not a separate entity that impinges on society from “without” (Burton 2000 p. 15). When analyzing television he looks at nine different parts of the screening. When analyzing an image Burton looks at what the image is made up of, what it may mean and what helps fix the meanings. This is predicted on the fact that we tend to concentrate on some aspects of images rather than others. Another approach is the semiotic analysis. This focuses on how the viewer chooses the meaning of the sign, which means that the sign might have different meanings for different people. The audience study addresses how particular audiences understand television, what they do with it and how they construct meanings about the world. In the gender study approach Burton argues that television plays a role in maintaining stereotypic images of men and women.

What are the characteristics of transnational television?

The development and constant movement of the media industry has also brought with it a global reshaping of television. From being a form of national identity, television is now expanded and has become transnational. Transnational television is also important in the transformations of media cultures inside different regions. The main structuring elements of world television are: economic frameworks, technological bases, institutional forms of organization and operation, genres and forms of television content, and enduring cultural definitions and values (Straubhaar 2007 p.6) International channels are obviously a big part of transnational television, interacting in different part of the world and being relevant for an international audience. But also different formats are being exported through