Media Theory

McQuail's theory:
He describes three alternative models of communication...

1. The command mode - considers that there are differences in power and authority between senders and receivers, that the senders are in a dominant position.
2. The service mode - the "most frequently occurring form of relationship" between sender and receiver, where they are both united by a mutual interest within a market situation.
3. The associational mode - states that shared beliefs attach a particular group or public to a specific media source.

Todorov's theory:

He proposed the idea that a narrative has five distinct transformations through which the story proceeds...

1. The state of equilibrium - all is in order
2. A disruption (disequilibrium) of the order state by an event
3. A recognition that a disruption has taken place
4. An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption
5. A return to some kind of equilibrium

McLennan's theory:

He set out three conditions which must be fulfilled if ideas and beliefs are to be regarded as ideological...

1. The ideas concerned must be shared by a significant number of people
2. The ideas must form some sort of coherent system
3. The ideas must content in some way to the use of power in society

Media theory is not always about theorists and their theories, but also about everything that goes into making a media product. These elements are camera angles, editing, sound and mise-en-scene. These four things are what every media product has in some way, and if the audience can point them out, it means the product has been successfully made to target them.