COM3703 PORTFOLIO
SEMESTER 2 2022
DUE DATE: 17 OCTOBER 2022
PASS WITH 75% +
WHATSAAP: +27 78 158 2606 FOR
ASSIGNMENT & EXAM ASSISTNCE!
,Table of Contents
Page
1 INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................1
2 COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA SEMIOTICS........................................................................................1
2.1 Television programme.................................................................................................................1
2.1.1 The title of the series............................................................................................................1
2.1.2 The names of the main characters that appear in the episode.............................................2
2.1.3 The basic plotline of the episode..........................................................................................2
2.2 The four kinds of signs.................................................................................................................2
2.3 Code.............................................................................................................................................4
2.3.1 What a “code” entails in the context of communication and semiotics...............................4
2.4 Typology of communication codes..............................................................................................5
2.4.1 The seven types of codes identified by Fiske........................................................................5
2.4.2 Five codes from the chosen television programme............................................................10
3 TEXTUAL ANALYSIS: NARRATIVE AND ARGUMENT...........................................................................12
3.1 The concept of genre, and how it relates to narrative...............................................................12
3.2 The concept of argumentation and its three characteristics.....................................................12
3.3 Newspaper article......................................................................................................................13
3.3.1 The three kinds of rhetorical practice.................................................................................14
3.3.2 Example of each of the three rhetorical practices discussed found in the chosen article...15
3.3.3 The three modes of persuasion..........................................................................................16
3.3.4 Example of each of the three modes of persuasion found in the chosen article................17
4 FILM THEORY AND CRITICISM...........................................................................................................18
4.1 The film: an overview.................................................................................................................18
4.2 Theoretical discussion................................................................................................................18
4.2.1 The five characteristics of Strinati.......................................................................................18
4.2.2 A discussion of the work of the following theorists:...........................................................19
Jean Baudrillard...........................................................................................................................19
Frederic Jameson.........................................................................................................................19
Jean-François Lyotard..................................................................................................................20
4.3 A postmodern analysis of the chosen film.............................................................................20
5 QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEYS IN MEDIA RESEARCH..............................................................................22
5.1 Formulating a research question...............................................................................................22
5.2 The target population and the accessible population................................................................22
, 5.3 Sampling method: Probability or Non-probability sampling......................................................22
5.4 Type of questionnaire survey.....................................................................................................23
5.4.1 The type of questionnaire survey that would best suit the given scenario.........................23
5.4.2 Other type of survey that would also be appropriate.........................................................23
5.5 Formulating different questions................................................................................................24
5.5.1 Formulating two open-ended questions.............................................................................24
5.5.2 Formulating a multiple-choice, or checklist question.........................................................24
5.5.3 Formulating a contingency question...................................................................................24
5.5.4 Formulating a rank-order question.....................................................................................25
5.5.5 Formulating a Likert-type scale question............................................................................25
5.5.6 Formulating a matrix question............................................................................................26
5.5.7 Formulating a semantic differential scale question............................................................26
6 CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................................27
7 SELF-ASSESSMENT AND SELF-REFLECTION.......................................................................................28
SOURCES CONSULTED.........................................................................................................................29
, 1
1 INTRODUCTION
The following portfolio will provide definitions, concepts, discussions, and
elaborations under the following themes: Communication and media semiotics,
Textual analysis: narrative and argument, film theory and criticism, and questionnaire
surveys in media research. A television series (Queen Sugar) will be selected and
information about will be provided. Four kinds of signs based on the relationship
between the signifier and the referent will be discussed. Information about what
“code” entails in the context of communication and semiotics will be provided, the
seven types of codes identified by Fiske will be identified and discussed. The
concept of genre, and how it relates to narrative will be explained. Also, a newspaper
article will be selected, and the three kinds of rhetorical practice will be identified,
providing examples from the article. The three modes of persuasion will also be
explained. A film of my own choice that I feel will easily support and demonstrate a
clear postmodern perspective will be selected. An overview of the film will be
provided and discuss the five characteristics of Strinati. Additionally, the work of
Jean Baudrillard, Frederic Jameson, and Jean-François Lyotard will be elaborated. A
postmodern analysis of the film I selected will be discussed and explained. Lastly, a
scenario will be given and I will formulate various questions based on the given
scenario.
2 COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA SEMIOTICS
2.1 Television programme
2.1.1 The title of the series
Queen Sugar
SEMESTER 2 2022
DUE DATE: 17 OCTOBER 2022
PASS WITH 75% +
WHATSAAP: +27 78 158 2606 FOR
ASSIGNMENT & EXAM ASSISTNCE!
,Table of Contents
Page
1 INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................1
2 COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA SEMIOTICS........................................................................................1
2.1 Television programme.................................................................................................................1
2.1.1 The title of the series............................................................................................................1
2.1.2 The names of the main characters that appear in the episode.............................................2
2.1.3 The basic plotline of the episode..........................................................................................2
2.2 The four kinds of signs.................................................................................................................2
2.3 Code.............................................................................................................................................4
2.3.1 What a “code” entails in the context of communication and semiotics...............................4
2.4 Typology of communication codes..............................................................................................5
2.4.1 The seven types of codes identified by Fiske........................................................................5
2.4.2 Five codes from the chosen television programme............................................................10
3 TEXTUAL ANALYSIS: NARRATIVE AND ARGUMENT...........................................................................12
3.1 The concept of genre, and how it relates to narrative...............................................................12
3.2 The concept of argumentation and its three characteristics.....................................................12
3.3 Newspaper article......................................................................................................................13
3.3.1 The three kinds of rhetorical practice.................................................................................14
3.3.2 Example of each of the three rhetorical practices discussed found in the chosen article...15
3.3.3 The three modes of persuasion..........................................................................................16
3.3.4 Example of each of the three modes of persuasion found in the chosen article................17
4 FILM THEORY AND CRITICISM...........................................................................................................18
4.1 The film: an overview.................................................................................................................18
4.2 Theoretical discussion................................................................................................................18
4.2.1 The five characteristics of Strinati.......................................................................................18
4.2.2 A discussion of the work of the following theorists:...........................................................19
Jean Baudrillard...........................................................................................................................19
Frederic Jameson.........................................................................................................................19
Jean-François Lyotard..................................................................................................................20
4.3 A postmodern analysis of the chosen film.............................................................................20
5 QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEYS IN MEDIA RESEARCH..............................................................................22
5.1 Formulating a research question...............................................................................................22
5.2 The target population and the accessible population................................................................22
, 5.3 Sampling method: Probability or Non-probability sampling......................................................22
5.4 Type of questionnaire survey.....................................................................................................23
5.4.1 The type of questionnaire survey that would best suit the given scenario.........................23
5.4.2 Other type of survey that would also be appropriate.........................................................23
5.5 Formulating different questions................................................................................................24
5.5.1 Formulating two open-ended questions.............................................................................24
5.5.2 Formulating a multiple-choice, or checklist question.........................................................24
5.5.3 Formulating a contingency question...................................................................................24
5.5.4 Formulating a rank-order question.....................................................................................25
5.5.5 Formulating a Likert-type scale question............................................................................25
5.5.6 Formulating a matrix question............................................................................................26
5.5.7 Formulating a semantic differential scale question............................................................26
6 CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................................27
7 SELF-ASSESSMENT AND SELF-REFLECTION.......................................................................................28
SOURCES CONSULTED.........................................................................................................................29
, 1
1 INTRODUCTION
The following portfolio will provide definitions, concepts, discussions, and
elaborations under the following themes: Communication and media semiotics,
Textual analysis: narrative and argument, film theory and criticism, and questionnaire
surveys in media research. A television series (Queen Sugar) will be selected and
information about will be provided. Four kinds of signs based on the relationship
between the signifier and the referent will be discussed. Information about what
“code” entails in the context of communication and semiotics will be provided, the
seven types of codes identified by Fiske will be identified and discussed. The
concept of genre, and how it relates to narrative will be explained. Also, a newspaper
article will be selected, and the three kinds of rhetorical practice will be identified,
providing examples from the article. The three modes of persuasion will also be
explained. A film of my own choice that I feel will easily support and demonstrate a
clear postmodern perspective will be selected. An overview of the film will be
provided and discuss the five characteristics of Strinati. Additionally, the work of
Jean Baudrillard, Frederic Jameson, and Jean-François Lyotard will be elaborated. A
postmodern analysis of the film I selected will be discussed and explained. Lastly, a
scenario will be given and I will formulate various questions based on the given
scenario.
2 COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA SEMIOTICS
2.1 Television programme
2.1.1 The title of the series
Queen Sugar
