Professor David Buckingham

David Buckingham is one of the leading international researchers in the field of media education, and in research on children and young people's interactions with electronic media. 

Representation:

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The Media do not just offer us a transparent ‘window on the world’ but a mediated version of the world. They don’t just present reality, they re-present it.

David Buckingham 2003

Even when you watch live sport, England playing football in the World Cup, for example (and losing on penalties, probably), you aren’t really watching the match. If you are asked – ‘did you see the game last night?’ –of course you will say ‘yes’. But strictly speaking you should say – “No, I watched a mediated, constructed re-presentation of the match through the medium of live television.’

Take an example from everyday life-why do men wear ties on some occasions and not on others? At first the answer seems obvious-they do so to look formal, businesslike and professional; as though they have made an effort to look smart. But this isn’t obvious at all if we take a step back from what seems natural. Why should a piece of material worn around the neck make a man more able to do his job or attend an event or function? Well, in our society a tie has come to represent formality. The tie is a sign or a symbol. In itself it makes no difference but it carries cultural meaning- we might call these cultural meanings Connotations. Now let’s extend this-your name is a symbol, it stands in for you; when people who know you read or hear your name, they think of you. And the clothes you wear don’t just keep warm and dry they present an image of you, as you like to be seen by others. The way your bedroom is decorated and laid out has been considered carefully – not just so you are comfortable in your space but so that a range of signs and symbols reinforce your identity to yourself (and to anyone else who enters).