Understand the Grammar of Media

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Media each have a grammar—a set of rules and conventions that dictates how they operate. When you grow up with a medium, you often take for granted some of this grammar: you learned pretty early that the television screen going wavy is a sign of a flashback or dream sequence. But it is also useful to pay attention to other forms of television grammar, such as how news media arrange their visuals to maximize emotional impact. Understanding media conventions helps you recognize the limitations of media, so that you can better separate, for example, TV sitcom logic from real-life situations. You can also better appreciate the genres you love, distinguish the good from the poor versions of these forms, and recognize the value of parodies of these conventions (such as The Colbert Report’s satire of news and talk shows). With digital media technology, there are many more grammars that you have to learn: Twitter has developed its own vernacular and symbols, for example. With emerging media, you may need to take time just to figure out the basics before you can engage in deeper levels of literacy and competence.