generation X the children of
illusionism 1. techniques designed to make representations resemble
reality; 2. techniques that produce illusions; 3. stage magic
illustration picture, figure, or diagram used to explain or decorate something, especially written text im [see instant messaging]
image 1. mental picture; 2. public view of something or someone, often intentionally instigated by advertising or propaganda
image advertising advertising aim-ing to make a brand or company name easily remembered, that is, to transform it into an image
image map graphic image on a web site that has hyPerlinks in it that link to another web page
image processing computer analysis of an image, identifying its components image schema [introduced by American linguist George Lakoff and American philosopher Mark Johnson]
in linguistics and media studies, recur-ring abstract images that guide lan-guage and perception. These function to compress sensory information into general patterns. for example, image schemas derived from the experience of orientation—up vs. down, back vs.
front, near vs. far—can be detected in such expressions as: I’m feeling up today; We are getting closer to each other every day; He’s at the top of his class; and She’s near her goal.
imagery 1. picture formed in the mind; 2. comparisons, descriptions, and figures of speech that help the mind form images; 3. expressive im-ages used in art and media
imagined community idea that media audiences form abstract communities in the “mediasphere”
according to shared beliefs and ideas that influence how they interpret the media. The term was coined by the American scholar Benedict Anderson.
An illusion form
IMPreSSIoNISM
imaging system software capable of digitizing images
imaX trade name for a large-format movie projection system with three-dimensional technology
imC [see integrated marketing communications]
immediacy view that a news story will have greater impact if it refers to a recent or ongoing event
impact scheduling practice of run-ning advertisements for a product close together (on radio or television) so as to make a strong impact on audiences impartiality being completely objective and uninvolved in reporting the news
imperative form in advertising technique consisting in the use of the imperative form of verbs, creating the sense that an authoritative source is giving advice: for example, Just do it! (Nike); Have a Bud! (Budweiser) imperialism 1. extending power and dominion, either by invasion or by gaining political and economic control; 2. by extension, the spread of a particular type of media fare (such as American media) to other areas of the world
impressionism art style emerging in france in the 1870s, characterized by rich hues that allow the painter to convey an “impression,” rather than a realistic or exact representation, of light and form. The subject matter
Impression, Sunrise (1872) by Claude Monet
IMPULSe PAY-Per-VIew of impressionists consisted of the
objects of everyday life (landscapes, street scenes, etc.). The principal artists of the movement were Claude Monet, Pierre Auguste renoir, Alfred Sisley, Berthe Morisot, Édouard Manet, and Camille Pissarro.
impulse pay-per-view pay-per-view television service that makes it pos-sible to order programs on the spot, without advance reservation
in-band-on-channel [abbreviated as iBoC] digital radio technology that allows for the integrated use of digi-tal and analog signal transmissions incentive marketing strategy, such as the giving away of free gifts, de-signed to provide a favorable image of the product or company
incidental music music composed to be played at the same time as some action in a film, play, or television program
indecency in broadcasting, any material that depicts sexual or other biological activities in ways deemed unacceptable by community stan-dards
independent film [abbreviated as indie] any film that is not produced by a major studio, but by an “inde-pendent” producer, company, etc.
independent media media outlets not tied to a major network or large media system
independent phone companies local service telephone companies that are not affiliated with a major phone company
in-depth reporting news report-ing that goes into detail and is well researched
index 1. list of the contents of a print publication; 2. in semiotics, sign whose function is pointing out some-thing real or imaginary in temporal, spatial, or relational terms; for ex-ample, the index finger; words such as this or that and here or there.
indicator any nonverbal cue used during conversation, such as a frown, scratching the head, folding the arms, nodding, etc.
indie [abbreviation of independent]
any production or broadcast compa-ny, group, or individual not tied to a mainstream studio, network, or media organization
individualism belief or social theory maintaining that a single individual’s freedom is as important as the wel-fare of entire groups, communities, societies, and the like
indoctrination any forcible imposi-tion (overt or covert) of a particular system of values and beliefs induction [in contrast to abduc-tion and deducabduc-tion] logical process of reaching a general conclusion on the basis of particular facts; for
INforMATIoN ProCeSSING ModeL example, if one measures the
num-ber of degrees in a large numnum-ber of triangles (in the plane), one comes to the induction that there must be 180°
in all triangles—a conclusion that remains valid unless or until proved differently
industrial advertising advertising to businesses, rather than to individuals infoholic individual who has become obsessed with information, seeking it out constantly, especially on the Internet
infomediary web site where special-ized information is available
infomercial [blend of information and commercial] extended television commercial that mimics a television program. often infomercials feature celebrities who advertise a product in talk show style.
infonesia [blend of information and amnesia] inability to remember a piece of information or its location on the Internet
information 1. anything that can be perceived, accessed, stored, and retrieved; 2. measure of the prob-ability that a message will occur. If a message is expected with 100 percent certainty, its information value is 0. for example, in a house alarm system, the “no ringing” state is the expected one and, thus, the one that carries this value; the “ringing” state, on the other hand, carries the
high-est amount of information because it has a lower probability of (expected) occurrence.
information architecture methods used in designing a web site information blizzards information overload to which people are exposed by media, which is difficult to digest and reflect upon
information gap disparity in access to information among individuals and groups
information highway 1. computer network, such as the Internet, link-ing many users, maklink-ing it possible to transfer information quickly and broadly; 2. circulation of both personal communication and mass media through new technologies information line line of text running across a computer screen providing information about the program being executed or the file being used information management task of controlling information and its flow within an organization or system information overload according to one view, the excess information that
informationtechnology has pro-duced, which is too much for people to use intelligently or even practical-ly, and which may have deleterious effects on social systems
information processing model ad-vertising model evaluating the effects
INforMATIoN reTrIeVAL of an advertising strategy directed at
audiences who are identified as being effective in processing information information retrieval process of using or manipulating a database in order to extract some specific infor-mation from it
information science science that concerns the production, compila-tion, structuring, storage, retrieval, and propagation of information. The field is interdisciplinary, utiliz-ing ideas and techniques from other cognate disciplines (computer sci-ence, linguistics, etc.). Today, most of the research within the field revolves around how to use computer-based methods in the organization of in-formation. It also includes the study of bibliometrics, the discipline that measures such things as the growth or decline in the number of books on a specific topic.
information society world order in which the exchange of information (more than goods) shapes social and economic systems
information superhighway [variant of information highway]
information technology range of computer-based media systems and telecommunication, including radio, television, print, and the Internet information theory any theory attempting to explain what informa-tion is, how it is processed, what its
uses are, etc. Perhaps the first true theory of information was the one put forward by claude shannon in the late 1940s, known as the bull’s-eye model, because it depicts informa-tion transfer as a closed system between a sender directing a mes-sage at a receiver as if he or she were a bull’s-eye target. Although many have since been critical of the uses of this model to explain how human communication works, its general outline and corollary notions, espe-cially that of feedback, have proved to be useful in all areas of communi-cation science.
information worker individual who works with information in some way, such as creating web pages or con-structing computer databases informational appeal advertising technique describing the demonstra-ble characteristics of a product (how it works, how it is made, and so on) infotainment [blend of information and entertainment] television or other media form of entertainment based on presenting factual informa-tion in an engaging way
inherent drama advertising utilizing a mini-drama style that emphasizes the benefits that accrue from purchas-ing a product, such as the nutritional value of a food or the gas-saving quality of a car
inheritance factor tendency for ratings of a program to rise if it is
IM aired after a popular program; the rise is said to be “inherited” from the preceding program
in-house agency advertising agency that is owned and operated by a company to manage its advertising program
in-line graphic image that is part of a web page
innis, harold (1894–1952) Canadian historian famous for his studies of the interrelation between culture, media, and technology. Innis divided media into time-biased and space-biased media. The former include handwrit-ten and oral media that are inhandwrit-tended to last for many generations, but are used in relatively small communities;
the latter include most of the modern electronic and print media, which are designed to reach as many people as possible, but will typically not last long in time. while time-biased media favor a sense of community, space-biased media favor commer-cialism and imperialism. Among his most important works are Empire and Communications (1950); The Bias of Communication (1951); and The Strategy of Culture (1952).
inoculation effect ability of audiences to resist being persuaded by a com-mercial, a news program, etc., if they are warned beforehand that an attempt to persuade them is about to occur input information introduced into a computer system that allows a user to
achieve an output, that is, a desired result
input hardware computer devices or systems that allow for information to be introduced into a computer, including a mouse, a keyboard, an optical scanner, a voice recognition module, and the like.
inquiry test in advertising, a test measuring the effectiveness of an ad or ad campaign based on responses to it
insert shot close-up shot of a headline or some other item that is inserted into a filmed scene in order to show the viewer what a character in the scene can see
inside back cover page on the inside of the back cover of a publication that can be used for advertising and vari-ous information-providing purposes inside story reportage based on the firsthand experiences of those who are inside a company or organization in the news
instant book in the book industry, strategy of publishing a topical book as quickly as possible after a major news story
instant messaging [abbreviated as im] real-time communication be-tween two or more people based on typed text, which is transmitted via the Internet. An early form of IM was used on private computer networks
INSTANT rePLAY such as the Plato system of the early
1970s. IM systems were used by engineers and academics in the 1980s and 1990s to communicate across the Internet. IM became a popular form of communication after mobile IM devices, such as palm pilots, came onto the market en masse.
instant replay playback of a video, often in slow motion, to show a par-ticular moment in a sports event on television
institution in media studies, the social, cultural, and political sys-tems within which a media system operates
institutional advertising the promo-tion of an organizapromo-tion rather than a product
integrated information response model claim that product acceptance is not necessarily a result of advertis-ing’s effect on the way the product is perceived, but rather that product acceptance will tend to increase after the product has been tried
integrated marketing communica-tions [abbreviated as imC] market-ing campaign that integrates public relations strategies, advertising, and other aspects together for greater ef-fectiveness in product promotion intellectual property original work that was created, and thus belongs to, an individual, institution, or compa-ny. The main methods used to protect
intellectual property are trademarks, patents, and copyright.
intelsat [see international Telecommunications satellite organization]
interactive any piece of software or computer system that allows easy communication between the user and computer
interactive advertising advertising that is sensitive and thus adaptive to input from the audience through the Internet
interactive media media that allow for two-way communication be-tween the media and users (such as viewers), enabling users to obtain responses in real time
interactive multimedia multimedia system that allows users to control a program, or else to control the way a program works
interactive television [abbreviated as iTV] system integrating television, telephone, and Internet systems to deliver a wide range of choices to a viewing audience
interactivity ability to participate in, or control, media products, rather than passively receive them
intercultural communication com-munication between people from dif-ferent social, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds
INTerNeT intercutting going back and forth
between filmed scenes or shots of actions occurring at different time periods to give the impression that they are simultaneous
interdiction technology technology that descrambles pay channel cable television signals
interface software that allows com-munication between a computer and a user, including commands, prompts, and other such devices. The term is also used to refer to hardware (cards, plugs, and other devices) that allows the computer to move information.
interference unwanted signals from other sources, disrupting radio or television reception
interjection sound or expression conveying a strong emotion: Yikes!
Wow!
intermercials commercials that run while users are waiting for a web page to download
international Business machines [abbreviated as iBm] computer man-ufacturer, headquartered in Armonk, New York, incorporated in 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-recording Co. It chose its present name in 1924.
web site: www.ibm.com
international Phonetic alphabet [abbreviated as iPa] list of more than 80 phonetic symbols, first devised
in the late nineteenth century by the International Phonetic Association, to make it possible to represent sounds as accurately and consistently as pos-sible. for example, [k] stands for the same sound represented alternatively by the alphabet characters k, ch, and q in english: keen, school, quiet.
international Telecommunications satellite organization [abbreviated as intelsat] world’s first commercial satellite operator, established in 1965.
web site: www.intelsat.com
internaut an Internet user, especially a regular one
internet the “network of networks”
that connects millions (perhaps bil-lions) of computers around the world.
Networks connected to the Internet use a common protocol, TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Inter-net Protocol), which allows them to have unique addresses and to com-municate easily with one another.
The Internet grew out of a defense department program called ArPA-NeT (Advanced research Projects Agency Network), established in 1969 with connections between computers at the University of California at Los Angeles, Stanford research Institute, the University of California–Santa Barbara, and the University of Utah. ArPANeT was used by researchers and especially to provide a secure communications system in case of war. As the network expanded, academics and researchers in other fields began to use it as well.
INTerNeT ProToCoL In 1971 the first program for
send-ing e-mail over a distributed network was developed. By 1973, the year international connections to ArPA-NeT were made, e-mail represented most of the traffic on ArPANeT.
The 1970s also saw the develop-ment of the TCP/IP communications protocols, which were adopted as standard protocols, leading to the widespread use of the term Internet.
In 1984 the domain name addressing system (.com, .net, and the like) was introduced. In 1988 real-time com-munication over the Internet became possible with the development of In-ternet relay Chat protocols. In 1989 the World Wide Web was created, leading to the proliferation of web sites and users by the mid-1990s. By 1997 there were more than 10 million hosts on the Internet and more than one million registered domain names.
Internet access can now be gained via radio signals, cable-television lines, satellites, and fiber-optic connections, in addition to the public telecommu-nications network.
internet protocol standard that allows digital computers to com-municate over long distances. on the Internet, information is broken down into small packets, sent individually over different routes at the same time, and then reassembled at the receiving end. Protocols collect and reassemble the packets and then send them to the desired destination.
internet radio online radio station that either simulcasts versions of
on-air radio broadcasts over the world wide web, or else creates its own programming
internet relay chat software that allows Internet users to join conver-sations or chats organized in an infor-mal way around particular subjects at specific web sites
internet service provider [abbrevi-ated as isP] company that provides Internet connections and services.
ISPs provide computer users with a connection to their site, as well as a log-in name and password. They may also provide software packages, e-mail accounts, and a personal web site. ISPs are all connected to each other through network access points (public network facilities on the Internet backbone).
internet telephony system that al-lows users to make phone calls using the Internet. To make calls, users need to install a sound card, micro-phone, and loudspeaker in their com-puters, along with special software that manages the system
internet television online television station that either simulcasts versions of on-air television broadcasts over the world wide web, or else creates its own programming
interpellation [term coined by louis althusser] in Marxist theory, style or register in which people are addressed in conversation, which relates to their position in society.
INTrANeT interpersonal communication
exchange of information between individuals, using not only language, but also other modes, such as gesture, body posture, and so on
interpersonal framing signals that inform people who are talking to each other whether or not the conversation is serious and what purpose it has interpersonal function of language use of language to bond with others, as opposed to its use for exchanging information
interpretant [term coined by Charles Peirce] the meaning that someone perceives from a sign interpretation 1. deciphering what something means; 2. an individual’s understanding and/or execution of a work (of art, music, or theater) through acting, performing, etc. (for
interpretant [term coined by Charles Peirce] the meaning that someone perceives from a sign interpretation 1. deciphering what something means; 2. an individual’s understanding and/or execution of a work (of art, music, or theater) through acting, performing, etc. (for