Representation of media institutions in United States cinema A semiotics analytical study: "The Post" movie as a case study

Abstract

"The Post" is a distinctive cinematic model in portraying the legend of media power and its mass heroism by presenting a set of overlapping functions across different forms and methods that contribute to the recipient's adoption of their orientations and ideas. The study provides an analysis of the image of media organizations in American cinema through the qualitative descriptive approach, through semiotic methodology and using a semiotic analysis that includes the designatory and incremental connotations. The above is framed in Roland Bart's ideas in the formation of societal mythology. As a case study, "The Post" movie is carefully chosen. Taking into consideration other movies produced by American film production companies that show media organizations and media work, the choice is justified due to several reasons: The chosen movie shows the various groups related to media organizations, it is one of the top rated movies in international websites, the cast includes a number of first class stars, and it is based on a true story that stirred controversary in politics and media. The study presents a deconstruction of the chosen sample that comes up with semiotic results proving the existence of a mental image of media institutions in American cinema. The study also confirms that mental images are only a result of semiotic analysis, as they correspond to the “signified” in the duality of “signified and signifier” in semiotic analysis. The study came out with several results, most notably that American cinema offers continuous functions that lead to the formation of a societal myth that presents media work in a way that is ready to break the law with the precedent of knowledge, or to practice moral offenses to appear in the hero's body or reach a specific goal. American cinema also shows media institution as the only responsible entity when it comes to exposing corruption while excluding the role of censorship. Consequently, the study claims that American cinema promotes the idea that the needs of audience can only be satisfied when media institution fulfills that duty.