Semiotics

Semiotics are about the meaning in media text, its studying how the producer attempts to get that message across (signs and signifiers act as clues). The implied meaning in the media text is called the denotation, the way the viewer reads the meanings is called the connotations. These are not always the same as what has been denoted due to misunderstanding, cultural/age/gender differences and our own experiences. Our thought processes in trying to understand the denotations need to recognise the symbols, metaphors, analogies and allegories.
A paradigm is a set of rules that we check the meaning against to make sure that it makes sense. Example: A panda eats, shoots and leaves. You can get as drunk on water as you can on wine.
A syntagm is a key piece of information that if changed will change our connotations.


Definitions:

Analogy; Comparing two things to each other either for explaining or clarifying.

Allegory; A work (story, poem etc) that can be interpreted by the reader to have a hidden meaning even if there wasn't one intentionally. This can also be a synonym for a symbol.

Metonymy; This is when substitute the actual name of something to an attribute of what is being described. An example being referring to a business executive as a 'suit'.