International Encyclopedia of Communication Online

Extract

A code is a term in →  semiotics that designates a set of related signs or signifying practices that correspond to a system of →  meaning. While each →  Sign has a unique signifier, what is signified is generally understood as a marker of difference within a larger group of signs. For instance, the number sign “2” has no meaning without the number system as a whole; when listeners hear the word “2,” they inherently understand that it represents a specific quantity different from 3, 4, and 5, etc., which were not uttered by the speaker (→  Sign Systems ). Likewise, together color names comprise a code that corresponds to the color spectrum; “red” is meaningful as a sign because it is not green or blue. Morse code is a set system of dots and dashes that correspond to the alphabet. Knowing the whole code allows an encoder and decoder to communicate by selecting configurations from the code. In media, codes operate at technical/production, formal/aesthetic, social, professional, and ideological levels. A significant aspect of being a professional photographer is knowing how selections from these codes result in a photograph that communicates the desired message for a specific media context and audience. Thus, codes are also rules or norms that guide professional practice. The degree to which communication takes place between an encoder and a decoder is based on their shared understanding ... log in or subscribe to read full text