The media as social institutions control their own representation. A significant part of public perception of the media is derived from such representations as newspaper reports of struggles for ownership and control of institutions, or television narratives set in television or film studios or newspaper offices. Through a study of selected examples, students consider the self-referential and intertextual aspects of the media and the issues these raise for any further media study, such as on issues of process (the difference between criticism and reviewing) and particularly, ethics (claims of the impartiality of media reporting, or arguments pitting the public's right to know against the individual's right to privacy). Theories of communication are tested against such complex and intractable examples, and the implications for the teaching of media studies are explored

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