The following paper provides overviews and reviews of several books concerning images and representation in the media, visual manipulation, and how viewers pick up on cultural cues, which enable them to identify with the images they are seeing. After reading this you will never look at a magazine cover, a billboard or a movie advertisement the same way again!
http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/ISS/ISS2602/ISS2602l.pdf
