Paper 1: Media Messages - PAPER FORMAT

LINK TO PAST PAPERS ON TEAMS: 

https://ccgrammarschool.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/MediaStudies2022-2024/EoNPjznq3a5FkFFwVbN_HmQBtLjhBUzUhS70h-6XQmZuZQ?e=dIcJ4l

If you are not sure what a paper looks like, please take the time to go to this link and look through past papers. 

Section A: News (Questions 1 to 4 are about Newspapers and will ALWAYS be part of the exam)

Questions 1 and 2 are based on unseen extracts. These may be front covers of newspapers, extracts from online newspapers, social media content that is relevant to a newspaper, newspaper articles or newspaper homepages. 

USE THE FOLLOWING LINK TO SEE REVISION NOTES AND FULL EXPLANATION OF THE CONTENT IN QUESTIONS 1 and 2.

https://ccgrammarschool.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/MediaStudies2022-2024/EiinD4WHDzhEuXNTzm3kOygBZioMlcRDCGPfTSDDUOv1nA?e=9PHBRr

Q1: Apply a named theorist to the two unseen newspaper extracts. (You do not need to compare). 

Start these questions by giving a brief outline of the theory and the messaging of the text. You also will be asked to consider this in relation to a particular context so remember:

Social Context - Issues that are happening now (usually ideas about gender, race, equality etc.)

Cultural Context - Issues that are about the way things have been done for a long time (and how that might be changing).

Political Context - Usually issues about the ideological bias of readers or newspapers. Do think about right wing vs left wing. Remind yourself about the political bias of different papers.

Historical Context - The toughest of all, but not if you think carefully about it. What is the messaging with regard to British history? Britain's place in the world? World history? If it is this, the historicity should not be hard to consider.

This is a 10 mark question. So you take around 2 minutes to plan and 15  minutes to write it.

Q2: Compare the two unseen extracts. 

To prepare for these questions, give some time to looking through the PowerPoints on codes and conventions. You are most likely to be asked about:

How they construct versions of reality (apply Hall here if you can).

How they use codes and conventions.

How they construct viewpoints and ideologies. 

Or some combination of these.

This is a 15 mark question. So you should take around 3 to 5 minutes to plan and 20 to 22 minutes to write it.

Q3: This is a context question. 

So far, these questions have all asked you to consider how context has impacted the relationship between newspapers and audiences. You will be asked to refer closely to The Daily Mail and The Guardian in your response.

Context here could be: social, cultural, historical, political, technological or economic.

This is a 10 mark question. So you take around 2 minutes to plan and 15 minutes to write it.

Q4: This is an evaluation question based on a choice between two theorists. 

This is more difficult that the LFTVD question of the same type because the content of the question means you have to think carefully and independently. It is difficult to prepare for every possible question, but if you review your theorists regularly it should be within your grasp.

So far, content has included evaluations about audience, media ownership, social contexts, national and global audiences, online vs print, historical contexts, economic contexts.

This is a 10 mark question. So you take around 2 minutes to plan and 15 minutes to write it.

Section B: Media Language and Representation

This section will contain two question from the following possible areas:

MUSIC VIDEO

You may be asked to compare elements of your two music videos, but more likely you be given the chance to choose one. Alternatively you may be directed to one specifically. Question are likely to focus on:  viewpoints and ideologies, representation, audience, genre conventions, promoting the artist.

ADVERTISING

This may be about one of the three adverts we have studied, it may be an unseen advert or it may be a comparison between an unseen and one that we have studied. Questions are likely to focus on:  viewpoints and ideologies, representation, audience, genre conventions, intertextuality.

THE BIG ISSUE

So far, this has always been about an unseen cover. Questions are likely to focus on: viewpoints and ideologies, representation, audience, constructing meaning, positioning

Q 5: will be a 10 mark question. So you take around 2 minutes to plan and 15  minutes to write it.

Q 6: will be a 15 mark question. So you should take around 3 to 5 minutes to plan and 20 to 22 minutes to write it.

NEWS FROM 2022

Below are some PowerPoints that cover significant news events from 2022. You could use them to help you to identify examples worth discussing in your Newspapers Questions.

ECONOMIC CONTEXT - LFTVD

https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/economic-context-long-form-tv-drama-ppt/267458707

AUDIENCE - GERBNER

 Evaluate the effectiveness of Gerbner’s cultivation theory in understanding how audiences interpret newspapers, including how they may interpret the same newspapers in different ways:

Gerbner theorises that the media can influence audience perceptions of the world over a long period of time through the repetition of similar messages. He found that people who watched a lot of television were likely to have a more negative view of the world, which he called mean world syndrome and that long term and consistent TV viewing lead to the homogenisation of social and political views, which he called ‘mainstreaming’.

Gerbner’s interest in the attitudinal effects of violent representations suggests that newspapers which value ‘bad’ news are possibly creating the belief in the audience that the world is a dangerous place (‘mean world syndrome’) characterised by negative events; audiences who have a broader media consumption may not feel the same way as those whose primary source is a particular newspaper whilst those who only read one newspaper might perceive the world differently to audiences which read more than one. Galtung and Ruge point out that negativity may be the most significant of all news values; if it bleeds it leads. The Daily Mail is known for its negativity around  a range of topics, from immigration, to lawlessness on UK streets; in 2018, it’s June 8^th cover depicted a machete wielding man and a headline that read “CHILLING REALITY OF WILD WEST UK.” Given that the Daily Mail has the highest circulation of any UK newspaper, we can see the validity of applying Gerbner’s theory to their perpetuation of mean world syndrome through their lurid depiction of violence. The Guardian have a reputation for sober reporting that avoids sensationalism. We might therefore expect their content to contradict Gerbner, but for the past two years their website has included a substantial info hub dedicated to live updates of the war in Ukraine, which suggests that Gerbner’s mean world syndrome may be relevant across even the most socio-politically different publications and perhaps that even those that read more than one paper will not be able to escape its influence. 

Gerbner argues that consistent media messaging leads to mainstreaming of opinions. However, newspaper messages are likely to be contradicted by messages from politically and socially opposing newspapers (e.g. The Guardian and the Mail), especially in areas of social or political conflict, like the reporting of Brexit.  On November 4th 2016, the covers of The Guardian and The Mail took a very different approach to the reporting of the high court ruling prior to the triggering of article 50. The Mail branded the judges “ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE,” while the The Guardian headline acknowledged the difficulty that the ruling posed for the prime minister while remaining politically neutral. We might argue that these contradictory messages invalidate Gerbner’s idea of mainstreaming; however, it is unlikely that ideologically different audiences are going to read (and thus respond differently to) different newspapers. That said, this infamous Daily Mail cover is referenced by a range of Guardian articles since the publication of the newspaper, all of which encourage their readers to engage with Daily Mail content. This may be because Guardian readers tend to be more educated and liberal in their world view. It may therefore be reasonable to suggest that Gerbner’s theory is less applicable to more educated, liberal readers. 

AUDIENCE - JENKINS

Evaluate the usefulness of Jenkins on participation in understanding audience use of online newspapers such as The Guardian and MailOnline.

Jenkins's work has been instrumental in highlighting the transformative impact of new media on audience participation and engagement. He argues that the proliferation of digital platforms has accelerated the shift towards a participatory culture, where audiences are no longer passive consumers but active and creative participants in the production and dissemination of content.

In the realm of online news, platforms like The Guardian Online and MailOnline have embraced user-generated content to enhance reader engagement.  Both outlets encourage audiences to contribute comments, share articles on social media, and even submit their own stories and multimedia content. By opening their platforms to user participation, these news organisations empower audiences to play a more active role in shaping the news agenda. Jenkins's framework helps us understand how the development of new media technologies has democratised the news-making process, allowing for diverse voices and perspectives to be heard in the digital public sphere.

Jenkin’s work points to the idea of “collective intelligence,” which manifests in online news in the form of citizen journalism. The Guardian online has embraced citizen journalism; its "Comment is Free" section, for instance, allows readers to contribute opinion pieces and commentary on a wide range of topics, amplifying diverse voices and perspectives. By embracing citizen journalism, The Guardian online has reaffirmed its commitment to journalistic values of transparency, accountability, and inclusivity, while remaining at the forefront of digital innovation in the media landscape. Jenkins is therefore useful in identifying the way that some newspapers have embraced participatory culture as a way to enhance content within their liberal agenda of offering a voice to a wider demographic.

Even though both Guardian Online and MailOnline, encourage participatory culture, this makes up only a fraction of their content or it serves as a tool to bring more clicks to what they see as their ‘real’ work. Furthermore, professional journalists adhere to ethical standards, fact-checking procedures, and editorial oversight to ensure the accuracy, credibility, and accountability of news reporting. While citizen journalism and user-generated content have expanded the range of voices and perspectives in online news, they may lack the journalistic rigour and resources to navigate complex issues and provide in-depth analysis. Guardian Online and MailOnline, as reputable news outlets, value journalism as a professional practice, employing trained journalists to investigate stories, and uphold editorial standards. Jenkins’s work is focused primarily on the fandoms that grow up around media phenomena like TV shows, film franchises and the like, so it is limited in its scope to address an industry that is, at least ostensibly, built on truth and rigour.

ECONOMIC CONTEXT

 LINKS TO ARTICLES:

Daily Mail announces redundancy plans as print readership declines | Daily Mail | The Guardian

Guardian Media Group makes record revenues for news business | The Guardian | The Guardian

SECOND QUESTION:

Explain the impact of technological developments and changing economic contexts on the cost for audiences of consuming news. Refer to The Guardian and the Daily Mail to support your answer.

In the comments section below, post your paragraphs about:

a) The Guardian

b) The Daily Mail

VERSIONS OF REALITY STYLE QUESTION

Source A and Source B cover the same news event from two different sources, one tabloid cover and the other a broadsheet web article.

How far do the sources construct versions of reality?

In your answer you must:

• explain how news websites, through representation, construct versions of reality

• analyse the representations in the sources

• make judgements and reach conclusions about how far the sources construct versions of reality

15 Marks (25 minutes)

Source A: The Daily Mail

Source B: The Guardian Website

AUDIENCE - SHIRKY

Evaluate the usefulness of Shirky’s ‘end of audience’ theory in understanding audience use of online newspapers such as The Guardian and MailOnline.

Shirky’s ‘end of audience’ theory is focused on the change from atomised consumers to consumers as producers, from a predictable mass to unpredictable participation creating value for each other, from ‘filter then publish’ to ‘publish then filter.’ It was designed to explain the changes brought about by the online media and as such we might expect it to have some value in understanding how audiences for online newspapers. We might examine the value of this theory by considering the way that the two different models of approach are manifest in the GuardianOnline and MailOnline.

Shirky’s work points to the idea of cognitive surplus which manifests in online news in the form of citizen journalism. The Guardian online has embraced citizen journalism; its "Comment is Free" section, for instance, allows readers to contribute opinion pieces and commentary on a wide range of topics, amplifying diverse voices and perspectives. By embracing citizen journalism, The Guardian online has reaffirmed its commitment to journalistic values of transparency, accountability, and inclusivity, while remaining at the forefront of digital innovation in the media landscape. While MailOnline does incorporate user-generated content through features like "iReporters," where users can submit photos, videos, and eyewitness accounts of news events, its approach to citizen journalism is primarily focused on supplementing its reporting with additional perspectives and multimedia content, rather than actively engaging readers as contributors to its editorial content.  Shirky may therefore be useful in distinguishing between platforms that embrace collaborative production within the framework of their liberalism and commitment to amplifying diverse voices and those that use it more like a marketing tool. However, even the Guardian’s more liberal approach to citizen journalism still holds to the filter and publish model, so Shirky’s theory is not wholly useful in analysing this content.

While Shirky’s work clearly points to the fact that online audiences have greater opportunities to engage with and contribute to news content on platforms like Guardian Online and MailOnline, Curran and Seaton maintain that the oligarchy of media conglomerates still has significant power to control online content. Even though both these platforms encourage participatory culture, this makes up only a fraction of their content or it serves as a tool to bring more clicks to what they see as their ‘real’ work. Furthermore, professional journalists adhere to ethical standards, fact-checking procedures, and editorial oversight to ensure the accuracy, credibility, and accountability of news reporting. While citizen journalism and user-generated content have expanded the range of voices and perspectives in online news, they may lack the journalistic rigour and resources to navigate complex issues and provide in-depth analysis. Guardian Online and MailOnline, as reputable news outlets, value journalism as a professional practice, employing trained journalists to investigate stories, verify information, and uphold editorial standards.  ‘End of audience’ theory best fits social and participatory media with user-generated content, whereas newspaper websites still rely on professional journalism for their brand value – so audiences will expect prior filtering of ‘real’ news – this doesn’t refute the theory so much as to show there is a range of online media and audience types.

GERBNER - CULTIVATION THEORY

https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/audience-theory-cultivation-theory-gerbnerpptx/267283552

COURSEWORK TASK 3: Planning Production - Planning Website

Just like Task 2, this task is also an ongoing task that will take you several weeks. 

NB: This is not a cosmetic task. The more carefully you plan the better your production will be.

1: In the Planning Production section your will need:

EITHER

AUDIO VISUAL: For those of you who have chosen an audio-visual task (music video or TV show), you will need:

ia) A storyboard or shooting script. There are no rules for the correct way to do this, but it is useful to imagine creating something that would allow someone else to make your T.V. show or music video. You should name this/these post/s STORYBOARD or SHOOTING SCRIPT.

ib) As an option, you could create a MOCK UP version of your video using stills in place of the shots you intend to use for your completed version. If you create a MOCK UP version, you should create a post called MOCK UP. 

ii) Create a post called TUTORIALS in which you post links to any tutorials that you access while planning your production.

iii) Create a post called TESTS AND EXPERIMENTS in which you post any evidence of experiments. 

OR

PRINT: For those of you who have chosen a print task (music magazine), you will need:

ia) A MOCK UP version of your magazine using found images or AI generated images in place of the shots you intend to use for your completed version.  You should create a post called MOCK UPS. 

ii) Create a post called TUTORIALS in which you post links to any tutorials that you access while planning your production.

iii) Create a post called TESTS AND EXPERIMENTS in which you post any evidence of experiments. 

AND

2: In the Planning Website section you will need:

i) A link to a a MOCK UP version of your website using found images or AI generated images in place of the shots you intend to use for your completed version.  You should create a post called MOCK UP for this. In addition to a link to the MOCK UP version of your website you should make screen captures before you make any major changes in order to keep a record of your progress.

ii) Create a post called TUTORIALS in which you post links to any tutorials that you access while planning your website.

iii) Create a post called TESTS AND EXPERIMENTS in which you post any evidence of experiments. 

JENKINS - FANDOM

Henry Jenkins: Spreadable content makes the consumer king (youtube.com)

https://www.slideshare.net/slideshows/audience-theory-fandom-jenkinspptx/266883620

LFTVD - ALL PAST PAPER QUESTIONS

 As part of your preparation for your forthcoming exam, you should prepare to respond to ALL of the following questions. You know that these will NOT be the actual question, but the process of preparation will help you to think about the LFTVDS.

SAMPLE 01: Why do long form television dramas from different countries offer different representations?

In your answer you must:

·         consider the contexts in which long form television dramas are produced and consumed,

·         explain how media contexts may have influenced representations in the set episodes of the two long form television dramas you have studied,

·         make judgements and reach conclusions about the reasons for the differences in representation between the two episodes.

SAMPLE 02:  ‘Representations of social, cultural and historical events can vary within long form television dramas from different countries.’ Discuss how and why audiences might respond to and interpret these representations differently.

In your answer you must:

·         consider the contexts in which long form television dramas are produced and consumed,

·         explain how media contexts may have influenced different aspects of realism and audience response in the set episodes of the two long form television dramas you have studied,

·         make judgements and reach conclusions about the differences in realism of social, cultural and historical circumstances between the two set episodes.

Q. 2019: The differences in the codes and conventions of long form television dramas reflect the different values, attitudes and beliefs of the audiences that consume them.’ How far do you agree with this statement?

In your answer you must:

·         consider the contexts in which long form television dramas are produced and consumed,

·         explain how media contexts may have influenced the codes and conventions in the set episodes of the two long form television dramas you have studied,

·         refer to relevant academic ideas and arguments,

·         make judgements and reach conclusions about the reasons for the differences in the codes and conventions between the two episodes.

Q. 2020: ‘Long form television dramas lack originality; no matter which country they are made in, they all use intertextuality in the same way.’ How far do you agree with this statement?

In your answer you must:

·         consider the contexts in which long form television dramas are produced and consumed,

·         explain how media contexts may have influenced the use of intertextuality in the set episodes of the two long form television dramas you have studied,

·         refer to relevant academic ideas and arguments,

·         make judgements and reach conclusions about reasons for similarities or differences in the use of intertextuality between the two episodes.

Q. 2021: ‘Audiences and producers no longer find the concept of genre relevant to long form television drama.’ How far do you agree with this statement?

In your answer, you must:

·         consider the contexts in which long form television dramas are developed by producers and consumed by audiences,

·         explain how media contexts may have influenced the use of genre conventions in the set episodes of the two long form television dramas you have studied,

·         refer to relevant academic ideas and arguments,

·         make judgements and reach conclusions about reasons for similarities or differences in the use of genre conventions between the two episodes.

Q. 2022: ‘Long form television dramas produced in different countries always incorporate the dominant conventions, viewpoints and ideologies of those countries.’ How far do you agree with this statement?

In your answer, you must:

·         explain the contexts in which long form television dramas are produced and consumed, explain how media contexts may have influenced conventions, viewpoints and ideologies in the set episodes of the two long form television dramas that you have studied,

·         refer to academic ideas and arguments,

·         make judgements and reach conclusions about the reasons for similarities or differences in how media language is used to construct viewpoints and ideologies between the two episodes.

COURSEWORK TASK 2: C & C Production - C & C Website

This task is an ongoing task that may take you several weeks. There will be updates.

C & C Production and Website. (C and C stands for Codes and Conventions)

1. In each section you need a post entitled INSPIRATION. Find as many examples in your chosen genre as you can and post them to this section of your C and C research label. In each case, write a brief explanation of what you like about the example you have found. 

2. In each section you will need a post entitled CODES AND CONVENTIONS. if you notice things that happen regularly, makes a note of it as a convention in that post. Post an example that exemplifies that convention. This list should grow and grow. 

Below are some questions that may help you to think about the codes and conventions.

1: How do the producers use mise en scene to construct representations?

Mise en Scene = Set, Location, Costume, Makeup, Hair, Proxemics, Casting

2: How does the messaging around representation appeal to the target audience?

3: How have the producers used direct mode of address?

4: What features encourage the audience to interact with the content?

5: What have you noticed about the way that the producers use space? Consider:

Lines, symmetry, shapes, alignment of text, size and font (typography).

6: What have you noticed about the variety of different shot types?

7: What have you noticed about the relationship between dynamics in music and pace of editing?

8: What have you noticed about the relationship between the phrasing of the music and the timing of cuts?

NB: If you are filling in the Website section, take a screenshot of the website because it is likely to change.