INDUSTRY - REGULATION

TASK: PREPARE A PRESENTATION ON REGULATION IN YOUR ASSIGNED INDUSTRY. 

Your presentation should last approximately 20 minutes and should be accompanied by a suitable set of notes that other students can use for revision. I would suggest a PowerPoint presentation and perhaps a script or accompanying document.

In your presentation you MUST address the following questions, but you do not need to limit yourself if you find something that you think is interesting.

1: What regulatory bodies are responsible for the regulation of your industry? a) In the UK, b) In International markets.

2: What are the difficulties/pressure in regulation within your industry? You should consider how this has changed over time. This should be treated as a general question about the industry; you can use specific examples, but not your assigned example.

3: How have those difficulties/pressures impacted your specific assigned example?

- Film: Shang Chi and Snow White

- Public Service Broadcasting: The Radio One Breakfast Show

- Video Games: Animal Crossing (New Horizons)

4:  What is meant by Cross Media Convergence?

5: How has Cross Media Convergence impacted regulation within your industry?

6: What is meant by Technological Convergence?

7: How has Technological Convergence impacted regulation within your industry?

8: How does regulation affect the three key areas of production, distribution and exhibition?

9: How does regulation impact the relationship between audience and producer?

10: Finally, how has regulation changed over time?

NB: You don't need to go through this list a question at a time. You can if you wish, but as you create the presentation you may feel that it works better if you amalgamate certain elements into one slide/section. 

 

Lesson 1: Pre MTV Music Videos

MTV launched in 1981 and became the first television channel dedicated entirely to showing music videos. However, music videos had existed for many years before MTV began broadcasting, with artists creating promotional films to accompany and advertise their music. Early examples can be traced back to the 1960s, when artists such as The Beatles experimented with combining popular music with creative visual imagery. During the 1970s, artists such as David Bowie, ABBA and Queen helped develop the music video into a more sophisticated form of promotion and artistic expression. MTV did not invent the music video, but it transformed the way audiences consumed them and helped make the music video an essential part of the music industry.

The Beatles - Paperback Writer - YouTube 

> Performance: Direct Mode of Address is a familiar convention of most performance based music videos. The artists are also seen playing musical instruments (though miming).

> Shot Type and Editing: There is some dynamism in the use of shot type and editing, but it is certainly not as dynamic as we are used to in more modern music videos. Very little camera movement.

> Fashion and Style: The Beatles were fashion icons, but they don't appear to be heavily styled, other than the clothing and styling that was part of their general appearance.

> Purpose: The purpose is perhaps the most generic element, as this was produced to allow TV stations to broadcast performances by the artist who could not be there to perform live.

David Bowie - Life On Mars? (Official Video)

> Performance: Again, direct mode of address is a familiar convention of most performance based music videos. Bowie's performance is more passionate and dynamic than The Beatles. 

> Shot Type and Editing: There is some more dynamism in the use of camera, including freeze frames etc. And the lighting is clearly manipulated to make Bowie's costume and makeup appear more lurid. Camera movement is limited, but the editing is a little more closely matched to the music/lyrics.

> Fashion and Style: Bowie's image is iconic and close ups on his eyes and face reveal makeup and hair that challenges gender norms. His suit is also lurid and pink adding to this countercultural portrayal of his identity.

> Purpose: The purpose of this music video is not unlike Paperback Writer, in that it would have been broadcast on dedicated music programmes when Bowie was not able to appear himself. However, it goes a stage further, also promoting Bowie as an identifiable figure and possibly as an aspirational icon, though only within a countercultural youth audience.

ABBA - Mamma Mia (Official Music Video) - YouTube

> Performance: Again, direct mode of address is a familiar convention of most performance based music videos. Benny and Bjorn are presented using the convention of playing their instruments. While there is nothing elaborate, there is clearly some attempt made to choreograph Anni and Agnetha. 

> Shot Type and Editing: There is even more dynamism in the use of camera, including close up shots on the piano strings and guitar being played. The musicality of the editing is far more apparent. Camera movement is still fairly limited, but elements like rack focus demonstrate more attention to production values.

> Fashion and Style: ABBA's costumes were iconic in their way. They were clearly unconventional compared to the day to day fashions of the 1970s, but the disco style would have clearly appeared to a youth audience. Unlike Bowie, their style was more about having fun than challenging cultural norms around gender.

> Purpose: The purpose of this music video is also promotional. However, what is interesting about Mamma Mia is that this short promotional film was part of a package of four such music videos released to be shown to an international market (especially Australia). The promotional film (notice I am not yet calling it a music video) to Mamma Mia was so popular with Australian audiences that it encouraged the record label to release the song as a single in Australia. It went on to spend 10 weeks at number one.

QUEEN - Bohemian Rhapsody

 > Performance: The promotional video for Bohemian Rhapsody simulates concert performance. The artists are clearly performing in a passionate way, playing their instruments and appear to be performing live (though there is no footage of the audience - indicating that this is not truly live).

> Shot Type and Editing: There is even more dynamism in the use of camera than in any of the previous videos. Cross fading and super imposition layer the performance. The mise en scene is combined with a low angle shot to simulate concert performance. The editing is dynamic and matched to the musicality of the song. Video feedback loops and multi-camera techniques are artistic, unusual and demonstrate high production values.

> Fashion and Style: Queen sit somewhere between Bowie and ABBA in terms of their youth cultural significance. Their costuming at this time is clearly glam rock. Mercury, though iconic in so many ways, is ironically much safer than Bowie and the emphasis is on musicianship and performance more than breaking boundaries of taste and cultural normativity. 

> Purpose: The purpose of this promo video is, like all the others, promotional. However, what is perhaps more interesting here is the strategic nature of the promo video. Bohemian Rhapsody is a genuinely complex song to perform, featuring anthemic rock elements and periods that resemble opera. As such, Queen created the promo in order to avoid the need to perform it live, using the promo to fix its iconic nature in the modern musical consciousness. 

 

 

Lesson 2: MTV BEGINS

MTV (Music Television) launched in the United States on 1 August 1981, introducing a channel dedicated to broadcasting music videos around the clock. It was created partly because television executives recognised the commercial potential of music videos and saw teenagers as an important audience. MTV obtained videos from record companies, largely for free, and made money through advertising. Its original library was limited, meaning that videos were frequently repeated. On its first day, MTV broadcast 116 different music videos, beginning with The Buggles’ Video Killed the Radio Star.

MTV had a profound cultural impact because it changed the way audiences discovered music and how artists promoted themselves. Music videos became an increasingly important part of an artist’s identity, with fashion, choreography, visual effects and storytelling helping to make performers recognisable.

The Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star (Official Music Video) - YouTube

Pat Benatar - You Better Run (Official Music Video) - YouTube

Rod Stewart - She Won't Dance With Me (Official Video)

The Who - You Better You Bet (Promo Video)

Pretenders - Brass In Pocket (Official Music Video) - YouTube

 

 

Political Context

Political Context Question:

Mark Scheme 

1. Clearly answers the question - QUESTION [0,1,2]

2. Has a coherent argument throughout - COHERENT [0,1,2] 

3. Uses a wide range of specific and detailed examples - EXAMPLES [0,1,2]

4. Analyses/Interprets every example - ANALYSE/INTERPRET [0,1,2]

5. Writes like a Media Studies student - TERMINOLOGY [0,1,2]

 

How do political contexts shape the way newspapers represent events, issues, and individuals?  Refer to The Guardian/Guardian Online and The Daily Mail/Mail Online to support your answer. 

Introduction: This could work for Historical, Cultural or Political context

The Daily Mail and The Guardian are both national institutions whose historical, cultural and political significance were established at their inception and have hardly changed over the last two centuries. The Guardian was founded in 1821 in response to the Peterloo massacre. It's liberal founders intended the paper to provide a voice for the marginalised and to hold the powerful to account. It has maintained its reputations for journalistic integrity and rigour ever since. Today, while it does still have an excellent reputation for largely unbiased journalism, it does also face some criticism for its tendency to support more left wing political positions. By contrasts, The Daily Mail, is unabashedly right leaning and conservative in its messaging and has been since its founding in 1896. In the 130 years since its first publication its owners and editors have maintained the stance that it does not actively support any political party, but rather that it serves its middle class readership, whose views have tended to align with the Conservative party. It is and has always been a politically populist publication and this has shaped its response to the representations of individuals, ideas and events.

SECTION 1: BREXIT 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enemies_of_the_people_(headline)#/media/File:Daily_Mail_-_Enemies_of_the_People.png 

The three judges who 'blocked Brexit' | Daily Mail Online

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CwXl1s9XgAQl8sH?format=jpg&name=large

1st, Mark the example in the comments section.

2nd, Write your own example and then post in the comments section.

SECTION 2: COVID

 

 

 

Lesson 3: Genre Conventions

 

Look carefully at the shots below. Can we match them to any of these generic conventions of music videos?

1: Michael Jackson in heavy makeup. The first reveal of his werewolf transformation.

2: Michael and Ola Ray (Actress and Model) are sitting watching the werewolf movie.

3: Michael begins to perform the song to Ola. We get a full view of their costumes. From her jerry curls, to her rolled up sleeves, to her capri jeans and red high heels, she is dressed like a fashionable young black woman. Michael's outfit is not fashionable - yet!

4: A set piece has a shot circling Ray, followed by the reveal on Jackson's zombie makeup, finishing with a dolly zoom that is a generic feature of horror cinema designed to convey a sense of vertigo. 

5: Finally, for Thriller, there is a choreographed dance routine.

Lesson 4: Understanding Intertextuality

One of the most important concepts in Media Studies is called Intertextuality. I hope you remember the concept of allusion when you studied English for GCSE. Intertextuality is the same concept applied to media texts. So, when on media text makes reference to another media text, we say something like: Text A makes an intertextual reference to Text B.  

These references might include films, television programmes, other music videos, works of art, social media platforms, news reports or even include representations of or simulations of recognisable cultural figures. The audience's understanding of a media text can be influenced by how well they recognise these references and the meanings they associate with them.

We have already seen this in Michael Jackson's Thriller, which draws on the conventions of horror films, including the transformation into a monster, the threatening atmosphere and the choreographed zombie sequence. Rather than simply performing a song, Jackson creates a narrative that deliberately references and reworks an established film genre. This engages the audience on a deeper level and also appeals to the convention of creating a connection with the audience by suggestion artistic value alignment; we like horror movies, especially the recent werewolf and zombie movies, and so does Michael. So we are like Michael. So we like Michael. 

There are several ways in which intertextuality can affect an audience. Recognising a reference can create pleasure because the audience feels that they understand the connection between the two texts. It can also add layers of meaning, as the audience brings their existing knowledge of a film, genre or cultural figure to their interpretation of the music video. Intertextuality can also challenge or subvert audience expectations when a familiar image or convention is used in an unexpected way. However, these effects depend on the audience's cultural knowledge. Someone who recognises a reference may interpret a video differently from someone who does not.

Thriller achieves these effects particularly well. Audiences familiar with horror films can recognise and enjoy the conventions Jackson recreates, including the transformation into a monster and the zombie sequence. These references also help establish the video's narrative, allowing the audience to understand the threats and anticipate what might happen next. However, Jackson does more than reproduce horror conventions: by combining them with a pop song and elaborate choreography, he transforms the horror film into a musical performance. This creates a distinctive viewing experience that appeals to both music fans and horror audiences. The video therefore demonstrates how intertextuality can reward existing knowledge while also reworking familiar conventions to create something new.

In this lesson, we are going to consider how the Music Video to Madonna's Material Girl uses intertextuality to construct a layered understanding of the artist as a performer but also as a persona. You may not know much about Madonna, because she is no longer the global sensation that she was in the latter part of the 20th Century, so you may need to do some searching to be able to answer these questions. Furthermore, to understand this music video you're going to have to go back almost 75 Years to understand the references that are being made.

Task 1: Start by watching this clip from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes then answer the following questions.

Marilyn Monroe Sings Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend

- The character's name is Lorelei. What is persona that is being projected by this performance?

- How does this persona relate to the public representation of the actress, Marilyn Monroe?

Task 2: Watch this promotional music video for the song Material Girl

Madonna - Material Girl (Official Video) [HD]

- How does the music video make it clear that we are watching a constructed reality rather than a faithful representation of the artist?

- Which of the conventions of music videos are being used to promote the artist in this music video?

- What myths are being constructed during the sequences that reference Gentlemen Prefer Blondes?

- How are these myths challenged by the narrative that exists outside of the reference?

- How is intertextuality being used to construct the persona of the artist?

Lesson 5: Counter-cultural messaging

Let's start with a quick definition: Counter-cultural messaging is communication that challenges the dominant values, beliefs and attitudes of mainstream society, often by questioning authority, rejecting social expectations or giving a voice to groups who feel marginalised.

Music has always had a strong influence within counter cultural movements, so it seems a natural progression for music videos to provide artists with a way to challenge the values, expectations and representations promoted by mainstream society. Rather than simply reflecting dominant cultural attitudes, counter-cultural music videos can give a voice to groups who feel excluded, question authority and challenge stereotypes about how people should behave. This has been particularly important for young people and minority groups, whose identities have often been represented by older generations or mainstream media rather than on their own terms.

The development of music television, particularly MTV from 1981 onwards, gave artists a powerful visual platform through which to communicate these ideas to mass audiences. However, counter-cultural messages can also be controversial. A video might challenge stereotypes by presenting a group differently, but it might also reinforce negative representations or create new ones.

As we watch the following videos, we will apply Stuart Hall’s theory of representation. Hall argues that representations are not simply reflections of reality. They are constructed through choices about images, language, sound, editing and performance, and they communicate particular meanings. We should therefore consider not only what is represented, but how and why it is represented in that way, and how audiences might interpret it differently.

Task 1: Straight Outta Compton - Watch first then answer the questions

(WARNING: THIS MUSIC VIDEO CONTAINS LANGUAGE THAT COULD (AND PROBABLY SHOULD) BE SEEN AS OFFENSIVE)

N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton (Official Music Video)

1. What social groups are being represented in this music video?

2. What is/was the mainstream (hegemonic) messaging about that social group?

3. How does the messaging in the music video offer a different (pluralistic) representation?

4. How might different audiences react to the stereotypes/countertypes in this Music Video?

Task 2: Smell Like Teen Spirit - Watch first then answer the questions

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (Official Music Video) - YouTube

1. What social groups are being represented in this music video?

2. What is/was the mainstream (hegemonic) messaging about that social group?

3. How does the messaging in the music video offer a different (pluralistic) representation?

4. How might different audiences react to the stereotypes/countertypes in this Music Video?

UNSEEN EXTRACT

 QUESTION:

Analyse the way that Media Language is used to present social contexts in Source A (The Daily Mail) and Source B (The Guardian Online).​ 

Apply Barthes Theories about Semiotics in your answer.

CONTEXT

The Nottingham maternity scandal centred on serious failures in maternity care at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, where hundreds of babies and mothers died or suffered avoidable harm. A major review published in June 2026 found evidence of a “toxic” institutional culture, including concerns that women’s experiences and warnings were not properly listened to. The story prompted wider debate about women’s healthcare, institutional accountability, gender inequality and whether NHS systems adequately listen to and protect mothers and babies. 

SOURCE A: The Daily Mail Front Cover (Right Wing) 

https://hermes.media.static.aol.com/media/2026/06/25/a125da6a-abfd-3dad-af27-27d6084acb90/168a8572-b4d2-4a76-a8da-614215f22cb8.jpg 

 

 

SOURCE A: The Daily Mirror Front Cover (Left Wing) 

 

SAMPLE ESSAY

Barthes theorises that signs are used to construct connotations connected to social and cultural myths. He argues that these myths make ideologies seem natural and reinforce social and cultural norms.

The social context constructed by the Daily Mail cover addresses the myth of male power and perhaps attempts to undermine the cultural myth of the NHS as a deeply caring institution. The banner headline is bold and damning in its portrayal of men as a social group, stating clearly that male “arrogance” and a refusal to “listen” is at the heart of the scandal that led to the death or harm of “500 mothers and babies.” At first, we might see this as challenging the right wing patriarchal ideological position of the Daily Mail, but it is notable that the headline still centralises male authority; it reinforces the myth that men as a social group have power over women and children, which naturalises patriarchal authority, despite being critical of men as a social group. The typography, using capitals and a serif font reinforces the traditionalist stance of the newspaper, further lending itself to the idea that it tacitly traditional values of male hierarchy and control. Interestingly, the Daily Mail has chosen not to use an image associated with this lead story. This may be because they didn’t want to create sympathy for the female victims, but it is more likely to reinforce their criticism of the left-wing institution (NHS). The connotation of having no image of people involved reinforces the idea that the NHS are faceless and don’t care for the weakest social groups, mothers and babies. This naturalises the right-wing ideological position of the paper.

The Daily Mirror frames the story in a far more humane way, within the social context of family and couples rather than patriarchal control. It constructs the myth of family but also of governmental power to improve in the face of disaster. Unlike the Daily Mail, the Mirror selects an image of a bereaved couple. The vignette effect and the choice of facial expression and body language construct a sense of their grief. The proxemics places Sarah in the front of the image, perhaps to construct the sign that women suffer the greatest loss when a child dies. However, her husband is also shown to be grieving, which negates the patriarchal values seen in the Daily Mail, creating a more collectivist and egalitarian approach to the story, which will naturalise the more progressive values of the Mirror’s left-wing readership. The headline, “Never Again,” is bold and sans serif, connoting the seriousness and strength of the sentiment; moreover, the white on black is stark and may connote the sense that there is only one way to see the situation. Unlike the Daily Mail, which accused a toxic culture within the NHS, The Mirror constructs a more positive position by presenting a promise by Health Secretary using the powerfully emphatic word “pledge.” This actively supports a culture of change and constructs the cultural myth that the NHS is an important institution that the government must support rather than condemn.