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.