Media Debate 2008

It's time to start preparing for this year's Media Debate! Like last year, there will be three separate debates about three different media topics on the day, but things are different too in that while there are still two sides (Team A vs Team B...you'll have to come up with some names) we're mixing up the classes. Each side must field three teams of three students each. The rest of the group members will be involved in researching beforehand and asking questions during the debate.

We have booked the date for it to take place - Thursday 28th February, after school in the Lecture Theatre. The audience will include all Year 12 Media Studies students and various members of staff so the pressure is on! We will start preparing you for the event this week...at the first of three compulsory Debate Club Meetings/Rehearsals...every Thursday after school in DF07, starting 31-01-08. Here you will meet with your captains, plan strategies, and receive advice from us about how to go about researching, preparing and practising, including learning about the correct procedures for formal debating.

Mr Bush and Ms Jones will be acting as trainers. You can call on us for support and advice at the Debate Club meetings (but not during lesson times as there's other stuff to do). Mr Dudman-Jones will be available to offer expert debating advice to the team members and will also go on to act as the impartial judge on the big day.

The three debates are as follows...

The Women Debate

Mulvey continues to be relevant because women remain subordinate to the power of the male gaze and this demonstrates how the media is still inherently patriarchal.

The Genre Debate

Hollywood produces repetitive, formulaic and unimaginative genre movies that pander to 'dumbed down' audiences and this means that independent, art-house films are all that is worth watching.

The Hegemony Debate

The mass media in the UK still seek to promote hegemony and are responsible for injecting passive audiences with dominant ideologies.

Homework - due on Thursday 07-02-08 at the next Debate Club Meeting - is to have started researching your topic on the internet and to bring this material to the meeting. You need to get on with this as there will only be three weeks to go before the debate (in front of the 50+ Year 12 audience and guests too...a packed lecture theatre!) and you need to get the information together so that you can start practising. Don't forget - you won't know until the day itself whether you are required to debate in favour or against the motion so you have to research both sides of the argument and think about objections to your points and how you will counter them.

Tips are as follows...

The Women Debate

To start with, use your Independent Study research material for this one. You will have lots of case studies to draw from, many concrete examples and theory etc. that you've got from the library and the internet.

Then refer to the handouts you received in lessons about the subject - from 'Media Gender & Identity' (Gauntlett), from 'Introducing Media Studies' and from the articles you've been given from 'The Guardian'. These make ideal starting points from which you can go on to explore key ideas and theorists in more depth.

Do more internet research, beginning with the following sites...

David Gauntlett's 'Media, Gender & Identity' Site...really useful articles and links.
MediaKnowall...has a good overview on representation and links to stuff on gender.
The Media & Communications Studies Site...loads of links to some very academic articles.
MediaGuardian and The Guardian websites...do searches on the 'representation of women'.

And, obviously, check out all the del.ici.ous links that are tagged women, representation, or Med 4.

The Genre Debate

As with the Representation Debate your Independent Studies are the best starting points. You (should) know these texts really well so you can use them as case studies and include specific examples from them to back up your points.

Then you will need to research genre theory. We will be covering this later in the course so you will be able to pick up some handouts on this from school but you will also find a lot about it on the internet...

Film Education has resources on genre and how it operates in the film industry.
Introductory stuff on genre from a sixth form college website.
The Media & Communications Studies Site...lots of links to articles outlining genre theory.
Guardian Unlimited Film is a great starting place to search for topical discussions.

Also, be sure to make full use of the other del.ici.ous links, especially the Med 4 ones.

The Hegemony Debate

You will need to research representation theory (hegemonic and pluralistic views), audience theory (effects, uses and gratifications, reception theory, etc.) and you'll need to know about media institutions/ownership(use the case studies you all did on your blogs) along with stuff about globalisation and marxism. Look at all the handouts you've received in your Module 6 lessons. You will also find a lot about it on the internet...

The Media & Communications Studies Site...lots of links to articles outlining various theory.
Also, be sure to make full use of the other del.ici.ous links, especially the Med 6 ones.


Finally...
Don't forget - all of this research serves a dual purpose in that it is also directly linked to your coursework and your exam modules. If you work hard here in an attempt to win the debate (and avoid looking stupid) then you will have also done invaluable preparation in your quest for excellent A Level results. Good luck!!