Now that we've finished our work on Identities and the Media, you need to put together an index so you can easily access your work for revision. Your Identities and Media index should include the following:
Remember, your index should link to YOUR blogpost for each of these tasks.
This is a significant amount of work and should prepare you well both for the MEST3 exam and potentially help with your Critical Investigation final draft too.
Next we will be returning to New/Digital Media and developing our independent case study for MEST3 Section B.
New/digital media story index You also need to update your index of new/digital media stories that you have been posting each week. Your TOTAL number of stories should reach AT LEAST 40 (if you're up to date you'll have more than this.) You can add to a previous index if you wish but need to update the posting date to bring it to the top of your blog. If you don't finish any of these tasks in the lesson you must finish for homework - due next lesson without fail.
You've studied your main New/Digital Media case study, the news industry, in great detail and have also covered the second exam topic: Identities and the Media. You now need an independent New/Digital Media case study for your Section B exam essay. This should be on an aspect of the media YOU are particularly interested in. Choose an industry - it could be film, television, music, gaming - it's up to you. You then have to choose a case study within that industry - it could be a particular text (e.g. film, game etc.) or an institution (e.g. Rockstar Games, Netflix). Once you have selected your case study you need to get it approved by your teacher - and then embark on the tasks below. You will have lesson time to complete this case study and regular deadlines to complete for each section. First deadline: establish the basics for approval by your teacher - due Monday 26 March.
Case study research tasks The basics Your chosen industry: Your chosen case study (i.e. text/institution etc.): Have you received approval for this case study from your teacher? Yes/No Research and answer the following tasks on your MEST3 exam blog: Audience 1) How has new and digital media changed the audience experience in your chosen industry? 2) Has new and digital media changed the way the audience consume your chosen product? 3) Has the size of the audience changed as a result of new and digital media? 4) What are the positive changes new and digital media have brought to the audience of your case study? (E.g. greater choice, easier access etc.) 5) What are the negative changes new and digital media have had on your chosen audience? (E.g. quality of product etc.) 6) What about audience pleasures - have these changed as a result of new and digital media? 7) What is the target audience for your chosen case study? Write a demographic/psychographic profile. Institution 1) How has new and digital media had an impact on ownership or control in your chosen industry? 2) What impact has new and digital media had on ownership in your chosen case study? 3) How has new and digital media changed the way institutions produce texts? 4) How has new and digital media changed the way institutions distribute their product? 5) How might new and digital media threaten your chosen industry? 6) How has new and digital media changed the way your chosen industry is regulated? UGC 1) What examples of user-generated content can you find in your case study? 2) How has UGC changed things for audiences or institutions in your chosen case study? Marxism, Pluralism and Hegemony 1) What would be a Marxist perspective of the impact of new and digital media on your chosen case study? 2) How would a pluralist view the impact of new and digital media in your chosen industry? 3) Are there any examples of hegemony in your chosen industry or case study? Globalisation 1) How has globalisation impacted on your chosen industry or case study? 2) In your opinion, has globalisation had a positive or negative impact on your chosen industry and case study? Why? 3) Can you find examples of cultural imperialism in your case study or industry? (The 'Americanisation' of the world) Social media 1) How has your industry or case study used social media to promote its products? 2) Provide examples of how your case study has used social media and explain the impact this would have on audiences. 3) Is social media an opportunity or a threat to your industry and case study? Statistics 1) What statistics can you find to illustrate the impact new and digital media has had on your industry or case study? For example, in news, the UK newspaper industry sold more than 12m copies a day in 2001 but in 2014 it was below 7m. 2) Looking at these statistics, what impact has new/digital media had on institutions in your chosen industry? 3) What has the impact been for audiences? These may be positive and negative. Theories 1) What media theories can you apply to your chosen industry and case study? Select THREE media theories and explain how they are relevant to your case study. Note: these can be ANY of the theories we have learned over the whole of Year 12 and 13. Issues/debates 1) What media issues and debates can you apply to your chosen industry and case study? Select THREE media issues/debates and explain how they are relevant to your case study. Wider examples and secondary texts 1) What other texts or institutions are also relevant to your case study? What would be good secondary texts or examples to use to support the findings of your independent case study? Ignite presentation When you have completed your independent case study research, prepare a 20-slide, 5 minute Ignite presentation on your chosen industry and case study. You will present this in class to widen our overall knowledge of the impact of new and digital media on a variety of industries, examples and texts. Remember the Ignite rules:
20 slides
15-second auto-advance
No more than 20 words on each slide
You will not be able to include ALL of the above sections so be selective and choose the aspects you feel will be most interesting and relevant to your audience - the rest of the class.
Our final topic for the Identities and the Media unit is collective identity: the sense of belonging to a group. This is something the media has a huge influence over - everything from advertising to social media profiles can affect our sense of identity and where we fit in. Indeed, the representations we see in the media can have a huge impact on how we fit into society and the world around us. We need to learn some key theories and also consider the impact of new and digital technology on issues of collective identity and representation. Notes and key theories Collective identity Collective identity is the shared sense of belonging to a group. In Media Studies, we need to consider the influence media has over a person’s sense of identity. This is closely linked to representation as the way groups are portrayed in the media can influence our sense of identity and belonging.
Collective identity: theories
Marxism and the Frankfurt School
Marxists believe identity is constructed through hegemony imposed by the ruling elite. A sense of individual identity is a myth that prevents people challenging powerful groups.
This links to the Frankfurt School, a group of influential Marxists who viewed media audiences as passive vessels. They believe the media is used to control and manipulate people. Example: Apple branding Apple’s early branding suggested individuality and creative freedom... But in fact it was always a massive profit-seeking corporation looking to sell as widely as possible.
Later, iPhone adverts subtly suggested a certain lifestyle that has become synonymous with Apple products. Everything suggests creative possibility and individual opportunity but Marxists would argue this merely hides the fact we are being manipulated by a faceless corporation into handing Apple huge amounts of money (why is an iPhone so much more expensive than an Android phone for example?) What is the representation of an iPhone user presented in the iPhone 6s 'Onions' advert?
Daniel Chandler: CAGE
Daniel Chandler suggested the acronym CAGE, stating our identity is constructed through class, age, gender and ethnicity. Does this still apply in the 21st century? Do we construct our own identities along these lines? Is representation in the media still dominated by these classifications? Think about your own presence on social media.
Stuart Hall: media construction
Stuart Hall suggests the media actively constructs our society rather than reflecting it back.
Our identity is part of this and therefore any sense of individuality we may feel is actually constructed through the media we engage with.
Constructing our own identities
New technology has changed the way we see ourselves and others. Through social media we can construct representations of ourselves.
Example: Instagram/Snapchat
How did you choose your profile pic?
What does your profile say?
Who do you follow?
How much do you consider what others will think of you when posting/liking/sharing?
Does social media have a positive influence over our identity? Or is it corrosive? Simon Sinek's view on the millennial generation went viral a few months ago and is worth watching again for the section on social media, technology and how it influences our sense of identity:
Shared identity online
New technology has created the opportunity for people to form groups online that represent their shared identity. Think about the work we have done recently on feminism and online activism - blogs, forums, social media accounts and whole campaigns and movements (#everydaysexism) have given audiences a new sense of collective identity. In America, #blacklivesmatter is doing this with racism and police brutality.
Social media can empower individuals and create a strong sense of belonging – media theorist Sherry Turkle famously described the internet as a place to be "alone together".
Collective identity in the 21st Century
So, collective identity doesn’t just refer to representations in mainstream media. It also refers to self-constructed identity by users of social media and communities formed online of shared identity (e.g. Feminism).
Representing ourselves: blog task
Read the Media Magazine article on collective identity: Self-image and the Media (MM41 - page 6). Our Media Magazine archive is here. Complete the following tasks on your blog: 1) Read the article and summarise each section in one sentence, starting with the section 'Who are you?' 2) List five brands you are happy to be associated with and explain how they reflect your sense of identity. 3) Do you agree with the view that modern media is all about 'style over substance'? What does this expression mean?
4) Explain Baudrillard's theory of 'media saturation' in one paragraph. You may need to research it online to find out more. 5) Is your presence on social media an accurate reflection of who you are? Have you ever added or removed a picture from a social media site purely because of what it says about the type of person you are? 6) What is your opinion on 'data mining'? Are you happy for companies to sell you products based on your social media presence and online search terms? Is this an invasion of privacy? You will have lesson time to complete this but will need to finish for homework anything you do not cover in the lesson. Deadline: confirmed by your teacher.
We've focused on how film can influence our sense of identity and who we are - but how does the wider media influence this? Our work on Feminism concluded with how Jean Killbourne documented the influence advertising can have on women's self-esteem and as part of our identities and the media unit we need to consider media effects and the impact on audiences. This will also allow us to bring in some of our work from Year 12 that may be useful in the MEST3 exam. Complete the following tasks using Media Factsheet 121: Identities and the Media. You'll find it in our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets Read the Factsheet in full and then complete the following tasks: 1) The Factsheet discusses how identity is a complex subject. What does it suggest defines our identity? 2) Complete the task on page 2: suggest media texts that could reinforce that someone is non-mainstream; edgy; a pleasure seeker; fashionable; witty and fun; cutting-edge. 3) What examples are suggested for a case study on urban youth? 4) What does Hebdige argue with regards to youth culture? 5) What other theorists are referenced alongside Hebdige? How do they link to the issue of youth identity? 6) How can we link our Year 12 case study on Ill Manors to youth and identity? What specific examples from the case study could be used to discuss Hebdige’s theory that youth culture challenges mainstream culture and dominant ideologies? 7) What does theorist David Gauntlett suggest regarding the media’s influence over the construction of identities?
8) Do you agree that Hebdige’s view that youth culture will always seek to resist mainstream culture and challenge dominant ideologies?
Complete for homework: due date set by your exam class teacher.
The media we choose to watch and engage with says a lot about us as people – it helps to construct our identity. Complete the following tasks using Media Factsheet 142: Identity and Film. You'll find it in our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets
1) Complete the Twenty Statements Test yourself. This means answering the question ‘Who am I?’ 20 times with 20 different answers. What do they say about your identity? Write the 20 answers in full on your blog.
2) Classify your answers into the categories listed on the Factsheet: Social groups, ideological beliefs, interests etc.
3) Go back to your favourite film (as identified in the lesson or simply choose your favourite film if you weren't present). What does this choice of film say about your identity? Are there any identities within the film (e.g. certain characters) that particularly resonated with your values and beliefs?
4) Watch the trailers for the five films highlighted as examples of gay/lesbian representation in mainstream film:
Wilde (1997, dir. Brian Gilbert)
Philadelphia (1993, dir. Jonathan Demme)
The Wedding Banquet (1993, dir. Ang Lee)
The Kids are Alright (2010, dir. Lisa Cholodenko)
Pride (2014, dir. Matthew Warchus)
How are LGBT identities constructed in the trailers and how are audiences encouraged to respond to these representations? 5) How have representations of LGBT issues changed in recent years? What examples from across the media (not just film) can you provide to support this view?
Complete for homework - due date set by your exam class teacher.
It's been a remarkable week of weather - hopefully you've been following the media coverage! Fortunately, there is plenty of media work for you to be getting on with at home. If you're not sure what needs doing, this should help. Year 13 coursework Make sure you've submitted your second draft of the critical investigation to your teacher - all improvements made, fully referenced and submitted both on paper and on the blog. Then, make sure you have completed the research and planning tasks for the linked production. It's less than four weeks until Easter so we need to be filming and editing in the next 10-14 days. Year 13 exam work You should have completed or be working on a range of blog tasks for feminism including the Everyday Sexism TEDx talk and the Media Magazine article on the fourth wave of feminism and the most recent work on feminist and gender theorists such as McRobbie, Butler and Gauntlett. There's now an additional piece of work to conclude feminism - a factsheet on applying feminism with a range of excellent theories and examples. You won't have any lesson time for this due to the snow days but it shouldn't take a huge amount of time as homework. Don't forget the two weekly NDM stories are continuing too - we'll be back on new/digital media just before Easter so it's important to stay up-to-date with the latest news in this area. Good luck with this work and enjoy the snow!
We've had some brilliant discussions on feminism, masculinity and gender representations in class over the last couple of weeks. You should have completed or be working on a range of blog tasks including the Everyday Sexism TEDx talk and the Media Magazine article on the fourth wave of feminism and the most recent work on feminist and gender theorists such as McRobbie, Butler and Gauntlett. These tasks will give you an excellent introduction to feminism but it's a topic with such depth and range there are always more ways we could apply these ideas. There is an excellent Media factsheet on applying feminism - it introduces some additional theorists and also suggests other media texts theory can be used to analyse. Complete the tasks below to finish your work on feminism. Applying feminism: blog task Go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive and open Factsheet #86: Applying Feminism. Our Media Factsheet archive is on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets - you'll need to save the factsheet to USB or email it to yourself in order to complete this at home. Read the factsheet and answer the following questions: 1) Briefly list or describe the different waves of feminism. 2) The factsheet doesn't mention a fourth wave of feminism. Do you think we are currently in a fourth wave of feminism due to digital media? 3) List the five different types of feminism with a one-sentence definition for each. 4) Summarise Laura Mulvey's analysis of Hollywood film. 5) What does Jean Kilbourne argue regarding advertising and the impact on women? 6) Summarise Naomi Wolf's theory of 'The Beauty Myth'. 7) List the texts discussed in the section 'feminism and music videos'. Do you believe that the representation of women in music videos can have an impact on how people behave in real life? 8) To conclude feminism, do you believe than men and women are basically equal now or is there still a need for feminist movements? You will need to complete this work for homework - due date set by your exam teacher. Further reading: in-depth theory and wider examples of feminism in the Media If you're interested in further theory and examples in terms of feminism and the media -or perhaps are currently redrafting a Critical Investigation on this topic - then the following Factsheets and links will be essential reading. Remember: if you want an A* in Media then you'll need a wide variety of theoretical perspectives to call on in the MEST3 exam. Feminist theory: Factsheet research Media Factsheet #125: Gender for A2 - Focus on Judith Butler This Factsheet offers much more depth on Judith Butler and her work in Gender Trouble (1990) - the argument that gender is a process or performance and not biologically set. It explores how Butler fits into wider media theoretical perspectives (e.g. Structuralism and Post-Structuralism) and also criticisms of her approach. One key criticism is the difficulty in applying Butler's ideas to feminist campaigns in the real world - relevant to our recent work on the possibility of a fourth wave of feminism. Media Factsheet #125: Gender: Beyond Butler
This Factsheet explores a wider interpretation of the representation of women in media and society. It offers a historical perspective, looking particularly at the 1970s and British television. It also builds on Factsheet #89 and Jean Kilbourne's work on advertising and the representation of women. Finally, the Factsheet addresses masculinity and the changing representations of men in the media over the last 30 years.
A current debate in feminism is whether we are in a post-feminist state: is feminism still needed? It's important to have your own opinion on this debate and, crucially, be able to support it with reference to feminist theory and current examples. Feminist theory: key notes Judith Butler: gender roles Butler believes traditional feminists are wrong to divide society into ‘men’ and ‘women’ and says gender is not biologically fixed. By dividing men and women, feminists accidently reinforced the idea of differences between the two genders Butler believes gender roles are ‘a performance’ and that male and female behaviour is socially constructed rather than the result of biology. Butler and the media If gender is a ‘performance’ rather than biological, we then need to think about what is influencing that ‘performance’. And that’s where the media comes in. How might the media influence our behaviour in terms of gender roles? Angela McRobbie: empowering women McRobbie is a British cultural theorist known for her work analysing magazines aimed at women and teenage girls in the 80s and 90s. McRobbie highlights the empowering nature of magazines such as Cosmopolitan and Glamour, taking a different perspective to traditional feminists.
This idea of ‘popular feminism’ fits into the idea of post-feminism and challenges the radical feminism of the 1970s.
Gauntlett: feminism & masculinity
David Gauntlett wrote extensively on gender representation and the importance of role models in the media in the late 1990s – early 2000s.
He looked particularly at theorists such as Butler and McRobbie: “Although the popular remix of feminism is accepted by young women, it remains the case that most women and men remain somewhat constricted within particular gender roles.”
Gauntlett looked at men’s lifestyle magazines in the same way McRobbie looked at women’s magazines. He found a new, quite different representation of masculinity – reflecting changes in women’s magazines.
Importantly, he disagrees that masculinity is in crisis – a popular view in the media in the last 15 years.
Feminist and gender theory: blog tasks
Complete the following tasks on your blog: Media Magazine reading Read Playing With The Past: Post-feminism and the Media (MM40, page 64 - our Media Magazine archive is here). 1) What are the two texts the article focuses on? 2) What examples are provided from the two texts of the 'male gaze' (Mulvey)? 3) Do texts such as these show there is no longer a need for feminism or are they simply sexism in a different form? 4) Choose three words/phrases from the glossary of the article and write their definitions on your blog. Music video analysis Watch the Beyonce video for ‘Why Don’t You Love Me?’:
1) How might this video contribute to Butler’s idea that gender roles are a ‘performance’? 2) Does this video reinforce or challenge the view that women should perform certain roles in society?
3) Would McRobbie view Beyonce as an empowering role model for women? Why?
4) What are your OWN views on this debate – does Beyonce empower women or reinforce the traditional ‘male gaze’ (Mulvey)?
Watch the Will Jay music video for 'Gangsta':
1) How does the video suggest representations of masculinity have changed in recent years? 2) What does David Gauntlett suggest about representations of men in the media over the last 20 years? 3) What is YOUR view on representations of men and masculinity? Are young men still under pressure from the media to act or behave in a certain way?
Complete for homework if you don't finish this during the lesson - due date set by your exam class teacher.
With your preliminary exercise completed and critical investigation second drafts submitted, we now need to turn our attention to the actual Linked Production. Your initial task is to complete the research and planning for your production. Work through the following:
1) Confirm your production brief. You write this yourself but it's absolutely crucial this is clear, appropriate and achievable. You should have done this already - the original blogpost was here - but it may have changed as a result of your preliminary exercise. 2) Research: detailed notes on at least THREE texts similar to what you are creating. What are the key conventions? What can you learn/borrow from the examples you have looked at?
3) Project schedule: when will you shoot and edit this production? Make this a week-by-week schedule leading up to Easter. Key dates: we break up for Easter on Friday 31 March and the final deadline is Wednesday 18 April.
4) Script - see the BBC Writers' Room for advice/script formatting. If you're making a music video, you'll want to write a treatment instead. This is an example treatment that I provide for GCSE Media students studying this topic. For print productions, this means writing all the text for the cover, contents and feature articles. Write this in Microsoft Word so you can proofread and spellcheck the work before moving it into Photoshop.
5) Sketching and drafting - for video-based productions this means a storyboard - sheets available in DF07 or you can print out your own AQA storyboard sheet. For print productions, this means detailed sketches of all your pages.
6) Shot list - use Microsoft Word or a template like this to help you. Remember, you need a shot list whether you are filming or carrying out a print photoshoot - professional quality original images are essential if you want to reach the top level.
7) Mise-en-scene: casting/model details, costume and make-up, props, lighting, location scouting for video productions etc. Use photographs to document and plan your mise-en-scene - using your phone is acceptable for this.
All of the above needs to be posted to your MEST4 coursework blog.
Discussing feminism and learning a range of feminist theories is an essential part of our Identities and the Media unit. Are we living in a post-feminist state? Do you agree there is still a need for feminism? To what extent does the media contribute to the identity created for women in popular culture? These are some of the questions we need to consider when studying representation in A Level Media.
There is a current debate regarding whether feminism is still required in the 21st century (the idea that we are now in a 'post-feminist' state) against the view that the use of new and digital media to further feminist campaigns constitutes a new fourth wave of feminism. Key notes Waves of feminism First wave: early 20th century, suffragette movement (right to vote). Second wave: 1960s – 1990s, reproductive rights (pill), abortion, equal pay. Third wave: 1990s – present, empowerment, reclaiming of femininity (high heels, sexuality etc. See Angela McRobbie's work on women's magazines). Fourth wave? 2010 – ongoing, use of new technology and digital media (e.g. Twitter) for activism. Fourth wave? Many commentators argue that the internet itself has enabled a shift from ‘third-wave’ to ‘fourth-wave’ feminism. What is certain is that the internet has created a ‘call-out’ culture, in which sexism or misogyny can be ‘called out’ and challenged. This culture is indicative of the continuing influence of the third wave, with its focus on challenging sexism and misogyny in advertising, film, television and the media. Key quote: “power users of social media” The internet has facilitated the creation of a global community of feminists who use the internet both for discussion and activism. According to #FemFuture: Online Feminism, a report recently published by Columbia University’s Barnard Center for Research on Women, females aged between 18 and 29 are the ‘power users of social networking’. (Source: Political Studies Association. Read more about this: http://www.psa.ac.uk/insight-plus/feminism-fourth-wave) Critics of online feminism Critics of online feminist movements suggest that petitions and pressure from Twitter campaigns is simply a witchhunt orchestrated by privileged middle-class white women. They ask: are ‘trolls’ the danger they are portrayed to be? Advertising: creating a culture of objectifying women Activist and cultural theorist Jean Kilbourne has been studying the image of women in advertising for over 40 years. Her series ‘Killing us softly’ highlighted the negative representation of women in advertising. She went on to make further documentaries studying this issue and whether it was changing over time.
Introduction to feminism: blog tasks
Case study: Everyday Sexism Watch this TEDx talk by Everyday Sexism founder Laura Bates: 1) Why did Laura Bates start the Everyday Sexism project? 2) How does the Everyday Sexism project link to the concept of post-feminism? Is feminism still required in western societies? 3) Why was new technology essential to the success of the Everyday Sexism project? 4) Will there be a point in the future when the Everyday Sexism project is not required? What is YOUR view on the future of feminism?
Media Magazine: The fourth wave? Read the article: The Fourth Wave? Feminism in the Digital Age in MM55 (p64). You'll find the article in our Media Magazine archive here. 1) Summarise the questions in the first two sub-headings: What is networked feminism? Why is it a problem? 2) What are the four waves of feminism? Do you agree that we are in a fourth wave ‘networked feminism’? 3) Focus on the examples in the article. Write a 100-word summary of EACH of the following: Everyday Sexism, HeForShe, FCKH8 campaign, This Girl Can. 4) What is your opinion with regards to feminism and new/digital media? Do you agree with the concept of a 'fourth wave' of feminism post-2010 or are recent developments like the Everyday Sexism project merely an extension of the third wave of feminism from the 1990s?
Complete for homework - due date set by your exam teacher.
As we get towards the end of the Identities and the Media unit, we need to make sure we're keeping up new and digital media stories each week. After half-term, we will be finishing off our work on representation and identity by exploring feminism, youth subcultures and collective identity. Following that, it's straight back to new/digital media and our own case studies. The two NDM stories you are finding each week could be invaluable when building your own independent case study in the run-up to Easter.
NDM story index
Over half-term, you need to update your NDM story index of ALL of your NDM stories so far. This homework was originally in September which means you should have a minimum of 34 stories in your index by the end of half-term (we've been slightly generous there and not included the holidays!)
Your index should have the story number (starting with your first story back in September as #1), the headline and a link to your blog post for that story - guidance for the original task from September (with top-level examples from previous years) is here. Remember, every story you post needs to be on a separate blogpost and the link in the index should go to YOUR blog post summarising the story, not the original article itself. We've put LOADS of links on the Macguffin Blog Twitter account in the last few weeks - Facebook, fake news, Theresa May announcing a review of journalism funding, YouTube viewership stagnating, social media bias/echo chambers, paywalls, impact of new/digital on local journalism, the latest on Tronc, Netflix numbers, Spotify and more!
Index due date: fully up-to-date for the first lesson after half-term.
A recent issue of Media Magazine offered some extremely relevant articles to our recent work on identity and post-colonial theory. Complete the following tasks - you may be given lesson time to do this but will need to finish for homework. MM58: Social Media and Black Identity Open up MM58 from our Media Magazine archive. Go to page 66 and read Social Media and Black Identity then complete the following tasks: 1) List three theorists discussed in the article and what they believe regarding black identity. 2) In your opinion, is social media a positive or negative force when it comes to issues of black identity? 3) How could you apply the post-colonial theories we have learned in class to the issue of social media and black identity? A Hustle for Life: Refugees in the Media Now turn to page 6 and read A Hustle for Life: Refugees in the Media. When you have read the article, complete the following tasks: 1) What examples of different representations of refugees in the media are offered in the article? 2) In your opinion, is the documentary genre more or less biased than the news media? What examples can you provide from the article to support your view? 3) How could you apply the post-colonial theories we have learned in class to the representation of refugees in the media? Media Magazine: Critical Investigation research You should have received your marked first draft of the Critical Investigation and completed peer assessment activities. In some cases, a lack of research is holding people back. You may find several articles from the last few issues of Media Magazine useful for your second draft. These include: MM58
The Power of the Media Steph Hendry considers the power of the media in relation to the development of technologies and their impact on social change. Internet Research for Film Studies Any self-respecting film student knows that informed and critical online research is essential – but where do you start? Roy Stafford introduces some of the most useful film websites around. The Witch: A Feminist Review Owen Davey recommends a new horror film with a difference. MM59 Post-truth What’s the Truth in a Post-fact World? Nick Lacey explores the role of misinformation in recent electoral campaigns, and asks who is responsible for gate-keeping online news. Researching the past Operation Julie: Researching the Past. Screenwriter Mike Hobbs describes the challenges of researching a script for a sensational crime story forty years after the event. MM60 Argo - misrepresenting a historical event Argo – A Film For Our Times? Axel Metz takes issue with Ben Affleck’s directorial debut Argo, a film which arguably misrepresents a historic event from a 21st-century perspective. MM61 Disney's women - the changing role of female protagonists Disney’s Women – and How They Have Changed My Life. Erin Charnley evaluates the changing roles of Disney’s female protagonists and is cautiously optimistic. Hunger Games - dystopian future based on the past Picturing Panem. Kirsty Worrow explores how the makers of The Hunger Games produced a vision of the future by mining the past.
Remember: A* students need to develop an understanding of the media across platforms, genres, issues and debates. These Media Magazine articles will help you to do this even if you don't need them for your Critical Investigation. Good luck!
The in-class peer assessment tasks are invaluable in identifying key aspects to improve for your next draft of the Critical Investigation. You need to complete an initial learner response task to make sure you have read, recorded and understood your feedback. Critical Investigation: first draft learner response On your MEST4 coursework blog, complete the following tasks:
1) Type up your teacher comments from your first draft - these are your main targets that you must address.
2) Write what level/mark/grade you are aiming for in your second draft.
3) Write a numbered action plan of at least five things - ideally one for each of the eight EBIs you received in feedback in your Peer Assessment lessons - that you will do or change for your second draft that will help you get there. Be specific and explain in detail.
Here is the peer assessment lessons PowerPoint to help you check you've covered everything...
Critical Investigation: next deadline
Write the second draft of your Critical Investigation.
This includes any additional research that may be required - a lack of high-quality academic research and a low number of footnotes is the number one reason students miss out on their target grade in this task.
***MAKE SURE YOU VISIT THE BFI LIBRARY AGAIN DURING HALF TERM***
Due: Wednesday 21 February
Please make sure that you have posted an electronic version on your blog and you bring a hard copy (with 1.5 spacing) into the lesson. This second draft will receive feedback in the form of an extended one-to-one tutorial in class before Easter. You will then have a short time to make any remaining improvements before the final deadline.
Orientalism is another key post-colonial theory - exploring the differences in representation between the western world and the east. These representations have arguably changed significantly since the 9/11 attacks on America in September 2001. Think about the typical Muslim stereotypes in the British media post-9/11 - and the rise in Islamophobia. Edward Said - Orientalism Edward Said (1935-2003) was a Palestinian-American cultural theorist and academic best known for his 1978 book Orientalism.
In it, he argued that the west – particularly colonising Europe – constructed a meaning of the east (e.g. The Middle East) that suggested it was different, dangerous and uncivilised.
Said was writing in the 1970s but his work is arguably even more relevant in today’s post-9/11 world. Orientalism: blog tasks To complete our work on post-colonial theory, work through the following tasks: 1) Watch the opening of Yasmin (2004) again. Does it offer a positive or negative view of British Muslims? To what extent does it reinforce or challenge Edward Said's theory of Orientalism - that the west is superior to the exotic or uncivilised east?
2) Summarise the three theorists we have looked at this week: Alvarado, Fanon and Said. 3) Finally, choose ONE clip for EACH of the theorists and explain how you could apply that theory to the clip. Pick your clips from YouTube but feel free to use TV, film, music video or advertising - whatever you think is most powerful and relevant. Embed the clips in your blog before writing your analysis under each clip. Note: this means you need THREE clips in total on this blogpost. Complete for homework: due date set by your exam class teacher.
