The Decline of Print Media Articles

Check back here regularly for updated stories on your New/Digital Media case study topic.

For each article - read, paste onto your MEST3 blog, and highlight key points/information.

News International launches Sun - and News of the World - archive website (04/01/11)

Rupert Murdoch joins Twitter? News Corporation chief seemingly tries to break with 2011's annus horribilis by tweeting 'with his own voice, in his own way' (01/01/12)

Media predictions for 2012: media business and advertising Endemol could come up for sale if it can restructure its debt, while the Olympics are expected to prop up the ad market (30/12/11)

iPads and Kindles force newspapers further away from print Economics of the digital world are only too evident to the press as handheld devices strike a death knell for old business models (25/12/11)

Coursework Tutorials

For 13C, you will be each be receiving a crucial one-to-one coursework tutorial with Macguffin during January 2012. However, you must have completed all the Xmas blog tasks to be eligible for this so these need to be done by the lesson we return after Christmas (Tuesday 03-01-12). Also, when you attend the tutorial you must bring your fully organised research folder with you (containing notes, plans, highlighted/annotated photocopies, etc.) so get those in order now if you haven't done already.

Finally, the deadline for the completed first draft of the Critical Investigation is...

• Tuesday 31st January '12

This means that if you have a tutorial towards the end of the January exam period you will only have a few days to get all 2000 words done (with footnotes and a full bibliography for it to be accepted) so the advice would be to get in early for a tutorial so you can start the essay as soon as possible.

MEST 4 Xmas Task #6

The following needs to be done by 13C and completed by the day we return after the holiday: 3rd January 2011...

INTRODUCTION & FIRST/SECOND PARAGRAPHS

Type out the full title of your Critical Investigation, highlighting what you consider to be the keywords in a different colour.

Then write out the first/second paragraphs and post them on your blog. This is usually the hardest part in any essay (along with the last one!) Obviously, it must be a clear introduction that makes reference to the keywords in the title and outlines the various areas that you will be exploring in the course of the essay. It may introduce a hypothesis (something that you will seek to test/prove during the next 2000 words). For example, you may be arguing that your contemporary textual examples demonstrate a change in the representation of a particular social group. It's a bit like a debate in this sense - you are putting forward a proposition and making points that will back it up (although you will also be given credit here for considering both sides of the argument too).

Then, write the next paragraph and post it on your blog. Remember that you're looking to include at least one quote/reference per paragraph and often considerably more. It may help to look at some of the best essays from last year, from 2010, from 2009, from 2008, from 2007, and from 2006 (all top grades, although all except 2010/2011's are from a different specification, don't forget) to get an idea of the style and format required. But take care - plagiarism will always be found out so don't even consider copying from others...best to look on a day when you won't be writing as other people's work can sometimes be a bit disabling.

Good luck with everything here - yes, you're going to be very busy but you want to get the top grades and get into top universities so this is what's required!

If anyone needs help over the holiday then please email us and we'll try to get back to you asap.

MEST 4 Xmas Task #5

The following needs to be done by 13C and completed by the day we return after the holiday: 3rd January 2011...

ESSAY PLAN

Produce a detailed essay plan for your independent study, covering everything that you hope to include in your submission. Break your ideas and research down into sections and paragraphs with headings, summaries and a list of references that you hope to include at each step. You can see some decent ones from previous years by clicking on Jaleesa or Manjoth or Jatinder or Avneet or Madenah.

Make sure that you label each point you hope to include by linking it to Key Concepts (MIGRAIN) and Wider Contexts (SHEP). (You could just include the initial letter in brackets). This way you can see whether you have covered everything that you need to in an even way. Also, ensure that you think about where you will include theories/theorists, issues/debates and media keywords. (Keep the 'Essential Word Dictionary' handy).

This will make writing your essay so much easier. However, it is a big task as it requires you to read through all your research very carefully and browse through each other's blogs as there may be some overlapping areas of research you could share with each other.

You may want to produce this plan as a straightforward series of bullet points or as a more complex mindmap. If it's the latter you may have to do it by hand and then scan it in before posting it up on your blog. Or you may want to try out an online mind-mapping tool like bubbl.us.

MEST 4 Xmas Task #4

The following needs to be done by 13C and completed by the day we return after the holiday: 3rd January 2011...

ADDITIONAL WEB RESEARCH

Although books carry more authority, the internet is an excellent resource and you should be searching regularly to identify additional ideas and references related to your Critical Investigation.

In particular, you will find up-to-the-minute, current information and opinion about your topic and this always scores highly with the examiners so it's important to continue online research all the way through until you hand in your final essay. A crucial platform that you really ought to cover - New Media and Digital Technology is always changing, for instance. Key places to keep track of this are...

• A Level Media Studies subscription sites - we have paid for you to have free access to both the MediaMagazine (search the archive or browse through past copies), and MediaEdu (spend time, in particular, looking at the theory, new media and key concepts resources)...both are excellent and contain information pitched just right at your level of understanding. (NB: Email Macguffin for passwords if you don't have them);

• broadsheet newspaper sites, especially MediaGuardian (it's essential you get into the habit of reading this every week, preferably on a Monday), and the Independent Media;

• media education sites - the biggest and best is MCS; but there's also Media Literacy, Film Education, Screen Online...

• film review sites like IMDb (use the 'external reviews' link on the sidebar whenever you're on a chosen film) and Rotten Tomatoes;

• film magazines online like Sight & Sound, GuardianFilm, Empire, and Senses of Cinema;

• Wikipedia, naturally: a useful starting point for any web search, but make sure you avoid referencing this directly...it makes you look like a beginner. Provides, however, a good overview and. essentially, a list of 'References' and 'External Links' at the end of each entry;

• the best student essays from 2011, from 2010, from 2009, from 2008, from 2007, and from 2006 : in particular, look at their quotes (usually highlighted by a footnote number) and bibliographies (at the end of each essay) as they will have often identified some of the best quotes for your topic. But, as ever, be wary of the temptation to plagiarise - you should only 'borrow' a few quotes from each person's essay!

Over the holiday, continue with your internet research, using the Google Search Tips you've been shown to help you refine your searches and, of course, the Google academic search engine: Google Scholar.

Post up AT LEAST 20 additional quotes, with full article titles (and hyperlinked web addresses) and an explanation about each one saying how it's linked to your study.

MEST 4 Xmas Task #3

The following needs to be done by 13C and completed by the day we return after the holiday: 3rd January 2011...

HISTORICAL TEXT ANALYSIS & RESEARCH

Research a historical text that you can use to compare with your contemporary one (that is the main focus of your investigation). By 'historical' it is meant anything pre-2000 but the 40s, 50s, 60s or even 70s might be more fruitful because they pre-date many of the important changes that have occurred more recently (such as the gains for women as a result of feminism; or greater equality for ethnic minorities now that we are - arguably - a more inclusive and multi-cultural society; or the ground-breaking developments in new media/digital technology). The purpose here is to be able to demonstrate...

• how society has changed over the years and how these changes are reflected in different media texts, or - to put it another way...
• how popular culture reflects the 'spirit of the age' or zeitgeist

Ideally, you will watch at least one film/TV programme/video game/music video from the past, make notes on it and research it in Media/Film Studies textbooks and on the internet. The best option is to watch/play the whole text on DVD/online or otherwise you might be able to see extracts on YouTube.

• How is it similar/different to your text?
• How does this show how the genre/society has changed?

Through this you will become aware of developments in the genre you are researching - look for a range of titles (at least five) that you can refer to in your essay - and you should be able to link them to the wider contexts that were present at the time. It's also worth noting that you will be rewarded for considering your topic across different platforms.

If you can't get hold of the text it's not the end of the world - you are stuck with doing just secondary research instead of this and primary research. Just make sure you do plenty of it.

List your media texts, research, analysis and links/bibliography in a detailed blog post.

MEST 4 Xmas Task #2

The following needs to be done by 13C and completed by the day we return after the holiday: 3rd January 2011...

ADDITIONAL BOOK READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY (SO FAR)

As you know, a detailed bibliography is crucial for the top grades in the coursework. Please refer to the Essential Reading List which contains titles of 45 of the most important books for the Critical Investigation, all of which are either in the school library or media suite.

Those underlined are the twenty most important but, obviously, not all of the texts on this list will be directly relevant for you...you'll need to spend a fair amount of time searching through them (especially the contents and indexes) to find the key quotes and ideas that will impress the examiners.

You must include references to quite a few of these books if you want an A or B so borrow/buy these books and read them over Christmas: one/person from the Media Suite and you MUST sign them out with Mr Babu and you MUST bring them back the day we return after the holiday).

Then please include the following in a blog posting...

• Author-Year-Title-Place-Publisher info;
• Quotes (+ Page References) from the book that can be linked to your study;
• A short explanation of each one explaining how it is relevant to you.

Finally, post up on your blog a Complete Bibliography (So Far) to include ALL the books you currently have quotes from. It MUST contain at least TEN different books.

Use this 'Guide to writing bibliographies' to help or try this really useful bibliography creator: 'BibMe'.

MEST 4 Xmas Task #1

The following needs to be done by 13C and completed by the day we return after the holiday: Tuesday 3rd January 2011...

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS

Carry out close textual analyses of at least TWO chosen scenes/extracts/clips from your main text and post it up on your blog.

The extracts should be able to exemplify some of the key points you wish to make in your Critical Investigation and link with some of the following key areas raised by your text...

• issues and debates

Representation and stereotyping; Media effects; Reality TV; News Values; Moral Panics; Post 9/11 and the media; Ownership and control; Regulation and censorship; Media technology and the digital revolution – changing technologies in the 21st century; The effect of globalisation on the media

• theories

Semiotics; Structuralism and post-structuralism; Postmodernism and its critiques; Gender and ethnicity; Marxism and hegemony; Liberal Pluralism; Colonialism and Post-colonialism; Audience theories; Genre theories

Make sure it is an extract you haven't analysed before and embed the YouTube link in your posting if you can.

Think of each analysis as like a MEST 3 exam analysis but with one text instead of two - so you need to cover MIGRAIN and SHEP and you are advised to watch the extract several times and to make detailed notes before embarking on the write-up, which should be in essay format (NOT in note form).

Also, use the Key Concepts Glossary to help you think about terminology to use. You should be including as many of these keywords and ideas as possible in your analysis (where relevant...this won't always be the case), along with ideas from the essential Media Keywords A-Z that you should be reading religiously!

13C Cover Work p3/4 Tue 01/11

Stay in the classroom or DF06. Ms Brown will be taking the lesson.

1. Read the article : Newspapers - The Effect of Online Technology

2. Create a separate mind-map (on A3 plain paper) for each section:

• Newspapers: In Decline
• Why is the newspaper industry in crisis?
• Should news be free?
• The democratisation of news?
• Audience power?

3. Copy out (on A4 lined paper) and fill in the gaps in the three charts:

• The impact of online technology on news
• Newspapers - The effect of online technology
• Audience gratifications of the Guardian website

4. On your blogs, summarise FIVE recent examples of UGC making the news, to include:

• The Arab Spring
• Ian Tomlinson's death
• Gadaffi's death

...for each one, include an embedded YouTube clip showing the footage and a link to a Guardian newspaper article reporting on it (ideally referring to the UGC element and its significance).

Complete all of this for homework (due Thur 03.11)

13B Cover Work p1/2 Wed 19/10

Mr Babu will be taking the register and supervising the lesson.

Please do the following, remaining in DF07 for the whole two periods...

1. Read the article: The rise and rise of UGC

2. Create a mind map that summarises the article with the following sections/headings...

• Examples
• Theory (audience reception, etc.)
• Benefits to institutions
• benefits to audiences
• Wider issues and debates
• SHEP (social, historical, economic, political contexts)

...bring this to Friday's lesson.

3. Answer the following questions in full sentences, with detailed examples where possible...

1. What is meant by the term ‘citizen journalist’?
2. What was one of the first examples of news being generated by ‘ordinary people’?
3. List some of the formats for participation that are now offered by news organisations.
4. What is one of the main differences between professionally shot footage and that taken first-hand (UGC)?
5. What is a gatekeeper?
6. How has the role of a gatekeeper changed?
7. What is one of the primary concerns held by journalists over the rise of UGC?

Homework (for Fri 21/10)

1. Copy and paste the article to your MEST3 blog. Highlight the key points/information in a different colour.

2. Post the answers to the questions (above) on your MEST 3 blog and embed the Rodney King footage from YouTube on your blog too.

Summer Research Project

For all Year 12 students (who'll be Year 13 in September '11)...

The following needs to be completed by the first lesson you come back at the start of September..

• Start a new blog. Call it MEST 4: Research & Production



• Leave a comment with the address and your name in the comments section below so I can put up a link on this blog.



• Choose a film or television text or video game that you are really interested in and that is less than five years old.



• Get hold of a copy of your text. Watch it at least once over the summer. While you are watching it make key concepts notes and post them up on your new blog, considering the following questions for each key concept...
  

Media Representations

Who is being represented?

• In what way?



• By whom?
  

Why is the subject being represented in this way?

• Is the representation fair and accurate?



• What opportunities exist for self-representation by the subject?

Media Languages and Forms

• What are the denotative and connotative levels of meaning?



• What is the significance of the text’s connotations?



• What are the non-verbal structures of meaning in the text (e.g. gesture, facial expression, positional communication, clothing, props etc)?



• What is the significance of mise-en-scene/sets/settings?



• What work is being done by the sound track/commentary/language of the text?



• What are the dominant images and iconography, and what is their relevance to the major themes of the text?



• What sound and visual techniques are used to convey meaning (e.g. camera positioning, editing; the ways that images and sounds are combined to convey meaning)?

Narrative

• How is the narrative organised and structured?



• How is the audience positioned in relation to the narrative?



• How are characters delineated? What is their narrative function? How are heroes and villains created?



• What techniques of identification and alienation are employed?



• What is the role of such features as sound, music, iconography, genre, mise-en-scene, editing etc within the narrative?



• What are the major themes of the narrative? What values/ideologies does it embody?

Genre

• To which genre does the text belong?



• What are the major generic conventions within the text?



• What are the major iconographic features of the text?



• What are the major generic themes?



• To what extent are the characters generically determined?



• To what extent are the audience’s generic expectations of the text fulfilled or cheated by the text? Does the text conform to the characteristics of the genre, or does it treat them playfully or ironically?



• Does the text feature a star, a director, a writer etc who is strongly associated with the genre? What meanings and associations do they have?

Media Institutions

• What is the institutional source of the text?



• In what ways has the text been influenced or shaped by the institution which produced it?



• Is the source a public service or commercial institution? What difference does this make to the text?



• Who owns and controls the institution concerned and does this matter?



• How has the text been distributed?
  

Media Values and Ideology

• What are the major values, ideologies and assumptions underpinning the text or naturalised within it?



• What criteria have been used for selecting the content presented?
  

Media Audiences

• To whom is the text addressed? What is the target audience?



• What assumptions about the audience’s characteristics are implicit within the text?



• What assumptions about the audience are implicit in the text’s scheduling or positioning?



• In what conditions is the audience likely to receive the text? Does this impact upon the formal characteristics of the text?



• What do you know or can you assume about the likely size and constituency of the audience?



• What are the probable and possible audience readings of the text?



• How do you, as an audience member, read and evaluate the text? To what extent is your reading and evaluation influenced by your age, gender, background etc?
  

Other Tasks to complete by the start of September...

• Research your text on the internet. Start by using the de.li.cio.us tags that are on the sidebar ('Macguffin Links') to guide your research. These links are some of the best sites for Media Studies.
  


• Post up all evidence of research on your blog. You are looking for the following: reviews, newspaper/magazine articles, useful book titles linked to your text, relevant theory, relevant media issues and debates, information about wider contexts, etc.
  


• Don't just cut and paste mindlessly - be selective, try to summarise the information, comment on it and explain why it is useful. Also, make sure that you include specific links to all the sites you find.
  


• Feel free to be as creative with your blogs as you can. Include pictures, clips, reflections, links, etc.
  


• Prepare a presentation to be given to the class during the first week you return. In this you will show everyone your blog and talk through the research you found. Also, you will need to put together a five-minute Powerpoint presentation that summarises what you've found out. Use the Significance, Structure, Simplicity, Rehearsal checklist on slide 58 of the guide about how to prevent Death by PowerPoint as this will help you produce a more interesting presentation.
  

Good luck. There is a lot to do here. Our advice is to work on this throughout the Summer rather than leaving it all to the last minute. It should be an enjoyable process - finding out about something that you're interested in. If you have any problems then please don't hesitate to email me.

And remember, the aim of this is to develop your key research skills that you'll be using when you do your coursework next year...and these are skills that are vital for any subject you do in Year 13 or at university.

12C1 Video Homework

TASK (individual or pairs) – By Tuesday 5th July.

Set up a new blog called MEST3 Critical Perspectives.

Post up the address in the comments section below before the deadline.

Create a ONE MINUTE video that consolidates your learning about the internet over the last few weeks (you should use Premiere or Movie Maker); post it on YouTube (you may need to set up an account); and embed it into your blog.

Include text (summarising some of the information you’ve learned); images (moving or still; shot yourself or found online); and an appropriate soundtrack.

Answer the key questions - What is so special about the internet? What is wrong with the internet? How does the internet change audiences?

12c HW - Due 4/7/11

Working in groups of 2 or 3 prepare a presentation in which you present back your findings about gender representation in Doghouse.

You must include reference to theorists on gender and feminism etc e.g. Judith Butler, Laura Mulvey and David Gauntlett linking your points to specific examples from the text. (This will require you to do further reading on these theorists other than that provided already). Consider the following sources in addition to books and articles:

http://www.theory.org.uk/
http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/sections/gender02.html
http://www.theoryhead.com/gender/extract.htm

Year 12 HW - Video Task - Due 27 June 2011

TASK (individual or pairs) – By Monday 27th June

Set up a new blog called MEST3 Critical Perspectives
Post up the address in this comments section on Macguffin13 before the deadline
Create a ONE MINUTE video that consolidates your learning on new and (you should use Premiere or Movie Maker); post it on YouTube (you may need to set up an account); and embed it into your blog
Include text (summarising some of the information you’ve learned); images (moving or still; shot yourself or found online); and an appropriate soundtrack
Answer the key questions -
What is so special about the internet?
What is wrong with the internet?
How does the internet change audiences?

Your Revision Starts Here!

Good luck to all Year 13s revising for your A2 MEST3 exam, that is on...

Thursday 16th June at 1.30pm

Remember the following:

• If you want to get a good A/B grade you MUST revise - just as much as you would for any other subject. Media is NOT an easy option - just think back to the grade you got in the mock after Easter where you almost certainly didn't revise enough. Will you be happy with that grade?

• There are, admittedly, a lot of exams taking place over the next few weeks but don't leave revision to the last minute. It's far better to revise for the subject DAILY, even if it's only a little bit at a time. All the neuroscience tells us that short term memory is the least effective form we have - it's much better to put the information to your medium/long-term memory by repeatedly going over the content for a longer period of time.

• Do as many timed essays as you can and bring them into school after half term. They will get marked and you'll receive vital face-to-face feedback. There is no substitute for practising under test conditions.

• Use the Revision Checklist to work your way through all the resources posted up here that you should be using. We've tried to make it as simple as we can, but now it all comes down to YOU. Are you going to put in the effort required and get on with your work independently?

The 6 Part Active Revision Cycle

This is the most productive approach to revising...

STEP 1 Read your notes/text book/online resources carefully

STEP 2 Reduce/summarise the information (e.g. draw a mind map, write key words on A5 card, write a table, draw a diagram)

STEP 3 Learn/memorise the reduced information - using rhymes, acronyms, etc.

STEP 4 Do an exam question under timed conditions

STEP 5 Review what you have done

STEP 6 Traffic light topics (red - don't know it; amber - know it a bit; green - know it well)

Revision Classes

Finally, don't forget to attend at the following times, remembering to bring all your notes (that should have been organised carefully in your media revision folders!) and any timed essays you've done...

Monday 13th June p3, p4, p5, p6 (10.50am-3.30pm)

Thursday 16th June p1, p2, p3, p4 (8.50am-12.30pm)

Remember, you've produced outstanding coursework and your grades last year were brilliant. This is the final hurdle (a big one as it's worth 25% of the last two years) so make sure you do your very best!!

Revision Checklist

Use this checklist to organise your Media revision: there is more than enough here to help you get a top grade...

Mainly for Section A

• Revision Express Textbook

• AQA A2 Textbook

• Media A-Z Glossary

• Theory Quotes

• Theories, Issues & Debates Summaries

Mainly for Section B

• Case Study Booklets/Questions

• Case Studies: New Articles

• New & Digital Media Lessons

• New Media Revision Links

• Wonders of Web 2.0

• Representation of Gender Lessons

• Best Critical Investigations 2011

...you may not have time to cover absolutely everything here in detail but make sure you look at every link provided!

Case Studies: New Articles

Keep checking back here every few days as there will be links added to new relevant articles, usually from MediaGuardian, that you can use for your case studies.

Remember, the examiner wants to see fresh information that demonstrates someone who's actively taking an interest in the media so read/make notes on at least one new article/day...

New/Digital Media

Will the iPad tablet really be the cure for newspapers' ills?: Murdoch backed the Daily on iPad with $30m, but no one knows how this page-turner will end.

How Facebook affects you and your relationships: Frequent Facebook users are hurting their self-esteem.

Google: a tiger we mustn't feed: As Google's claws bite ever deeper, its dominance of the web should be challenged.

It's fight or flight for Twitter: Thousands have flocked to the social networking site recently but can it capitalise on its growing popularity?

Representation

How chavs have replaced working class people on Britain's TV: The Only Way is Essex is must-see television, but this mixture of reality show and scripted situations gives a one-sided view of Britain's chavland.

Cadbury apologises to Naomi Campbell over 'racist' ad: Supermodel said she was 'shocked' by campaign comparing her to a Dairy Milk Bliss bar.

Music videos face crackdown over sexualised content: Government report into sexualisation of childhood set to propose tougher regulations on retail, advertising and video industry.

Rihanna and the rise of raunch pop: The R&B star's S&M video offers an extreme portrayal of a particular vision of female sexuality that permeates pop.

Wonders of Web 2.0

Entertaining video produced by Jason for his Extended Project.

Use it to revise some of the key debates about New/Digital Media...

Theory Quotes

You'll remember that earlier this year you all contributed to a shared document online where you submitted media theory quotes you'd found when starting your case study research.

Here is a list of some of the best of them...

Theory Quotes

They will help to clarify some key Media Studies concepts...

hegemony, Marxism, cultural imperialism, globalisation, liberal pluralism, web 2.0

...and you should try to memorise a few, thinking about how you could include at least one of them in each of the Section B essay questions (although they are just as useful for Section A too).

Case Study Booklets/Questions

A big part of your revision will be going back over your Case Studies for New/Digital Media and Representation (as well as revising those we covered in class: about The Impact of New/Digital Media on the News; and Representations of Gender).

If you lost your booklets, you can get them here...

New/Digital Media Case Study Booklet

Representations of Gender Case Study Booklet

Make sure you refine your research - adding to it over the final few weeks with up-to-the-minute info from sources like MediaGuardian, and the new articles that will be posted up here.

Also, use the following advice/suggestions so you know precisely what kind of information you need to have researched (you should try to combine several of the topics listed to make sure you've covered a wide enough range)...

Impact of New Media Case Study Prompts

You should be able to answer all the typical questions for Section B in the exam...

New/Digital Media

• “Digital media have, in many ways, changed how we consume media products.” Who do you think benefits most – audiences or producers?

• “Media institutions are right to feel threatened by new/digital media.” Consider this statement and show how media institutions are reacting to technological developments.

• The development of new/digital media means the audience is more powerful in terms of consumption and production. Discuss the arguments for and against this view.

• “The new generation of UK media power players are going stratight to their audience via the web” www.mediaguardian.co.uk Monday July 14 2008. How have media institutions responded to the opportunities offered by new/digital media?

• Developments in new/digital media mean that audiences can now have access to a greater variety of views and values. To what extent are audiences empowered by these developments?

• Why and with what success are traditional media institutions adapting to the challenge posed by new/digital media?

Representation

• Critics have accused the mainstream media of tokenism and stereotyping by creating extreme and exaggerated representations. To what extent is this true for the group or place you have studied?

• Media representations rarely challenge the dominant values of society nor do they give a voice to those with little power. To what extent is this true for the group or place you have studied? Why?

• It has been said that media representations often reflect the social and political concerns of the age in which they are created. Discuss.

• Media representations favour those with power at the expense of those without. To what extent do you think this statement is true?

• 1Xtra, MTV Base and Zee TV are all hugely popular. But whenever I watch these channels, all I see is a ghetto… Nobody wants to be in the ghetto, OK? We all want to live in the mainstream.” (Lenny Henry in a speech to the Royal Television Society, Guardian News and Media Ltd, 2008)

• Why would the group or place you have studied want to be represented in the mainstream media?

• A dominant representation is one which is repeated across the media over time and so are the values that it carries. Discuss.

You should have detailed plans for each of these essays and have practised as many as possible under timed conditions (ONE HOUR for each).

Best Critical Investigations 2011

Here are the very best Critical Investigations from this year - all worthy grade A essays. Well done for producing excellent work!

They contain a wealth of research that is directly relevant for the MEST 3 exam, particularly those on New/Digital Media and Representation (the two Section B topics that need to be revised). Try to read/make notes on as many as possible in preparation, at the very least identifying a few quotes/ideas from each one that you think could be useful...

NEW/DIGITAL MEDIA

How and why is violence so prevalent in modern videogames, and should audiences be better protected from it through censorship? (Kalbir)

How and why does graphic violence within video games such as ‘Call of Duty’ attract a teenage demographic? (Bilal)

Why are video games such as 'Call of Duty:Modern Warfare 2' and 'Grand Theft Auto IV' becoming more violent? How is this a concern? (Parminder)

REPRESENTATION

Despite the success of 'Slumdog Millionaire' why is it that there is still a lack of South Asian actors in Hollywood? (Ranjot)

How does the R&B genre construct certain gender ideologies around artists such as Ne-Yo and Rihanna? Why might these ideologies be considered post-feminist? (Mariam)

How and why does the horror/thriller genre exaggerate the mentally ill in films such as ‘Shutter Island’ and ‘The Uninvited’? (Megan)

GENRE/AUDIENCE

How effective is aspirational advertising such as ‘Paco Rabanne: 1 Million’ and perfume advertising in general, in influencing male consumer lifestyles, and why is this the case? (Sonia)

How are reality TV documentaries, such as 'Wife Swap' and 'Supernanny' constructed? Why is this genre so popular? (Bianca)

Why is celebrity culture abundant in reality TV shows such as 'MTV Cribs' and how does the ideology presented affect the audience? (Raheam)

Media A-Z Glossary

You've all got copies of this, but make sure you're re-reading it during your revision.

The more media terminology you include in the exam (all the terms covered in this book) the more marks you will get, so keep testing/re-testing yourself on what's in here...

Media A-Z Glossary

And here is a checklist of the media Issues/Debates and Theories that the specification lists as you needing to know...

Issues/Debates

• Representation and stereotyping
• Media effects
• Reality TV
• News Values
• Moral Panics
• Post 9/11 and the media
• Ownership and control
• Regulation and censorship
• Media technology and the digital revolution – changing technologies in the 21st century
• The effect of globalisation on the media

Theories

• Semiotics
• Structuralism and post-structuralism
• Postmodernism and its critiques
• Gender and ethnicity
• Marxism and hegemony
• Liberal Pluralism
• Colonialism and Post-colonialism
• Audience theories
• Genre theories

...make sure you have some keywords/theorists for each one that you can apply to whichever texts appear in Section A, or in response to typical Section B questions.

Theories, Issues & Debates Summaries

Easy to revise from - some of the key ideas/theorists you need to know...

Theories Issues and Debates Handout A2

Revision Express Textbook

You received copies of this to carry out your Easter pre-mock revision. We advised you to learn all the key terms (in bold) and have a go at the exam questions at the end of each section (these are good for practice although NOT the typical ones you'll get in the exam; see the list of Section B questions for that).

This download covers most of the key issues & debates that you MUST be able to apply to the Section A texts you have to analyse/compare in the exam...

Advertising, Advertising & Marketing, Audience Profiling, Cult of the Celebrity, Effects Theory, Globalisation, Marxism, Media Ownership, Narrative Theory, News Values, Pluralism, Postmodernism, Reception Theory, Uses & Gratifications

...Revision Express Textbook

AQA A2 Textbook

Read and make notes on this text book, written by the exam board - great for revising...

Contents

1. Critical Perspectives

2. Media Theories

3. Approaching Texts Critically

4. Approaching Topics Critically

New Media Revision Links

From MediaEdu...

A2 AQA MEST3 Revision New and Digital Media Example Question

The Impact of Digital Media Revision

We Media, Democracy and Convergence

From MediaMagazine...

The Rise and Rise of UGC

Others...

Newspapers - The Effect of Online Technology

(Where prompted, use the login details you were emailed earlier in the year to access the site).