Independent NDM case study: Media Magazine research

The first research task for your New/Digital Media independent case study is to use the Media Magazine archive.

This is an invaluable resource that you have already used for your critical investigations. Now, you need to return to the archive to find any relevant articles on your chosen industry and institution.

Use our Media Magazine archive but particularly the Word document with the contents page for each issue. Bear in mind there have been some particularly good articles in recent issues released since you did your critical investigation research. Make sure you read the articles in full - as well as making notes and highlighting key quotes and statistics.

The original case study structure and task list is here - use this as a guide for your research but don't be constricted by it. Whatever relevant information you can find is going to be useful. Ultimately, you will end up with a blog post similar to your critical investigation Notes and Quotes document - and the quality and depth of this blog post will largely determine your final MEST3 exam grade.

Your initial deadline is 1,500 words on your NDM case study blog post by Monday 7 March.

Linked Production: rough cut deadline

A reminder that your rough cut deadline for the MEST4 Linked Production is Wednesday 9 March.

In the meantime, you will have your final Critical Investigation tutorial with your teacher in order to identify any remaining areas to improve before submitting your essay to the exam board.

Easter is just 3.5 weeks away - make sure you keep up with the work!

Exam revision: A2 Media March PPE

Your A2 Media mock exam is on Friday 4 March at 1pm.

This will be a complete MEST3 exam paper lasting two hours. The breakdown is as follows:

Section A: 15 minutes to study the material/watch clips and then 45 minutes to answer THREE compulsory questions.

Section B: 60 minutes to answer ONE essay question on New/Digital Media.

You need to revise the following for this exam:

• ALL media theories, concepts and terminology we have studied across Year 12 and Year 13 - these will be required for Section A.
• ALL of your example stories, issues and debates you have been reading and posting each week since September. Again, these will be vital for Section A of the exam (and quite possibly Section B).
• Everything we covered in the Autumn term regarding New/Digital Media and our News case study.
• Anything you have studied so far on your independent New/Digital Media case study.
• Finally, look closely at your MEST3 Section B January assessment - what were the specific aspects you needed to improve? You are looking for significant progress in the upcoming exam - a minimum of 5 marks higher in Section B.

Do the work and make sure you are confident going into this exam - you have learned a HUGE amount about the media over the last 18 months and now have the opportunity to demonstrate that progress.

Good luck!

MEST3 Independent case study: New and Digital Media

You've studied your main New and 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 and 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, music, gaming, social media or something else. 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 or Twitter). 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 29 February.



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.

Critical Investigation: learner response

Hopefully, you have found the peer assessment tasks useful in identifying key aspects to improve for your next draft. 

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.
2. Write what mark/grade you are aiming for in your second draft.
3. Write a numbered list of five things you will do or change for your second draft that will help you get there. Be specific and explain in detail.

Critical Investigation: next deadline

Write the second draft of your Critical Investigation.

This includes any additional research that may be required.

Due: Wednesday 24 February

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.

MEST3 NDM/Identity: updated indexes

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. 

It should include the following:

1) Reading the riots

2) Post-colonialism: Destiny Ekaragwa film analysis

3) Post-colonialism: theory and clip task

4) Feminism: post-feminism article and No More Page 3 research
5) Feminism: Feminist theory and Beyonce video analysis

6) Feminism: waves and feminism and online activism
7) Identity and Film - Media Factsheet task

8) Collective identity and the media

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 half-term we will be returning to New/Digital Media and developing our independent case study.

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 44. 

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 on the first day after half-term.

MEST1 re-sit

If you need to re-sit the MEST1 exam and have NOT signed up and paid to do this please see me urgently.

Due to technical problems in Exams, I don't have a list of those who have paid so if you haven't paid Exams make sure you deal with this BEFORE half-term. You may have to pay double or triple the normal entry fee if you sign up after the deadline.

Mr Halsey

Media and collective identity

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 the key concept of representation as the way groups are portrayed in the media can influence our sense of identity.

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 branding suggests individuality and creative freedom... But in fact it is a massive profit-seeking corporation looking to sell as widely as possible.

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? Think about your 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 identities for ourselves.

Example: Facebook

• How did you choose your profile pic?
• What do you ‘like’?
• What groups have you joined?
• How many friends do you have?

Shared identity online

New technology has also created the opportunity for people to form groups online that represent their shared identity.

Think about the work we have already done on feminism and online activism.

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).

Collective identity: 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(s). Deadline: confirmed by your teacher.

Identities and Film: blog task

The media we choose to watch 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) Read Media Factsheet 142: Identity and Film.

2) 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.

3) Classify your answers into the categories listed  on the Factsheet: Social groups, ideological beliefs, interests etc.

4) Go back to your favourite film (as identified in the lesson). 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?

5) Watch the trailers for the five films highlighted as examples of gay/lesbian representation in mainstream film. How are LGBT identities constructed in the trailers and how are audiences encouraged to respond to these representations?

Complete for homework - due next week.

Identities: Feminism and new/digital media

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: 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?

Case study: Everyday Sexism

Watch this TEDx talk by Everyday Sexism founder Laura Bates:




Class research task

Feminism online: recent examples
In your pair, research one of the following cases - it will be assigned by your teacher. 

1) Ched Evans: petition to prevent convicted rapist playing

2) Caroline Criado-Perez: female presence on banknotes

3) Caitlin Moran: Twitter silence

4) Emma Watson: HeForShe gender equality campaign

5) Emma Barnett: female journalists targeted

Use the links provided AND other sources to ensure you have a balanced view of the example in question. Remember, you need to be able to explore the issue from a variety of perspectives to achieve an A/A* grade.



Complete the following tasks in your pair and prepare to feed back to the class:

1) Summarise this example for the rest of the class in one paragraph

2) What was the initial incident or situation that sparked this example?

3) In your opinion, is this an example of a valid campaign or something of a witchhunt against people who are not doing any serious harm?


Individual blog task

Choose THREE of the examples above, read the linked articles and complete the three tasks above on your MEST3 exam blog for each.

Complete for homework if you don't manage to finish this in lesson time - deadline set by your teacher.