Top critical investigations 2017

These were some of the A and A* critical investigations from 2017.

To what extent are rap/hip-hop music videos, like Kendrick Lamar's "Alright," able to provide political/social commentary and how does this impact upon different audiences?

How and why is TV and film drama such as 'Game of Thrones' reinforcing and subverting gender stereotypes of women?

Do TV Crime Dramas Like ‘Breaking Bad’ Generate Moral Panics And Negatively Contribute To Social Issues Through The Impact They Have On Audiences?

To what extent are women objectified in music videos such as 'Work' by Rihanna ft.Drake?

How far does Beyoncé’s visual album Lemonade promote the views and values of Black feminism?

To what extent is hip-hop instrumental in allowing for social commentary on the issue of police brutality? 

The representation of women in the fashion industry - powerful women or not?

To what extent did the media coverage of the EU referendum affect the engagement of young people in politics?

(You can also check out some of the finished grade A/A* essays from 2016, and the top essays from 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012 too).

Ignite presentations: Learner response

There have been some excellent Ignite presentations on a wide variety of topics - it really is a highlight of the year to see such engagement and expertise on such contrasting texts. 

Hopefully the Q&A sessions following the presentations have highlighted media issues and debates that your critical investigations will address and develop.

Your learner response is as follows and will take some time to do properly:

Create a new blogpost called 'Ignite presentation learner response'

1) Type up your feedback in full including the ratings out of five for each category. 

2) Use this feedback and your own feelings regarding your presentation to self-assess and write a detailed WWW and EBI for your own research and presentation as a whole.

3) Write a paragraph discussing how your presentation will lead into your critical investigation. Some of this may refer to your feedback (a greater focus on media debates, for example) or in rare cases you may want to change the focus of your investigation entirely.

You also need to ensure that ALL your research from over the summer is posted to your MEST4 coursework blog.

If you continue this process at home, ensure it is completed by your next double lesson.

NDM Baseline assessment: Learner response

Well done on completing your new/digital media baseline assessment - it's an important first step towards success in the A2 MEST3 exam next June.

The first part of your learner response is to look carefully at your mark, grade and comments from your teacher. Next, read the Examiner's Report from this exam and look particularly at the comments on Section B and the question you've answered on audience empowerment.

Your learner response is as follows:

Create a new blog post called 'NDM baseline assessment learner response' and complete the following tasks:

1) Look over your essay, read it back in full and examine any feedback given. Read the A 
grade exemplar essay from a past A* student. What does the A grade essay do well that you need to improve on?

2) Read the Examiners' Report for this exam as outlined above and write three bullet points that summarise the key comments that apply to your essay.

3) Type up your feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential)

4) Write a new, detailed paragraph to add to your essay that addresses one of the LRs/EBIs specified in your feedback. This may be the other side of the argument (the idea that audiences are not empowered) or perhaps a new or improved example from the wider media. Make sure this is an extremely well-developed paragraph of several hundred words, encompassing media issues, debates, examples and theories wherever possible.

If you do not finish it in the lesson your work is returned, this needs to be completed at home by your next exam lesson.

Mr Halsey 13D cover work: Wednesday 20 September

Apologies - I'm out on an A Level Media course on Wednesday.

The lessons will still take place in Media as normal but the work is all on the blog. Make sure you are registered and then work through the following:

1) If you haven't yet given your Ignite presentation to class, make sure it is complete and well-rehearsed. We will finish these presentations next week.

2) As well as delivering the presentation, you need a completed research blogpost answering all the questions from the MEST4 summer project.

3) If your research is complete and posted, you next need to think about how you can develop it into a critical investigation. Write an essay question for your text and topic along with a paragraph outlining the case you will be arguing in your investigation. 

For example: Text - GTA5. Topic: violence in videogames. Argument: that videogames do NOT cause violence and the media is unfairly blamed for copycat violence. Here's a list of last year's critical investigation titles to give you an idea of what we're looking for.

Good luck!

NDM case study: How has news changed?

Remember our key question from the lesson: How has news changed in the last 20 years?

In the lesson, we debated whether the changes in the last 20 years are more significant than the developments of the last 200 years. It's a big question with no right answer - but we can conduct high-quality research to give us the knowledge to form an educated opinion. Remember, this is what gives you the critical autonomy to reach the top grades!

Blog task: Ofcom report into news consumption 2016

1) Read this Ofcom 2016 report on the consumption of news in the UK. Note down the key statistics and changes that Ofcom document.

2) What are the most popular platforms for audiences to access news and how has this changed in recent years?

3) How do different age demographics access news in the UK?

4) What percentage of 16-24 year olds use the internet to access their news?

5) Does socio-economic status change attitudes to news? If so, how?

6) How many different sources of news are used on average? How does differ between different groups?

7) How has news consumption through television changed in recent years?

8) How much has newspaper circulation declined since 2010? Why do you think this is?

9) Which are the most popular newspapers and websites in the UK? What do you know about those newspapers' political viewpoints?

10) How does online news consumption differ for age, gender and socio-economic status?

11) What percentage of people use social media to access news? How does this differ by age and socio-economic status?

12) What percentage of users only use social media sites for their news?

13) What are the most popular online sites for news?

14) What percentage of 16-24 year olds access news mostly from social media?

15) How do audiences find stories online? Do you follow links or go to the homepage of the news provider?

New/digital media: audience and institution

16) What are the benefits for audiences from the changes new and digital media have had on the news industry?

17) What are the benefits for institutions from the changes new and digital media have had on the news industry?

18) What are the downsides for audiences as a result of new and digital media in news?

19) What are the downsides for institutions as a result of new and digital media in news?

20) Who has benefited most from the changes new and digital media have had on the news industry - audiences or institutions?

Write a mini-essay answering this final question, making sure you use statistics that you have researched from the Ofcom report.

To help you, use this set of points for a very similar question (although not specifically about news) - you'll need to log in to the Media Edu website to access it. Username: greenford; Password: greenfordedu

Complete for homework if you don't get it finished in the lesson: due next week.

NDM: The changing face of news media

In order to write independently and incisively about the impact of new and digital media on the news industry, you need to become an expert on the relevant institutions and how they have changed.

Complete the following tasks on your blog to develop your new/digital case study on news:

Blog task 1: News institutions research

Research the major players in terms of UK news providers and make notes in a detailed blog post. List companies, publications/ channels/programmes, owners, statistics and anything else you find relevant.

You must include all three platforms (print, broadcast, e-media) and both commercial and non-commercial institutions (e.g ITN/BBC). 

Make sure you include at least FIVE different institutions across the three platforms. You may wish to use bullet points to cover the key information about each institution.


Blog task 2: The impact of Google

Read this article looking at the impact Google has had on the traditional newspaper business.

Answer the following questions:

1) Why has Google led to the decline of the newspaper industry?

2) Find a statistic from the article that illustrates the decline of traditional news media.

3) Looking at the graph featured in the article, what period has seen the steepest decline in newspaper advertising revenue? 

4) Do you personally think Google is to blame for newspapers closing and journalists losing their jobs? Why?

5) Read the comments below the article. Pick one comment you agree with and one you disagree with and explain your response to the comments in detail.

Finish for homework if you don't complete it in the lesson - due next week.

Creative mentoring: application details

It was great to see so many of you at the Creative Mentoring meeting on Thursday.

We've been involved in a few similar schemes over the years but this really does look the best I've seen by some distance. It's an incredible opportunity and could be life-changing in terms of a career in the creative industries or securing a university place.

As discussed in the original meeting, only apply if you are completely committed to attending every single session, meeting, event and completing every task. These kinds of opportunities are very rare and it is vital they are not wasted on a student who lacks the commitment to make the journey into central London every week or two.

The online application form can be found here. However, before you apply, take some time to think carefully about the questions on the application form as your answers will determine whether you get through to a phone interview:

1. Why would you like a mentor? (50 words)
2. What do you like and why do you like it? Choose anything, a film, a YouTuber, a place, a piece of art, anything! (50 words)
3. What are you proud of and why are you proud of it? A responsibility, a piece of work, a club you're a part of, an award, anything (50 words)
4. Are there any particular skills you would like to develop? (20 words)

The word counts are deliberately very low to ensure you don't waste a single word in your application. Accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar is crucial and you really need to make sure you stand out ahead of students across London. That means thinking, planning and re-writing until you are absolutely happy with it.

Finally, remember Isabel's advice to apply for as many sectors as possible as this will increase your chance of getting on the programme. 

The deadline is Friday 22 September - don't miss it!

Good luck and do take advantage of this incredible opportunity! 

Year 13: Weekly New/Digital Media homework

In Year 13, you have an ongoing homework EVERY week of the year without fail: to find, read and post TWO New/Digital Media news stories on your blog.

We recommend putting this homework into your timetable so you have a regular slot you complete it every week.

The details: every week you must find, read, summarise and comment upon two stories about New and Digital Media (A*-B candidates will do more). The best sources to begin with are...

The Guardian: Digital Media 
The Guardian: Technology
The Guardian: Newspapers
The Independent: Media News
The Telegraph: Digital Media News

...but don't stick exclusively to these throughout the year. Find your own too - magazines like the Economist have some excellent articles and you may find interesting blogs or media sources elsewhere too.

You'll also find stories linked from our Twitter account, @blogmacguffin (access it online here if you don't have the Twitter app) so make sure you're following that.

Most importantly, you need to do the following on your blog for each story...

• Provide the title and weblink;
• Include a relevant image or graphic;
• Summarise the story in your own words;
• Produce a list of bullet points of any key data/statistical information;
• Comment on the story: What's your view? (At least one paragraph).

You'll be presenting these to the class each week (we'll randomly select a student and you'll be expected to present from memory, so make sure you come prepared) and this will ensure you build up an archive of up-to-date examples to include in any exam answer. Indeed, by the end of the year, you'll have over 50 stories to call upon in the exam when you need to provide examples from the wider media.

What does this look like? Check out this blog post from one of our previous Media students - this gives you an idea of what a valuable resource these stories quickly become.

Due: EVERY week - no excuses. Exact day set by your exam class teacher.

Year 13 New/Digital Media baseline assessment

Your baseline assessment in New and Digital Media will be in the week commencing Monday 11 September. 

We're being generous and giving you the question in advance:

• 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?

Plan/revise your answer for this question (using the PowerPoint from last term, and your own research) for a one hour timed essay.

• Here's the Mark Scheme for the question (June 2010).

• Here's a C grade model answer.

It's marked out of 48 and the grade boundaries are as follows...

• A*: 44
• A: 39
• B: 33
• C: 27
• D: 21
• E: 15

Important note: If you do not reach your A2 minimum target grade (always much lower than we're aiming in A2 Media) then you will re-sit this assessment after school.

Welcome back!

Welcome back to our brilliant A Level Media students - it's great to see some familiar faces and excellent AS results! 

Our AS results give us a great chance of converting those into superb A Level grades that could get you into a great university for next year. Last year Media A Level at Greenford was given an ALPS judgement of 1 - this means we are in the top 1% of Media departments in the UK! Our A2 Level results were:

85% A*-B
100% A-E

FOUR phenomenal students - Sabrina, Amrit, Ladan and Laura - achieved A* grades last year. That's incredible when you consider only 1.8% of all A Level Media students manage to reach A*! The bar has been set - that's what you need to aim for this year!

You've got a lot of hard work ahead of you but with commitment, creativity and engagement with the Media you WILL be successful!