Unit 3 Key Theories

A helpful resource, divided into three sections...

1. Critical Debates/Key Concepts
Includes globalisation, Marxism/hegemony, pluralism, audience theories (Blumler & Katz, cultivation, desensitisation), Barthes, etc. Don't try to learn any new theories now though - just make sure you really know those that we've covered in lessons.

2. Representation

3. New and Digital Media

Unit 3 Key Theories

Section A: Q2/3

Section A, Q2/3 will ask you to link the texts to issues/debates relating to NDM and Identities as well as expecting you to refer to other examples you can think of that are relevant.

This is where you should draw upon your weekly NDM stories that you've posted/analysed on your blog - you should have about 70 stories in your NDM index as well as the examples you came up with for the recent MEST 3, Section A Revision Task.

Make sure you have pre-prepared ideas/plans about how you would approach these possible questions...

• Section A, Q2/3 (NDM)
• Section A, Q2/3 (Identities)

Year 13 MEST1 re-sit details

The MEST1 exam is fast approaching for any students re-sitting the exam this month.

You obviously need to be revising all the content from Year 12 but we've also arranged the following compulsory sessions to support you in the exam:

Monday 9 May
MEST1 Revision session - 3.15pm DF07

Wednesday 11 May
MEST1 Mock exam - 3.15pm Lecture Theatre (2 hours)

Monday 16 May
MEST1 Revision session - 3.15pm DF07

Thursday 19 May
MEST1 exam (AM)

If you look back over your and our blog you'll see a huge amount of work to help your revision. You should also go into this exam extremely confident as you can use ALL the media issues, debates and theories from Year 13 to maximise your grade.

The main thing you absolutely HAVE to revise in detail is your Section B case study work from last year. That means Ill Manors and the British film industry, A Field In England and your own independent case study.

Good luck!

MEST3 Section A: revision task

The key to top performance in Section A of the MEST3 exam is a wide variety of examples from across the media.

Although Q1 will always test your textual analysis skills with the media texts in the exam, Q2 and Q3 increasingly focus on wider issues and debates in the media. These will be related to the two Year 13 exam topics: Identities and the Media and New/Digital Media.

You need a wide selection of examples for BOTH these topics that you can call upon depending on the nature of the questions on the day. Assuming you need four well developed paragraphs at the very least for these 12-mark questions, you’ll therefore be needing an absolute minimum of three of these wider examples for each question.

Section A revision task

You need to look over your blog work, class notes and collection of NDM stories from the whole of Year 13 in order to put together a list of examples for Q2 and Q3 in Section A.

Task 1: List 10 stories/debates/examples that you could use for the Identities and the Media question. 

E.g. fourth wave of feminism (#everydaysexism); gender identity issues (e.g. Caitlyn Jenner; Chelsea Manning, North Carolina LGBT law etc.) If you’re not confident enough to use all 10 in an exam situation then research, revise and create notes/revision cards until your knowledge is sufficient.

Task 2: List 10 stories/debates/examples that you could use for the New/Digital Media question.

Here, there’s no question you’ll have enough examples (your two NDM case studies are perfectly acceptable here) so it’s more about quality. Choose your 10 strongest examples to prepare for exam use – e.g. Citizen journalism and the #blacklivesmatter campaign against US police brutality; social media impact on TV news and newspapers (e.g. Paris attacks); streaming services and changes in the music industry (Tidal Twitter promotion) etc. Again, if you’re not confident enough to use all 10 in an exam situation then research, revise and create notes/revision cards until your knowledge is sufficient.

If you complete all 10 on your blog, create revision cards for each example with the key details, statistics and quotes. 

If you don’t complete 10 examples for each topic on your blog, you MUST finish for homework as part of your ongoing MEST3 revision.

NDM: MEST3 bonus revision materials

You should now be getting into some serious revision for your upcoming MEST3 exam. 

Your knowledge of wider media issues and debates will be a key factor in your final mark so you need to reading up on everything in the contemporary media landscape. Use our Twitter account for up-to-the-minute story links as normal but also have a look at the brilliant revision material below...

How Social Media Can Make History - Clay Shirky TED talk



Dan Gillmor: The Future of Journalism




Mass Amateurisation

This Wikipedia entry on Mass Amateurisation (another term for discussing how digital media has empowered audiences) is a great revision tool.


Media Magazine

We have a great list of Media Magazine articles that will give you the variety of perspectives that A grade students offer. Our Media Magazine archive is here - look at the below articles on new/digital media, news, democracy and more topics and examples that link to our studies this year. Read anything and everything you can!

MM34
Have Your Say: How is Internet Commenting Changing the News Media?

MM35
Pain, Privacy and the Press Pack: the Ethics of News Media Culture

MM36
Comments Please: Who comments on news sites, why, and in whose interests?

Tweeting Together: Nick Lacey evaluates the role of social networks in activism and protest against the status quo.

MM39
Participation Debates: The Media And Democracy

Social Networking and Citizen Journalism: Participating in The Arab Spring

Hashtag TV: Twitter and television

Reporting From The Graveyard Shift: BBC News and the death of Osama Bin Laden

Web 2.0: Participation or Hegemony

MM42
Got Issues with That? How do some events, ideas or behaviours come to be regarded as social issues, or indeed as social problems?

Kony 2012 – Power, Politics and the #Generation

Black Mirror – The Reflection in the Screen Charlie Brooker’s larger-than life satire dramatises some of the recurrent debates about 21st-century media culture in an online age: celebrity, surveillance, privacy, regulation and the dangers and democratic potential of technology.

MM43
The Rise and Rise of the Independent Journalist

MM47
Representations of War in TV News: a Representational Case Study

MM51
Your Country Needs You! What role did the media play in the battle for hearts and minds in perhaps the most important vote in a generation – last September’s Scottish independence referendum?

Westgate – One Year On. How is a world news story configured differently in different places? Expat Maggie Miranda compares her personal experience with local and international news coverage of a terrorist attack that shook the world. 

MM52
A MediaMag Interview With Owen Jones. The Guardian columnist and left-wing activist explains his passion for politics, why he got involved in the media, and how he communicates complicated ideas to a mass audience.

Somebody’s Watching You... Social Media And Surveillance. Facebook surveillance, privacy settings, data mining, and mobile monitoring. Nick Lacey issues a thought-provoking warning.

MM53
The Art of Protest: Pussy Riot What happens when radical politics meets the capitalist establishment? Mark Ramey reflects on the story of the punkprotest group Pussy Riot and its implications for democracy.

The Press and the Prime Minister: Was It the Spindoctors Wot Won It? What can we learn about the media and democracy from the experience of the 2015 General Election? Nick Lacey evaluates the role of the national press in determining the majority outcome of the 2015 General Election.

MM55
What Has the Internet Ever Done for Me? Bill Thompson, journalist, technology guru, and BBC Click contributor summarises his thought-provoking keynote presentation to the 2015 Media Magazine Student Conference.

Media, Publics, Protest and Power. Natalie Fenton, Professor at Goldsmiths College, University of London, considers what the internet has done for the news media, freedom of information, and democracy. 

Additional perspectives on the impact of new/digital media

YouTube contains some great video content that highlights the impact that new/digital media can have on globalisation, citizen journalism and the news agenda. Here are a few examples just to get you started...

AJ+ YouTube channel
AJ+ describes itself as "a global news community for the connected generation. We highlight human struggles and achievements, empower impassioned voices, and challenge the status quo. AJ+ doesn't just tell you the news, we want to hear from you!"




You should also be looking at other YouTube-based news channels such as Vice News and more. Here's a fascinating (if shocking) example of a Vice News video on ISIS:



Good luck with your revision - remember, be knowledgeable, be original and show the examiner you are truly a student of the media!

Visiting speaker: Journalism professor

We are very lucky to have a Dr Sumaya Alnahed, a lecturer in journalism at the University of West London, visiting us to give a lecture on the impact of new and digital media on the news industry. 

The talk will take place on Wednesday in the Lecture Theatre during periods 3&4.

The impact of new and digital media on news is the Year 13 exam topic so this is essential viewing for all A Level Media students.

The talk will focus mainly on the changing nature of news as a result of new technology and social media. Dr Alnahed is the course leader for the BA (Hons) Broadcast Journalism degree at UWL and her doctoral research compared the news agendas of Al Jazeera and the BBC. Some of her other research interests include the influence of geopolitics on news production, the political economy of news media and Arab media.

This is a brilliant opportunity to hear a university-level lecture just weeks before your final exams. It is open to all A Level students so do encourage Economics, Politics and Business students who are free to join us in the Lecture Theatre.

Make sure you are there!

Coursework deadline: Friday 15 April

Your A Level Media coursework deadline is Friday 15 April.

You need to submit the following before you leave:

• A completed candidate record form to send to the exam board
• A printed copy of your Critical Investigation, fully referenced with footnotes and including a complete bibliography. It must be 1.5 line spaced with your name in the header.
• An electronic copy of your Critical Investigation submitted to Mr Qureshi as a Word document.
• A further electronic copy of your Critical Investigation posted to your blog.
• An exported video file of your Linked Production submitted to Mr Qureshi electronically

You will have any Media lesson time on Friday to submit this work or can attend Media at lunchtime, after school or during free periods.

IMPORTANT: Do NOT miss lessons in any other subject in order to work in Media. This will never be requested or sanctioned by the Media department.

Good luck - there is an impressive standard across both classes already and this could be the best set of grades yet!

A Level Easter sessions confirmed

We now have confirmed dates for BOTH A Level Media Easter coursework sessions.

The sessions will take place on:

Thursday 31 March 9am-3pm - Mr Bush
Friday 1 April 9am-3pm - Mr Qureshi

Mr Qureshi and Mr Bush have VERY kindly agreed to open up the Media department on those days between 9am and 3pm. Media computers and equipment will be available but if you want feedback and an idea of what grade you're working at on the Friday you will need to email your coursework teacher or speak to Mr Bush when he is there. Mr Qureshi will be on hand for advice and guidance but will be running the session single-handedly so please bear with him.

I won't be running any sessions this Easter because baby Halsey is due on 31 March so I'll be very much needed at home!

Good luck with the coursework and keep working to those phenomenal professional standards we know you are capable of!

MEST 4 coursework deadline

Your MEST4 coursework deadline is Friday 15 April.

You need to submit the following:

• Printed copy of your final Critical Investigation, 1.5 line spaced and fully referenced with footnotes and bibliography.
• A copy of your final Critical Investigation posted to your blog. This can be using a link to a Google drive document.
• An exported video file of your Linked Production submitted to Mr Qureshi via the Media Shared drive.

You will have your double lesson on Wednesday 13 April to make any final changes or improvements and get last-minute feedback from your coursework teacher.

Good luck with the coursework and keep working to those phenomenal professional standards we know you are capable of!

Post-16 Easter sessions

We have managed to arrange TWO A Level Media coursework sessions during the Easter holidays.

Mr Qureshi and Mr Bush have VERY kindly agreed to open up the Media department on Friday 1 April between 9am and 3pm. Media computers and equipment will be available but if you want feedback and an idea of what grade you're working at on the Friday you will need to email your coursework teacher. Mr Qureshi will be on hand for advice and guidance but will be running the session single-handedly so please bear with him.

Those key details again:

A Level Media coursework
Thursday 31 March 9am-3pm - Mr Bush
Friday 1 April 9am-3pm - Mr Qureshi

I won't be running any sessions this Easter because baby Halsey is due on 31 March so I'll be very much needed at home!

Good luck with the coursework and keep working to those phenomenal professional standards we know you are capable of.

Independent NDM case study: Final tasks

These are your last lessons on your NDM independent case study - anything unfinished needs to be completed over Easter.

This case study will make up at least two crucial paragraphs in your MEST3 Section B essay on New and Digital Media. Make sure you complete the following:

1) Make sure you have answered every question in the original NDM case study blogpost in full.

2) Create a 20-slide, five minute Ignite presentation in which you teach the rest of the class about your chosen case study. Fill it with useful information that other students could use in Section A of the MEST3 exam - statistics, the decline of traditional industries, particular texts, artists or institutions etc.

3) Set your presentation to 15-second auto-advance and rehearse the delivery prior to presenting to class after Easter.

Final deadline for NDM case study and presentation delivery date: Monday 18 April

MEST3 mock exam - Learner Response

You've now completed a full MEST3 mock exam - vital preparation for the real thing in June.

The most important aspect of any mock exam is making mistakes and learning from them. You need to closely analyse your performance across each question and identify specific ways you will improve for the MEST3 exam in the summer. Complete the following learner response tasks:

1) Type up your feedback in full (you do not need to write mark/grade if you do not wish to).

2) Read through the mark scheme. Pay particular attention to page 9 that has suggested content for each of the questions in Section A. How many of these potential points did you make? Did you successfully answer the questions?

3) Now look at page 15 of the mark scheme. How many of the broad areas suggested by AQA did you cover in your Section B essay? Did you successfully answer the question?

4) Read the Examiner's Report in full. For each question, would you classify your response as one of the stronger answers or one of the weaker answers the Chief Examiner discusses? Why? What could you do differently next time? Write a reflection for EACH question in the paper.

5) Choose your weakest question in Section A and re-write an answer in full based on the suggested content from the Examiner's Report. This answer needs to be comprehensive and meet the criteria for Level 4 of the mark scheme. This will be somewhere between 3-6 well-developed paragraphs (depending on the number of marks).

Work on this during the lesson you are given your paper back but you will need to complete for homework.

Mr Halsey ill - cover work Monday 14 March

Apologies - I've completely lost my voice so won't be in school on Monday.

The work is all on the blog - you need to aware of two key aspects:

1) Continue your independent new and digital media case study. The latest task is here and your next deadline is 3,500 words of research by next Monday.

2) Make sure you attend the guest speaker from Facebook on Wednesday morning - all details here and this is essential viewing for all Year 13 Media students.

I'll be on email today if you have any questions and will see you in the lecture theatre on Wednesday P2.

Thanks,

Mr Halsey

Facebook guest speaker: Wednesday 16 March

On Wednesday 16 March at 9.25am a guest speaker from Facebook is visiting Greenford.

Rishi Saha is the Head of Public Policy for Facebook in the UK having previously led digital communications at 10 Downing Street and the Cabinet Office, with responsibility for online outreach and citizen engagement on behalf of the Prime Minister. His full Speakers for Schools profile is here.

Rishi will be a brilliant person to quiz on the impact of new and digital media on British society from government to social networking.

This is essential viewing for all A Level Media students so make sure you are in the Lecture Theatre by 9.25am on Wednesday. Year 13s should also prepare questions on their new and digital media exam topic. 

Independent NDM case study: Up-to-the-minute web research

The third research task for your New/Digital Media independent case study is find recent online articles about your institution and industry that give you up-to-the-minute examples, statistics and quotes.

The very nature of new and digital media means the landscape is constantly changing and examiners love seeing examples from the days and weeks leading up to the exam. 

You may want to look back at your index of NDM stories you have been collecting weekly since September - this is when finding great articles all year really pays off. Other good sources are the usual newspaper media/tech pages...

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

...but don't stick exclusively to these. Find your own too - there may be blogs, magazines such as the Economist, industry-specific sites and more. 

We've also been linking stories from our Twitter account all year - @blogmacguffin - so make sure you're following that and look back at what we've posted over the last couple of months too.

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 are working on 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 next deadline is 3,500 words on your NDM case study blog post by Monday 21 March.

Independent NDM case study: Media Factsheet research

The second research task for your New/Digital Media independent case study is to use our new archive of A Level Media factsheets.

This is a brilliant new resource with 140+ A Level-standard factsheets on a huge variety of Media topics. There will almost certainly be a factsheet in the archive on your chosen industry or institution - and there may be several. A few examples include:

050 We Media
067 Lady Gaga and the digital music industry
083 The impact of new media on TV
104 Audiences in the digital age
112 Netflix
113 TV and social media
114 Online privacy: Google
122 The changing face of the music industry

You'll find the archive on the Media Shared drive:

M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets

Make sure you read the relevant factsheets 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 next deadline is 2,500 words on your NDM case study blog post by Monday 14 March.

Year 13 exam topic revision

A reminder that your full MEST3 PPE is Friday 4 March at 1pm.

I've had a few requests for the PowerPoint slides from lessons earlier in the year. Hopefully the following will be useful:

New and Digital Media - News case study 

Identities and the Media 2016

Good luck with the revision!

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.