Critical investigation research: Media Magazine and online research

The next step for our critical investigation research is searching the archives of Media Magazine and other online sources.

Media Magazine archive

By now, you should have over 2,000 words in your Notes and Quotes document and will still have a huge amount to read and watch. Today, we’re going to focus on another brilliant resource for our research: the Media Magazine archive.

We have the last 27 issues of Media Magazine in pdf format and also in the archive is a Word document with the contents for each issue. This means it will be easy to go through all 20 issues and identify articles that could help with your topic.

You can also search the Media Magazine website - our exclusive Greenford log-in details are:

Username: greenford
Password: greenfordmm

Once you’ve identified the articles, you can then read and research them to add to your Notes and Quotes document.


Media Edu

Another online resource that contains a large number of case studies and articles on key media issues is mediaedu.

Click on the top right box 'Login' and use our exclusive Greenford Media log-in:

Username: greenford
P/W: greenfordedu

You may need to search for a few different aspects of your topic but you will find some excellent case studies, theories and more on this website.



e-Jump Cut online media journal

Jump Cut is an online contemporary Media journal with an archive dating back 40 years. It is published every year and each issue offers around 50 articles on aspects of film and media, often looking at controversial or niche topics. The current issue is available here and the archive can be found here.

It's definitely worth searching the e-Jump Cut archive for articles on your chosen topic – there are hundreds to choose from. Note, you don't need a log-in for Jump Cut, the material is available for free online.


If you have a problem with any of the links or log-ins then please let me know.

Good luck!

NDM News: The future of journalism

One of the key aspects of our case study is considering the impact new and digital media is having on journalism and the vital role news plays in society.

This builds on our work exploring the impact of technology on newspapers and whether news should be free. You've already completed the blog tasks on paywalls and the decline in the newspaper industry and now we need to explore the important role news reporters play in revealing corruption in politics and society.

We've got some excellent video resources to work with on this topic. Both of our videos refer to the 2016 Best Picture winner at the Oscars - Spotlight. This is director Tom McCarthy's film based on the true story of Boston Globe reporters investigating widespread child abuse in the Catholic Church. We highly recommend you watch this film as part of your ongoing case study work on News.

John Oliver on journalism
British comedian John Oliver presents a show called Last Week Tonight on HBO in America. Back in August he put together a report on the decline of journalism in America and its replacement by 'clickbait' stories rather than real news. Watch it here:



Clay Shirky on news: don’t build a paywall around a public good
Clay Shirky is a professor at New York University and a worldwide expert on digital and social media. He's a vital media theorist for our case study on News and he makes a compelling argument for the role news plays in society. Interestingly, he argues against paywalls - presenting an alternative to David Simon's Build The Wall argument that you have already studied and posted to your blog.

Blog tasks

1) Go to the Nieman Lab webpage (part of Harvard university) and watch the video of Clay Shirky presenting to Harvard students. 

2) Play the clip AND read along with the transcript below to ensure you are following the argument. You need to watch from the beginning to 29.35 (the end of Shirky's presentation).

3) Why does Clay Shirky argue that 'accountability journalism' is so important and what example does he give of this?

4) What does Shirky say about the relationship between newspapers and advertisers? Which websites does he mention as having replaced major revenue-generators for newspapers (e.g. jobs, personal ads etc.)?

5) Shirky talks about the 'unbundling of content'. This means people are reading newspapers in a different way. How does he suggest audiences are consuming news stories in the digital age?

6) Shirky also talks about the power of shareable media. How does he suggest the child abuse scandal with the Catholic Church may have been different if the internet had been widespread in 1992?

7) Why does Shirky argue against paywalls? 

8) What is a 'social good'? In what way is journalism a 'social good'?

9) Shirky says newspapers are in terminal decline. How does he suggest we can replace the important role in society newspapers play? What is the short-term danger to this solution that he describes?

10) Look at the first question and answer regarding institutional power. Give us your own opinion: how important is it that major media brands such as the New York Times or the Guardian continue to stay in business and provide news?

Complete for homework - due date set by your exam teacher.

NDM story index

The two new/digital news stories you are posting each week are vital to show you are building a range of examples for the MEST3 exam in the summer.

NDM story index

For revision purposes, it's important you have quick and easy access to all the stories you have found all year. In order to facilitate this you need to compile an index of ALL of your NDM stories from the last five weeks. This homework was first set on Friday 9 September which means you should have a minimum of 10 stories in your index.

Your index should have the story number (starting with your first story back in September as #1), the headline and a link to your blog post for that story

If you want to see an example, look at this NDM story index from Rabia - who achieved an A* in Media last year. This NDM index from another of our former students is also very good and she went on to get an A grade. Quite simply, you need this level of quality and detail in your story index if you want a top grade this year.

Due: by lunchtime

Critical Investigation: Notes and Quotes

You should by now have an in-depth, completed Critical Investigation Proposal on your blog. 

The next step is to develop a 'Notes and Quotes' document to contain all your research. This document will eventually be many thousands of words and contain all your links, ideas, comments and quotes from everything you read and watch. It is essential that you have a wide collection of research and notes before you write a single word of your actual essay.

Rabia achieved an A* in Media last year and was interviewed for a PiXL video explaining how she researched her critical investigation on masculinity:



What does a great Notes and Quotes document look like? Here is Rabia's 11,000 word masterpiece that she discusses in the video and led to the 48/48 full marks essay. You might also want to have a look at former student Navneet's Notes and Quotes blogpost - and bear in mind she too went on to write an outstanding essay that achieved 47 out of 48 marks.

Your classwork AND homework is to start your Notes and Quotes document and reach at least 2,000 words - due after half-term. 

You may want to do this on Microsoft Word initially but you WILL have to publish everything you've got to your blog at least once a week for the next month.

Fortunately, you already have a template for this document from the last section of your Critical Investigation Proposal. Indeed, you may have already copied everything over into a new blogpost under the heading Research Plan. 

Either way, you now need to create a new blogpost called Notes and Quotes and start watching, reading and writing up any thoughts, ideas, quotes or comments you think of while you research.

You'll need this on your blog - with at least 2,000 words of content - for your first double Media lesson after half-term - good luck!

Newspapers: the effect of online technology

We've read an important handout on the impact new and digital media has had on the newspaper industry and now need to develop our knowledge and understanding further.

If you missed the lesson or want to go over any of the key details the handout is here: Newspapers: The effect of online technology. Make sure you've read and highlighted the text and completed the tasks.

Blog tasks

Based on the handout you've read and the links provided, answer these questions on your blog with detailed, in-depth paragraphs. Remember, critical autonomy means forming your own opinions on these issues.

1) Do you agree with James Murdoch that the BBC should not be allowed to provide free news online? Why?

2) Read this blog on the Times paywall three years on.

3) Was Rupert Murdoch right to put his news content (The Times, The Sunday Times) behind a paywall?

4) Choose two comments from below the Times paywall article - one that argues in favour of the paywall and one that argues against. Copy a quote from each and explain which YOU agree with and why.

5) Read this article from the Media Briefing on the continuing decline of the newspaper industry. 

6) Why do you think the Evening Standard has bucked the trend and increased circulation and profit in the last two years?

7) Is there any hope for the newspaper industry or will it eventually die out? Provide a detailed response to this question explaining and justifying your opinion.

Finish for homework if you don't get it done in the lesson: due date confirmed by your MEST3 exam teacher.

Mr Halsey cover work: Friday 7 October

I'm sorry I can't be in school on Friday 7 October - I'm at an AQA training course.

The work is exactly as you've been working on this week. Details below:

13D (P4)
Continue the work you have been doing this week: the blog tasks on the decline in the newspaper industry. This is due on Monday.


13C (P5&6)
Continue your work on the critical investigation project proposal which is due today. You need to make sure yours is finished and posted by 3pm.

If you have finished your project proposal, move straight on to the research and develop your research plan way beyond the initial five sources in your proposal. 

Any questions, Mr Qureshi is available or send me an email.

Good luck!

Media Awards nominations!

With the Media Awards rapidly approaching we are delighted to announce this year's nominations!

The quality level at both GCSE and A Level was exceptionally high and it has been an extremely difficult process narrowing down the nominations for our Oscars-style event. To find out the winners you'll need to attend the exclusive Arthouse-themed ceremony on Tuesday 18 October. Tickets go on sale Monday 10 October and cost £3 if purchased in the first week. The price then goes up to £5 but be quick - the Awards have sold out days in advance for the last few years!

Media Awards 2016 Nominations

A Level

Best Y12 Original Screenplay
Insanity
Kiss of Death
Loop

Best Y12 Production Design
Project KR
La Sombra
Transgression

Best Y12 Dialogue/Voiceover
Amelia
La Sombra
Transgression

Best Y12 Cinematography
Exposure
My City
TicTacToe

Best Y12 Sound Design
Kiss of Death
Amelia
TicTacToe

Best Y12 Film Editing
Hunting Season
My City
Exposure


GCSE

Best GCSE Cinematography 
Flight – William Welhenage 
Buried Alive – Emman Chaudhry
Song - Hitik Gohil

Best GCSE Music Video Concept
Perfect – Sabrin Ibrahim
Buried Alive – Emman Chaudhry
Seven Nation Army – Mohammed Omar

Best GCSE Production Design
Hotline Bling - Krissah Rolle 
Dollhouse – Zayna Malik
In the End – Jason Boachie

Best GCSE Editing
Not Afraid – Hussein Hamume 
Red Lips - Narin Omar
Thrift Shop – Abdullah Al-Fadhli


Acting

Best Actress/Actor
Katie Foster – Kiss of Death
Saanya Shah - Amelia
Sabrin Ibrahim – Perfect 
Zayna Malik - Dollhouse
Callum Louis – La Sombra
Mamduh Adan – Hunting Season
Hussein Hamume – Not Afraid
Jason Boachie – In The End

Congratulations to all our nominees and see you at the Media Awards!

Visiting speaker: Debbie Klein at GHS Friday morning!

This is a reminder that all Media students who are free must attend the Speakers for Schools talk by Debbie Klein on Friday 7 October at 9.25am.

This is a brilliant opportunity to hear from the CEO of Engine, a media company that covers digital communications, advertising, direct marketing, data, public relations, brand consultancy and sponsorship.

The talk will involve showcasing some of Engine's marketing campaigns and talk through the advertising process from receiving the brief from the client to developing and launching a campaign. They have produced campaigns for a wide range of companies and organisations including Sky, Nestle, Coca-Cola, Warburtons, Unilever, Toshiba, Lexus and The Royal Navy.

Make sure you prepare a question to ask Debbie Klein in the Q&A that will follow the talk. This may involve the skills required to work in the media industry but also think about the your key media issues and debates this year: How has new/digital media affected the advertising industry? Is social media the game-changer that some people believe it to be? How much harder is it to reach audiences in the digital age?

Mr Bush will be at the talk and taking a register so make sure you are there on time. The details:

Debbie Klein - Speakers for Schools visit to Greenford High School
Friday 7 October
Time: 9.25am
Lecture Theatre

Enjoy the talk!

Mr Halsey cover work: Monday 3 October

I'm sorry I can't be in school for my 13D lesson P3&4 - I'm at an A Level Media conference.

The work is exactly as we discussed on Friday: the blog tasks on the decline in the newspaper industry.

You've got all week (including Friday's lesson) to work on this but there IS a lot of work so stay focused and you'll get through it steadily.

Any questions, Mr Qureshi is available or catch me later in the week.

Good luck!

NDM: The decline of the newspaper industry

The next aspect of our new/digital case study for A2 Media is the decline in the newspaper industry.

Exploring how new/digital technology has impacted on traditional media industries is a critical part of the overall exam topic. We need to learn statistics and examples that illustrate the decline in print media alongside looking at how audiences have changed the way they access and interact with news. Your Ofcom research blog task is a major part of this but now we need to consider whether print newspapers have any kind of future - and if so, who will pay for it?

The future of newspapers

Read this article from the Economist on the future of newspapers.

On your blog, write a paragraph summarising the argument the article makes. Then answer the following questions:

1) Do you agree with its view that it is ‘a cause for concern, but not for panic’?

2) The article is 10 years old - an eternity in digital media terms. Have the writer's predictions come to pass? Use statistics from your Ofcom research to support or challenge the writer's argument.

3) The Economist suggests that high-quality journalism in the future will be backed by non-profit organisations rather than profit-seeking media corporations. Is there any evidence for this? How is the Guardian funded? What do major stories from the last year such as the Panama Papers suggest about how investigative journalism is conducted in the digital age?



Homework/classwork
You have some serious homework this week - in addition to finding your weekly NDM stories. Your main work is some in-depth reading which will provide excellent preparation for university. David Simon, creator of critically acclaimed TV series The Wire and a former journalist, has written a passionate defence of the newspaper industry in the face of the new and digital media onslaught. This will easily take you a couple of hours to complete - make sure you put the time in.

The article, Build The Wall, is available here on the Columbia Journalism Review website.

Your tasks are as follows:

1) Read the article in full.

2) Create a blogpost on your MEST3 Exam Blog called 'Build The Wall analysis'. 

3) Summarise each section in one sentence:

• Section 1 (To all of the bystanders reading this…)
• Section 2 (Truth is, a halting movement toward...)
• Section 3 (Beyond Mr. Sulzberger and Ms. Weymouth…)
• Section 4 (For the industry, it is later than it should be…)

4) Summarise David Simon’s overall argument in 250 words.

5) Read this Guardian comment by AC Grayling piece on the state of journalism that was published the year before David Simon's essay. What references to new and digital media can you find in AC Grayling's argument? Overall, do you feel the comment piece is positive or negative about the influence of new/digital media on the newspaper industry?

6) Finally, what is your own opinion? Do you agree that newspapers need to put online content behind a paywall in order for the journalism industry to survive? Would you be willing to pay for news online? Critical autonomy is the key skill in A2 Media - you need to be able form opinions on these issues.

ALL work due: confirmed by your MEST3 teacher (Mr Halsey's class - Monday 10 October)

Best Critical Investigations 2016

Top quality coursework from last year – all achieved a grade A…

What are the underlying values and ideologies in drug-related texts such as Channel 4’s ‘Run: Richard’ and how does this compare to American texts on the same subject?

To what extent does ‘Orange Is the New Black’ promote a liberated representation of women in society?   

To what extent does ‘Magic Mike XXL’ defy the stereotypical role of men in film?

To what extent and why are contemporary US sitcoms such as 'The Big Bang Theory' continuing to negatively represent female characters?

To what extent do movies like ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ and‘American Sniper’ reinforce or challenge Islamophobic beliefs?

To what extent do Hollywood films such as 'The Wolf of Wall Street'reinforce capitalist views and values?

To what extent is the Korean music industry being influencedby the Western music industry with reference to AOA’s ‘ Like a Cat’?

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 2015

1) Read this Ofcom 2015 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) Does socio-economic status change attitudes to news? If so, how?

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

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

7) How much has news consumption through newspapers declined since 2005?

8) How does newspaper reach differ by age group?

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.

Critical Investigation: Project proposal

The next step in our critical investigations is to develop our presentations into detailed academic proposals. 

You will be given a one-to-one tutorial to help you find the right angle and issue to concentrate on but first need to develop a blog post working through the following headings and tasks:

Working title

Include specific texts in the title and either 'how or 'why' or both, e.g.: To what extent and why are video games such as 'Call of Duty' and 'Grand Theft Auto’ becoming more violent?

Angle

E.g.: What impact are these increasingly violent games having on their audience? Is this simply a moral panic of the 21st century or is further regulation required?

Hypothesis

E.g.: Video games are psychologically damaging for young people, and audiences have become increasingly desensitised to screen violence.

Linked production piece

E.g.: Newsnight-style documentary video report looking at the impact of violent videogames on young people.

MIGRAIN

Apply the Key Concepts to your texts/topic by using the questions from the Summer Research Project to help you. (Include at least five bullet point/key concept). Include as many media keywords as you can.

SHEP

Apply the Wider Contexts (Social, Historical, Economic, Political) to your text/topic, including at least three bullet points on each one.

Issues/Debates

Select at least five and say how each relates to your study, using the Media A-Z to help you think about this:

• 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

Select at least five and say how each relates to your study, using keywords/specific theorists' names from the Media A-Z:

• 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
• Contemporary Media Landscape

Explain how your study fits into this.

Research plan (media texts, academic texts and websites)

Media texts
What your main focus will be, E.g.:
Call of Duty
Grand Theft Auto

Other media texts
(at least five related examples)

TV documentaries
Research videos online, e.g.:
BBC One - Panorama, Addicted to Games? http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00wlmj0

Academic texts/books
(a minimum of five, including author/full title/year, e.g.:)
Barrie Gunter: The effects of video games on children: the myth unmasked (1998)
James Newman: Playing with videogames (2008)
Nancy Signorielli: Violence in the media: a reference handbook (2005)
Peter Vorderer, and Bryant Jennings: Playing video games: motives, responses, and consequences (2006)

Internet Links
1. At least FIVE from Media Guardian or Guardian Culture or another newspaper website.
2. At least FIVE from university websites/academic papers online. Use Google Scholar as a starting point.
3. Any other relevant sites/articles - the more the better.

Use our archive of 2015's top-grade Critical Investigations and 2016's to help you. (You may also want to look at those from previous years too: 2014, 2013, 2012).

You have 10 days to complete this detailed proposal before you need to start your research in depth. Good luck!

Ignite presentations: Learner response

There have been some outstanding 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:

1) Create a new blogpost called 'Ignite presentation learner response'

2) Type up your feedback in full including the ratings out of five for each category. You then need to use this feedback to self-assess and write a detailed WWW and EBI for your own research and presentation as a whole.

3) The final aspect is 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:

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.

2) Read the Examiners' Report for this exam as outlined above.

3) Create a new blog post called 'NDM baseline assessment learner response'

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

5) Write a new, detailed paragraph to add to your essay that addresses one of the 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.

Media Awards 2016!

The Media Awards 2016 will soon be upon us!

This is your opportunity to showcase our amazing Year 12 video work to a 300-strong crowd. We've got lots of work to do in the run-up to the event and we need a team of committed Year 13 Media students to deliver the best Media Awards ever!

We're having a meeting Monday lunchtime in DF07 to allocate roles and plan the event.

If you're interested in taking part in this year's Media Awards then make sure you're there!

New and Digital Media: News case study introduction

Today we are starting our new topic - New and Digital Media and News. You need to complete the following activities...

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.


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 justify your opinions in detail.

All of this work needs to be done on your MEST3 Exam Blog - it's the first step in developing an outstanding case study that will help reach that A grade in the MEST3 exam.

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


**REMINDER**

Next week you have your baseline assessment in new/digital media. You've got the question in advance so no excuses! The question:

• 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?

Revise everything you covered before the Summer (use the Powerpoint from last term) and remember you'll be working on paper in exam conditions. This blog post has all the details you need.

Good luck! If you have any questions then speak to us - we're here to help!

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 Guardian: News Corporation
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 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 (I'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. 

Year 13 New/Digital Media baseline assessment

Your baseline assessment in New and Digital Media will be in the week commencing Monday 19 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 fantastic 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 judged 'Outstanding' for student progress for the sixth year running. Our A2 Level results were:

67% A*-B
100% A-E

TWO phenomenal students - Rabia and Kishan - achieved A* grades last year. That's incredible when you consider only 1.6% 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!

University of West London podcast

Well done again to all of you who joined us for the University of West London trip - it was brilliant to see you demonstrate your knowledge of new and digital media alongside real production skills.

The report is available online here via Audio Boom in three parts. We also have a copy of the audio here that we'll be putting on the Media Shared drive.

It was a great introduction to the production values required for Year 13 - remember we need to be hitting professional standards to reach the top grades at A2!

MEST4 Summer Project

Your summer project involves vital research that leads into your Critical Investigation - the most important aspect of your coursework in Year 13. 

The following needs to be completed by the first lesson back at the start of September:

1. Choose a media text and media debate/issue that you are interested in and that is less than five years old.

2. Spend several hours analysing the text – watching, reading, annotating, notetaking, re-watching, discussing with others (and considering the MIGRAIN questions below) etc. 

3. Research your text online.

4. Post up all evidence of research on your MEST4 blog. You are looking for the following: reviews, newspaper/magazine articles, online comments or blogs linked to your text, useful book titles linked to your text, relevant theory, relevant media issues and debates, information about wider contexts, your own bullet-pointed notes on each concept etc.

5. 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.

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

7. Prepare a 5 minute, 20-slide 'Ignite' presentation on your text to be ready for the first week back. If you're unsure how these work, remind yourself by reading through the lesson slides: Introduction to Summer Project 2016, and look over our blogpost with good Ignite examples.

8. Try to address as many of the Key Concepts (MIGRAIN) as you can in your presentation (you won't be able to cover them all in 20 time-limited slides), and provide bullet-pointed answers to the following questions on your research blogpost...



MIGRAIN key concept research

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 (CLAMPS)?
• 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? (Demographics, Psychographics)
• 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? 
• What are the audience pleasures, uses or gratifications?  (Refer to theory).
• 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?

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 independent, enjoyable process - finding out about something that YOU are interested in and have chosen specifically. If you have any problems then email us or discuss the project in school on one of the exam result days (18th and 25th of August).

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 for all subjects in Year 13 and at university.

We look forward to watching your Ignite presentations in the first lesson back in September!

University of West London - trip briefing sheet

Our radio workshop at the University of West London is on Wednesday 29 June at 10am.

Full details of the meeting place can be found on our trip briefing sheet here.

Remember, we need a reply slip from a parent/guardian in order to allow you on the trip.

See you there!