Internet Case Study

For 12E, complete the following questions/tasks (about one of the top ten internet sites by traffic generated) on your blogs for Monday 8/7...

• Who owns the site?
• Do they also own any traditional media businesses?
• What other internet sites do they own?
• What is its revenue?
• What is its overall worth?
• Research five key facts about the institution.
• Find three quotes (with references) about the institution.
• Summarise two linked Wikipedia articles (5 bullet points each)
• List the key info provided on the company’s corporate homepage.

You were given one of the top ten sites to research in the lesson, but choose one yourself if you weren't there...

1. Google
2. Facebook
3. Yahoo!
4. YouTube
5. Wikipedia
6. msn
7. Amazon
8. eBay
9. Twitter
10. Bing

12E p3, 2/7/13

Mr Babu will be registering you.

Please do the following in the lesson, on your Unit 4 blog, and complete for homework...

• Brainstorm five possible media texts you could choose as your presentation subject. (The platform can be TV, film, print, online).

• Take your five possible ideas and choose the best three with reasons for their selection. Try to include at least five reasons for each, outlining what you know about the text/topic so far.

• Start researching each of the three shortlisted texts. Include links and five bullet points, summarising them in your own words, from each of the following…

1. Its official webpage;
2. Its Wikipedia page;
3. A YouTube page associated with it.

You will discuss these in a tutorial next week.

Internet Video Task

For 12D, due Mon 1/7/13, p3/4...

Create a ONE MINUTE video that consolidates your learning about the impact of new/digital media so far (you should use Premiere or Movie Maker); post it on YouTube (you may need to set up an account); and embed it into your blog (like the videos below).

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

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

Use the original lesson slides to help...

UNIT 3 Internet Lessons 1-3

...and use these past student videos to inspire you...

12E p3 Tue 25/6

Mr Halsey will supervise you while you attempt the following...

Read the full Critical Investigation (yes, all 2000 words) the title of which you discussed in yesterday's lesson.

Identify what you consider to be the best, most meaningful quotes x5 they researched and included from other sources and copy/paste these onto your Unit 4 blog.

List (on your blog) any references to theories/theorists that they make.

Find a reference to each of the Key Concepts...

• Media Langauage
• Institution
• Genre
• Representation
• Audience
• Ideology
• Narrative

...and copy/paste this into your blog. Do more if you have time!

This will help with your homework (due on Monday 1st July) where you summarise your discussion about the essay title/topic on your blog (250 words minimum0.

12D Homework - MEST4 blogpost

Thanks for a great lesson today 12D - I hope it gave you an insight into why we love teaching Year 13 Media and the brilliant debates you can get into. The remarkably easy homework you were set is below, just in case anyone needs a reminder...

Write a 250 word MEST4 coursework blog post summarising what your group discussed in today’s lesson.

Due: Thursday 27 June

On the off-chance you have lost your notes, the questions we looked at were:

Why is the representation of the police on television programmes such as 'Road Wars' and 'Police, Camera, Action!' over-sensationalised?

How do video games such as 'Call of Duty' and 'Grand Theft Auto' push the boundaries of on-screen violence and what is the impact of this on audiences?

Have Hollywood attitudes towards content in 12A films become more liberal or have audiences’ film desires changed?

To what extent does news media create moral panic and represent teenagers in a negative way that the public should fear?

Year 12 feedback: anonymous survey

Just before we get into our Year 13 Media work, we'd like to get your feedback on Year 12 AS Media Studies. We are always looking for ways to improve and we'd like you to give us honest feedback on the course. It's completely anonymous: there is no way to trace who wrote each comment so please be critical and tell us what we can do better!

Click on this link to access the survey.

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey.

Now on to Year 13!

Unit 4 Coursework Blogs

For current Y12s...

In the comments section (at the end of this post) submit your new 'Unit 4 Coursework Blog' address with your first name.

This is where you'll include all the planning/research for the Research and Production Unit, worth 50% of the A2...

1. Critical Investigation (48 marks: 60%)
2000 word research essay

2. Linked Production (32 marks: 40%)

Unit 3 Exam Blogs

For current Y12s...

In the comments section (at the end of this post) submit your new 'Unit 3 Exam Blog' address with your first name.

This is where you'll include all the preparation work/research for the two hour 'Critical Perspectives' exam...

Section A (40%) 1 hour

• Unseen stimulus materials (15 mins viewing) 
• Three short answer questions (45 minutes, 32 marks)

Section B (60%) 1 hour
Pre-set topic areas...

• Representations in the Media
• The impact of New/Digital media

One essay question (1 hour, 48 marks)

Best Critical Investigations 2013

Congratulations Y13. The exams are over and, hopefully, you'll be off to university in a few months. 

These essays are fantastic, each containing a wealth of research, insight and fluent analysis. All are worthy Level 4 submissions...

Why is the representation of the police on television programmes such as 'Road Wars' and 'Police, Camera, Action!' over-sensationalised? (Ahmed A)

How do video games such as 'Call of Duty' and 'Grand Theft Auto' push the boundaries of on-screen violence and what is the impact of this on audiences? (Arnie)

To what extent do American film/institutions use the vampire genre (through texts such as ‘Twilight’ and ‘The Vampire Diaries’) to positively influence a teenage female audience? (Niemah)

How are women overtly sexualised in contemporary perfume advertising, paying particular attention to adverts such as Beyoncé’s 'Heat'advert and the YSL advert featuring Kate Moss. (Chandni)

To what extent does news media create moral panic and represent teenagers in a negative way that the public should fear? (Arfa)

Despite the fact that we're supposedly living in a post-feminist society, why are female characters in contemporary US sitcoms such as ‘The Big Bang Theory’ still being negatively represented? (Ria) 

The Only Way is Reality: Is the popularity of ‘Dramality’ television indicative of the ‘dumbing down’ of audiences? (Sarah)

Despite the global success of Jay Sean, why is there still alack of successful British Asian artists? Is this due to post-colonial attitudes or Asian cultural traditions? (Sasha)

Have Hollywood attitudes towards content in 12A films become more liberal or have audiences’ film desires changed? (Ahmed R)

Section A Practice Questions (Print)

1. Section A Practice, Woolwich Murder

Useful background info, related to this... 

• Guardian article: Woolwich killing highlights power of mobile technology as anews source
• BBC report: Woolwich Attack: Social Media Reaction

2. Section A Practice, Thatcher's Death

Year 13 Media Studies survey

Well, this is it: our last week of Media Studies lessons at Greenford. It has been an absolute pleasure working with you but we would like to ask one more favour before you go. We are always looking for ways we can improve our delivery of A Level Media and would appreciate it if you could fill in the following survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZF2XXHV

It is completely anonymous and we genuinely want your feedback so be honest and tell us what we need to do better! Please write in as much detail as possible.

Thank you and good luck in the exam - don't forget our revision sessions on Monday and Tuesday after half-term.

Revision Checklist

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

Mainly for Section A

• Section A Practice Questions (with model answers)

• Section A Practice Questions (Print)

• Revision Express Textbook

• AQA A2 Textbook

• Media A-Z Glossary

• Theory Quotes

• Theories, Issues & Debates Summaries

Mainly for Section B

• Section B Questions

• New & Digital Media Lessons

• New and Digital Media: Essential Revision Articles

Section A and Section B

• Unit 3 Key Theories

...start working on this NOW and put together a revision plan to cover it all before the exam on Tuesday June 4th.

And don't forget the Revision Classes before the exam either!

Revision Classes

You should try to do as much as you possibly can in the next two weeks before the exam - it's your last chance to show off what you know. And you know a lot!

Start NOW - don't try to cram the learning in at the end as it's not as effective. Try to do some Media revision EVERY DAY.

Make sure your revision is ACTIVE. Don't just read the information but do something with it - take notes, highlight, summarise, create mind maps/revision cards, etc.

Then, and this is the most important bit - TEST YOURSELF, and keep re-testing until you know you've learnt it. This is the best, most effective form of revision.

It's really vital you do as much PRACTISE as possible, ideally under EXAM CONDITIONS, because you need to get your timings right and to see if you really can remember the material.

All essays you do (Section A or B) will be marked by us at a special drop-in session we're running on...

Monday 3rd June, periods 1-4. 
Come to D block and find us in either DF05/6/7/9 and we'll give you feedback.

Then, the following day, we have a pre-exam revision session on

Tuesday 4th June, periods 3-4 in DF05/7. 
You'll get an hour with each of us as we cover last-minute reminders for both Section A and B.

Good luck!

Section A Practice Questions (with model answers)

There are THREE excellent sample papers/responses on MediaEdu... 
(login first: username: greenford; password: greenfordedu)

• London Olympics
• London Riots
• Gatsby (also use this document that has the contextual info and model answers)

Make sure you do these yourself, under timed conditions, then check the model answers to compare how you did.

Unit 3 Key Theories

You've received a hard copy of this but just in case you lost it this is 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
(for 13A, in particular, who are doing this topic for Section B).

3. New and Digital Media
(for 13C in particular, but these and the representation theories will also be useful for Section A).

Unit 3 Key Theories

Theory Quotes

Here is a list of some of some useful quotations that will really impress the examiners if you can incorporate them...

Theory Quotes

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

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

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

Media A-Z Glossary

Make sure you keep reading this during your revision, using it to look up straightforward meanings of any theories/theorists/keywords you need to be clear about.

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

Media A-Z Glossary

And here is a checklist of the media Issues/Debates and Theories that the specification says you need to know (the AQA textbook has more detailed explanations/examples of all of these)...

Issues/Debates

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

Theories

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

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

Theories, Issues & Debates Summaries

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

Theories Issues and Debates Handout A2

Revision Express Textbook

This is a fantastic resource! Really concise.

You are advised to learn all the key terms (in bold) and have a go at the exam questions at the end of each section (these are good for practice although NOT the typical ones you'll get in the exam; see the list of Section B questions for that).

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

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

...Revision Express Textbook

AQA Official Textbook

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

• Contents
• 1. Issues and Debates
• 2. Media Theories
• 3. Approaching Texts Critically
• 4. Approaching Topics Critically