MIGRAIN index and January assessment revision

As we reach the end of the Autumn term, you need to create a new Introduction to Media index and start revising for your January assessment.

The index, as you know, is a critical way of making sure you are keeping on top of the workload and not missing any topics or concepts. Your December index should have the following work in it:

1) Introduction to Media: 10 questions

2) Media consumption audit
3) Semiotics blog tasks
4) Language: Reading an image - media codes

5) Reception theory - advert analysis and factsheet

6) Genre: Factsheets and genre study questions
7) Narrative: Factsheet questions

8) Audience: classification - psychographics presentation notes

9) October assessment learner response
10) Audience theory 1 - Hypodermic needle/Two-step flow/U&G
11) Audience theory 2 - The effects debate - Bandura, Cohen 
12) Industries: Ownership and Control
13) Industries: Hesmondhalgh - The Cultural Industries

14) Industries: Public Service Broadcasting

15) Industries: Regulation

Remember, your index needs to link to YOUR blogpost for each piece of work. If you've missed anything, catch up with it over Christmas and make sure the index is up-to-date before you come back in January.

January assessment details

You will have an assessment week coming up in January which will include a Media assessment. This will focus particularly on what you have studied in the second half of the Autumn term - so largely audience and industries. In addition, look over your learner response for the assessment in October. That feedback will be important in identifying how you can improve in the upcoming assessment.

Christmas homework: revise for January assessment

Your Christmas homework is simple: complete any outstanding blog tasks and revise everything you've learned so far in Media this year for your January assessment.

In addition, there are plenty of resources out there to further help you prepare for your January assessment. For example, we strongly recommend you get hold of some of the books on our A Level Media reading list - including Media Magazine, Media Theory for A Level and the AQA textbooks which cover all the key concepts and some of the Close-Study Products. 

You will obviously be looking over your MIGRAIN index as outlined above. However, there is plenty more out there. Anything you read in our Media Magazine archive will help to give you a wider perspective on media debates and every issue has several articles which focus on interesting examples, theories and debates that will help you in a Media exam. You'll find our Media Magazine archive here. Similarly, you have access to our whole Media Factsheet archive if there are any particular topics or theories you want to revise in more detail. Look at these for example: 

• How to revise for A Level Media exams
• Channel 4: an overview and update
• Understanding digital convergence
• Using theory
• The BBC: an overview and update

Remember: these resources are all for you - the more you use them, the better you will do!

Have a great Christmas break - you've earned it!

MIGRAIN: Industries - Regulation

Like most industries, the media is regulated - overseen by government to make sure the market is fair and the content appropriate for the audience.

Regulation is an important aspect of the industries key concept. How much influence should governments have over the ownership and consumption of media products? How powerful is the media? Key media theorists for this area are:

• David Hesmondhalgh: the Cultural Industries
• James Curran and Jean Seaton: Power Without Responsibility
• Sonia Livingstone and Peter Lunt: Media Regulation

Two key terms for regulation:

Statutory regulation is when the regulator is backed by law (government legislation) and the regulator has real power. Example: Ofcom.

Voluntary regulation is when the industry regulates itself and governments are not involved. The newspaper and videogames industries are good examples.

Different media industries are regulated in different ways and by different organisations. For example:

• Broadcasting (including the BBC): Ofcom
• Newspapers: IPSO 
• Film: BBFC
• Videogames: PEGI

Regulating the internet

One of the major challenges facing governments and regulators is the fact so much of the cultural industries is now on the internet – and the internet is global.

The global nature of the internet means it is difficult for one government to regulate – and tech giants like Google or Amazon are now more powerful than individual countries.

This BBC Newsnight feature explores the challenge of regulating the internet:



Online harms bill

The Online Harms Bill attempts to bring some government regulation to the internet – but it was a painfully long process and changed its focus several times (the bill spanned four different Prime Ministers and seven culture secretaries). Many question if it will actually have any impact.

You can read more about the Online Harms Bill in this Guardian article here. 

There are also some short but informative BBC videos on the tragic Molly Russell case that has informed elements of the Online Harms Bill:

• Molly Russell's father on why social media giants need to change: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-63171199 
• Molly Russell’s father meets Facebook whistleblower to talk about what more Instagram can do: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-59032290 

  

Media regulation: blog tasks

Go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive and open Factsheet 128: Contemporary Media Regulation. Our Media Factsheet archive can be found at M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets. You can find it online here - you'll need to log in using your Greenford Google login. 

Read the Factsheet and complete the following questions/tasks:

1) What is regulation and why do media industries need to be regulated?

2) What is OFCOM responsible for?

3) Look at the section on the OFCOM broadcasting code. Which do you think are the three most important sections of the broadcasting code and why?

4) Do you agree with OFCOM that Channel 4 was wrong to broadcast 'Wolverine' at 6.55pm on a Sunday evening? Why?

5) List five of the sections in the old Press Complaints Commission's Code of Practice. 

6) Why was the Press Complaints Commission criticised?

7) What was the Leveson enquiry and why was it set up?

8) What was the PCC replaced with in 2014?

9) What is your opinion on press regulation? Is a free press an important part of living in a democracy or should newspapers face statutory regulation like TV and radio?

10) Why is the internet so difficult to regulate?

Complete this for homework - due date on Google Classroom.

MIGRAIN: Industries - Public service broadcasting

The British television and radio industries are largely driven by public service broadcasting. Indeed, the traditional TV channels still account for the majority of TV viewing in this country even in the age of Netflix.

These channels are regulated by Ofcom and have to deliver a certain amount of specific content in order to fulfil the terms of their license.

Public service broadcasting: notes

Public service broadcasting refers to broadcasting intended for public benefit rather than to serve commercial interests.

The media regulator Ofcom requires certain TV and radio broadcasters to fulfil certain requirements as part of their license to broadcast.

All of the BBC's television and radio stations have a public service remit.

Here's a video outlining the beginning of public service broadcasting in the UK:

The history of the BBC

The BBC was created in 1922 in response to new technology – the radio (or wireless as it was called then).

The BBC was set up to “inform, educate and entertain” – which is still its mission statement to this day. 

The BBC funding model: licence fee

All BBC content (and some of Channel 4’s funding) comes from the Licence Fee, which costs £159 a year. 

You need a TV Licence to:

• watch or record live TV programmes on any channel
• download or watch any BBC programmes on iPlayer – live, catch up or on demand.

Some politicians want to scrap the licence fee and change the BBC’s funding model.

This robust discussion on Sky News outlines some of the debates regarding the BBC's funding model:

Channel 4

Channel 4 is an important part of UK public service broadcasting. Read full details of Channel 4's remit here - there is plenty of important information regarding the channel's commitment to public service broadcasting and its unique funding model.

"Channel 4 is a publicly-owned and commercially-funded UK public service broadcaster, with a statutory remit to deliver high-quality, innovative, alternative content that challenges the status quo.

Channel 4 reinvests all profits back into programmes, at zero cost to the taxpayer. A ‘Robin Hood’ model of cross-funding means programmes that make money pay for others that are part of the PSB remit but that are loss-making e.g. News and Current Affairs." 

The government is now seriously considering privatising Channel 4 despite lots of opposition to the plan. 

Opposition to public service broadcasting

Many people in Britain see public service broadcasting as a good thing – but not rival commercial broadcasters.  

James Murdoch, son of Rupert, has criticised BBC news. He says that free news on the BBC made it “incredibly difficult” for private news organisations to ask people to pay for their news.

Some politicians have argued that the BBC should not produce programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing so commercial broadcasters such as ITV or Sky can attract larger audiences in primetime.

Public service broadcasting: blog tasks

Create a new blogpost called 'Public service broadcasting' and complete the following tasks:

Ofcom review of PSB in Britain

In 2020 Ofcom published its findings from a five year review of public service broadcasting in Britain. Read the introduction to their report - pages 3-7. You'll need your Greenford Google login to view the document.

1) Look at page 3. Why is it a critical time for public service broadcasting? 

2) Read page 4. How has TV viewing changed in recent years? 

3) Still on page 4, what aspects of PSB do audiences value and enjoy? 

4) Look at pages 4-5. Find and note down the statistics in this section on how much TV audiences tend to watch and how they watch it. 

5) Read the section on page 5 discussing the importance of PSB. Again, find the statistics and explain the value of public service broadcasting in Britain.

6) Look at the section on commercial challenges. How have revenues fallen for PSB channels?

7) Read page 6. What services increasingly play a role in our media lives in the digital age? 

Goldsmiths report on Public Service TV

Read this report from Goldsmiths University - A future for public service television: content and platforms in a digital world.

1) What does the report state has changed in the UK television market in the last 20 years?

2) Look at page 4. What are the principles that the report suggests need to be embedded in regulation of public service broadcasting in future?

3) What does the report say about the BBC?

4) According to the report, how should the BBC be funded in future?

5) What does the report say about Channel 4?

6) How should Channel 4 operate in future?

7) Look at page 10 - new kids on the block. What does the report say about new digital content providers and their link to public service broadcasting?


Final questions - YOUR opinion on public service broadcasting

1) Should the BBC retain its position as the UK’s public service broadcaster?

2) Is there a role for the BBC in the 21st century digital world?

3) Should the BBC funding model (licence fee) change? How?

Complete for homework - due date on Google Classroom.

Film & TV Language: final index

We have completed our first major A Level Media unit: Film & TV Language. We now need to create a final index to ensure we haven't missed any vital notes or skills.  

Keeping an index of all your work is extremely good practice from a revision perspective. Not only does this keep the concepts and media terminology fresh in your mind but it will also highlight if you've missed anything through absence or any other reason. 

Film & TV Language index

Your final Film & TV Language index should include the following:

1) Film poster analysis
2) Mise-en-scene analysis blog tasks
3) Mise-en-scene video recreation and learner response
4) Lighting analysis blog tasks
5) Sound analysis blog tasks

6) Sound: parallel and contrapuntal video feedback and learner response

7) Cinematography analysis tasks

8) Cinematography video feedback and learner response
9) Editing video task and learner response
10) Editing blog task - 750 word analysis

For your index, it needs to link to YOUR corresponding blogpost so you can access your work on each concept quickly and easily. This also means you if you have missed anything you can now catch up with the work/notes and won't underperform in future assessments/exams due to gaps in your knowledge.

Important: your index needs to be completed during the lesson. Any missing work MUST be caught up over the holidays.

Film & TV Language: Editing video feedback and learner response

  Your short editing videos should contain crucial techniques for narrative film and television.

The ability to use cutting on action, shot-reverse shot and adhering to the 180 degree rule will be vital to your success in coursework later this year. Once we've screened the videos in class, you need to complete the following tasks on your blog:

Editing video feedback/learner response

Create a new blogpost called 'Editing video feedback and learner response'. Make sure your video is on YouTube and embedded in this blogpost. 

1) Type up your feedback/comments from your teacher.

2) Type up your feedback from fellow students.

3) Now reflect on your video. Did you meet the brief and successfully include the three key editing aspects we have learned?

4) What were the strengths and weaknesses of your final film? Write a detailed analysis picking out specific shots, edits and any other aspect of film language you think is relevant.

5) Learner response: what aspect of editing did you find most difficult? What have you learned from this process that will help you when you start the actual coursework later this year?

Complete this for homework if you don't get it done in the lesson - due date on Google Classroom.

Film & TV Language: Editing blog task

Editing is the last aspect of our Film & TV Language unit - but absolutely crucial to the way meanings are created and communicated to the audience. 

Editing can completely change the audience’s understanding of narrative and character. Charlie Brooker deconstructed the editing in the reality TV genre here:

Editing notes

Key terminology for editing:

• Transitions
• Continuity editing
• Montage
• Pace
• Juxtaposition

Continuity editing

Most editing of narrative film is continuity editing. This is when shots are placed logically so that one event follows on from the next. We, as the audience, automatically try to make sense of one shot joining the next one. For example, if we see an exterior shot of a school and the following shot is a classroom, we assume that the classroom is inside the school building we saw in the previous shot.  

Transitions

• A straight cut is the most common method and the audience are so accustomed to seeing these that we rarely notice them when they occur.
• A fade out – the screen fades to black.
• A dissolve - one image blurs into the next.
• A wipe – one part of the screen wipes across the other.
• A jump cut – an unexpected edit where the audience’s attention is forced to focus on something very suddenly.  

Pace

The speed at which the film cuts from one shot to the next makes a huge difference to the experience for the audience.

Generally, slow-paced cuts build tension while fast cuts suggest action and excitement.

Juxtaposition
The word juxtaposition literally means ‘the act of placing together side by side’.

In film, two shots may be placed together to create meaning for the audience. E.g. A shot of the hero may be followed by a shot of his love interest to link these in the audience’s mind. This may also take the form of an eyeline match where a character looks in a certain direction and the next shot cuts to whatever they are looking at.

Montage

A montage sequence involves shots being placed next to each other that do not necessarily convey a linear narrative.  Instead, the shots tend to convey a message, provide an overall impression or shorten a story that takes place over a much longer period time.  For example, a sequence that included consecutive shots of a school building, classrooms, students playing football and teachers in the staffroom may be aiming to give an overall impression of school life.    

Editing: blog task

There are some truly fantastic clips for the Editing part of the Film & TV Language unit. 

Your final analytical blog task is to find a film or television clip on YouTube that you feel has been edited in a distinctive way and write a 750 word analysis of the clip.

Use as much media language as you can - and remember to highlight it. Try and use the key words we've learned for editing if possible. You can also use any other aspects of film language that we have studied in your analyis - just like the in-class clips where we discuss how editing combines with cinematography, sound or mise-en-scene.

There is a wonderful example online of an editing analysis of The Godfather baptism scene (a clip which also appears as task 6 of the editing section in the Film and TV Language unit). This gives you an idea of how to write in-depth media analyses focusing on aspects of film language. 

If you're not sure what clip to pick, you will find plenty of lists online if you search for 'great film editing sequences' or similar. One example that comes up when you do this is the shootout scene from Michael Mann's Heat (3mins - 6mins particularly, but it's all brilliant):

Complete this for homework - due date on Google Classroom.

MIGRAIN: Hesmondhalgh - The Cultural Industries

One of the most important aspects of the Industries key concept is how the cultural industries are structured and the influence they have in society.

Academic and media theorist David Hesmondhalgh has written extensively about the Cultural Industries and A Level Media students need to develop an understanding of his work.

Cultural Industries: notes

Hesmondhalgh discusses the way the cultural industries operate and explores their effect on audiences: “Of one thing there can be no doubt: the media do have influence.”

He points out that societies with profitable cultural industries (e.g. USA, UK) tend to be dominated by large companies, have minimal government regulation and significant inequality between rich and poor.

Do the cultural industries reinforce these conditions?

The cultural industries: a risky business

Hesmondhalgh acknowledges that media companies are operating a risky business. There is no guarantee a creative product will be a success.

They offset this risk both creatively and through business structure. In terms of media products, they use stars, sequels and well-known genres.

In terms of business, they use vertical integration and diversification to spread their risk and maximise profit.

Commodification

Hesmondhalgh discusses commodification in the cultural industries (turning everything into something that can be bought or sold).

He suggests this creates problems on both the consumption and production side. For the production side, he points to certain areas of the cultural industries where people are not fairly rewarded.

Hesmondhalgh: diversity in the media

Hesmondhalgh has explored whether the cultural industries truly reflect the diversity of people and society.

Hesmondhalgh references Mosco (1996): “There is a difference between multiplicity – a large number of voices – and diversity – whether or not these voices are actually offering different things from each other.”

Despite their size, are the cultural industries dominated by a narrow range of values and ideologies?

Cultural Industries: blog task

Go to our Media Factsheet archive and open Factsheet 168: David Hesmondhalgh’s ‘The Cultural Industries’. Our Media Factsheet archive is on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets or you can access it online here using your Greenford Google login. 

Read the Factsheet and complete the following questions/tasks:

1) What does the term 'Cultural Industries' actually refer to?

2) What does Hesmondhalgh identify regarding the societies in which the cultural industries are highly profitable?

3) Why do some media products offer ideologies that challenge capitalism or inequalities in society?

4) Look at page 2 of the factsheet. What are the problems that Hesmondhalgh identifies with regards to the cultural industries?

5) Why are so many cultural industries a 'risky business' for the companies involved?

6) What is your opinion on the creativity v commerce debate? Should the media be all about profit or are media products a form of artistic expression that play an important role in society?

7) How do cultural industry companies minimise their risks and maximise their profits? (Clue: your work on Industries - Ownership and control will help here) 

8) Do you agree that the way the cultural industries operate reflects the inequalities and injustices of wider society? Should the content creators, the creative minds behind media products, be better rewarded for their work?

9) Listen and read the transcript to the opening 9 minutes of the Freakonomics podcast - No Hollywood Ending for the Visual-Effects Industry. Why has the visual effects industry suffered despite the huge budgets for most Hollywood movies?

10) What is commodification? 

11) Do you agree with the argument that while there are a huge number of media texts created, they fail to reflect the diversity of people or opinion in wider society?

12) How does Hesmondhalgh suggest the cultural industries have changed? Identify the three most significant developments and explain why you think they are the most important.

Complete for homework - due date on Google Classroom.