Your Christmas homework is simple: revise everything you've learned so far for your January assessment. This assessment will be in the first week back and will be similar in format to your October assessment. Revise everything from your two indexes - MIGRAIN Introduction to Media and Film & TV Language. In addition, look over your learner response for the assessment in October. That feedback will be important in identifying how you will improve in the upcoming assessment. Part of this will be making sure you have everything complete for the Industries key concept we have worked on for the last three weeks: Ownership and control blog task (questions and Media Magazine article) Regulation The Cultural Industries - Hesmondhalgh Public service broadcasting Brand values - Lines of appeal Christmas homework - additional revision/resources There are plenty of resources out there to help you prepare for your January assessment. You will obviously be looking over your two indexes 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.
Remember: these resources are all for you - the more you use them, the better you will do!
One aspect of the Industries key concept you need to understand and appreciate is branding. According to Gillian Dyer (Advertising as Communication, 1988) advertisers use, among other techniques, lines of appeal to create brand identities and attract their target audience. Media companies use these images, references or suggestions to tap into our desires and make us ‘feel part’ of the brand. Dyer suggested lines of appeal could be classified into 13 groups:
Happy families - everyone wants to belong
Rich, luxurious lifestyles - aspirational
Dreams and fantasy
Successful romance and love
Elite people or experts
Glamorous places
Successful careers
Art, culture & history
Nature & the natural world
Beautiful women - men AND women like looking at beautiful women, so the thinking goes: men admire them, women admire what makes the men admire them.
Self-importance & pride
Comedy & humour
Childhood - can appeal to either nostalgia or to nurturing instincts
Brand values task 100-10-1 Choose 5 brands. For EACH brand: 1) Sum up the brand values in 100 words, making reference to Dyer’s lines of appeal. 2) Distil the brand values into one sentence of no more than 10 words. 3) Sum up the brand in ONE word. Example: Starbucks 1) The Starbucks brand is clever because it comes across as a friendly, local-style company when it is in fact a massive global business. Its brand values would be about quality, lifestyle and a personal touch. Starbucks could fit into several of Dyer’s lines of appeal: Happy families - everyone wants to belong, hence Starbucks asking your name when you order. It could also fit into Successful careers – Starbucks is for hard-working, successful people who want to enjoy life. Finally, Self-importance and pride links to Starbucks taking coffee seriously and its employees and customers having genuine passion for the brand. (100 words) 2) The Starbucks brand is about quality with a personal touch. (10 words) 3) Starbucks in one word: Passion. Complete for homework. Deadline: first lesson after Christmas. Extension task:
Research Innocent drinks What brand values would you associate with Innocent? Why might their takeover by Coca Cola threaten those brand values? Does your opinion of the brand change once you know they are owned by Coca Cola?
The British television industry is largely driven by public service broadcasting - the traditional TV channels that still account for the majority of TV viewing in this country. 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.
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: license fee
All BBC content (and some of Channel 4’s funding) comes from the License Fee, which costs £147 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 license fee and change 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."
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 task Create a new blogpost called 'Public service broadcasting' and complete the following tasks: Ofcom report Read the first few pages of this Ofcom report into Public Service Broadcasting in 2017. 1) How does the report suggest that TV viewing is changing? 2) What differences are highlighted between younger and older viewers? 3) Does the report suggest audiences are satisfied with public service broadcasting TV channels? 4) Public service broadcasting channels are a major aspect of the UK cultural industries. How much money did PSB channels spend on UK-originated content in 2016? Goldsmiths report 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 (license fee) change? How?
Complete for homework - due first lesson back in January.
We have completed our first major A Level Media unit: Film & TV Language. We now need to update our 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 trips.
Film & TV Language index Your final Film & TV Language index should include the following:
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 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 tasks Go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive 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 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 Friday.
Your short editing videos should contain crucial techniques for narrative filmmaking. 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? How will you further develop your editing skills prior to starting the coursework in June?
Complete this for homework if you don't get it done in the lesson - due date specified by your coursework teacher. Don't forget the additional film analysis task for Editing too!
Like most industries, the media is regulated - overseen by government to make sure the market is fair and the content appropriate for the audience. As A Level Media students, we need to understand how the media is regulated and form opinions on whether we think that regulation is effective and appropriate. Complete the blog task below to demonstrate you understand the basics of media regulation. Media regulation: blog task 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 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 next Friday.
Apologies - we're out with Year 13 students at the Media Magazine student conference so Year 12 Media lessons will be covered on Wednesday 6 December. This is the last one - promise! - and we'll hopefully be taking you on these trips next year. For Wednesday's lessons, you will be registered by Ms Quinn and need to work in Media for the whole double lesson. As promised, you have this time to work on editing your Editing video.
If you're editing the video at home, that's fine - use the lesson to complete other Media work. This might be your editing analysis blog task or even Monday's exam work on industries, ownership and control. The editing video is due on Friday for the start of your coursework lesson - these will be screened in lesson so make sure the exported video is both in your folder on the Media Shared drive AND uploaded to YouTube and posted to your blog. Good luck and see you next lesson!
Industries is a major key concept in A Level Media and covers a wide variety of different aspects. You'll need to study the following topics for a full introduction to this concept:
The companies or organisations behind the media – owners, publishers, developers, channels, distributors, film studios etc.
How new and digital technology has changed media industries.
The regulation and control of media in the UK.
The role of public service broadcasting and not-for-profit media.
Who has the power in the media: audiences or institutions?
Industries: Ownership and control notes
In our first lesson on media industries, we learned the following terminology: Conglomerate ownership A conglomerate is a large company composed of a number of smaller companies (subsidiaries). A media conglomerate, or media group, is a company that owns numerous companies involved in creating mass media products such as print, television, radio, movies or online. Examples include Comcast, 21st Century Fox or Disney.
Vertical integration
Vertical integration is when a media company owns a range of businesses in the same chain of production and distribution.
For example, a company might own the film studio that makes a film, the distributors that sell it to cinemas and then the movie channel that premieres it on TV.
Vertical integration allows companies to reduce costs and increase profits – but it is not always successful if the parent company lacks expertise in certain areas.
Horizontal integration
Horizontal integration is when a media company owns a range of different media companies that are largely unrelated e.g. magazines, radio stations and television.
Horizontal integration helps media institutions reach a wider audience.
Integration & synergy
Synergy is the process through which a series of media products derived from the same text or institution is promoted in and through each other.
Look for links or consistent branding across different media platforms and products. E.g. Harry Potter – films, merchandise, stage plays, theme parks, videogames etc.
Diversification Diversification is when a media company branches out into a different area of the industry. For example, many media companies have had to diversify to internet-driven distribution (e.g. streaming) as a result of new and digital media. In the music industry, major labels such as Warner Music have had to embrace streaming in order to reverse years of declining revenue.
Cross-media regulation When two companies wish to merge or diversify (e.g. vertical or horizontal integration) it needs to be cleared by a regulatory body to prevent any one company becoming too powerful in a given market. In the UK, this is decided by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Currently, the CMA is deciding whether to allow Rupert Murdoch to complete an £11.7bn takeover of Sky by 21st Century Fox.
Industries: Ownership and control blog task
Create a new blogpost called 'Ownership and control' and complete the following tasks:
1) Type up your research notes from the lesson - what did you find out about your allocated media conglomerate? Selection of companies: Alphabet, The Walt Disney Company, Comcast, 21st Century Fox, Facebook, Viacom, News Corp, Time Warner. If you were absent or don't have the notes, research any of the companies above and find examples of all the terminology outlined in the notes at the start of this blogpost.
2) Do you agree that governments should prevent media conglomerates from becoming too dominant? Write an argument that looks at both sides of this debate.
Media Magazine 52 has a good feature on the changing relationship between audiences and institutions in the digital age. Go to our Media Magazine archive, click on MM52 and scroll to page 9 to read the article 'Two Key Concepts: The Relationship Between Audience and Institution'.
3) Briefly describe the production, promotion and distribution process for media companies.
4) What the different funding models for media institutions?
5) The article gives a lot of examples of major media brands and companies. Choose three examples from the article and summarise what the writer is saying about each of them.
6) What examples are provided of the new business models media companies have had to adopt due to changes in technology and distribution?
7) Re-read the section on 'The Future'. What examples are discussed of technology companies becoming major media institutions?
8) Do you agree with the view that traditional media institutions are struggling to survive?
9) How might diversification or vertical integration help companies to survive and thrive in a rapidly changing media landscape?
10) How do YOU see the relationship between audience and institution in the future? Will audiences gain increasing power or will the major global media conglomerates maintain their control?
Complete these blog tasks for homework: due next Monday.
We have completed another crucial key concept in our MIGRAIN Introduction to Media unit and need to update our indexes to ensure we have kept up with all the work so far.
As you know, it is important we are revising terminology and theory on an ongoing basis and making sure there are no gaps as the course continues. You will also have an assessment in January covering all the content we have studied so far - if you have missed any lessons or blog tasks this will significantly disadvantage you.
MIGRAIN updated index
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 trips. Your index should now include the following:
You'll have done half of this index already - a quick time-saving tip is to copy the HTML from your original index blogpost and paste it in your new index blogpost. This will give you the first six links and you can add to it from there. Remember, this is your index, so the text should link to your corresponding blogpost so you can access your work on each key 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 the assessment due to gaps in your knowledge. Important: your updated index needs to be completed during the lesson.
Folder check An organised folder is absolutely vital when it comes to keeping notes for revision in future. At the beginning of the year you started an A4 ringbinder folder with dividers - now we need to check we have all our notes in chronological order and a section for our marked assessment from last half-term. Use the folder check self-assessment sheet to check you have everything in order then simply sign it yourself and ask your teacher to countersign it to confirm you are up-to-date. If you don't have your folder with you today, make sure you bring it in on Monday and get it signed off by your exam class teacher. Media Magazine We have set you several pieces of work this term using articles in Media Magazine. However, if you're aiming for an A or A* grade in A Level Media we strongly recommend you read the rest of the magazine in your own time - focusing on texts or topics you are particularly interested in. There will be a new issue out soon but the latest edition, MM61, contains some excellent articles on social media, journalism, documentary film, getting into the gaming industry and the gender balance of politics. You'll find it in our Media Magazine archive - just click on MM61! If you complete your index and folder check during the lesson, use the rest of your time to check out the latest (and previous) issues of Media Magazine. Homework If you don't have your folder with you, make sure you bring it in next lesson to get it signed off. If the index task has revealed any gaps in your blog, make sure you complete the missing work over the weekend. All due: Monday
