Representation from the Specifcation

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Answer the question:  How does your case study meet these requirements and what exactkly are you doing in your case study?

 

3.3 Unit 3 MEST3 Critical Perspectives

Introduction

The aim of this synoptic unit is to allow candidates to

demonstrate their holistic understanding of the Media

Studies Specification. It is assumed that during the

course of their study they will have covered media

concepts in some detail but, generally speaking,

individually. At this level they are encouraged to

examine the media in a less formulaic way. Unit

3 will encourage candidates to demonstrate their

understanding of the concepts, and also to develop

and formulate their approach to the media and the

role of the media in today’s society by referring in

detail to the wider contexts (social, political, historical,

economic, as appropriate) which affect media

production, distribution and exhibition, by tackling

media theory and by taking part in a discussion of

the major contemporary media issues and debates.

Candidates are expected to look at cross-cultural

factors and the effects of globalisation on the media

where appropriate.

Assessment Objectives

AO1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of

media concepts, contexts and critical debates

AO2 Apply knowledge and understanding when

analysing media products and processes (and

evaluating own practical work) to show how

meanings and responses are created

Content

Candidates will be given

two pre-set topic areas for

study during the year, which they will explore across

one or more of the

three media platforms.

Each of the topic areas will allow candidates to

examine media issues and debates, theory and wider

contexts, while also consolidating their understanding

and use of the media concepts and other aspects of

the specification covered at AS level. Each candidate

should produce an individual case study of their

own choice for each pre-set topic selected. It is not

advisable for a whole group of candidates to be given

the same title for an area of research. Candidates will

be expected to examine media texts in detail in terms

of their meanings and their functions.

Pre-set topic areas:

The first two pre-set topic areas will be:

• representations in the media

• the impact of new/digital media.

Representations in the Media

Candidates might study:

• Images of particular groups or places across a

range of media

• Possible alternative representations;

representation and stereotyping

• Representation and genre

• Representations and wider contexts

• Representations and audience

• Cross-cultural factors in representation

• The effect of globalisation on representations in

the media

• Values and ideology underlying representations.

Case studies might be of a chosen group or place,

eg refugees in British newspapers or Los Angeles

in Hollywood films and television. Thus candidates

might study a variety of representations across the

media platforms over the period of a term such as

teenagers in TV soap operas and British films or

celebrities in magazines and newspapers. They could

widen this approach to study such representations

across different media platforms, where appropriate.

Areas such as these would allow them to consider

a variety of current media issues and debates such

as media effects, ownership and control and news

values.

They could consider the role of the media in shaping

our beliefs and attitudes and the reasons why certain

representations exist by examining the wider contexts

in which media products are manufactured and sold.

A study of representations in the media would also

lend itself to the examination of a variety of media

theories to:

• consider how the representations of groups and

places are constructed (media analysis)

• consider the political issues surrounding

representations (politics and the media)

• consider the effects of such representations

on audiences and the reasons why such

representations exist (consumption and

production)

• consider cross-cultural factors in the

representation of groups and places as

appropriate.

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GCE Media Studies Specification for AS exams 2009 onwards and A2 exams 2010 onwards (version 1.2)

3

A case study of refugees in British newspapers

for example, would involve research into, and

documentation of, the treatment of refugees in a

variety of British newspapers (or possibly just one)

to pinpoint the political and social reasons for the

construction of such media representations and

the possible effects on the audience of newspaper

readers. Candidates could widen this approach to

study such representations across different media

platforms. The case study should involve candidates

in an exploration of the wider contexts (historical, social,

political and economic) of production and, importantly,

provide them with an opportunity to consider the

question ‘why’ such representations exist, including

cross-cultural factors and the effect of globalisation.