Media Studies

A-LEVEL MEDIA STUDIES

Faculty: Creative and Technical
Subject: Media Studies
Staff and Responsibility: Miss L Jordan – Head of Media Studies  / Mr Clements / Mrs Douglas
Exam Board: OCR 

ASSESSMENT FORMAT 

  • 70% Examination 
  • 30% Coursework 

SUBJECT OVERVIEW        Component  1: Media Messages (35%) 

Section A: News (in depth news study) Newspaper texts studied
Two covers of the ‘Daily Mail’ and two covers of ‘The Guardian’ (focusing on language and representation) plus 

  • One complete edition of the ‘Daily Mail’ and one complete edition of ‘The Guardian’ (focusing on industries and audiences) 
  • Online and participatory media: Mail Online website looking at two articles, The Guardian website looking at two articles (plus Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds) 
  • Contemporary news in the UK how and why newspapers and their online counter parts are evolving as media products 
  • Relationship between online and offline news 

Section B: Media Language and Representations
Students will explore media language and representation across three forms to understand social, cultural and political contexts and how media producers create meaning. Looking at the following texts:   Magazines ‘The Big Issue’ / Advertising and marketing / Music videos 

Component  2: Evolving Media (35%) 

Section A: Media Industries and Audiences
Students will explore media industries and audiences looking at how and why media products are constructed across forms, to address audiences. Looking at:  Radio (BBC Radio 1) / Video games (Minecraft) / Film (The Jungle Book) 

Section B: Long Form TV Drama
Students will conduct one in depth study of TV as an evolving global media form looking at one full episode of a contemporary English language long form TV drama and a non-English long form TV drama. Students will be able to apply theoretical concepts to choices made within the episodes. 

  • English: Stranger Things (season 1, episode 1, July 2016) BBFC 12 
  • Non-English: Deutschland 83 (Season 1, episode 1, June 2015) Channel 4 

Component  3: Making Media (30%)    Create a cross media product and a 500-word statement of intent:  Magazine / Website 

POTENTIAL CAREER OPTIONS 

  • Digital marketer / Media buyer / Media planner / Broadcasting/film/  video / Social media manager / Television/film/video producer / Web content manager / Broadcast journalist / Editorial assistant / Event manager / Film director / Magazine journalist / Market researcher / Marketing executive / Media researcher / Photographer / Writer / Public Relations officer / Music producer / Teacher. 
  • tes
  • SSAT
  • LEPP
  • EQualities
  • IoE-Partnership-logo
  • eco-schools-bronze-award
  • The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
  • healthy-school