Baseline assessment: Learner Response

 1) Type up your feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential).
WWW: Excellent response to q1 
EBI: Q2- consider how useful the media effects theories are when analysing the CSPs in relation to context.
Q3- Mostly secure knowledge of both magazine CSPs; needs more industries + examples to reference from both CSPs

2) Focusing on the BBC Newsbeat question, write three ways it helps to fulfil the BBC's mission statement that you didn't include in your original assessment answer. Use the mark scheme for ideas.
  • The news topics in a Newsbeat bulletin tend to offer entertainment to listeners. Although the top story will usually be serious (hard news) every Newsbeat bulletin will contain some sport or entertainment content which helps to fulfil the remit to entertain. For example, Newsbeat will contain pretty extensive reports from major sporting events such as Wimbledon or the World Cup and will also cover music or film awards ceremonies more than some other BBC news programmes.

3) Question two asked you how useful media effects theories are in understanding the audience response to War of the Worlds. Complete the following:
  • Gerbner's Cultivation theory: useful or not useful? Why?
After a long period of time consuming media it can influence people's beliefs and opinions. It is useful because people in the 40's were using the media or at least what they had of media for intel about Germany and war. Therefore, believing the world is at chaos. So martians evading Jersey didn't sound crazy.
  • Frankfurt School's Hypodermic Needle model: useful or not useful? Why?
The hypodermic needle model suggest that audiences are passive and just take in any information they get from the media. This is useful because it explains why the audience for WOTW was so quick to believe that martians were invading Jersey despite occasional reminders that the story is fake.
  • Stuart Hall's Reception theory: useful or not useful? Why?
This theory points out 3 different types of readings: Oppositional, Preferred, Negotiated. The Preferred reading of WOTW was that it'd be a great sci-fi story created and produced, however, it instead got a oppositional reading of it being true and that the world wa sin danger due to Martians. It is useful because it gives insight to producers intentions and audience reactions and how it doesn't always allign.
4) Write a full essay plan for the 25-mark Magazines question. The mark scheme contains plenty of ideas you can use here. Your plan should include notes/bullet points addressing the following:
  • Introduction: one sentence answering the original question and laying out your argument clearly.
  • Paragraph 1 content/ideas: 
For: Magazine offers a range of audience pleasures to its target audience: Uses and Gratifications – personal identity and surveillance. Readers may see their lifestyle and ambitions reflected on the pages.
  • Paragraph 2 content/ideas:
For: Global Editorial Director Will Welch has championed a ‘New Masculinity’ that has seen cover shoots that challenge gender stereotypes and a move away from style advice to self-expression. This reflects a magazine that understands its target audience is changing.
  • Paragraph 3 content/ideas:
Against: Decline in print due to rise in new/digital media: GQ has declined sharply over the last 10-15 years. Even in the last 5 years its circulation has dropped 25,000 (from 110,000 to 85,000). Therefore it is fair to ask whether GQ has been successful in targeting its audience in the digital media landscape. 
  • Paragraph 4 content/ideas:
Against: Twice a year publication perhaps reflects the digital revolution in society. Its worldwide distribution (many copies paid by subscription rather than newsstand) reflects the change in the way audiences buy and consume their media. The Gentlewoman has cleverly positioned itself as a print product yet used the global, digital landscape to successfully target its audience.
  • Conclusion: sum up your argument a final time in one sentence
In conclusion both magazines are doing a fair job at keeping up with digital media and not letting it put them out of business, therefore, they are doing well at attracting their audience.
5) Finally, identify three key skills/topics you want to work on in A Level Media this year before the final exams in the summer.
  • Application skills
  • Industry skills
  • Writing coherence skills.

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