Interesting interview. Note comments about how the ASA regulate company websites and how access to digital media has inspired a rise in complaints:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18260747Wednesday 30 May 2012
Thursday 24 May 2012
YEAR 13 LESSON THIRTY [25th May 12]: Homework.
Students were introduced to a series of resources that were used to replicate the first question of Section A MEST 3. Notes were gathered through class discussion.
Students also considered the Section A related question: How has digital media changed the ability for the audience to consume news?
The final section of the session considered the Section B question: What opportunities and/or disadvantages do new and digital media have for audiences?
HOMEWORK: Students are encouraged to provide a response to any of the questions that were considered in today's session. E-mail the responses and I will hand the work to you in our final session on Friday. Below are the resources for Section A Question 1:
Section A Question 1 resources:
How is Britain represented in these two texts?
Holidays at home: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viCZ4XjTliY
BBC News Report from Student Riots: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxlwg2mWnBE
How is smoking represented in these NHS adverts?
Jungle Book NHS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftkYPpD4K8MHow is the experience of school represented in these two texts?
Inbetweeners: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xqr8yPipfJ8
Educating Essex:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxK3_hihHis
How is the experience of childhood represented in the following two texts?
Barnardos Life Story:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAYLh09JxJE
Barnardos Turn Around:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epbrArUH5B4
Saturday 19 May 2012
MORAL PANICS: Resources for Year 13.
What are moral panics? Click on link:
BBC article related to moral panic of binge drinking. Click on link:
Mark Kermode. Can movies still cause a moral panic? Click on link:
Mark Kermode writing in The Guardian. Do violent video games turn us into killers?
Click on link:
The case of Warren Leblanc:
Below is a link to a BBC Open University documentary that explores the nature of Moral Panics. It might be more suitable for teachers rather than students but it offers an excellent overview of this topic. The film includes an interview with Stan Cohen who provided the first real analysis of how the media creates a moral panic when he offered a study of the violence between mods and rockers in the 1960s. This is well worth a watch.
YEAR 13 LESSON TWENTY-NINE [18th May 12]: Homework.
Digital media case studies were collected and a discussion was generated that attempted to differentiate between a SOPHISTICATED and a PROFICIENT critical argument. Students must create a SOPHISTICATED response to MEST 3 Section B if they want to access the higher grades. Issues discussed related to:
- the idea that digital media has empowered the Producer more than the Audience. Discussion attempted to highlight areas of the digital debate where the Audience has been empowered and areas where the Audience is clearly still subject to content mediated by the Producer. The empowerment of the audience depends on which digital industry you are exploring. For example has the News industry empowered the Audience or Producer? Does the nature of this empowerment change when considering the effect of digital media upon the music industry?
- the idea that any consideration of empowerment needs to consider the idea that digital freedom depends very much on where you live. Digital freedom in the UK is very different to the digital experience in China, North Korea or Cuba.
- the idea that theory can be used when discussing why certain nation states attempt to control digital information. Students must refer to the central belief of Marxist theory when dealing with why any nation would want to control digital access. Chomsky's idea of the media as a propaganda model that manufactures consent needs to be considered as does the fact that some nation states have access to a more pluralist digital culture.
1.Why does the media rely so heavily on conflict?
2.Should the internet be more regulated?
Students were then offered the gift of a 40 minute timed response.
HOMEWORK: Students need to be revising. Students should be digesting all the notes that have been gathered in our sessions, refer to past exam questions, and consider how they would answer these questions. When next our worlds collide, we will be considering issues that relate to both Section A and Section B.
KEEP PERUSING THE BLOG AS I WILL BE POSTING A SERIES OF A2 REVISION RESOURCES.
Tuesday 15 May 2012
WONDERFUL BBC FACEBOOK DOCUMENTARY.
I have posted this before but this is well worth a repeat posting. This is very useful for MEST 3 Section B and for some of your case studies. Click on link below:
Thursday 10 May 2012
YEAR 13 LESSON TWENTY-EIGHT [11th May 12]: Homework.
Students received the marked drafts of their case studies and the first session looked at issues that relate to the impact of digital media. Students were encouraged to consider how different institutions have adapted to the digital world. Students were encouraged to consider:
- News institutions and the challenging of mainstream representations.
- The publishing industry and the effect of the Kindle. Students were encouraged to consider why Borders and Waterstones have struggled to adapt to the digital marketplace. Students were encouraged to research the Faber and Faber and Harper Collins websites. How are Faber and Faber using digital media? If the book is dying, how are Faber and Faber attempting to survive in the digital world? Significance of the e-book?
- Social media and why Facebook has thrived when Bebo/MySpace have struggled. Students were encouraged to discover how Facebook makes money.
- Murdoch and why print media is struggling to find a business model. Students were encouraged to research Murdoch's PAYWALLS and how he is attempting to use the I-Pad to create a successful digital business model.
- Music and the impact of the MP3 file. Why is EMI struggling? How is Spotify attempting to offer a digital business model? How has digital media revolutionised how we consume music? The significance of the I-Pod? Why are Coldplay so s**t?
- The success of the BBC and Channel Four. How have these institutions adapted to confront the demands of the digital world? What are they offering their audience?
The session encouraged students to develop awareness of how digital media is able to challenge mainstream representations and consider issues relating to regulation and censorship. Students need to develop an understanding of the significance of SOPA, ACTA and the UK's Digital Economy Act. Students MUST be aware of the digital media issues and debates that link to regulation and censorship. Students were also asked to consider the question: How do the audience benefit from New Digital Media?
ISSUES RELATING TO INSTITUTION AND AUDIENCE ARE CENTRAL TO SECTION B OF THE EXAM. THIS SHOULD BE THE FOCUS OF STUDENT REVISION.
I made reference to The Guardian webpage that will be useful when constructing the final versions of the case studies. Click on link below to access this OUTSTANDING RESOURCE:
The Guardian newspaper recently offered a full week of articles that considered all the key issues and debates that link to digital media. Students really should be reading this material. A criticism of the case studies is that some students are still struggling to offer convincing evidence of independent research. This site should help ALL STUDENTS with their research.
Students were asked to consider the MEST 3 Section B exam title from January 2011:
'New and digital media offers media institutions different ways of reaching audiences.'
Consider how and why media institutions are using these techniques.
The following essay structure was offered as a potential response to this title:
- The first paragraph could explore how the BBC have attempted to provide the audience with choice. Reference could be made to the I-Player, Podcasts, programme specific e-media etc. The audience can now respond to views and material being offered by the BBC and these views can be shared with other viewers. Channel Four also uses e-media to offer educative value to their audience. This relates to their remit. Reference should be made to a specific Channel Four text.
- The second paragraph could explore how Murdoch/Newscorp is attempting to use the I-Pad and a series of apps in an attempt to reach a digital audience. Reference could be made to his use of PAYWALL at The Times to explore an institution struggling to adapt to the digital world. Reference could be made to Behavioural Targeting and how traditional print media is struggling to attract advertisers when online advertising can be so audience specific.
- The third paragraph should begin: 'In my case study...' This paragraph should relate your independent research to the requirements of the question.
- The fourth paragraph could explore how the publishing industry is attempting to reach their audience using digital media. Reference should be made to the Kindle, e-books, download culture, author specific websites, etc. If the traditional book is dying, how are institutions such as Faber and Faber using digital media?
- If there was enough time, a paragraph could be offered that illustrates the idea that the use of digital media depends on your position in the world. Some countries [China, Iran, North Korea etc] restrict digital access and digital media is used to control an audience rather than empower an audience. Governments can control digital information in an attempt to shape the view of the audience. In a democratic and pluralist digital world an audience may benefit from digital media but digital media can be used to 'manufacture consent'. Marxist theory views the media as a propaganda tool used by the political elite to control thought.
The final section of the session considered the Section A questions from the January 2011 exam:
Resources for Section A MEST 3.
The Guardian:
BBC Report:
HOMEWORK: COMPLETE CASE STUDY. Refer to January 2011 exam paper as there may be some 'timed writing' in the next session in response to this paper.
Tuesday 8 May 2012
YEAR 12 LESSON TWENTY-SEVEN [8th May 12]: Homework.
The whole session was a discussion of issues relating to the examination. I will be offering a pre-exam session on Monday afternoon. Bring some questions.
The texts used in today's session were:
TRUE BLOOD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxINMuOgAu8Wings of Lunesta: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVSERRGSvd0&feature=related
Monday 7 May 2012
YEAR 13 LESSON TWENTY-SEVEN [4th May 12]: Homework.
Students considered how the Invisible Children Kony 2012 campaign could be linked to Mest 3 Section B. Class discussion attempted to consider the media issues and debates that can be explored through this Kony viral campaign.
The second section of the lesson considered the following question: How are media forms used to suggest content in these two texts?
The two texts used were the opening credits to TRUE BLOOD and MAD MEN. Click on links below:
True Blood: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxINMuOgAu8
HOMEWORK: Students should be revising and preparing themselves for Mest 3. ALL STUDENTS should be considering the issues that we have discussed throughout the year that relate to the impact of digital media. REVISIT YOUR NOTES.
Tuesday 1 May 2012
YEAR 12 LESSON TWENTY-SIX [1st May 12]: Homework.
The first section of this session was a consideration of issues relating to the cross-media study. Recent written work raised a series of issues relating to Section B of the exam and the first hour of today's session explored some of these issues and attempted to provide some critical clarity. Students were asked to consider the following questions:
- What is the difference between traditional documentary and hybrid-documentary?
- Is the function of the e-media offered by Channel Four different to the function of the e-media linked to Man On Wire and Exit Through The Gift Shop? Is the e-media linked to the films in our cross-media study merely used by the producers as a marketing tool whereas the e-media linked to the institution of Channel Four has a more 'educational' motivation?
- How can the Uses and Gratifications Theory be applied to the hybrid-documentaries being offered by Channel Four?
- Who benefits from e-media: Audience or Producer?
- Have advances in digital technology enhanced the production of the documentary?
- How has the independent film-maker's ability to access a global audience been enhanced by digital media?
- How significant is the influence of the BBC in the production/marketing of Man On Wire? We discussed how the BBC helped fund the film and used their radio platform and print media platform to help market the film.
I will be posting some notes to accompany some of the issues we discussed in the first half of the lesson. Watch this space.
The second session was linked to Section A of the June 2010 exam. Click on link below to access the unseen text:
HOMEWORK: Attempt the Section A questions and attempt Question 5 of Section B. Students MUST ANSWER THE QUESTION when attempting the cross-media study question. QUESTION FOCUS MUST BE PRECISE.
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