Transcript Document

Media Studies – Unit 3
•Exploring Media Industries in
a nutshell!
1. Audience and Media Products
Methods of Research
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Questionnaire – a series of pre determined
questions that can provide qualitative or
quantitative data.
Case study – When you examine in detail a
specific example of something with a view to
explore how / why it worked/ happened.
Survey – Has a quantitative focus. Looks to
record how many people do a specific thing.
Methods of Research
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Online survey – Online version of a survey.
Participants often asked to click on option.
One to one interview – Question and
answer session between two individuals
where answers are recorded / noted down.
Focus group – A collection of people
brought together to discuss a specific topic.
Advantages and Disadvantages
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Questionnaires can be sent to people of all
ages and genders and there are lots of
questions that can be used to obtain data.
However, questionnaires do tend to take a
long time to fill out and it is impossible for
them to be reused.
Case studies are very structured and are useful
for supporting research. However, it does
seem to end up narrowing the focus quite a
lot, as only a specific example is mentioned.
Advantages and Disadvantages
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Surveys are very quick and easy, and you are
likely to get a lot of results from them.
However, these results shouldn't be taken too
seriously, as they may not necessarily be
accurate.
Online surveys are even faster than ordinary
surveys and again you are likely to get a lot of
results from them. However, you could argue
that not everyone has access to the internet
and the results may not necessarily be
accurate.
Advantages and disadvantages
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One to one interviews are quite intimate,
which means that the person is going to trust
the interviewer more and is less likely to give a
certain answer out of embarrassment.
However, this means that not enough people
are interviewed to get a fair opinion. Also, the
interviewing process is very lengthy and there
is a chance that the interviewee is just going to
answer to get the process over with.
Advantages and disadvantages
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Focus groups are much more useful than one
to one interviews as you can get lots of results
from a variety of different people. However,
with focus groups you are more likely to
experience disagreements and slightly clouded
results, as certain people may give a certain
answer in order to avoid embarrassment. As
well as this, there is the possibility that the
focus group can go slightly off topic.
Importance of research
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Important for providing appropriate
content for target audience.
Allows you to check that your facts are
correct and that your content is
appropriate.
Makes sure that there is no risk of
copyright infringement (carrying out an
idea that is already in existence).
2. Ownership, Control and Finance
Types of ownership
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Public – Media that is owned and/or financed
by the general public. There is no need for
advertising, as it is normally funded by some
kind of license fee, but it is important to
provide the audience with what they want (eg:
the BBC).
Commercial – When a company is owned
privately, and therefore aims to make a profit.
Their main funding comes from advertising
(eg: ITV, News Corp, etc.)
Outputs: Commercial
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Aims to create popular programmes to gain
as big an audience as possible, leading to
greater advertising / subscription revenue
and therefore making as big a profit as
possible.
May be in favour of the company owner/s.
Therefore, certain issues may not be
broadcast/published, which can be seen as
biased or unfair.
Outputs - Public
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Isn't as important to make a profit, as it
isn't privately owned. Therefore, there is no
advertising during a programme, which
appeals to many people as their
programmes are not interrupted.
Aims to create a broad range of
programmes in order to serve the whole
nation. It has to remain impartial,
particularly in its news coverage.
3. Working Practices and Job Roles
Job Roles – Print and Publishing
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Copy Editor – makes sure text is ready for
publication by checking that it is clear, easy to
read, factually accurate, and grammatically
correct.
Journalist - researches, gathers and produces
news items for newspapers and magazines.
Publishing Editor – Has the final say over the
style and content of the publication. The role
is primarily managerial.
Job Roles - Television
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Floor manager - provides an essential link
between the director and the other people
involved in a production. They deal with
important practicalities and make sure that
everyone knows what to do and when.
Camera Man - creates and captures moving
images for the whole range of television
programmes, including drama, news and
outside broadcasts. They work with
sophisticated camera equipment and
accessories.
Job Roles - Television
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Researcher - investigates the subject to be
covered by a programme and assist with
the recording. They may also help to think
up ideas for topics and new shows.
Editor - turns raw footage into finished TV
programmes and films. They select the best
shots and assemble them in the most
appropriate way, adding sound and
graphics.
Don't mix them up!
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Director - has overall creative responsibility
for a film or television production. They
take the decisions which turn the written
script into what we see on the screen.
Producer - leads the process of turning
ideas or scripts into finished work with the
potential for commercial success.
Directors may:
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commission a scriptwriter
or, in some cases, actually
write the script
find a suitable location
select the cast and crew
direct the various technical
crews - camera, sound and
lighting
direct the cast
keep everything to schedule
and within budget.
Producers may:
come up with the idea for a
film or production
raise money to fund the film or
show
commission writers and hire a
director, editor and other
crew members
draw up shooting schedules
supervise the progress of
filming, liaising closely with
the director and other team
members ensure the project
is completed to budget
oversee the editing process
get involved in promoting the
finished product.
Freelancers
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A freelancer is somebody who is selfemployed who is not committed to a
particular employer long term.
They are used so often in the media because
the industry is generally unstable, changing in
popularity constantly. As well as this, they are
generally much cheaper to employ, and the
employers do not have to worry about the
cost of redundancies if the project goes bust.
4. Regulation and Ethical / Legal
Constraints
Regulatory bodies
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OFCOM – The Office of Communications.
Monitors the TV, radio and mobile phone
industries and deals with complaints.
PCC – Press Complaints Commission. Monitors
any issues in the print and publishing industry.
BBFC – British Board of Film Classification.
Provide films with suitable age ratings.
ASA – Advertising Standards Authority.
Monitors any issues in advertisements in TV/
film / radio / print.
Famous Issues
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Television – Big Brother race row (Jade Goody
& Shilpa Shetty), EastEnders baby swap
storyline, 2010 X-Factor (Fixing scandals)
Other – Sachsgate (Jonathan Ross / Russell
Brand / Andrew Sachs) , The Dark Knight film
classification (people were outraged over its
12a age rating, despite containing a scene
where the Joker kills someone with a pencil).
Why Regulations are Important
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In our society, everyone is entitled to free
speech.
However, there are some media companies
that can take this too far.
OFCOM makes sure that any offensive
material is quickly corrected and the press
allows people that have been slandered in
their material to set their story straight.
Illegal Downloading
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Many artists depend on money from sales,
so downloading illegally is not only really
mean, but technically theft.
Most music is subjected to copyright law, as
it's owned by both the company and the
artist. Therefore, illegally downloading it is
infringing copyright.
5. Technological Developments
Technological Advancements (TV
and Print)
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The internet – online news / streaming
On Demand Services – iPlayer, ITV player, etc.
Digital TV – Sky, Virgin Media,etc. Provides extra channels for
viewers that aren't available on analogue TV.
Social networking sites – Opportunities to discuss TV shows /
news stories
HD TV – High Definition. Provides you with a clearer and
more colourful picture.
3D TV – 3 Dimensional TV. Immerses you in the TV
programme.
Smart Phones – Allow you to stream the internet and TV
onto your mobile.
Impact Of New Technology
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The internet – opportunities for discussion, less
irrelevant material, faster for readers, cheaper for
company, less portable.
On Demand Services – Able to watch what you want
without pre-recording, less ways of funding (no
advertisements).
Digital TV – Programmes being made solely for digital
channels, programmes being moved to digital channels.
HD / 3D TV – Audience become more engrossed in TV
programme, but TV companies have to invest in
specialist equipment. However, more money goes to
company.
Smart phones – More portable access.
Young People and Technology
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Because technology has developed so
quickly, teenagers can be more interactive
online than previous generations.
Websites such as Facebook and Youtube
provide young people with more
opportunities for expressing themselves.
There is also opportunity for an immediate
interaction on a global scale, leading to
possible fame worldwide.
Young People And Technology
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However, old media, although lessening in
popularity is still used by young people.
However, traditional media isn't as
appealing anymore due to its lack of
interactivity, the fact that we are gradually
losing access (ie: the digital switchover) and
the fact that it isn't as fashionable as it
once was.
General Pointers
Short Answers
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Write the number of examples that it asks
for. So if it asks you to give two examples of
regulatory bodies, give two. Not three, not
sixteen. Two.
Make sure these examples are accurate,
otherwise you won't get full marks.
NB: These questions are normally only
worth a couple of marks, so you should aim
to get the majority of them right.
Medium Answers
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Again, if it asks you to give a certain number of
examples, give the examiners that number.
If it asks you for an explanation, use as much
detail as possible, make sure it is clear and
knowledgeable and includes media
terminology.
Make sure your answers are convincing.
Before you move onto the next question, read
your answer through. If it seems like your
answer makes sense, move on.
Longer Answers
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Each question will differ depending on the topic, but here are some
general pointers:
Acknowledge the information provided at the beginning of section
two. At least one of the questions will cover this directly, and you'll
probably find that it will help you with other questions, so don't
forget to read it through.
Like the other answers, if it asks you for examples, give them the
correct number.
Make sure the reasons in your explanation are clear, confident and
convincing.
The last question will ask you to make some suggestions to tackle a
particular issue. First of all, make sure you use good English, as this
will be assessed as well as your media knowledge. Also, give the
examiner some sensible suggestions that are well argued and
confident. Using all of this should get you full marks.
Other Advice
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Read the instructions carefully. The last thing you want is to get
halfway through the exam and realise you've done it wrong.
Take into account the marks available. Chances are that the 5
and 10 mark questions are going to take more time than the
two mark questions.
Make sure you use good English, a clear structure and media
terminology. In other words, DON'T USE BULLET POINTS.
Finally, don't panic! You have 90 minutes to complete the exam,
so it is better to take your time and write a convincing
explanation than to rush and have half hearted attempts
throughout.
GOOD LUCK! :)