Media - GCSE

What will I study in Media Studies?

You will gain an overview and understanding of how the media works by gaining a working knowledge of media forms and products and the subject’s key concepts - ideas which will help you appreciate and explore the media with a critical and active appreciation rather than from a passive position as a consumer. Understanding is further developed through individual research, planning and production of three practical coursework assignments and by preparation for an examination on a set topic which is known in advance.

Assignment 1 - Advertising
Students explore how advertising and marketing targets products at consumers. Through your own background work you will produce your own advert for a new product.

Assignment 2 - Music Promotion
The hugely diverse area of music promotion is examined through the creation of materials that observe the codes and conventions of real media products.

Assignment 3 - Publishing
Students gain the opportunity to create their own magazine cover and contents on a subject or area not yet covered by existing publications or create a variation on an existing text.

Examination

The subject for the examination is known well in advance: e.g. it is currently Action Adventure movies. Students study the background to the subject then are allowed access to pre-release materials a month before the examination. This is essentially information that allows them to prepare for exam.

How will I be assessed?

You will be assessed through Controlled Assessment. You will be allowed time to prepare for the three assignments (each has a set brief, known in advance) but completion of the tasks will then be completed in class under exam-like conditions: i.e. timed and monitored by the teacher.

You will also sit the public examination at the end of the year on a topic which is known in advance.

Who will teach me?

Media Studies is taught by David Kline B.A. (Hons), P.G. Dip., who is an experienced media professional with many years spent as a radio journalist, as well as working in television production with the BBC and as a script writer and film maker.

Which subjects complement Media Studies?

The subject is a useful accompaniment to English Language and Literature. Just like those subjects it encourages students to develop and express critical thinking which are important skills required when studying the Arts.

Which careers can Media Studies lead to?

Though taking Media Studies may not necessarily lead to a career in television, magazines or film it can help improve and develop written and verbal communication skills, which are coveted by employers. Naturally, if a particular student is tenacious, determined, motivated and prepared to put in the extra work required to pursue a career in the media e.g. as a journalist or cameraman, studying the subject both at GCSE and later at A level can be useful.