This document provides an overview of the Paper 2, Section A exam questions for Media Studies. It outlines that students will be asked two questions about either Minecraft, The Jungle Book, or the Radio 1 Breakfast Show. Potential topics that could be covered include production/technology, ownership/funding, regulation, audiences, and political/cultural/economic contexts. Sample questions are provided along with guidance on structuring responses, applying relevant media theories, and key resources for revision.

1. Today we will be covering…
• The three texts on Paper 2, Section A
• What you could be asked questions about
• How you could answer a question
• Theories that you could apply
• How you can independently revise
We will also have the opportunity to discuss what
else you feel you need to revise

2. Paper 2, Section A
You will be asked 2 questions
about any of the following:
• Minecraft
• The Jungle Book
• Radio 1 Breakfast Show
You could be asked about:
• Production and technology
• Ownership and funding
• Regulation
• Reaching audiences
• Maintaining audiences
• Audience interaction
• Political, cultural and
economic contexts

3. 1. Explain why popular music radio programmes struggle to gain
recognition as Public Service Broadcasting. Refer to The BBC
Radio 1 Breakfast Show to support your answer.
In your answer you must also:
• Explain how political, cultural and economic contexts influence
the status of popular music radio programming. [15]
2. Explain the impact of digitally convergent media platforms on video
game production, distribution and consumption. Refer to Minecraft
to support your answer. [15]
Section A: Media Industries and
Audiences
This question asks
students to show their
K&U of radio in relation
to PSB (AO1.1).
Students also need to
show K&U of contexts
INFLUENCING radio
programming (AO1.2)
In this section there are two
questions.
Only TWO out of the three
media forms in this section
will be assessed each
series.
In the specimen paper Radio
and Video Games are
assessed.
Any of the non-theory
subject content for media
industries and audiences
could be targeted in each
question (spec pages 27-28).
As a rough guide:
• 10 mark questions equate to 15
minutes writing time
• 15 mark questions equate to 25
minutes writing time
• 30 mark questions equate to 50
minutes writing time
Questions in this section are ALL
focussed on AO1 (AO1.1 and
AO1.2) – ‘knowledge and
understanding’.
This section will not feature:
• analysis questions; or
• theory questions.
This question asks students to show their K&U of
video games (AO1.1).
For example, this question is specifically targeting
subject content point 10 on page 27 of the spec:
“the impact of digitally convergent media platforms
on media production, distribution and circulation,
including individual producers “
It also allows responses to potentially touch on a
number of elements of audience subject content.

4. Minecraft/ The Jungle
Book/ Radio 1 BF show

5. Minecraft/ The Jungle
Book/ Radio 1 BF show

6. Structuring a response
● How do you structure a Media essay?
● How do you structure a paragraph in a Media essay?
● How long should you spend on a response?
● How many paragraphs should you write?

7. How do you structure a Media essay?
Write an introduction, the main body of the essay and a
conclusion.
The introduction should address the question directly. So
should the conclusion.
Through the main body of the essay you need to make a
number of points, giving clear and specific examples,
media terminology and theory.
Provide evidence. The more specific you are the better.

8. How do you structure a paragraph in a
Media essay?
There are a number of ways, but I would recommend PETAL:
P – make a clear point
E – evidence. The more specific, the better. This can be a
camera angle, a reference to a website, the name of a
celebrity, a specific advert, etc.
T – technique or theory. Mention some terminology to
discuss this, e.g. ‘sandbox’ ‘CU’ ‘Web 2.0’ or a theory such as
Jenkins.
A – analysis. This is where you explain why something is
important or the effect it has. Remember this is a polysemic
process (there are a number of possible meanings) so top
answers suggest 2 or 3 different interpretations.
L – link back to the question focus.

9. How long should you spend on a
response?
The exam is 2 hours long. There are 70 marks available.
You will be answering a 15 mark question, so therefore…

10. How many paragraphs should you write?
As many as it takes.

11. Practice questions
1. Explain how recent technological change and
media production has affected the way that
audiences consume _______.
In your answer, you must also:
• Explain how political, cultural and social context
affect audience consumption.

12. Creating your own questions
The last one was A4
2. Explain… (I/A, 1-12)

13. Theories that you could apply
Regulation – Livingstone and Lunt
Cultural Industries – Hesmondhalgh
Fandom – Jenkins
Identity - Gauntlett

14. Key resources to revise from:
Specification:
https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/316672-specification-
accredited-a-level-gce-media-studies-h409.pdf
Factsheets
https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/422763-video-games-
minecraft-factsheet.pdf
https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/427412-the-radio-1-
breakfast-show-with-nick-grimshaw-factsheet.pdf
https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/428806-the-jungle-book-
1967-and-2016-teacher-guide.pdf