M
MM
be worth watching. Many MYTH 8: Nothing you do in Media
students discover they Studies will ever be any use in the
have a real aptitude for real world.
the practical work, but
usually only after they FACT: One of the key features of
have been properly taught Media Studies is its relevance to the
how to use it. Practical ‘real world’.
work is enjoyable, but We all consume lots of media, and have strong opinions
it involves a wide range about them, many people are anxious about their impact
of skills, from technical, upon society. These are all good reasons to study the
creative and organisational to media. The skills involved in participating in a Media course
communication and teamwork. are also likely to come in very handy in the ‘real world’:
Not many people off the street will research, planning, organisation, analysis, reflecting on your
be able to demonstrate all of those own learning, teamwork, extended writing, working under
in a hurry! pressure, using ICT are all skills useful both to you as an
individual, to your future studies and to possible employers.
MYTH 5: In Media Studies you don’t
have to do any writing. MYTH 9: ‘I’m already an expert so I
don’t need to study the media’.
FACT: There is as much writing in
Media Studies as there is in English FACT: Once you start Media Studies,
– and quite possibly more. you will see that studying it is quite
You will have several exam papers and mocks to complete; different from simply consuming it.
research projects which may run to thousands of words, and You will notice things you hadn’t thought of before and will
similarly lengthy commentaries on your practical work to write. certainly get a sense of how media texts are constructed, both
What a lot of students taking Media find is that the structure from analysing them and from making them yourself. You’ll
and subject matter of the work often helps them to write in a also probably realise there is a lot about the
more sustained way than they were previously capable of. media you don’t already know – from
how the media are funded to how
MYTH 6: Media Studies will decisions are made about
stop you enjoying the media. what you can and can’t see
and read.
FACT: For most students,
studying the media in MYTH 10: A
depth actually enhances Level Media
their pleasure and leads Studies is
them to broaden their media your passport
tastes. to a job in
They may become a bit of a ‘media bore’ at the media.
home, pointing out technical features when
watching TV with their families, but the aim FACT:
of Media Studies is certainly not to put you A Level
off the media. Media,
despite
MYTH 7: High achievers containing a
shouldn’t do Media Studies. practical element
and using all the
FACT: For all the reasons skills mentioned
outlined above, it should be above, is not a directly
clear that anyone should have the vocational course.
opportunity to do Media. You would no more be qualified for a job in the media from
There are some exceptionally able students doing Media doing this course than for a job in publishing through doing
Studies each year who produce some stunning work; equally, English A Level or being a chemist through doing Chemistry A
there are students who have never really achieved their Level. An A Level is just one step along your way. If you want
potential in their school subjects prior to A Level, who find to work in the media, you will need to demonstrate a wide
they have a talent for the subject and do better at it than range of skills, not least a willingness to work very long hours
anything they have done before. for very little money to start with. The best route to a job in the
media is using your skills for work experience and taking every
opportunity that comes along – however small it may appear
to be. A Level Media should not do you any harm, but it is
certainly not your passport to stardom. MM
Pete Fraser is Head of Media Studies at Long Road Sixth Form College,
Cambridge and a Principal Examiner for OCR Media Studies A Level.
48 MediaMagazine | september 2004 | english and media centre