A2 AQA media case study

1. Exam – The Impact of New Media Case Study 1: The alleged role of New Media Technology in the killing of Lee
Rigby in May 2013.
1. Summarise what you know about the killing of Lee Rigby in Woolwich in May 2013.
2. How was the killing reported? How did it make the news? What role did “citizen journalists” and new media
technology play? What role did established media institutions play? The Emily Bell Guardian article may be helpful
here.
3. What arguments were made in some sections of the media about the role of new media technology in enabling and
publicising the attack? (read and summarise the Daily Mail article “Now Force Google to Block Sick Websites of
Hatred”. What did the government say would have to be considered? The Guardian article on the Communications
Data Bill and “Crackdown on the Internet” might be useful here.
4. How was the attack reported in the press? Look at the sample front pages from the day after the killing. What
criticisms were made of the way the killing was reported? Read the Brendan O’Neil Spiked Online article, the
Guardian article by Simon Jenkins and the letters written to The Guardian concerning its reporting of the story.
5. Why might newspapers have been prepared to go as far as to alter the design of their front pages to cover the
story? What pressures are they under?
Moral panics
• What is meant by the term “moral panic”?
• Read through pages 15-18 (violence in the media) and 38&39 (Moral Panics) of AQA A2 Media Studies by Andrews
and Stevenson and summarise in your own words.
• Research and summarise the following media generated moral panics:
- Knife and gun crime in London (Present Day).
- Supposed role of violent films in the Jamie Bulger case (1993)
- Supposed role of violent films/games in the Columbine School shootings (1998)
- Supposed role of violent films/games in the Virginia Tech shootings (2007)
- The Sun’s Broken Britain campaign.
- Paedophilia – particularly relating to the Sarah Payne case of 2000, Baby P case of 2007/8.
- Drugs – particularly relating to the Methedrone story of 2010.
- The use of social networking media and mobile technology in the London riots of August 2011.
- The alleged role of new media technology in recruiting people to extremist and terrorist organisations such as
ISIS/ISIL.
For each “panic”, try to:
- Give a summary/overview of the story/situation – what happened? When did it happen? etc.
- Establish which media institution(s) were involved in generating the “panic”.
- Establish whether the panic brought about any changes in the law.
Theories and contemporary media issues and debates that may be of use:
Audience theories
• Read pages 10 and 11 of AS and A2 Study Guide/Revision Express AS&A2 Media Studies and summarise in your
own words.
• Use the internet and AS and A2 Study Guide/Revision Express AS&A2 Media Studies (pages 86-88) and AQA GCSE
Media Studies textbook to summarise the following theories relating to audience:
- Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
- Uses and gratifications theory
- Effects theory.
- The hypodermic needle model.
- Cultivation theory.
- Two step flow.
- Reception theory.
Narrative Theories
Baudrillard (hyperreality)
Contemporary Media Issues
1. Research the Communications Data Bill. What is it? What do its supporters and opponents say about it? The
Guardian article on this topic may be of use.