2. One question from 6 topic areas:
• Regulation * (?)
• Global Media
• Collective Identity *
• Media in the Online Age
• Post-Modern media
• ‘We Media’ and democracy * (?)
The topic areas require understanding of contemporary media texts, industries,
audiences and debates. For the purposes of examination a contemporary media
text is defined as being a media text that was published or released within five
years of the examination date. For example, in June 2012 a contemporary
media text would be any media text from the period of 2007 onwards.
This understanding must combine knowledge of at least two media and a range
of texts, industries, audiences and debates.
3. You need to learn about the following in relation to at least two areas of
the media:
• How the media represent groups of people in different ways
• How these representations can be seen as different to historical
representations of the same groups
• The effects in society of particular kinds of representation or
collective identities
• Ways in which people might use the media actively to form a collective
identity
• Debates about the idea that our identities are increasingly structured
by, or through, or in response to the media (and arguments against this
notion)
4. In order to be fully prepared for the specific requirements of the question, the
material studied by candidates must cover these three elements:
• Historical – dependent on the requirements of the topic, candidates must
summarise the development of the media forms in question in theoretical
contexts.
• Contemporary – examples from five years before the examination.
• Future – candidates must demonstrate personal engagement with debates
about the future of the media forms / issues that the topic relates to.
