a mash up of ideas, notes and resources to help my lovely but disorganised bunch of A2 Media Studies students. bits borrowed from here and there - use how you wish.

1. G325
Coming to an exam theatre near you soon . . .

2. 1a – Key Reminders (POT CAFÉ)
• POT – Progress Over Time
• Five possible areas, can be combination of two:
• Research and planning, digital technology, post production,
conventions of real media texts, creativity.
• You will not get creativity on its own.
• Good media language usage essential – CCC MESS
• Clear and Focused Examples (CAFÉ) to show what you did.
• Evaluative, contextual, reflective - CONFIDENCE
• 30 mins – 25 marks

3. • creativity has been defined as the ability to bring something new into
existence’ Anthony Storr
• ‘…through making things, and sharing them with others, we feel a greater
connection with the world…’ David Gauntlett
• To promote creativity you need to be able to play and take risks.
Ken Robinson
• ‘the making of the new and the rearranging of the old.’ Bentley
• Spontaneity takes practice - Csikszentmihalyi (or a theorist)
• Creativity takes Courage – Henri Matisse
• Ken Robinson identified creative habits of mind:
1. Flexibility – alternate ways of thinking
2. Willingness - to think the impossible
3. Confidence - to try things out
4. Ability - to handle uncertainty - perseverance in adversity
1a only

4. 1B – 30 mins (25 marks)
• CCC MESS (Media Language)
• Address the main concept first
• Try to link in to wider range of concepts and theorists to reach level 3
and 4 marks
• Give the examiner landmarks (real media texts, clear examples
from your own coursework)
• You know your coursework better than anyone else, so SHOW the
examiner that you can apply theoretical ideas to your work – DON’T
DESCRIBE.

5. 2 minutes, write them down

6. Media in the Online Age
• How have online media developed?
• What has been the impact of the internet on media production?
• How is consumer behaviour and audience response transformed by online
media.
• To what extent has convergence transformed the media?
Candidates might explore combinations of any two media,
considering how each (or the two in converged forms) can be
analyzed from the above prompts. Examples might be music
downloading and distribution, the film industry and the
internet, online television, online gaming and virtual worlds,
online news provision, various forms of online media
production by the public or a range of other online / social
media forms.

7. Question 8 or 9 – 1 hour – 50 marks
• Will either have a statement for you to discuss
• Or an idea it wants you to agree or disagree with
• One questions will lean towards audiences
• One question will lean towards institutions
• Whichever you answer, it’s good to share knowledge of both
• This process is easier if you can apply a theoretical concept or
demonstrate your point using a good case study

8. The mark scheme
(Level 4)
Explanation/ analysis/argument (16-20 marks)
• Candidates adapt their learning to the specific
requirements of the question in excellent fashion. The
answer offers a clear, articulate balance of media
theories, knowledge of texts and industries and personal
engagement with issues and debates.
Use of examples (16-20 marks)
• Examples of texts, industries and theories are clearly
connected together in the answer, with a coherent
argument developed in response to the question.
Use of terminology (8-10 marks)
• Throughout the answer, material presented is informed
by contemporary media theory and the command of the
appropriate theoretical language is excellent.

9. Q8 or 9 – backward thinking
• Start with the conclusion (your destination)
• Plan your essay in reverse (identify key landmarks)
• Develop thesis statement (where you are leaving from)
• Plan some sightseeing/toilet breaks along the way.

10. Things to consider in your answer:
• Have any command words been used or deciphered in the response
• Have industries been identified
• Is there a mention of audiences
• Is there a mention of institutions
• Is there a clear thesis statement (something the candidate hopes to
prove or disprove or explore during the essay).
• Are there any theoretical ideas hinted at to explore or examine? (IS
there an opportunity to talk about a theorist?)
• Does the introduction make sense? (could you map out an essay
plan from it?)

11. ESSAY WRITING – THE INTRO
 Thesis – the question rephrased plus
your opinion/angle
 Industry – which industries you will use
to highlight your main arguments
 Theory – what theorist/s this most
closely links to
 Sense – keep it clear, keep it relevant to
the question (use clincher sentences).
TITS
!

12. CLINCHER SENTENCES
 A clincher sentence can be defined as a statement, argument,
fact, situation, or the like, that is decisive or conclusive. In
academic writing, this is a statement in a expository paragraph
which reiterates the topic and summarizes how the information in
the paragraph supports the topic. Normally, each paragraph
starts with a topic sentence which tells the reader about what the
paragraph will discuss. This is followed by the body which gives
evidence and arguments that support the topic statement. The
final sentence of each of these paragraphs are clincher
sentences. The statement should not simply be a summary, but it
should make the reader feel that the writing is complete.

13. Theories we considered:
• Jeff Howe – Crowd Sourcing
This is when someone puts their intent out
onto the internet and then gets free
support/information/ideas/labour from
other people on the internet.
Clay Shirky – The internet is run on love (people
offering time, resources and knowledge to
get stuff done)
Gauntlett – The process of making (connecting)
and collaborating using the web.
What example can we use of how this has
benefitted audiences?
Case Studies to support this:
OK Go – This Shall Pass (2010)
Life in a Day (2011)
Chainsmokerz – Selfie (2014)
Can you think of other UGC work
across media?

14. Other relevant theory:
• 2. Chris Anderson – The Long Tail
Lots of small grossing films
If you add up all the revenue from Niche market films the profit can be greater than or equal
to the profit from one blockbuster or best selling product.
Pre broadband (WEB 1.0) - Niche products were hard to find and expensive to buy
Now (WEB 2.0) - online shopping/sharing/recommendations makes it easy to cater for
everyone's taste.
Future (WEB 3.0 - Markoff) – pre-filtered content based on user history. Web more
connected, more open, and more intelligent. Ubiquitous Connectivity. Intelligent applications
One large grossing blockbuster

15. A tendency to
celebrate certain key
texts produced by
powerful media
industries
Media Studies 1.0 Media Studies 2.0
An interest in the massive
long tail of independent
media projects such as
those found on YouTube
and many other … forms
of DIY media..
‘DIY’ and the ‘Long Tail’ – Media Gods no longer in control

16. OLD MEDIA
The ‘Media Gods’
Passive Audience
‘Appointment to view’
Expensive
Separate Platforms
Centralized
Wasted Time/Cognitive
Surplus
NEW MEDIA
Web 2.0
User Generated
Cross Platform
Inexpensive to produce
Decentralized
Social
‘Making is connecting’
David Gauntlett
The Media Gods
As opposed to
‘Making is connecting’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlzu8UYidTY

17. DAVID GAUNTLETT
 Web 2.0 has created a more democratic media. (Gillmour [WE Media]–
netizen – bottom up framework)
 We are all inherently creative, “making is connecting.” Web has enhanced
this.
 The dominance of media institutions is being challenged.
 We live in the age of the prosumer.
 Removal of gatekeepers will open up the media to greater democracy and
foster creativity that otherwise would not have been accesible.

18. ANDREW KEEN
 Web 2.0 has created cultural chaos.
 Creates a “cult of the amateur” which devalues the professional.
 Expertise is devalued.
 Internet Oligarchs are replacing Old Media Oligarchs.
 Removal of gatekeepers will devalue genuine talent and expertise.
 “Those who shout loudest will be heard most” celebs with mass following
(bought / ordered online) B J Mendelson – social media is bullsh*t; quantity
over quality.

19. Polarised views on social media
Pessimistic
(DYSTOPIAN)
OPTIMISTIC
(Utopian)
Banal and trivial, replacing “real”
human contact; Noam Chomsky –
social media eroding social norms
We’re living in a golden age – we can
do almost anything
Shaping people in narcissistic and
inarticulate ways – Michael Wesch
Increased communication – the global
village (McLuhan)
Erosion between the traditionally
private and public
Potential for political, charitable, arts
and protest collaborative action
(Gillmour – WE Media – netizens)
Computer games/uncensored
posts/videos to blame for violence
and cruelty

20. Includes all, irrespective
of wealth, social status,
or geography Monopolies (like Google)
Concentrate power and make
the web brittle
Tim Berners Lee
DECENTRALISATION
As opposed to
‘By design, the Web has no centre, anyone can
create….'

21. The positives of web 2.0 outweigh the
negatives. Discuss.
Positives Negatives
Youtube
• Free / accessible
• Market research
• Potential careers/ profit
• Fun
• Easy to be heard
Social Networking
• Expression of own opinion
• Free, easy communication
• Advertising benefits for businesses
• Political influences
• Allows free debate
• Unfiltered news
•Copyright issues
•Offensive content – hard to police
(dependent on complaints)
•Power of negative reviews
•False identities
•Cyberbullying
•Hacking
•Copyright issues
•Sharing too much – getting fired, etc.
•Time wasted / obsession

22. eMedia
Electronic versions/add-ons
to ‘old media’
EG: eMail, Messaging,
Online Newspapers
Pay to view Movies
User Generated Content
Audiences become the
producers
The Wisdom of Crowds
Audiences share their
favourites, tags and reviews
The Network Effect
Audiences communicate with
each other directly.
Tim O’Reilly: Web 2.0
Web 1.0
The web as a
New way of publishing
existing Media Content
(Another Platform)
Invented the term
‘Web 2.0’ and said
there were six big
ideas that make it
work; the most
important to Media
being:
Web 2.0
The Web as a
Social Network

23. Dan Gillmor
and ‘We Media’
• For years ‘Big Media’ (corporations such as Sky, Google
and the BBC) have had control over who produces and
shares media, and the information that people get. The
people who own these large corporations are not
representative of the diversity of society.
• The internet has allowed for the freedom of citizen
journalism.
• The audience is now the producer.

24. Henry Jenkins
and Convergence Culture
• Convergence - the flow of content across
multiple media platforms, the cooperation
between multiple media industries, and the
migratory behaviour of media audiences who
would go almost anywhere in search of the kinds
of entertainment experiences they wanted.
Convergence is a word that manages to describe
technological, industrial, cultural, and social
changes
• Participatory culture - circulation of media
content depends heavily on the active
participation of the consumer.
• Collective intelligence – combining skills and
resources (just like We-Think), which is enabled
by convergence.

25. John McMuria
and Youtube
• A participatory culture is not necessarily a diverse
culture.
• Minorities are grossly under-represented - the most
heavily viewed videos on YouTube tend to come from
white middle class males.
• If we want to see a more "democratic" culture, we need
to explore what mechanisms might encouraged greater
diversity in who participates, whose work gets seen, and
what gets valued within the new participatory culture.

26. • Lean Back Media– non interactive media.
• Lean Forward Media– interactive media.
• Technology Push/Demand Pull – Daniel Chandler,
2001.
• Top Down Communication – one communicating too
many.
• Bottom Up Communication – peer to peer
communication.

27. NEW MEDIA
Lean Forward
‘Lean back 2.0’ OLD MEDIA
Lean back
Nielsen
Lean Forward, Lean Back
As opposed to
‘On the Web, users are engaged and want to go
places and get things done. The Web is
an active medium. While watching TV, viewers
want to be entertained. They are in relaxation
mode and vegging out; they don't want to make
choices. TV is a passive medium.’

28. Nielsen: Lean Forward/Lean Back

29. Political Positions
Libertarians Liberal
Pluralists
‘c’Conservative
Political Belief
People should be able to do what
they want with the minimum of
state control. The weaknesses of
the few shouldn’t prevent the
freedom of the many.
Different communities should be
able to live together with a core
of common values, such as the
rule of law and the primacy of
free speech.
It takes centuries to develop a
strong culture and institutions.
Novel ideas need to learn to fit in
with existing values.The Jury is
still out.
Philosophy
‘Information wants to be free’
Regulation and control have no
place in the new territory of
Cyberspace.
The technology can be
empowering and educational
It is a ‘great leveller’, but all
citizens must have access to the
web as a ‘digital entitlement’.
Regulation may be needed to
ensure (safe) access.
The technology will tend to
damage traditional values and
economic systems including:
Literacy, Decency, Expertise,
Authority, Confidentiality, Privacy,
and Copyright
Causes
Piracy and Censorship Digital Citizenship, Safe access Internet Porn (Paedophilia etc),
Damage to young people,
Criminality, Privacy

30. The physical fact of instant
transmission has been uncritically
raised to a social fact, without any
pause to notice that virtually all
such transmission is at once
selected and controlled by existing
social authorities ...
Raymond Williams (1974)
Raymond Williams : The Media is always dominated by the rich and
powerful in society (Marxist Perspective)

31. Convergence
• “We’re really talking about a converged
interactive media industry. There’s an increasing
interplay between gaming, online, TV and films –
it’s all coming together.”
Jon Kingsbury, NESTA, 2010

32. Proliferation of
technology:
• The rise of smartphones, iPads and netbooks.
• Technological determinism – a noticeable change / cultural
shift in the way we live our lives and access media
• Orchestrated Media – using multiple devices to get most of A
medium
• Dual screen viewing – often linked to above, online content
complimenting offline/broadcast content
• Meshing (MULTIPLE DEVICE USAGE) and stacking
(UNRELATED TASKS WHILST CONSUMING MEDIA)

33. Netflix:
• More people use Netflix to access
content rather than TV
• Uses social media to discuss and
promote new content
• Exclusive content – to attract
subscribers
• Accessible from any device with
internet connection (phone, games
console, laptop).
• No longer streaming – can download
and watch at other times
• Subscription services reduce the
impact of illegal downloading

34. Netflix:
• Broken down traditional scheduling
(TV industry)
• Made TV accessible online/through
internet
• Makes recommendations, viewers
easy to find content by genre, type,
etc.
• Introduced rating systems (simple
thumbs up/down approach).
Company using data to develop new
content.
• People no longer buying DVD content
and purchasing box-office content
through cable/satellite services.
• Fast delivery time
(download/streaming) – accessible
through smart devices (internet
connection); developed from DVD
rental.
• Large DVD library
• Creating their own content – exclusive
content that you can’t get on
traditional services

35. Netflix:
• Threats
• ISP may start introducing tariffs on
internet traffic (costing – pass on to
audiences); NET NEUTRALITY
• More competition to traditional film
industries* - making new content to
rival the BIG 6; challenging original
Media Gods (oligopoly)
• New content under scrutiny (ethics of
new content)
• Eroding social norms (family watching
TV)
• Competition from other VOD services
(Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc.)
• Piracy, data – hacking threat
• Opportunities
• Allows audiences to save money to
access lots of content
• Access to niche content / on-demand
• Might start streaming live sport events
• International expansion – diversifying
content (long tail – Anderson)
• Potentially merging into gaming and
educational materials
• Alternative subscription options
(Spotify model – freemium)

36. Shawn Mendes: Feedback
• Link 1: good example of an active audience user experimenting with social media
app Vine (an early adopter) and launching a career of the back of it
• Link 2: Music industry has adapted its distribution model as a result of this (A & R
recruitment)
• Link 3:Supports Jenkins’ idea that everyone is a producer of Media text in today’s
media landscape (age and gender not a boundary).
• Industry: Moving away from the importance of radio play – charts now focus on
downloads and streaming just as much.
• Historical: Several other bloggers, pro-ams, and twitterati now have large revenue
streams from their use of social media platforms. Myspace evolved into Youtube as
source for new music and now we have Vine (Twitter) and Instagram.
• Future: Industries will continue to monitor and regard things like views, likes and
followers when signing new talent and directing marketing campaigns at audiences.
Artist is not always going to be sustainable – we will see more hit and miss artists
like Psy and Carly Rae Jepsen. Think Shots Studios – niche online content
• Comparable text: References have been drawn to Justin Bieber’s use of Youtube as
an early adopter and getting discovered.

37. Exemplar
• Using Jenkins as an example, I have used gaming (industry) to apply his theory that “Everyone is a producer of
Media, the desire to create and share is great and we can now communicate across geographical barriers”
• Media text: Flappy Bird (a gaming app) May 2013 – Feb 2014
• Context: a simple game for touchscreen devices that was downloaded about 50 million times before its
developer took it down
• Notes taken from http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-02-11/what-really-happened-to-flappy-bird-
• The world of game developers is full of people for whom stardom is a burden. They just want to do their thing
quietly, without media hype or million-dollar revenues. Viral marketing can turn these people into victims of their
own success. There will be people arguing that the removal of Flappy Bird is a clever marketing stratagem for
Nguyen, who is working on more games and already has a few popular ones in the app stores.
• Exemplar paragraph:
• Gamers have used the internet to become producers and distributers of media texts. A good example
is Vietnamese prosumer, Nguyen, whose love of pixelated games led him to create Flappy Bird, a
gaming app. This supports Jenkins’ idea that everyone is a producer of media and can transcend
geographical boundaries. In 2014 it had been downloaded nearly 50 million times through
distribution sites like iTunes before he took the game down for ethical reasons. The distribution of
the game was greatly enhanced through viral marketing, with audiences using twitter to post high
scores; furthermore, when Nguyen took the game off the app store, he sent a series of tweets
explaining his decision. Some critics argued this was a great way for people to actively engage with
his other media texts which would allow him to create long term revenue equivalent to a blockbuster
(Anderson’s Long Tail theory). The device was playable on tablets and smart phones and both
distribution and exhibition was worldwide, all because of the internet.

38. In order to be fully prepared for the specific requirements of the
question, the material studied by you 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 – current issues within the topic area.
• Future – candidates must demonstrate personal engagement
with debates about the future of the media forms / issues that
the topic relates to.

39. Question 8 or 9
• Will either have a statement for you to discuss
• Or an idea it wants you to agree or disagree with
• One questions will lean towards audiences
• One question will lean towards institutions
• Whichever you answer, it’s good to share knowledge of both
• This process is easier if you can apply a theoretical concept or
demonstrate your point using a good case study
• Lets look at a past paper.

40. ESSAY WRITING – THE INTRO
 Thesis – the question rephrased plus
your opinion/angle
 Industry – which industries you will use
to highlight your main arguments
 Theory – what theorist this most closely
links to
 Sense – keep it clear, keep it relevant to
the question

41. Q: responses should try and address much of the
following.
1. Introduction – decipher the question & tailor it for your benefit (5mins)
2. give historical context: how the internet has shaped current world (use
examples if necessary) industry or audience – 1-2 paragraphs (10 mins)
3. contemporary examples and relevant theory to support the idea that
internet is providing opportunities – 2-3 paragraphs (12 mins)
4. contemporary examples to show the threats facing industries/audiences
by the internet – 2-3 paragraphs (12 mins)
5. prediction (future) about how you think internet will continue to have
an impact on industries/audiences – 1-2 paragraphs (10 mins)
6. short conclusion drawing your ideas and arguments to a close. (5 mins)
This includes 6 mins planning and reflection
time. Use clean line breaks please.
Please do this closed book – if you use notes
you must write ‘open book’ on top.

42. EVALUATE THE WAYS IN WHICH MEDIA PRODUCERS HAVE
TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF CONVERGENCE
 Plan and write an intro to this essay in groups
or pairs.
 3 mins – GO!

43. EVALUATE THE WAYS IN WHICH MEDIA PRODUCERS HAVE
TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF CONVERGENCE
 In the age where audiences command and control the
web (Tapscott and Williams), it is often assumed that
producers of traditional media outlets are constantly
having to innovate their content to remain popular with
audiences. This essay explores how the TV and
newspaper industries have taken advantage of devices
such as iphones and tablets to steer online audiences
back towards mainstream media products.

44. THE ONLINE AGE HAS SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGED CONSUMER
BEHAVIOUR AND AUDIENCE RECEPTION, COMPARED WITH
THE OFFLINE AGE. DISCUSS
 Quickly write an introduction to this essay –
plan in pairs or threes (3 minutes) then write
it.

45. THE ONLINE AGE HAS SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGED CONSUMER
BEHAVIOUR AND AUDIENCE RECEPTION, COMPARED WITH THE
OFFLINE AGE. DISCUSS
 David Gauntlett recognised that web 2.0 has
fundamentally changed the way in which media
audiences engage with texts. The rise and
popularity of social media networks, coupled with
technological developments and the rise in
convergent devices, has led to a shift away from
passive reception to audiences actively
participating and engaging with TV and Film texts.

46. OFFLINE MEDIA CANNOT EXIST WITHOUT ONLINE MEDIA.
TO WHAT EXTENT DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS STATEMENT
 Plan and write this on YOUR OWN.

47. Applying Theory + Case Study = Top Marks
• COPY THIS DOWN:
• David Nye suggests that technological advancements are making
the world worse. His argument can be backed up by the recent
drive by large social media platforms like Facebook to shape the
way people interact with each other. During F8 in April 2017,
Zuckerberg envisions a media platform where people use their
phones to enter virtual worlds to hang out with people; this could
impact society in a negative way by eroding social norms
(Chomsky). This also supports Nye’s idea that Facebook has the
power and influence to change the way that society operates, with
over 1.2 billion daily users. Therefore, such change could influence
the way media content is produced exclusively for technology such
as Virtual Reality headsets, leading audiences further away from
traditional media platforms like TV and Film.

48.  An example of a producer using the internet to crowdsource was artist
Shawn Madden, he invited his friends and fans to send in user
generated content (UGC) of themselves having fun which he mashed
up into his music track. Whilst not met with commercial success, it is
an idea adapted by other music artists, including The Chainsmokers
and their track Selfie (2014), which also trended on twitter with the
same hash tag. This is a good example of people what Tim O’Reilly
(who coined the term Web 2.0) would describe as user engagement
and interaction, rather than just using the web to extract information.
Essentially, crowdsourcing is much more evident through user
participation and engagement than you would think.
CROWDSOURCING AND WEB 2.0 COLLABORATION EXAMPLE

49. AUDIENCE COLLABORATION EXAMPLE
 In essence, Jeff Howe’s idea of using the web to crowdsource material
has allowed internet users to become producers and distributers of
media texts, such as (insert prosumer or pro-am here). This also
supports David Gauntlett’s idea that people create identities through
making connections with others and also enable a shift in culture from
passive audiences to active internet users. (insert an example of a
media text that does this here). The fact that people are so quick to
share ideas and information in the pursuit of creating new media
products also supports Clay Shirky’s idea that the internet is run on
love.

50. Notes: