This document provides advice for writing an A2 Sec B response on the topic of media and collective identity. It recommends choosing contemporary case studies from 2011 onwards involving at least two media. Responses should demonstrate understanding of representation, industries, audiences and debates. Answers must address the four prompts and cover the historical, contemporary, and future aspects of the chosen topic area, with an emphasis on the present. Examples should come from a variety of media texts, theories, and debates to show a balanced response.

1. OCR Advice
For the perfect A2 Sec B response

2. Media & Collective Identity
• The topic areas require understanding of
contemporary media texts, industries,
audiences and debates.
• Contemporary = released within 5 years of
exam date (for you lot, 2011 onwards)

3. • Candidates must, through specific case
studies, texts, debates and research of THEIR
choice, prepare to demonstrate understanding
of the contemporary issue.
• This understanding must combine knowledge
of at least TWO media and a range of texts,
industries, audiences and debates, selected by
the candidate.
Media & Collective Identity

4. • The assessment of the response will be
generic, allowing for the broadest possible
range of responses within the topic area
chosen.
• Each topic is accompanied by four prompt qns
and you must be prepared to answer an exam
qn that relates to one or more of these four
prompts.
Media & Collective Identity

5. • There should be emphasis on the historical,
the contemporary and the future in relation to
the chosen topic, with most attention on the
present.
• Centres are advised to ensure that study
materials are therefore up to date and
relevant.
Media & Collective Identity

6. • Candidates are free to study any media texts,
theories, case studies, debates and issues,
providing they relate to the four prompts:
Media & Collective Identity

7. 1 How do the contemporary media represent
collective groups of people in different ways?
2 How does contemporary representation
compare to previous time periods?
3 What are the social implications of different
media representations of groups of people?
4 To what extent is human identity increasingly
‘mediated’?
Media & Collective Identity: the 4
prompts

8. • Candidates many analyse the representation
of and/or the collective identity of one or
more group(s) of people.
• Candidates might explore combinations of any
media representation across two media, or
two different reps across two media.
Media & Collective Identity

9. You MUST cover these 3 elements:
• Historical – dependent on the requirements of
the topic, you must summarise the
development of the media forms in qn in
theoretical contexts
• Contemporary – eg’s from 5 years ago
• Future – you must demonstrate personal
engagement with debates about the future of
the media forms/that the topic relates to.
Media & Collective Identity

10. • The majority of eg’s in your answers should be
contemporary. However, theories and
approaches may be drawn from any time
period. Eg – a Feminist analysis of
contemporary media examples would be
appropriate.
Media & Collective Identity

11. • Where candidates refer to only one media
area in their answer, the mark scheme clearly
indicates that marks will be restricted to a
maximum of top of level 1
• Where candidates fail to provide or infer
historical refs and/or future predictions, marks
will be restricted to a maximum of top of level
3 for use of eg’s only.
Media & Collective Identity

12. • In order to preserve the flexibility and
freedom for candidates to tailor the topics to
their own preferences/interests, the eg’s
offered should be taken as a starting point but
certainly not as a prescribed set of content.
Media & Collective Identity

13. • Candidates will need to offer a balance of
media theories, knowledge of texts and
industries and personal engagement with
issues and debates.
• Examiners will expect a great deal of variety in
texts, case studies, theories and debates
selected for inclusion in their answers for each
theme.
Media & Collective Identity