Introduction to Media A level

The media play a central role in contemporary culture, society and politics and media texts, from films to newspapers, shape our perceptions of the world through the representations, ideas and points of view they offer. 

The media have real relevance and importance in our lives today, providing us with ways to communicate, with forms of cultural expression and the ability to participate in key aspects of society. 

The economic importance of the media is also unquestionable. Media industries employ large numbers of people worldwide and generate significant global profit. The globalised nature of the contemporary media, ongoing technological developments and more opportunities to interact with the media suggest their centrality in contemporary life will only increase. Media Studies offers students the opportunity to develop a thorough understanding of these key issues, using a comprehensive theoretical framework and a variety of advanced theoretical approaches and theories to support critical exploration and reflection, analysis and debate. 

Through studying a wide range of media products you will gain an understanding of how the media communicate meanings in a variety of forms, whilst also considering key critical questions related to the social, cultural, political and economic role of the media. 

Through studying media products holistically in relation to all areas of the theoretical framework, learners will engage with the dynamic relationships between media products, media industries and audiences. Learners will also consider established media forms alongside more contemporary forms, developing an awareness of emerging and evolving media. Although the primary emphasis in this specification is on the contemporary media, learners will explore how the products relate to their wider historical contexts. Learners will also extend their experience of the media through the study of products with which they may be less familiar, including those produced by or for a minority group, non-mainstream and non-English language products. This specification aims to develop knowledge and understanding of the transnational nature of the media, considering the effect of different national contexts on representations in media products, the global reach of media industries, and the targeting of audiences on a national and global scale. Choice and flexibility are a vital part of the specification, enabling teachers to select the most appropriate, relevant and engaging products for their learners to study in Component 2. This specification also recognises the fundamental relationship between theoretical understanding and practical work, providing learners with exciting opportunities to develop media production skills in different forms, apply their knowledge and understanding of the theoretical framework to media forms and products, and become creators of meaning themselves. Learners will be offered a choice of briefs and forms within which to work, enabling them to explore and pursue their own media interests.

Over two years we will study a broad range of media texts and consider the ways in which those texts construct meaning for audiences through media language. Alongside this we will consider issues regarding representation - the ways in which individuals, social groups and issues are presented - and...