January assessment learner response
1) Type up your feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential).
WWW - There's actually some real potential here...a combination of exam techniques and a lack of revision is holding you back. Q1 shows you have learned some of the terminology but need to explain how it has the benefit it does.
EBI - Reflect on your classwork and revision: you are lacking knowledge and understanding of some key terminology and theory: PSB, cultivation theory, other audience theory. whwere is moral panic? Social learning theory? Users + Gratifications?
- You need examples from the media to support your points.
- Written English is concerning for A-Level.
2) Read the mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Identify at least one potential point that you missed out on for each question in the assessment.
Q1:
- Diversification means companies can embrace new technology and find new revenue
streams e.g. music industry and streaming
- Minimise risk of company losing money or going out of business
- Identify new audiences and revenue streams (horizontal int.)
- Dominate media industries through sheer size and power (conglomerate ownership)
Q2:
FOR
- It is regulated by Ofcom so therefore maintaining standards and providing audiences
somewhere to complain or raise objections to content.
- In digital age, we are swamped by content providers – public service broadcasting gives us
institutions we can trust.
- Channel 4 reinvests any profits back into programmes – this raises quality and benefits
audiences.
AGAINST
-Funding model is outdated in the digital age – licence fee of £147 a year for all BBC (and
some C4) content isn’t realistic. Young people are increasingly choosing to avoid paying the
licence fee so long-term future of funding model isn’t viable.
- Public service broadcasting creates a market that commercial broadcasters can’t fairly
compete in – they are against channels that do not need to attract large ratings to survive.
- Commercial broadcasters cannot compete to provide content such as news and current
affairs if audiences can get it free from public service broadcasters (e.g. BBC website). This
places commercial broadcasters (e.g. Sky News) at a huge disadvantage.
Q3:
- Cultivation theory (Gerbner) suggests that watching TV will, over a period of time, influence
the audience’s ideas and perceptions of everyday life. This could be argued to be damaging
to audiences if content is inappropriate or violent. However, UK television is regulated by
Ofcom to protect audiences (particularly young people) from inappropriate content.
- Gerbner’s cultivation theory suggested that heavy TV viewers developed ‘mean world
syndrome’ and saw society as far more dangerous than it actually is. This could be
considered a significant damaging effect. It could be argued the internet exacerbates this.
- Gerbner and Gross later developed this theory to suggest that heavy TV viewing made
viewers fearful and homogenous (everyone believing the same thing). This is potentially very
damaging to society. Consider recent political events and social media echo chambers.
- Hypodermic needle theory – largely discredited but perhaps becoming relevant again in era
of ‘fake news’ and echo chambers. This would also support idea media has damaging effect
on audiences.
- Two-step flow theory – audiences are more likely to respond to people rather than media
institutions so opinion leaders in the media are crucial in influencing opinion and audience
responses. Could still have damaging effect depending on political viewpoint e.g. celebrities
or columnists who court controversy and deliberately seek to offend (Katie Hopkins etc.)
- Uses & Gratifications theory (Blumler & Katz) – audiences are active and seek out media
they wish to engage with. This would suggest media is less likely to be damaging and
audiences have a high degree of control over their media consumption.
- Dependency theory – this could support the idea that the media is having a damaging effect
on audiences. Rokeach and Defleur said audiences were becoming dependent on the media
in 1976 – it could be argued it is even more true today. Studies in recent years have raised
concerns over young people and social media use.
- Bandura’s social learning theory suggests people copy behaviour seen on screen. However,
the experiment was with children and has been discredited by some studies since. Raises
questions about regulation and whether young people should be protected from certain
media content. In digital age, also raises question if such regulation is even possible when
content can be downloaded and parents are not always aware what their child is consuming.
- Moral panic (Cohen) could be used to argue that the media does not have a damaging effect
on audiences – it is just a convenient scapegoat to blame for issues in society. E.g. poverty,
violence, gun crime etc.
- Technopanics – the online version of moral panic. Links to idea the internet is dangerous and
unregulated. Suggests media perhaps can have a damaging effect on audiences.
3) On a scale of 1-10 (1 = low, 10 = high), how much revision and preparation did you do for this assessment?
On a scale of 1-10, I would give myself around 6/7 for the revision and preparation done for the assessment.
4) Look at your answer for Question 1. Did you manage to write about three different strategies and three different benefits? It's vital you read the question and follow it exactly.
Horizontal integration
Horizontal integration is when a larger company is composed of smaller companies. This means that media companies are able to reach a wider audience.
Vertical integration
When a media company owns a range of businesses in the same chain of production and distribution
conglomerate ownership
Dominate media industries through sheer size and power
5) Look at your answer for Question 2. Did you follow the question guidance and write about both the BBC and commercial broadcasters? What could you have added to this answer to reach a higher mark?
An argument for PSB is that i could have used is that it is regulated by Ofcom so therefore maintaining standards and providing audiences somewhere to complain or raise objections to content. An argument against PSB that i could have used is Public service broadcasting creates a market that commercial broadcasters can’t fairly compete in.
6) Now look over your mark, teacher comments and the mark scheme for Question 3 - the 20 mark essay question on media effects theory. Write a new paragraph for this question based on the suggested theories/answers in the mark scheme. Make sure it is an extensive, detailed paragraph focused on the question and offering examples from the wider media.
To a certain extent I agree that the media has had a damaging effect on the audience. The rise in new technology has caused viewers to become more reliant apon media products e.g. BBC News. An example of this the Hypodermic needle. This states that large amount of harmful information like terrors attacks is being injected (not literally) into our brains causing viewers to become more fearful of the environment which we live in. An example of this would have been the Oxford Street bombing that was shown through social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, BBC news, etc. This links to the idea of technopanics which states that the media has a damaging effect on the audiences view point.
WWW - There's actually some real potential here...a combination of exam techniques and a lack of revision is holding you back. Q1 shows you have learned some of the terminology but need to explain how it has the benefit it does.
EBI - Reflect on your classwork and revision: you are lacking knowledge and understanding of some key terminology and theory: PSB, cultivation theory, other audience theory. whwere is moral panic? Social learning theory? Users + Gratifications?
- You need examples from the media to support your points.
- Written English is concerning for A-Level.
2) Read the mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Identify at least one potential point that you missed out on for each question in the assessment.
Q1:
- Diversification means companies can embrace new technology and find new revenue
streams e.g. music industry and streaming
- Minimise risk of company losing money or going out of business
- Identify new audiences and revenue streams (horizontal int.)
- Dominate media industries through sheer size and power (conglomerate ownership)
Q2:
FOR
- It is regulated by Ofcom so therefore maintaining standards and providing audiences
somewhere to complain or raise objections to content.
- In digital age, we are swamped by content providers – public service broadcasting gives us
institutions we can trust.
- Channel 4 reinvests any profits back into programmes – this raises quality and benefits
audiences.
AGAINST
-Funding model is outdated in the digital age – licence fee of £147 a year for all BBC (and
some C4) content isn’t realistic. Young people are increasingly choosing to avoid paying the
licence fee so long-term future of funding model isn’t viable.
- Public service broadcasting creates a market that commercial broadcasters can’t fairly
compete in – they are against channels that do not need to attract large ratings to survive.
- Commercial broadcasters cannot compete to provide content such as news and current
affairs if audiences can get it free from public service broadcasters (e.g. BBC website). This
places commercial broadcasters (e.g. Sky News) at a huge disadvantage.
Q3:
- Cultivation theory (Gerbner) suggests that watching TV will, over a period of time, influence
the audience’s ideas and perceptions of everyday life. This could be argued to be damaging
to audiences if content is inappropriate or violent. However, UK television is regulated by
Ofcom to protect audiences (particularly young people) from inappropriate content.
- Gerbner’s cultivation theory suggested that heavy TV viewers developed ‘mean world
syndrome’ and saw society as far more dangerous than it actually is. This could be
considered a significant damaging effect. It could be argued the internet exacerbates this.
- Gerbner and Gross later developed this theory to suggest that heavy TV viewing made
viewers fearful and homogenous (everyone believing the same thing). This is potentially very
damaging to society. Consider recent political events and social media echo chambers.
- Hypodermic needle theory – largely discredited but perhaps becoming relevant again in era
of ‘fake news’ and echo chambers. This would also support idea media has damaging effect
on audiences.
- Two-step flow theory – audiences are more likely to respond to people rather than media
institutions so opinion leaders in the media are crucial in influencing opinion and audience
responses. Could still have damaging effect depending on political viewpoint e.g. celebrities
or columnists who court controversy and deliberately seek to offend (Katie Hopkins etc.)
- Uses & Gratifications theory (Blumler & Katz) – audiences are active and seek out media
they wish to engage with. This would suggest media is less likely to be damaging and
audiences have a high degree of control over their media consumption.
- Dependency theory – this could support the idea that the media is having a damaging effect
on audiences. Rokeach and Defleur said audiences were becoming dependent on the media
in 1976 – it could be argued it is even more true today. Studies in recent years have raised
concerns over young people and social media use.
- Bandura’s social learning theory suggests people copy behaviour seen on screen. However,
the experiment was with children and has been discredited by some studies since. Raises
questions about regulation and whether young people should be protected from certain
media content. In digital age, also raises question if such regulation is even possible when
content can be downloaded and parents are not always aware what their child is consuming.
- Moral panic (Cohen) could be used to argue that the media does not have a damaging effect
on audiences – it is just a convenient scapegoat to blame for issues in society. E.g. poverty,
violence, gun crime etc.
- Technopanics – the online version of moral panic. Links to idea the internet is dangerous and
unregulated. Suggests media perhaps can have a damaging effect on audiences.
3) On a scale of 1-10 (1 = low, 10 = high), how much revision and preparation did you do for this assessment?
On a scale of 1-10, I would give myself around 6/7 for the revision and preparation done for the assessment.
4) Look at your answer for Question 1. Did you manage to write about three different strategies and three different benefits? It's vital you read the question and follow it exactly.
Horizontal integration
Horizontal integration is when a larger company is composed of smaller companies. This means that media companies are able to reach a wider audience.
Vertical integration
When a media company owns a range of businesses in the same chain of production and distribution
conglomerate ownership
Dominate media industries through sheer size and power
5) Look at your answer for Question 2. Did you follow the question guidance and write about both the BBC and commercial broadcasters? What could you have added to this answer to reach a higher mark?
An argument for PSB is that i could have used is that it is regulated by Ofcom so therefore maintaining standards and providing audiences somewhere to complain or raise objections to content. An argument against PSB that i could have used is Public service broadcasting creates a market that commercial broadcasters can’t fairly compete in.
To a certain extent I agree that the media has had a damaging effect on the audience. The rise in new technology has caused viewers to become more reliant apon media products e.g. BBC News. An example of this the Hypodermic needle. This states that large amount of harmful information like terrors attacks is being injected (not literally) into our brains causing viewers to become more fearful of the environment which we live in. An example of this would have been the Oxford Street bombing that was shown through social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, BBC news, etc. This links to the idea of technopanics which states that the media has a damaging effect on the audiences view point.
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