Monday 30 January 2012

Homework for Monday 6th February

Next week you are going to make some posters on the music industry. One group will focus on the past, one on the present, and one on the future. The posters should contain images and text. You need to research your area of focus and bring plenty of materials to the lesson. There will be a prize for the best poster and for anyone who successfully relates David Gauntlett's ideas to their area of focus. (In other words, you need to know Gauntlett's ideas well enough to apply them to your poster.)

Past: Yasmin, Matthew, Raju, David.
Present: Khushel, Hemel, Manan, Shreyaa.
Future: Devki, Josh, Omar, Nimesh.

Thursday 26 January 2012

Wider Reading (Watching) / Independent Study and Home Learning

We strongly recommend that you watch the following:

How Facebook Changed The World - The Arab Spring
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnPR90dJ3Gk

The Virtual Revolution
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJWsCggAst4 Part 1 of 4, 2010 series

Us Now - Clay Shirky
http://nolongernew.blogspot.com/2010/01/revolution-happens-when-society-adopts.html

Habermas’ “public sphere”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSNs_QYNIN0&feature=related


As part of your independent study, I will expect to see some notes / bullet points on at least 2 of these. For next week, you should focus on "How Facebook..." and the Habermas one. The rest is a bonus and you will watch some of The Virtual Revolution in school.

BRING YOUR FOLDERS NEXT THURSDAY WITHOUT FAIL. IT SHOULD BE PROPERLY ORGANISED IN 2 MAIN SECTIONS (one for each unit) WITH YOUR NOTES FROM LESSONS, HANDOUTS AND NOTES FROM INDEPENDENT STUDY (these could be a printout of what you put on your blog).

The Home learning tasks are:
- Complete your mini case study documentary and upload to your blog.
- Read the article I have handed out and complete the task set at the end of it.

Any problem, please ask me early rather than the night before.
Remember: "Aim high. Work hard."

Monday 23 January 2012

Homework for Monday 30th January

The internet stands accused of having a negative effect on the world.

In groups of three, you are going to put the internet on trial. One person will be the defendant (i.e., the internet), one will be the prosecution, and one the defence. Come to the lesson fully prepared. Your performance will be filmed.

Group 1: Yasmin, Nimesh, Hemel
Group 2: Khushel, Matthew, Raju
Group 3: Shreyaa, Omar, Josh
Group 4: Devki, Manan, David

Try to cover more than just pros and cons of the web. Bring in some of the larger, more philosophical questions that we introduced in today's lesson.

Some questions to get you thinking:
Has the web really revolutionised the media (and society)?

Does the web promote democracy?
Has the web taken power from the old media elites (David Gauntlett's "Gods") and given power to the people?
Has the web simply given power to new unaccountable elites (like Google and Facebook)?
Should the web be regulated and controlled, and what are the dangers here?
Can the web be used to reshape and revolutionise society as a whole?

Sunday 22 January 2012

G325 - Section B - Past Exam Questions and key prompts

Media in the Online Age
1. What impact has the internet had on media production, distribution and exhibition?
2. In the last few years what have been the most significant developments in how individuals use the internet?
3. "The impact of the internet on the media is revolutionary." Discuss..
4. “For media audiences, the internet has changed everything.” Discuss.
5. “The impact of the internet on the media is exaggerated”. Discuss.
6. Discuss the extent to which the distribution and consumption of media have been transformed by the internet
7. Explain the extent to which online media exist alongside older methods of distribution in 2010.
8. Evaluate the opportunities and the threats offered to media producers by the internet.


We Media and Democracy
1. How far can the media in 2010 be considered to be democratic?
2. Assess the claim that the media is becoming more democratic.
3. Discuss the meanings of the term ‘we media.’
4. Explore the claim that the ‘new’ media are more democratic than the ‘old’ media.
5. What is ‘we media’ and what difference does it make to citizens?
6. ‘We get the media we deserve.’ Discuss, in relation to the role of media in a democracy.

Specification Question Prompts:
Online Age:
If we look at the bullet points in the Specification, which defines what should be studied, we should be able to see what kinds of question can come up:
• How have online media developed? (change from the past)
• What has been the impact of the internet on media production? (does it allow more people to produce their own media? what effect has it had on mainstream media?)
• How is consumer behaviour and audience response transformed by online media, in relation to the past? (audiences and the difference the internet has made)
• To what extent has convergence transformed the media?
(technology's impact- mobile devices, tv online, etc)

We Media and democracy:
If we look at the bullet points in the Specification, which defines what should be studied, we should be able to relate them to the questions set so far:
• What are ‘We Media’?
• Where / how has ‘We Media’ emerged?
• In what way are the contemporary media more democratic than before?
• In what ways are the contemporary media less democratic than before?

Pete's Media Blog Advice:

Mark Scheme for Section B - Level 4

Explanation / analysis / argument (16-20 marks)

Candidates adapt their learning to the specific requirements of the chosen question in excellent fashion and make connections in order to present a coherent argument. The answer offers a clear, fluent balance of media theories and knowledge of industries and texts and informed personal engagement with issues and debates.


Use of examples (16-20 marks)

Examples of contemporary texts and industry knowledge are clearly connected together in the answer. History and the future are integrated into the discussion with conviction.


Use of terminology (8-10 marks)

Throughout the answer, material presented is informed by media theory and the command of the appropriate conceptual and theoretical language is excellent.

Complex issues have been expressed clearly and fluently using a style of writing appropriate to the complex subject matter. Sentences and paragraphs, consistently relevant, have been well structured, using appropriate technical terminology. There may be few, if any, errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar.


John Pilger's The War You Don't See - extracts

Reflect on the way traditional ('old') Media report the news and how New Media is changing the game (here, Wikileaks...)

How has the internet affected journalism?

Fantastic article from Aleks Krotoski's series of Untangling The Web:

How the internet has affected journalism

Behind the music: What mattered in the music industry in 2011 – and some predictions for 2012

Great summary of what mattered...

Behind the music: What mattered in the music industry in 2011 – and some predictions for 2012

Thursday 19 January 2012

Why the Music Industry Must Change Its Strategy to Reach Digital Natives

Why the Music Industry Must Change Its Strategy to Reach Digital Natives

Mark Mulligan is vice president and research director at Forrester Research, serving consumer product strategy professionals. He is a leading expert on music and digital media.

The music industry’s fortunes (or lack thereof) are familiar to most. The CD is suffering one of the longest death rattles in consumer product history, and it is becoming painfully clear that digital downloads are no knight in shining armor about to whisk up the fallen music business and ride off into the revenue growth sunset.

So how did we get here? What happened? The answer is simple: You. ...
Read more by clicking on the above link.

Video - Evolution of Music... Did you know...?