The golden rules
The structure to the MS1 exam is fairly straightforward, as long as you remember the following two things:
- There are three separate questions; textual analysis, audience and representation
- Question one is always textual analysis, but question two and three can swap round. However one will always be on audience, and one will always be on representation.
So reading the question is essential!
Here's a quick run-down of what you have to do for each question:
Question one: the textual analysis one
This is the longest question and is worth 40 marks. This year (May 2016) you will be shown an audiovisual extract. You will watch this extract three times, and will be allowed to make notes as you watch it. Don't worry about this part too much: there are very detailed instructions on the screen.
You will be given an open and question that will ask you to comment on specific textual aspects. For example
Analyse the [news reports] commenting on:
• visual codes
• technical and audio codes
• genre conventions
You will be expected to address all of the aspects given to you. It is very likely, given it's an audiovisual text you will be watching, that visual codes and technical codes will come up, but depending on the text genre, narrative, language, graphics etc can also be mentioned. Just make sure you are totally familiar with the toolkit for textual analysis. Make sure you are using specific terminology in every paragraph.
This is the longest question and is worth the most marks. You do not need to bring your own case studies in to this question, as you will be analysing the one text that has been given to you (though you might like to make brief reference to similar texts).
In order to secure a C grade, you will need to evidence a point of view about the meaning of the text.
In order to push towards higher marks, (for example an A grade), you will need to identify the ideology of the text, why the producer has made the text, polysemic (multiple) audience interpretations and why this important.
Top tip - The examiner wants to see you refer to everything that is mentioned in the question, eg visual codes, technical codes, audio codes... Use this as your essay plan, and write around two short paragraphs for each! Additionally, remember that it's an essay. Use PEA paragraph structure, exactly like you have been taught!
Question two: the bitty one
Question two will be presented in several pieces. The first couple of 'bits' will refer to the extract you just saw. You will need to look at the number of marks available for each question to know how much detail to put in. You will also need to pay close attention to the wording of the questions: it will either be about audience or representation!
Here's an example of what a question 2 can look like. However, please remember that the number of marks for each 'bit' can change:
2 a) Suggest two different audiences for the BBC News shown at 10.00 pm. Give brief reasons for your suggestions. [6]
2 b) How is the main audience for Newsround attracted to this programme? [9]
2 c) With reference to your own detailed examples, explore what influences how audiences or users respond to media texts. [15]
Looking at the marks, you can see you need to put more detail in to the higher mark questions. Let's take 2 a). It's six marks for you to identify two audiences and give brief reasons for your choice. So that's three marks per suggestion. This works out as
One mark for identifying an audience (for example for Newsround, male, middle class, 8 - 16 years old)
One mark for offering a simple reason for why this audience would watch it ("the mode of address uses simple language, appropriate to an 8 - 16 year old boy")
One mark for a slightly more detailed response (in addition to the above statement, "the selection of stories focuses on UK issues, and is delivered in a typically middle class accent, allowing British middle class audiences to identify with it"
For part b), in this instance it's nine marks. You will need to make specific reference to audience theory to push towards the higher marks. Here are some suggestions, quoted straight from the mark scheme. Note that if you choose the wrong main audience for Newsround, for example 'women aged 50 - 70', then you will not get many marks here!
• Main audience being young people
• The presenters – lively, cheerful, enthusiastic
• The way in which the events are presented – use of appropriate language etc
• The narrative focus of the report – security, stories about young people
• The images and anchorage
• Colours and overall style of the programme.
In this case, C) is worth 15 marks, and you will not be talking about Newsround. You will be making reference to examples from your Media lessons, and any examples you will have encountered in your wider reading. For this 'bit' you will need to make reference to no less than two and no more than three examples. You will be using PEA paragraph structure for this question.
Again, here are some suggestions of points you can make from the mark scheme,
• Social and cultural background
• Gender
• Age
• Experience
• Relevant contexts
• Construction of text and audience within the text
• Ways in which audiences/users are positioned
This is an addition to a range of theories debates, views and approaches.
Top tip - A key debate surrounding audience can involve the hypodermic needle model. It's a flawed theory, but many newspapers and online news sources believe it to be true. Think about how many arguments there are about violent videogames influencing teenagers! You could counter this with the uses and gratifications theory. Audiences have the power to use or take pleasure from a text in any way that they want!
Question 3 - the long one
Question three is worth 30 marks. It's almost as long as the first question, and you will need to make reference to two or three examples again. Once more, it will either be representation or audience for this question. If you had audience for question two, it will be representation for question three, and vice versa.
For some examples of question for question three, take a look at this post.