KA2 mock: Newspapers - feedback, mark scheme, tips

Let's keep this simple!

This post contains information on what your feedback numeral means, the mark scheme, grade boundaries and 'indicative content', which means the stuff you COULD have written about. 

If you want a short and straightforward tip right now, here's a good one: you get marks in media by demonstrating your knowledge and understanding (often through using 'media language', but also referring to theories and media debates), and backing up your points with key examples from the case studies we have looked at. That's it, pretty much! 

All of you need to include more media language in your responses as a matter of urgency

The stat block

This is an example of a stat block for this KA. From left to right, it reads:

1. Q1
2. Q2
3. Total
4. Grade
5. Feedback

Red means that you have achieved LESS than your minimum expected grade (MEG). Yellow means you have achieved your MEG. Green is higher. As we can see in this example, it's possible to get less than your MEG for individual questions, and still exceed it for the overall grade!

Your grade is a fine grade. Here, an A3 is a low A. A C2 is a mid C. A B1 is a high B. You get the picture!

Your feedback numeral can be decoded below. 

Feedback legend

i - You must include more media language. Shot types, camera angles, mise-en-scene, lexis, colour, setting, whatever, if you're not using these words, you're not getting marks!

ii - You must focus on analysis and suggesting meanings. What do the de-saturated colours mean? How does the lexis target a working class audience? Don't describe... analyse!

iii - Focus on theory. You don't use enough. You should use more. Make sure to properly revise at least three theories for the next mock!

iv - Focus on presenting a clear argument or point of view. You've ticked every other box, so what do you think? Get argumentative! Get angry! And make a big conclusion!

v - Avoid colloquialisms and find your academic tone. Check out the detailed feedback below for more information on this. This one will take time: there's no quick fix!

Mark scheme

Band 5 - 26/13 - Excellent knowledge and understanding of media language and the theoretical framework. Excellent knowledge and understanding of the newspaper industry. Examples given are detailed, relevant, and accurate. Appropriate theories will be accurately applied.

Band 4 - 20/10 - Good knowledge and understanding of media language and the theoretical framework. Good knowledge and understanding of the newspaper industry. Examples given are good, and generally accurate. Theories may be accurately applied.

Band 3 - 14/7 -  Satisfactory knowledge and understanding of media language and the theoretical framework. Satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the newspaper industry. Examples given are reasonable but straightforward, and may have inaccuracies.

Band 2 - 8/4 -  Basic knowledge and understanding of media language and the theoretical framework. Basic knowledge and understanding of the newspaper industry. Examples given will be limited. There will a tendency to describe. 

Band 1 - 1/1 -  Minimal understanding of media language and the newspaper industry. Basic, or no supporting examples

Grade boundaries 

This assessment didn't have a lot of questions, so the grade boundaries are really close together! Something to keep in mind when working out how strong your grade was...

A* - 81% - 36

A - 71% - 31

B - 61% - 27

C - 52% - 23

D - 43% - 19

E - 35% - 15

U -  14 or below

Questions and indictive content 

Representation

Question 1 is based on the following:

Digital print resource, a front page from The Sun, published after the resignation of Liz Truss, on October 21st 2022

and

The front page of The Times you have studied (the 'partygate' edition)

1 - Compare how these pages from the The Sun and The Times construct versions of reality. In your answer you must: 

• consider the choices media producers make when constructing versions of reality 
• consider the similarities and differences in the representations 
• make judgements and draw conclusions about how far the representations relate to relevant media contexts. 

[30 marks, 45 minutes]

A proper introduction sets the tone

Here's a good example:

Stuart Hall argues that representations construct reality. Representations are constructed by the producer of a media product for the purpose of presenting, and even forcing their ideology on to their target audiences. In this essay, I shall argue that newspapers can construct substantially different representations of reality. In order to explore this idea, I will be referring to The Sun, a UK tabloid newspaper owned by News UK, a subsidiary of the vast conglomerate News International, and The Times, a UK broadsheet newspaper that is also owned and published by News UK.

You must make explicit reference to the texts

Since the unseen newspaper is right in front of you, the examiner (and of course me, the person marking your paper) is fully expecting you to conduct a detailed analysis of it. In media studies, detailed here means you must make reference to media language, i.e. the stuff on the toolkit. Here's an example.

One way in which the front page of the Sun constructs a version of reality is through the highly biased and potentially misleading selection of images. Boris Johnson, the former UK PM is here represented with a particularly unflattering choice of image. The mid-shot emphasises the mise-en-scene of his poorly fitting suit jacket, which constructs an ideological representation of a confused and disorganised politician. This is further reinforced by the MES of his wild and chaotic hair, and the somewhat discomforting direct mode of address formed by Boris Johnson staring directly in to the camera, which functions as a proairetic code, suggesting the foolish things that he is likely to do. The combination of this media language constructs a highly biased and leading ideological perspective that the UK parliament is in a position of extreme confusion. This simple and straightforward reading will be particularly popular with the working class, right wing target audience of The Sun.

This straightforward reading is further anchored through the use of leading and manipulative lexis. The selection of the word 'Bojo' in the headline...

Relevant media contexts

This is a vague phrase that gives you a lot of scope to talk about what you want to talk about! Here are some examples of contextual information you could include:

• The use of stereotypes, and why newspapers use them
• Bias and manipulation of the audience
• The fact that both newspapers target an older right wing audience
• The difference in representations depending on a left-wing or right-wing target audience
• The issues with presenting a political bias to an audience
• Ownership: both newspapers are owned by Murdoch's News International!
• Many audiences have moved to online media to access news. The readership of print newspapers tend to be middle-aged and older

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Audience

2 - Explain how the newspaper industry targets audiences. Make reference to a print edition of The Daily Mirror to support your points

[15 marks, 15 minutes]

Audience and industry questions are short and sweet

...in Component one b, anyway. The examiner is only expecting you to spend a mark a minute on this one, so be as blunt and straightforward as possible here.

Audience theory can really help you here