NDM - Weekly Story Index

#1:  Facebook and Twitter join coalition to improve social media newsgathering

#2: Twitter: 140 characters in search of a buyer

#3: The Sun cuts about 20 production jobs in shift to digital

#4: Are mobiles changing how we shop?

#5: The dizzying decline of Britain’s local newspapers: do you want the bad news, or the good news?

#6: Rinstagram or Finstagram? The curious duality of the modern Instagram user

#7: News Corp posts 28% decline in global earnings despite real estate boost

#8: A Brand New Game?

#9: Ad-blockers: are publishers tempted to feed the hand that bites them?

#10: The Sun and Daily Mail accused of 'fuelling prejudice' in report on rising racist violence and hate speech in UK

#11: Spotify UK revenues surge to almost £190m as mobile subscriptions take off

#12: Daily Mail owner to cut more than 400 jobs amid print advertising decline

#13: UK Ad Viewability Below 50%, Costing Advertisers £154m a Quarter

#14: Newspaper websites suffer post-Olympic dip as print sales hold steady

#15: BuzzFeed prepares to split into news and entertainment units

#16: Senior News of the World staff 'misled' Parliament over phone-hacking, committee finds

#17: Telegraph paywall initiative is an interesting strategic shift

#18:  Why do we still accept that governments collect and snoop on our data ?

#19: Facebook buys tool that tracks how stories spread

#20: Daily Telegraph sacks editor Tony Gallagher in shock move designed to 'move beyond putting news online'

#21: Mobile giant Three to block online advertising

#22: Facebook’s failure: did fake news and polarized politics get Trump elected?

#23: Powa Technologies, once a darling of the UK tech scene, collapses into administration

#24: The pedlars of fake news are corroding democracy

#25: BBC awards £100m network deal to BT

#26: Facebook will hire extra 500 UK workers for new central London HQ

#27: Only emotional intelligence can save children from online gambling

#28: The Drum on The Sun’s digital strategy

#29: Daily Mail publisher turns to price rise to counter advertising slump
#30: Digital media's hidden payments crisis
#31: Swipe right? 'Toilet paper' for smartphones trialed in Japanese airport bathrooms
#32: Without question, the Internet can be a toxic place for young people. But withdrawing access to it isn't the right answer
#33: GroupM: Mobile Music Streaming Represents $220 Million Ad Opportunity
#34: Czech Republic to fight 'fake news' with specialist unit
#35: Smartphones 'cause 20m Brits to miss stops'
#36: Facebook break can boost wellbeing, study suggests
#37: How young viewers are abandoning television
#38: The Guardian view on section 40: muzzling journalism
#39: Parliament to grill Facebook chiefs over 'fake news'
#40: Are students justified in banning the sale of newspapers on campus?
#41: The real story behind Facebook 'likes'
#42: Sweden gang rape 'live-streamed on Facebook'
#43: Wolff: The looming shakeout in digital media
#44: Snapchat parent files for $3 billion IPO
#45: Why Amazon Alexa Will Take Over Your Phone and Your Office Next
#46: Facebook, Apple and Google pen letter opposing Trump's travel ban
#47: You don't have to act like a newspaper on the net
#48: Twitter accounts really are echo chambers, study finds
#49: The Outline’s Josh Topolsky: There’s too much sameness in digital media
#50: Disney lays off 80 at Maker and digital media unit
#51: How good journalists can face down fake newsmongers
#52: James Murdoch Calls Digital Media Space An "Unprecedented Competitive Environment"
#53:NBC invested $500 million in Snapchat IPO as part of its ambitious investment in digital media
#54: Fake news inquiry to review social networks' complaints procedures
#55: Google and Levi’s Project Jacquard jacket has restored my faith in wearable's
#56: The city getting rich from fake news
#57: Teach schoolchildren how to spot fake news, says OECD
#58: Facebook and Twitter could pay the price for hate speech
#59: WhatsApp's privacy protections questioned after terror attack
#60: Why one newspaper's reporting could change the face of digital media
#61: Google Maps users should NOT trust EVERYTHING in this app, and this is why
#62: Amazon climbs as beneficiary of ‘retail apocalypse’
#63: Journalists must meet challenge of social and digital media
#64: Ofsted considers using social media to monitor schools
#65: Amazon Echo v Google Home - Which smart speaker should you buy?
#66: Revealed: the more time that children chat on social media, the less happy they feel
#67: GOVERNMENT 'BLOCKED' FROM ACCESSING TWITTER DATA TO HELP SPOT TERRORIST PLOTS
#68: PAY ATTENTION TO MOVIES RELEASED ON STREAMING PLATFORMS
#69: Popsugar Seeks New Platforms Through New Film Studio, Investment In Long-Form Production Company
#70: Facebook Live: Zuckerberg adds 3,000 moderators in wake of murders
#71: Fake News or not, the future belongs to Facebook
#72: Opinion: VOD vs Cinema – It’s a matter of availability, as much as choice
#73: Update your PR resume with this digital media course
#74: UK film companies call for government help as 70th Cannes Film Festival opens
#75: Row over Netflix films casts shadow over Cannes Film Festival

NDM: Weekly News Article - W/C 22nd May (75)

Row over Netflix films casts shadow over Cannes Film Festival

http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/movies/row-over-netflix-films-casts-shadow-over-cannes-film-festival-35728042.html

Summary

With the 70th Cannes Film Festival having opened yesterday under sunny Cote D'Azur skies the stars are coming out in their thousands. This year's festival features a line up widely considered to be well stocked with heavyweight filmmakers, including Sofia Coppola and Lynne Ramsay. However, a storm is brewing over Netflix's place at the world's most prestigious film festival as it continued to steal the spotlight. For the first time, Cannes selected two Netflix releases - Bong Joon-ho's 'Okja' and Noah Baumbach's 'The Meyerowitz Stories' - for its Palme d'Or competition. Though, French theaters which have strict rules regarding streaming service films, rebelled at the thought of a movie that will not play on the big screen winning the competition.The festival officials rebelled and next year will not be accepting streaming - only films. 

  

Key Statistics

• Netflix will debut the $90m fantasy thriller 'Bright' in which Smith stars later this year.

My Opinion

I can understand why allowing streaming services to have a spotlight at such a prestigious film festival is being rebelled against by many. However, we all know that with technological advancements going the way they are streaming services are the way forward and I think that eventually festival's like Cannes Film are going to have to find a way to adapt to the changes. Maybe there could be a separate branch off the main festival that celebrates films released on streaming services. 

NDM: Weekly News Article - W/C 22nd May (74)

UK film companies call for government

help as 70th Cannes Film Festival opens

http://realbusiness.co.uk/current-affairs/2017/05/18/uk-film-companies-call-government-help-70th-cannes-film-festival-opens/

Summary

The Cannes Film Festival isn't just about the red carpet, next door in the Marché Du Film (Movie theatre) films are changing hands for hundreds of millions and production companies are struggling. So British producers are looking to whoever is in number 10, after June 8th to play a hero role and assist them in this struggle. Although, the film tax credit has indeed given the UK film industry some much needed relief it has played more to the benefit of Hollywood producers using the UK, as a location for filming; said PACT (Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television). So PACT is now pushing for the tax credit to be increased. The call from PACT comes at a vital time for UK film companies as with Brexit funding from The European Media Fund is likely to cease after the UK exit from the European Union.

Key Statistics

• PACT is pushing for the tax credit to be increased to 40% on films with budgets between 2 -10 million. 

• There are nearly 7,000 independent film companies in the UK. Last year, those 7,000 companies collectively spent just shy of £1.6 billion making films. 

• According to PACT, worldwide sales of UK production films have slumped by 50% since 2007

• The Film Tax Relief allows a film producer to claim a cash rebate of 25 per cent from HMRC of qualifying expenditure on a film made in the UK, up to 80 per cent of the total film budget with no budget limit.

• Film production – along with the other components to the creative industries – delivers a mighty £84.1bn to the UK economy every year.

My Opinion

I knew that production companies were struggling with the rise of streaming services and similar dramatically changing the way we view films etc. However, never did I think it would come to the point where UK film companies are calling for Government help to stay afloat. I just figured that they will produce some big hitting films which would do wonderfully at the box office and that that cash would tide them over, clearly this is not the case. From what I have seen about the budgets in the news I don't know whether PACT will be able to get the Government's help on this front. 

NDM: Weekly News Article - W/C 22nd May (73)

Update your PR resume with this digital media course

http://www.businessinsider.com/update-your-pr-resume-with-this-digital-media-course-2017-5?IR=T

Summary

The web has dramatically changed our life's from the way we communicate to the way we shop and beyond. The web has allowed thousands of people to build careers like YouTube starts Cameron Dallas and iiSuperwomenii and share their content globally. But, of course to do this web sharing stuff you've got to be web-savvy... so why not sign up to the "Digital media & public relations bundle". The course brings two media driven courses together, designed to show you the in's and out's of creating polished, marketable content and sharing it on a global content. The course will use free software such as WordPress and Blogger. 

Key Statistics

• You can kick start your digital career for $26 AUD (£14.92) 

• This deal saves you more than 90% on the normal $405 AUD (£232.37) retail price 

My Opinion

We all know that the web has dramatically changed our life's and it is increasingly the case that employers need someone who can work the web. So bundle's/courses like this are the way we are going to end up going forward to ensure that everybody is web savvy like the younger generations. However, with technology changing at the rate it is; how are these courses ever going to stay up to date, people will have just completed a course and then technology will change dramatically a few months down the line. 

NDM: Weekly News Article - W/C 15th May (72)

Opinion: VOD vs Cinema – It’s a matter of availability, as much as choice

http://scannain.com/featured/editorial/opinion/

Summary

We all know that the likes of Netflix and Love Film are changing the way we watch films, depending on who you speak to in Hollywood these days, certain circles of the industry are bending over backwards to condemn steaming and VoD services. They say that by providing the option to watch films at home, instead of in the cinema the very roots of the art form of going to the cinema is being eroded. Many people have urged people to watch films at the cinema rather than at home, but what isn't taken into account is that many people do not have the disposable income to go to the cinema. An association, of French film critics frowned at the thought that Netflix's original productions would screen in competition in Cannes, changing the rules to say that all films entered had to have had theatrical release. The theatrical experience, is not as much as it may be disputed democratic; it does not offer the same ease of access and choice to everyone. 

Key Statistics

My Opinion

It has been pretty obvious now, for a while that cinema's are suffering because of streaming services such as Netflix and I do not think that the cinema chains have come up with any unique way of giving audiences a reason to come back to the cinemas; other than urging them to go to the cinema instead. However, no chain takes into consideration in the current economic climate people's financial situation to be able to afford to go to the cinema; rather than spending money on getting more and more VIP seats or similar I would say that the cinema chains attempt to revisit their pricing if they could reduce it maybe people might start to go to the cinema again. However, people also speak of how streaming services are more open for them providing a better variety etc; but this is because there is nobody to stop people watching certain films at home the world of age ratings does not exist.It seems as though people want to translate this into the cinema's but what they do not realize is that directors and the cinema chains have rules to follow. If they didn't follow these rules then the wider variety debate would be settled as the variety at the cinema would be just as wide as it is at home but equally then people would just complain when their child is exposed to some material they do not like.  

NDM: Weekly News Article - W/C 15th May (71)

Fake News or not, the future belongs to Facebook 

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/may/14/fake-news-or-not-future-belongs-to-facebook

Summary

Fake news became a massive talking point during the and in the aftermath of the US Presidential Election. In this week, when fake news furore went legacy - viral Facebook bought full page print ad's in national daily papers detailing '10 tips for spotting "false news".' (Tip 9: "Is the story a joke?"). Then last week BBC Panorama aired a Facebook programme full of warnings reporting that Facebook had been a game changer for both Brexit and Trump. Facebook could apparently help to target and delude individual voters. Fakery can be an excuse for failure in defeat and a digital strategists inflated reason for success. Legislators looking for work hate finding an area of operation so big and as the head of the Commons culture committee says "totally unregulated". Stir these elements into the pot of fakery: strands of fear, self interest and bravado this shows that this isn't a plot, it's a situation. They do not, however mean that the furore of fake news will fade or that answers will be found. With this in mind, if forecasters are right that print will soon seize to exist completely and social media domination continues then the question posed is what will the 2042 general election look like. Social media with its reach ever more complete and its algorithms ever more sophisticated will be the dominator. 

   

Key Statistics

• Newspapers see Facebook and Google eating what's left of their future as digital giants devour 90% if advertising growth.

• Through all the fake news controversy, adding 3,000 more monitors to try to keep up its act, Facebook has only added more paying adherents.

My Opinion 

With the way technological advancements are progressing I definitely agree with forecasters that soon print will die out completely and digital giants are going to dominate what they do not already.  Social media is going to soon be the new BBC and News Corp but some digital giants will survive against each other while others such as Snapchat will not; it already feeds on itself as it grows. However, how are the dominating sites like Facebook going to be regulated, with everyone using them it will be even harder to regulate posts than it is now, which still prove to be difficult for Facebook. If the sites are even harder to regulate isn't the world of fakery just going to keep growing, I think that if we are moving towards a time where we are going to completely rely upon social media sites namely Facebook to provide us with the news then they need to be properly regulated as when this happens forecasters believe that the likes of the BBC will not exist which will mean that we will not have anywhere to turn to check the viability of the source. 

Essay Practices Index

1. Essay Question - The development of new/digital media means the audience is more powerful in terms of consumption and production. Discuss the arguments for and against this view.
2. June 12 - Section A Essay Practice
3. Does your case study suggest that new and digital media have had a positive impact by offering audiences a more diverse range of values and ideologies? (48 marks)

Section B Practice Exam Question

Does your case study suggest that new and digital media have had a positive impact by offering audiences a more diverse range of values and ideologies? (48 marks)

Over the course of studying the new and digital media case study and researching film viewing and distribution specifically focusing on Lionsgate, many viewpoints both positive and negative have presented themselves in regards to this question; on whether NDM has had a positive impact by offering audiences a more diverse range of values and ideologies.

NDM has brought dramatic changes to the world and has had a positive impact by offering audiences a more diverse range of values and ideologies a pluralist perspective would argue that NDM has led to media producers/institutions involving their audiences a lot more than they previously did. Producers and institutions have involved their audiences more as they encourage their audiences to share their views and opinions via social media platforms such as Twitter more and during live broadcasts of programmes on TV.  An example, of producers getting their audiences more involved in discussions on social media, would be with the recent broadcasting of a BBC Panorama report on the disappearance of Madeline McCann entitled ‘Madeline McCann: 10 years on’. Producers got their audiences involved by publishing information about the broadcast on their Panorama Twitter page with ‘#MadelineMcCann’ encouraging viewers to share their views and opinions on such a widely known story. Some of the views were positive offering messages of support to Madeline’s parents 10 years on while others were negative for example “When will they accept they are to blame for leaving those beautiful small children alone to go drinking!?! #MadelineMcCann #BBC Panorama”. Getting the viewers involved meant that they were engaged with the story and able to question one another’s views on the issue.  Audiences were able to question each other and challenge the status quo (existing state of affairs) that is presented to us by the ruling class elites.  

On the other hand, a Marxist perspective would argue that NDM has had a negative impact by offering us a more diverse range of values and ideologies because complete power doesn’t remain with the ruling classes (institutions).  The loss of power amongst the ruling classes has meant that they have been unable to maintain hegemonic control in society as the more diverse range of values and ideologies means that they are constantly being challenged. One way in which the ruling class have lost power over society would be through the rise of user-generated content. User generated content has presented a diverse range of values and ideologies because content is not mediated by gatekeepers, who are deciding what information we should be consuming.  An example, of a user generated content campaign would be ‘#blacklivesmatter’ created in 2012 after Trayvon Martin’s murderer was acquitted for his crime. This campaign presented us with a more diverse range of values and ideologies or greater variety of views as it gave us the opportunity to understand how black people in society were being treated directly from the community. As opposed to opinion leaders passing on their interpretation of events, such as Deandre Joshua’s shooting (Deandre Joshua (20) was shot once in the head and then set on fire inside his car. He had just testified to a grand jury. #BlackLivesMatter ‘Tweet about Joshua’s shooting on the black lives matter campaign’) to the masses, (two-step flow). Having a greater understand of the black community has meant that society no longer just instantly believes the dominant ideologies that they are drip-fed.

However, it could further be argued that NDM has had a positive impact by offering audiences a more diverse range of values and ideologies as a result of the continuously increasing use of social media. Social media has allowed us to develop a shared culture. With social media presenting us with these more diverse ranges of values and ideologies we have been able to connect with others that we can relate too. We no longer live in an ‘echo chamber’ or ‘filter bubble’; we are no longer denying certain things exist in society such as the LGBT community as a result of the more diverse range of values and ideologies presented to us via social media. For example, the Twitter page ‘@LGBTfdn’ promotes the LGBT community through a series of events such as conferences which are said to be incredibly influential evident from tweets such as ‘truly an inspirational day at @LGBTfdn conference learning about co-production model of working for better #transoutcomes’.

Though, a negative standpoint could still be taken as to whether NDM has  had a positive impact by offering audiences a more diverse range of values and ideologies because many industries have suffered financially as a result, for instance film viewing and distribution companies like Lionsgate. The greater access to a more diverse range of values and ideologies has meant that less people are watching certain films at the cinema for fear that societies ideals are being used in films and could be passed on to their children for example. Many parents are worried that their children might believe society values, see the world in the same way that the film presents, and thus translate what they see into society or believe society is the same (Gerbner – Cultivation). Instead, many people are opting for using streaming services such as Netflix where they themselves can better mediate what their children are seeing; through parental controls, stopping children from watching certain films and separate profiles. As a result, of large masses of people opting away from the cinema for film viewing the films overall are not doing as well as anticipated at the box office, particularly if they are un-established films such as franchises like Fast and Furious. Consequently, the production/distribution companies that have backed the films such as Lionsgate are not getting the monetary return on the film that they would have hoped for.

In conclusion, NDM has had a negative impact by offering audiences a more diverse range of values and ideologies because as Keen suggested ‘webpage’s and blogs are like a million monkeys typing nonsense’. Therefore questioning the accuracy of the information we are seeing due to fewer gatekeepers of the information being spread across social media and in some instances in the newspapers. The most prominent example of when accuracy of information has been questioned would be with the rise of fake news particularly during the US Presidential elections. For instance, one fake story that was published which consequently led to the spread of a diverse range of values and ideologies would be “Trump Offering Free One – Way Tickets to Africa & Mexico for Those Who Wanna Leave America”. The web page from which this story originated (tmzhiphop.com) was as Keen said ...’a million monkeys typing nonsense’ due to the vast offering of a more diverse range of values and ideologies due to new and digital media.   

  

NDM: Weekly News Article - W/C 8th May (70)

Facebook Live: Zuckerberg adds 3,000 moderators in wake of murders

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/03/facebook-live-zuckerberg-adds-3000-moderators-murders

Summary

Zuckerberg, Facebook's chief executive has pledged to add 3,000 more content viewers and invest in tools to help remove objectionable content more quickly after the live-streaming of murders. The most recent streaming of a murder is not the only incident to occur in the past few months many more incidents have occurred such as the 'Sweden gang rape 'live-streamed on Facebook'. Zuckerberg, said "If we're going to build a safe community, we need to respond quickly, we're working to make these videos easier to report so we can take the right action sooner - whether that's responding quickly when someone needs help of taking a post down". Facebook’s chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg said: “Keeping people safe is our top priority. We won’t stop until we get it right.” Facebook has been criticized for its lack of appropriacy (Expediency) ,over  removing questionable content after two videos of a Thai man killing his 11 month old daughter in April were available for 24 hrs before being taken down. After an inquiry following the murder of MP Jo Cox by a far right gunman MP's concluded that "social media companies currently face almost no penalties for failing to remove illegal content".  

Key Statistics

• Instead of scrutinizing content before it is uploaded, Facebook relies on reporting tools used by the social network’s 1.86 billion users and a team of people at Facebook to review reported posts 

• Over next year 3,000 people will be added to the community operations team around the world; on top of the 4,500 people already in place

• Video of Thai man killing daughter was viewed 370,000 times 

• In March, a 15-year-old girl from Chicago was sexually assaulted by five or six men or boys, which was broadcast live to Facebook with at least 40 people watching.

• Earlier in April, the Cleveland murder of Robert Godwin, a 74-year-old former foundry worker, was posted to Facebook and was available to view for three hours before being taken down.

My Opinion

Social media companies definitely do not take account for the questionable content that is uploaded to their sites. With the numerous incidents that have taken place on the Facebook platform I think it is about time that Facebook took some responsibility and did something to combat these issues. It seems as though at first Facebook treated this issue as something problematic that would eventually go away but this is definitely not the case. However, adding more people to the team responsible for looking into reported posts and posts in general is all well and good but I think Facebook need to do something more than simply taking the posts down. Because as many of the social networking sites have said on numerous occasions not everything can be caught all of the time specially with the increasing number of users across the social media world platform wide.

NDM: Weekly News Article - W/C 8th May (69)

Popsugar Seeks New Platforms Through New Film Studio, Investment In Long-Form Production Company

http://www.tubefilter.com/2017/05/03/popsugar-films-toy-rocket-newfronts/

Summary

Popsugar which has made its name with a reputation for being a media brand for millennial women announced a new movie unit "Popsugar Films" at its presentation at the 2017 NewFronts with an increasing interest in the traditional media world.Popsugar have also invested in a new production company called "Toy Rocket" to create shows for TV and beyond. The first project in the works is a partnership with Lionsgate, Untitled Entertainment, Cinestar Pictures and Executive Producer, Zoe Saldana bringing a high school drama titled "Honoured" to our screens sometime in the future.    

Key Statistics

• Popsugar claims that with its expertise on digital platforms its content gathers 3.1 billion monthly views. 

My Opinion

I think that joint projects like this are a good way forward for the likes of traditional distributors such as Lionsgate if they have any chance of competing with the growing interest of streaming services such as Netflix. However, with joint projects, the profits of projects are split between all participants so in this case, it would go 5 ways. So, while joint projects are great Lionsgate need to think of other ways in which they can create with the growing dominance of streaming services. 

Mock Exam - Learner Response

1) Type up your feedback in full (you do not need to write mark/grade if you do not wish to).

WWW: Clear writing, well structured and concise 
EBI: Section A answers need to be more developed with more examples   

2) Did you succeed in meeting or exceeding your target grade for A2 Media? If not, how many additional marks do you need across Section A and Section B to achieve your target grade?

Grade boundaries for complete paper (out of 80): 

A* = 75; A = 65; B = 55; C = 45; D = 36; E = 25.

I did not meet my target grade.  I needed 7 extra marks across Section A and B to meet my minimum target grade. 

3) Read through the mark scheme. Pay particular attention to pages 6-8 that have suggested content for each of the questions in Section A. How many of these potential points did you make? Did you successfully answer the questions? The original question paper is here if that is helpful.

Q1 -  Suggested Content
POINTS I MADE
POINTS REFERRED TO
POINTS NOT MENTIONED

• Use of narrative voiceover

• Use of soundtrack to establish tone

• Use of self-contained narrative that resembles a Hollywood film

• Use of differing production values

• Use of direct address

• Use of hand-held camera to suggest immediacy

• Use of interviews involving residents in New Era estate

• Role of Russell Brand as celebrity figure

Q2 - Suggested Content

POINTS I MADE

POINTS I REFERRED TO

POINTS NOT MENTIONED

• Development of coherent set of values and beliefs that can be seen in all products created by individual institutions

• Use of language to establish authority

• High production values to establish tone, mood and atmosphere

• Repetition of values, meaning that dissenting voices don't often get heard

• Moderation of feedback by media producers 

• Limited opportunity for audiences to provide instant feedback

• Presentation of fact rather than opinion  (Casting a white middle class male presents a fact that you have to be a successful city worker to afford such a life)

Q3 - Suggested Content

POINTS I MADE

POINTS I REFERRED TO

POINTS NOT MENTIONED

• Role of the media in our everyday lives

• 
  

  Responsibilities of the media in catering to a wide variety of opinions

• Differences between public service broadcasters and privately owned media institutions

• Opportunities for audiences to express their own values and beliefs

• Changes in media technology/impact upon audiences and producers 

• Role of audiences in providing feedback to media products 

• Role of government in democratic societies 

4) Which was your strongest question in Section A? Why did you do better in that particular question? Note the number of marks each question is worth.

Question 3 was my strongest answer. I think that this was because I didn't specifically make reference to the media products shown. I answered the question solely demonstrating my critical autonomy; referencing the Westminster Terror Attacks. However, to get more marks I could have developed my paragraphs more and written further paragraphs with new examples as in Section A I have mentioned the Westminster Attacks twice.  

5) Which was your weakest question in Section A? Again, try and identify why this happened. Did you misinterpret the question? Did you run out of time? 

Question 1, was my weakest answer. I think this is because in some of my paragraphs I went off on a tangent and wasn't answering the question. For instance, I talked about one of the products being a well-known brand with a following but I do not know this I assumed. 

6) Now look at pages 11-12 of the mark scheme for Section B - New/Digital Media paying particular attention to the suggested essay content on page 12. How many of the broad areas suggested by AQA did you cover in your Section B essay? Did you successfully answer the question?

Broad Areas suggested by AQA  - I MENTIONED/MADE REFERENCE TOO

• Historical role of media producers

• Recent developments in new and digital media

• Impact upon, and responses of, traditional media producers

• Changing demands of audiences

• Different situations in different mediums and on different platforms

I think that I answered the question successfully with a good variety of examples, but in terms of my analysis, I could have expanded it a bit more. I could have mentioned some historical events that answer the question which would have shown my knowledge of our the media industry has changed over time. Due to technology and in general and what this has meant for the survival of traditional organisations. 

7) Read the Examiner's Report in full. For each question your answered, would you classify your response as one of the stronger answers or one of the weaker answers the Chief Examiner discusses? Why? What could you do differently next time? Write a reflection for EACH question in the paper: Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q6 OR Q7.

Q1: The better answers which differentiated between authoritative and trustworthy but it was a weak answer because in the majority I did not specifically state media language techniques. 

What could I do differently? - Ensure that I specifically state what media language techniques I am referring to rather than assuming that it will be understood with me only touching the surface of explaining a media language technique; I can do this by ensuring that my analysis in each paragraph is as fully developed as I can make it.  

Q2: Started to make use of their own examples; rather than just referring to the two products given in the exam itself. Weaker answer because I misread the language of the question ignoring the 'do' so it changed their response to one that focused away from the set question.

What could I do differently? - Make sure that my answer makes use of some more of my own examples; maybe reference how we are encouraged to agree with a certain set of views and values through a Marxist or pluralist perspective. 

Q3: Sense of evaluation embedded into the analysis; such answers would take a standpoint towards the question. Weaker as I didn't look at both sides of the argument; why might providing a platform for alternative and oppositional views be problematic.

What could I do differently? - Include more balance in my argument looking at the problematic side of providing such platforms With the examples I did provide I could have gone into more depth in terms of the analysis that I provided. 

Q6 - Many referred to the disappearance of The Independent as a physical artefact newspaper, and the on-going debate concerning the use of paywalls on newspaper websites. Responses showed excellent engagement with what is happening in the world and media in 2016, and revealed a cohort with genuine concerns about how their future might be affected by a changing media landscape.

What could I do differently? -  Be more confident in my use of media theory to support my points and for the real exam, I will be able to mention my independent case study on Lionsgate and film viewing/distribution to make my answer stronger. 

8) Choose your weakest question in Section A and re-write an answer in full based on the suggested content from the Examiner's Report. This answer needs to be comprehensive and meet the criteria for Level 4 of the mark scheme. This will be somewhere between 3-6 well-developed paragraphs (depending on the question/number of marks available).

Q - What media language techniques are used to make each product appear authoritative and trustworthy?

Both media product 1 and 2 creatively use a variety of media language techniques to appear authoritative and trustworthy.

In the first media product, a sense of authority is created using mise en scene. Namely, the choice of costume being a suit, which is typical of a city worker and the setting being an office environment in the centre of London, depicts a well-educated and potentially wealthy individual. The wealthy lifestyle conveyed from the establishing shots of his city apartment with luxury furniture such as stainless steel in the kitchen vs. wooden effects could suggest a man of high social status, which assists the advert in appearing authoritative. The sense of authority conveyed would aline with the viewpoint of Gramsci suggesting the concept of hegemony, which means that society is still capitalist, orientated. One social class has dominance over the other, in this case, it is the upper-class city worker having dominance over those who struggle to pay rent and work two jobs just to afford a decent standard of living particularly in London.

Then media product two appears as trustworthy, through its simple production values. The clip opens with a simple shot on a sofa possibly in a house with no special effects or professional lighting and similar. It instead focuses on getting straight to the facts of the issue, therefore, appearing as trustworthy. Media product two also appears as trustworthy using direct address; when the report on the New Era estate begins. With the direct address, we are more likely to digest what we are being told because they presenter is speaking directly to us as opposed to a more professionally shot production where we are influenced by opinion leaders who mediate the way in which we react to the media we are seeing (Two-Step Flow Model).