Rosie Wellings Media NEA Year 2

 6) Evaluate the effectiveness of the following theories in understanding how cultural and historical circumstances can affect audience interpretations of news stories: -Hall’s reception theory -Bandura’s media effects theory Bandura’s media effects theory suggests that the media has an instant impact on the audience and supports ideas of the audience being passive. Media directly ‘implants’ ideas into audience’s minds and they acquire attitudes, emotional responses and new styles of conduct through modelling. Effects theory is simplistic and shows the audience as being passive due to their being no agency to question what ideology they are being shown through the media. However, the theory may be supported by examples of audiences agreeing with everything they read in their newspaper of choice.  Cultivation theory builds on media effects by suggesting that the audience is more active in choosing how the media effects them, they may question what they are being shown and culti...

 5) Explain how political contexts influence individual producers within the newspaper industry.  Refer to The Guardian and the Daily Mail to support your answer. The owners of different newspapers control the content, representations and viewpoints displayed in their newspapers, meaning the owner of these papers have the power to influence their audiences and the public with their political views. The owners of large newspaper companies are usually middle-aged, white men who are upper-class with right-wing views. This is reflected in many of the UK newspapers through the way stories are reported on and how they promote their political ideas, which usually benefit their own social group. An example of this is the Daily Mail, a right-wing newspaper, as the representations of minorities are usually hostile and negative whilst the perspective will benefit right-wing groups. Daily Mail is a large company due to the political standpoint reflecting the dominant political ideology in...

 4) Long form television dramas lack originality; no matter which country they are made in, they all use intertextuality in the same way.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Stranger Things and Deutschland 83 both show intertextuality in different ways, creating very different products and therefore audience appeals. Intertextuality in both TV dramas creates more niche audiences due to them being recognisable and identifying with them.  Stranger Things uses techniques of homage and pastiche intertextuality with some references to ET, The Goonies and other texts. These references come from the 80s, linking the drama to the time period and making it feel more authentic. Creativity in this comes from the intertextuality being modified to create a new product. For example, the reference to ET isn’t explicit and some audiences may recognise it, identify with it and this creates fandom as people feel more connected to the product. However, the intertextuality is used in a uni...

 3) Why do long form television dramas from different countries offer different representations? Stranger Things is an American long form television drama, streamed through Netflix and represents different representations due to their target audience. This US television drama caters to a large audience with global reach, likely due to the international company of Netflix. Viewing figures of Stranger Things is 40.7 million, displaying their audience reach and mass appeal. Netflix audiences are primarily young adults and teenagers for stranger Things due to the representation of young boys as the protagonists. However, the secondary target audience for the television drama is older people due to the intertextual references. Intertextuality of ET will be recognised by older audiences  Representations in Stranger Things relate to the 80s time period in which it is set whilst being recognisable to the audience. For example, the nuclear family model is represented in the Wheeler fam...

 2) Explain how media language in music video incorporates viewpoints and ideologies. Refer to one of the music videos you have studied to support your answer. Radiohead’s Burn the Witch music video reflects the band’s ideology and messages they want to promote through the political song. The audience of Radiohead are middle-aged and older men with political, left-wing views as this mirrors Radiohead’s viewpoints. The band are known for their political and societal commentary. The intertextual references in Burn the Witch are importantly linked to the audience as the references to The Wicker man film and Camberwick Green will be understood by the older audience, likely allowing them to relate more to the ideology being represented. If audiences understand the obvious narrative link to the Wicker man, they will recognise the unique ideas of cults and the dangers of extreme social groups and groupthink ideologies. The video expresses the dangers of the traditional political viewpoint...

 1) Explain how the arrival of digitally convergent media platforms has impacted on film producers. Refer to Disney and its 1967 and 2016 versions of The Jungle Book to support your answer. The vast difference in the film industry and media platforms between 1967 and 2016 is evident when looking at the two versions of Jungle Book. The 1967 version of Jungle Book presents a smaller interaction between the audience and industry of the film. The film was promoted through trailers and movie posters but much of the promotion happened years after the release, with live-action performances and rereleases of the original. The interaction with the audience was limited to the viewing of the film as the internet and social media platforms weren’t available in 1967.  The 2019 version of the Jungle Book represents the importance of audience-industry interaction during the production and release of a film. The 2016 version was promoted by multiple social media sights of Disney, teasers an...