These are the topics for 2006 and 2007.

Topic 1: Advertising - new topic from January 2007 Research into advertising, marketing and sponsorship. Issues such as the nature and purpose of advertising - selling image and lifestyle. Issues of ideologies, values, messages and meanings. Consumer cultures. Product placement. Niche and mass markets. Audience targeting. Social demographics and product mapping. Marketing strategies. Case studies of particular campaigns. Audience reception of advertising. Relationship between media institutions and advertising

Topic 2: Children and the Media Research into the relationship between children and the media as subjects of media representations and/or as consumers of the media. [“Children” to mean up to and including age 15]. Targeting and use of children in media products. Representations of childhood and gender. Academic perspectives. The media as educative. Research into effects theories in relation to children and the media. Children as participants in media productions. Views of parents, teachers and children on the media and childhood. Children’s reception of media texts. Media to include television, film, radio, magazines, comics, newspapers, video games and internet

Topic 3: Community Radio (We do not offer this topic)

Topic 4: Crime and the Media The representation of crime in/across a range of media. Crime films; televisions crime series. True crime magazines. Press representations of crime and criminality. News reporting of crime; radio and internet crime coverage. Moral panics. Show case trials; crime and news values. Trial by the media. The media and public perceptions of crime.

Topic 5: Politics and the Media Research into the relationships between the political system and the media. Candidates may focus on UK or foreign politics and the media and may compare the relationship between government and media in the UK and other nations. The media as a tool of democracy. Public service broadcasting. Impartiality versus editorial/owners values. Party political broadcasts, campaigns, photo opportunities and lobbying. Government press secretaries, public relations managers, spin doctors and the media. Media

Topic 6: Sport and the Media Research into the relationships between sports agencies and the media Relationship between media conglomerates and sports agencies. Attraction and retention of audiences via sport in order to promote other products. The representation of ideology (such as global unity/competition/nation, gender). Proliferation of sports covered including minority interest sports. Media as sports watchdogs and commentators; as source of inter-media competition. Sport and advertising/ sponsorship. Use of new technologies in sports coverage.

Topic 7: Television Drama- new topic from January 2007 Research into the significance of television drama. Place of television drama in the schedules. The changing face of television drama. Issues of “quality”/dumbing down. Drama documentaries/”faction”. Representations of social groups. Drama series and serials. Soap operas. Comedy drama, costume drama. Literary adaptations. High culture v low culture debate. Audience reception of TV drama. Historical development. Notions of authorship in television drama. Relationships of genre to television institutions

Topic 8: Women and Film Research into the relationships between female filmmakers and the industry as well as between their films and their spectators and/or female spectatorship of film. [Filmmaker is defined here as director, actor, producer, screenwriter or other personnel for example editor, production designer, director of photography]. Gender issues such as equality of opportunity for women filmmakers in the industry. Issues of gender representation in films. Feminist critical perspectives. Popular criticism. Audience reception. Candidates may draw on examples of films classed as ‘feminist films. Films made for female audiences and films made by women as well as female responses to other films.

Topic 9: World Cinema - new topic from January 2007 Research into the cinema of countries other than US or the UK. Differences of context, audience and genre. Cinematic hybrids. Media imperialism. Cultural independence. Issues of representation. World cinema and politics. Cinema as agent of social and political change. Audience reception. Popular and art cinemas’, relationship with other media. Influence upon US and UK cinema.

Research (Question 1)

Accounts of the kinds of research undertaken, to include the following:
The producers, institution or industry concerned
Academic criticism
Popular criticism
Audience reception, including the candidate her/himself

Analysis and Presentation (Question 2)

Analysis and presentation of the research undertaken, to include the following:
The investigative process and the findings of the research
The presentation and development of an argument or thesis, with reference to research and
textual evidence, where appropriate conclusions

The following BFI ESSENTIAL CRITICAL RESEARCH GUIDE should be your bible!

The unit assesses your ability to independently research, investigate and analyse a media topic and present the findings.

You will research in depth ONE media topic from the above list. The nature of the research is intended to be one of active investigation into the areas of audience and industry research as well as of academic and critical perspectives, from which you can develop an independent critical response.

The examination is 2 hours long and there are two questions on each topic. You will be required to answer both questions on your chosen topic.

THE GOOD NEWS:

You can take 4 sides of A4 research notes, hand-written by youself , into the examination; these must be submitted with your examination script. See an excellent example from one of last years students: Page One; Page Two; Page Three; Page Four.

THE BAD NEWS:

This unit is to be undertaken by YOU as individual and independent work, with the teacher in the role of supervisor only.