Posts

News Values: Blog task

  News Values: Blog task Read  Media Factsheet 76: News Values  and complete the following questions/tasks.  Our  Media Factsheet archive is available here  - you'll need your Greenford Google login to access. 1) What example news story does the Factsheet use to illustrate Galtung and Ruge's News Values? Why is it an appropriate example of a news story likely to gain prominent coverage? The factsheet uses the death of a British servicewoman in Afghanistan. it has shock and death of a british national, intensity and recency due to the ongoing war. The story is clear, emotional and relevant to a UK audience, which increases its news value. 2) What is gatekeeping? Gatekeeping is the process of filtering information before it reaches the audience. Editors and journalists decide which stories are selected and which are rejected. 3) What are the six ways bias can be created in news? Bias can be created through selection and omission, placement, headlines, ph...

The Future of Journalism: Blog tasks

Image
The Future of Journalism: Blog tasks Part 1: Clay Shirky lecture Go to the  Nieman Lab webpage (part of Harvard university) and watch the video of Clay Shirky presenting to Harvard students . The video is also available on YouTube below but the Nieman Lab website has a written transcript of everything Shirky says.  Play the clip AND read along with the transcript below to ensure you are following the argument. You need to watch from the beginning to 29.35 (the end of Shirky's presentation). Once you've watched and read the presentation and made notes (you may want to copy and paste key quotes from the transcript which is absolutely fine), answer the questions below: 1) Why does Clay Shirky argue that 'accountability journalism' is so important and what example does he give of this? Shirky says accountability journalism is vital because it investigates powerful institutions and exposes wrongdoing. He argues that without it, governments and corporations can act without s...

Horizon language and rep

Image
  Read  this review of Horizon Forbidden West in the Financial Times  (should be non-paywalled but you can  read the text of article here if needed ). Answer the following questions: 1) Why does Guerrilla Games have 'a serious case of bad timing'? The original game launched close to The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild which became hugely successful. The sequel released near Elden Ring which also dominated attention. This meant Horizon was overshadowed both times. 2) What is the narrative for the original game Horizon Zero Dawn? The story is set a thousand years after machines destroyed most of humanity. Survivors live in tribal groups and treat old technology with fear or worship. The game also focuses on the mystery of Aloy’s identity. 3) How is the central character Aloy described? Aloy is described as flame haired and memorable. She balances toughness with tenderness. She is presented as a strong and engaging heroine. 4) What is the narrative and setting ...

Women and videogames: blog tasks and Further Feminist Theory

  1) What was Gamergate? Gamergate was an online controversy in the gaming community. It began with claims about ethics in games journalism but became known for harassment, especially towards women. 2) What is the recent controversy surrounding narrative design studio Sweet Baby Inc? Sweet Baby Inc is a company that works on storytelling and diversity in video games. Some online groups accused the studio of forcing political agendas and diversity into games. Supporters argue the backlash reflects ongoing resistance to inclusion in the gaming industry. 3) What does the article conclude regarding diversity in videogames? The article concludes that diversity in videogames is becoming more visible and important. 1) What definitions are offered by the factsheet for ‘feminism ‘and ‘patriarchy’? Feminism is defined as a movement that aims for equality for women socially, economically and politically. It is not about hating men but about challenging inequality. Patriarchy is male do...

Newspapers: Weekly Media homework - news stories

  Newspapers: Weekly Media homework - news stories For the Newspapers unit, you have an ongoing mini-homework every week: to find, read and post   TWO news stories   on your blog. The very simple detail: every week you must find, read, and post  two  news stories from the websites of our two newspaper CSPs (one from Mail Online and one from The Guardian website): Mail Online The Guardian website   This will help familiarise yourself with the two newspapers over several weeks so you can recognise how the news stories reflect the values, ideologies and ownership contexts of the two CSPs. Newspaper news story research: blog task Create  ONE  blogpost that you return to and update weekly. Call it ' Newspaper news story research '. Then, each week you need to visit the  MailOnline website  and the  Guardian website  and choose one story from each to summarise and share.  Most importantly, you need to do the following on yo...

Media Paper 2 mock exam - learner response

  Media Paper 2 mock exam - learner response This is the second of your vital learner response tasks following the full set of A Level Media mock exams. Remember, the most important aspect of any mock exam is  making mistakes and learning from them.  With Paper 2 this is even more significant as it contains the  synoptic element   in question 4 and extended essays on in-depth topics throughout. Here, we need to closely analyse out performance in  Paper 2  and identify specific ways we will improve for the real exam on  Thursday 5 June (PM).  Complete the following  learner response  tasks in a new blogpost on your Media  Exam blog  called ' Paper 2 mock exam learner response'.  Paper 2 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). Abdiillah, a very strong performance for this mock exam. Well done! Your Q2 essay on video games ...

Blog tasks: The decline in print media

  Blog tasks: The decline in print media Part 1: Ofcom report into news consumption Read  this Ofcom report on the consumption of news in the UK  and answer the following questions (bullet points/short answers are fine): 1) Look at the headlines from the report on page 5 & 6. Pick three that you think are interesting and bullet point them here. Why did you pick those three in particular?   • More people consume online than through TV, radio or newspapers. • The BBC is still the most-used provider of news in the UK.  • Despite online being the main platform for news, the more traditional providers are rated more highly for trust, accuracy and impartiality. 2) Now look at the motivations for following news which differs by age on pages 7 & 8. What are the main reasons people gave for following news? What are the percentages? The main reasons people gave for following news were to know what is going on in the world, to understand what is happening in ...