Mest 3 PPE

PPE Learner Response

1) 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?

• I was 8 marks away from my target grade (in total)

2) 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.

I made references to voice-over/dialogue as well as the use of hand held camera. I managed to show how each point works and how it communicates to the audience, however an alternative suggestion to the point could allow for more discussion. Critical autonomy also lacks its way in the essay. Most of my points just share my opinion, but not me engaging myself and providing a justification for my answers. 

3) 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 question. I used a wider range of examples from multiple sources including references from my new and digital media news stories. In depth and straight to the point answers is what needs to be done in order to push this number up.

4) 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 2: was my weakest question. Not much statistics was used when making my points. I made points but didn't answer them fully to the extent that I was fully answering the question. I needed more of a detailed analysis in order to get both a good grasp if the question as well as, explaining it in the correct way.

5) 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?

Yes, I did successfully answer the question. I didn't go off topic where it was to do with audiences, and I stuck (for the most part) on the effects on traditional media. I also, made references to my case study and how new and digital media has affected it. 

6) 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).

Chosen question: Q2

One way in which media products encourage audiences to agree with certain set of values and beliefs is through the repetition of questioning the audiences self value. This is apparent in the Redrow Homes advert where the dialogue for example, "the need to be different" or "to stay true to what you believe". These lines of from the voice-over help to generate a sense of self-realisation within the audience. It tries to stimulate the audience in to thinking that they need to question their own lives and way of living; falling in to the fantasy world that the advert is 'trying' to deliver upon. The advert creates the illusion that the lifestyle presented on screen could be theirs, and this is partly due to the persuasive voice-over acting as a form of manipulation/temptation. 

Another way in which the media products encourage audiences to agree with certain set of values and beliefs is through the presentation of facts rather than opinion. This is particularly apparent in Russel Brand's 'Trews' show where it presents the audience with articles like 'The Mirror- devastated facilities face eviction" as well as actual interviews from people who are suffering because of this situation. The reason why anecdotes and factual information encourage audiences to agree with certain values is because it can be a reflection of their life in which they can sympathise with. The psychopathic audience who is watching this video may have suffered through a similar issue, or are surrounded by it in the community. Therefore, by providing actual information will cause the viewer to agree with the values being set on screen as they have either experienced it, or can relate to similar situations. 

Finally, another way in which media products encourage audiences to agree with a certain set of values and beliefs is through dumbing down audiences. This is apparent with the news paper industry where (to a Marxist perspective) those in power and trying to inflict their own ideologies and values in to the content they produce, so that their views are consumed by millions of passive viewers. The reason why this is considered 'dumbing down' audiences is because, consumers are passively consuming content which contain certain values and beliefs and act as a way to adopt them. Audiences will consume this information and won't challenge it as they are passively consuming it. Active readers on the other hand (the pluralists) will challenge authority and raise awareness of the matter. 

In conclusion, I believe it is evident that media products do encourage audience to agree with certain values and beliefs to a large extent. This is due to the large number and effort put in to mediation of media products. Nothing in the media is 'pure' and has been mediated in some form, to give off a certain angle son that a certain viewpoint can be taken in. This is what is meant by 'encouraging audiences to agree with certain values' as mediated content helps to stimulate that way of thinking