United Kingdom · National Curriculum Attainment Targets
Year 13 Media Studies.
This Year 13 Media Studies curriculum provides an advanced exploration of the media's role in contemporary society, focusing on complex theoretical frameworks. Students will critically analyse media language, representation, industries, and audiences across various platforms, preparing them for higher education and industry practice.
01Advanced Media Language and Representation
An in-depth analysis of how media products construct meaning and represent social groups, issues, and events using advanced semiotic and structuralist theories.
Students apply theories from Barthes and Lévi-Strauss to deconstruct complex media texts, exploring myth and binary oppositions.
An exploration of Baudrillard's theories of postmodernism, focusing on simulacra, hyperreality, and intertextuality in modern media.
Critical examination of how gender, ethnicity, and identity are constructed, drawing on theories by Hall, Gauntlett, and bell hooks.
02Media Industries and Global Contexts
A critical investigation into the ownership, control, and regulation of global media industries, and the impact of digital convergence.
Analysing the political economy of the media using Curran and Seaton's theories to understand how ownership shapes media content.
Evaluating the challenges of regulating global, digital media platforms, referencing Livingstone and Lunt's theories on regulation.
Investigating the flow of media products across national borders and the theories of cultural imperialism versus cultural hybridity.
03Active Audiences and Participatory Culture
Exploring how audiences consume, interpret, and interact with media, shifting from passive reception to active participation.
Applying Stuart Hall's encoding/decoding model to understand how different audiences negotiate meaning based on their cultural backgrounds.
Examining Henry Jenkins' theories on fandom, textual poaching, and how digital media enables audiences to become media producers.
Critiquing Clay Shirky's 'end of audience' theory, looking at the blurring lines between media producers and consumers in the age of social media.
04Cross-Media Study and Non-Examined Assessment (NEA) Preparation
Synthesising the theoretical framework through an in-depth cross-media study and preparing for the practical production element.
A holistic analysis of a specific media franchise or campaign across multiple platforms, integrating language, representation, industry, and audience.
Developing a comprehensive research portfolio and production plan for the NEA, applying theoretical knowledge to practical intentions.
Creating initial prototypes or drafts of the media product and pitching the concept to an audience for feedback.