Media Yearly Overview

Media Studies

Course Title: Media Studies 
Exam Board: Eduqas
Qualification: GCSE

ABOUT THE COURSE

As a GCSE Media Studies student, you will analyse how media products like TV programmes and music videos use images, sounds, language, and representations to create meaning. You will learn about the media industry and how the industry affects how media products are made. You will investigate media audiences, exploring who are the people who watch, read and consume the products, and considering how different people might be affected by media products differently, and why. You will study lots of different media forms, such as:

Television, Online Media, Advertising and Marketing, Film, Marketing Magazines, Newspapers, Social and Participatory, Media, Music Video, Radio Video, Games

There’s also a significant amount of practical work where you might create music videos, magazines, television programmes, advertisements and more.

ASSESSMENT OVERVIEW

The GCSE course assessed through two written examinations; Component 1 (1 hour 30 minutes), Component 2 (1 hour 30 minutes) and Component 3 (Non-exam Assessment).

Component 1: Section A: Exploring Media Language and Representation

This section assesses media language and representation in relation to two of the following print media forms: magazines, marketing (film posters), newspapers, or print advertisements. There are two questions in this section:

• one question assessing media language in relation to one set product (reference to relevant contexts may be required)

• one two-part question assessing representation in relation to one set product and one unseen resource.

Part (a) is based on media contexts. Part (b) requires comparison through an extended response.

Section B: Exploring Media Industries and Audiences

This section assesses two of the following media forms: film, newspapers, radio, video games.

It includes:

• one stepped question on media industries

• one stepped question on audiences.

Component 2: This component assesses all areas of the theoretical framework and contexts of the media in relation to television and music.

Section A: Television

• one question on either media language or representation, which will be based on an extract from one of the set television programme episodes to be viewed in the examination (reference to relevant contexts may be required)

• one question on media industries, audiences or media contexts.

Section B: Music (music videos and online media)

• one question on either media language or representation (reference to relevant contexts may be required)

• one question on media industries, audiences or media contexts.

Component 3: An individual media production for an intended audience in response to a choice of briefs set by the exam board, applying knowledge and understanding of media language and representation.

Please click on the below links to view our KS4 Curriculum Overviews for 2023/24: