Industries: Ownership and Control

1) What is a conglomerate in the media industries? 

a large company that owns smaller companies. 

2) What is a subsidiary?

a smaller company that is owned by a bigger company.

3) What are the benefits for media companies of vertical integration?

it gives the companies opportunities to make money at every stage of production and distribution.

4) What are the benefits for media companies of horizontal integration?

it gives them the opportunity to cancel out competition make money from both sides (both companies).

5) Give three examples of media companies or brands that have used synergy to maximise their profits. There are examples in the notes above to help you.

Disney, Pixar and Marvel.

6) What is convergence and what device has changed the relationship between audiences and producers? 

Technological convergence refers to the fact we can now access all different types of media on one device. The device that has changed relationships is phones.

7) Why did Facebook buy Instagram for $1bn? Answer in as much detail as possible

8) What is the name of the media billionaire who used to own Fox? 

Rupert Murdoch

9) List 10 companies that are part of the Disney media empire. The graphic below will help you. 

Marvel, Pixar, national geographic, Star, Star Wars, ESPN, Hollywood records, Hulu, fox entertainment group.

10) Why did Disney buy Fox - what are the benefits? These benefits are particularly discussed towards the end of the article.

There are loads of new companies gathering new customers like Netflix ad amazon. They’re scared that their viewing will go down so buying fox will bring them more viewers and make them more money. 

Media Assessment 1: Learner response

 Learner Response:

Total: 14            Grade: 4

WWW- You start very well here so plenty of potential to build on. Exam technique is the key to opening up the top grade. 

EBI- Annotating the unseen text will help you write more for Q3/12 mark questions. Question focus: this cost you in Q6. 

LR: 

1) Type up your feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential).

2) Read the mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Write down the mark you achieved for each question: 

Q1: 1/1
Q2: 1/1
Q3: 5/12

Q4: 2/2

Q5: 3/6

Q6: 2/8 

3) Identify one of your stronger questions. Why did you do better on this question? Use the mark scheme to help you with this.

Question 3 is one of my stronger questions because I spent time thinking about what to write and I didn't rush it. 

4) Identify one of your weaker questions. Why did you score lower on this particular question? Use the mark scheme to help you with this.

Question 6 is my weakest because I didn't read the question properly 

5) Finally, write a new, detailed paragraph for Question 3 - the unseen text 12 mark question. Use the mark scheme to identify anticipated content you can add to your response and make sure you refer to the text and write in detail. 

In the advert promoting Beyoncé's new perfume she is wearing a red low cut dress. The colour red has connotations of confidence and heat. Beyoncé is also standing in a very provocative pose which catches the audiences eye making them pay closer attention to little details and make assumptions about what the perfume could possibly smell like. The colour red has connotations of wealth and domination. Furthermore, Beyoncé promotes her perfume by using catchy lines like “catch the fever” this line could be linked to love and romance because when you think of a fever it usually has the colour red involved somewhere. This will attract women and young adults looking for love and romance. 

Reception theory

1) What is the preferred reading of a media text?

The meaning the producers intend to communicate.

2) What is the oppositional reading of a media text?

Goes against the meaning the producers are trying to create.

3) How does the Harry Brown trailer position the audience to respond to the teenage characters in the film?

The audience will have a negative perspective of teenagers because they’re represented as bad people.

4) Why might young people reject this reading and construct an oppositional reading of the trailer?

Not all teenagers act in such a bad manner. Teenagers may find the trailer offensive because of the way they’re being represented to the rest of the world.

5) Write a 150+ word analysis of the McDonald's advert using preferred, negotiated and oppositional readings.

Preferred: The writer wants the audience to be attracted to the Big Mac that they're selling. They've used editing to make the burger look more appealing and they have provided facts that could possibly make the audience want to try their new burger. The preferred reading of this advert would be wanting to give McDonalds your money so you can try the burger and love the burger just the way it is, unhealthy and all. 

Oppositional: the oppositional reading of this ad could be that the burger doesn’t loom like that in real life. It’s more squished together and “disgusting” looking. People could also go against this ad because it is only aimed at people who eat meat. It excludes vegetarians, vegans and most religious muslim people as they require halal meat. The advert could be seen as uninclusive because they’re marketing to everyone but not everyone can eat it.

Negotiated: the negotiated reading of ethics advert could be that it looks good, is a big and quick filling meal in one trip to a fast food restaurant but it also doesn’t look like that in eal life however it is good for people like builders who have short breaks and long days.

Audience Effects Theory

 1) Write a definition of a passive audience: 

the view that audiences passively take in information from the media and these messages have the same effect on everyone.

2) Write a definition of an active audience: 

audiences interact with the media

3) Write a definition of the hypodermic needle theory: 

audiences are always passive and therefore take the intended message from the producer as if it was injected into their minds. This assumes no individual difference in audience members. 

4) Write down a media product (e.g. TV show, newspaper or videogame) for each category of Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory and WHY it fits that particular audience use/gratification. The first one is done for you: 

INFORMATION/SURVEILLANCE: Media text - The Times newspaper
 > Why: It tells audiences important information about politics, the world and more.

PERSONAL IDENTITY: Music
 > Why: The lyrics could be relatable for the audience.

DIVERSION/ENTERTAINMENT: TV shows like outer banks 
 > Why: People could relate  their lives to the characters situation, home lives, mental state. They could find comfort in the characters downfall and happiness

RELATIONSHIPS: Outer banks 
 > Why: People could find comfort in the characters and use the show as a way to escape from reality.

5) Re-watch the clip from Blue Planet above and write a paragraph analysing how elements of the clip offer the audience pleasures or gratifications (use media terminology from Uses and Gratifications theory and the 3 Vs - notes outlined above). 

The clip blue planet provides elements of audience pleasures because it is a providing digital escape to the ocean for those who it take interest the ocean. It also provides a sense of calm for audience as they get to see things they wouldn’t usually get to see in person it provides information as we get to see new sealift that is never seen before. It also provides entertainment and diversion because of the way it’s recorded and presented to the audience. The clip provides vicarious pleasure as not many people have the opportunity to go swim in the ocean and experience what its like to be surrounded by complex sea life.