ND Creative Media Production Y1 2019/20 Semester 2 U25: Television & Video Studies

Assignment Details Contents

Title: Issues, Debates & Analysis. This is your 2nd assignment brief for this
Assessors: Jim Doherty
School: Media, Multimedia & Performing Arts Unit. The Tasks cover Outcomes 2 & 3, in
Programme level: 3 Assignment number: 2 which you must achieve at least a Pass.

Issue date: 26/03/2020 Interim hand-in (if The brief outlines what you must do to
applicable): 7/05/2020 achieve a Pass, Merit, or Distinction. You will
Feedback: 28/05/2020 Due: 14/05/2020 have covered this work in class and there is a
list of resources included.
IV: Faustina Starrett IV date: 8/03/2020
Outcomes:
2. Know about the key issues and debates that affect the television and video industry
3. Be able to apply textual analysis techniques to the study of television/video products

Overview
Indicative Content
2. Know about the key issues and debates that affect the television and video industry

Issues and debates: taste and decency; quality and standards; the public service ethos; the free market
ethos; ownership and access; regulation and the free market; ratings wars; effects of on-demand
services, eg on scheduling; the effects of streaming media online, eg on censorship

Influence and effects: effect theories, eg active, passive, hypodermic needle model, uses and
gratifications theory, two-step flow model, drip-drip effect; reception theory

3 Be able to apply textual analysis techniques to the study of television/video products

Forms: fiction; documentary; news; advertising; promotional; hybrid

Narrative: linear; non-linear; single strand; multi-strand; realist; anti-realist; open ended; closed;
single episode; series; serial

Genre: eg soap opera, crime drama, hospital drama, lifestyle, makeover, consumer, sitcoms, chat
shows, ‘reality’ TV

Analytical approaches: audience profiling; audience analysis; types of readings, eg preferred,

oppositional, negotiated, aberrant; signification; codes and conventions; narrative analysis

Assignment Brief
You’ve been tasked by a media research company to carry out research into some of the debates and
issues in the UK Television and Video industry. Using a TV programme of your choice as a case study
you are to investigate why that programme is important to the broadcaster and how the text deals with
issues of taste and decency, quality and standards, audience ratings, complaints, etc. You have 2 tasks
to complete this work. You will also select a TV programme and analyse it in terms of audience, genre
and narrative.
 ND Creative Media Production Y1 2019/20 Semester 2 U25: Television & Video Studies
Task 1 To achieve each outcome a learner
must demonstrate the ability to:
Using a TV programme of your choice as a case study you
are to investigate why that programme is important to the
P2 outline accurately the key issues and
broadcaster and how the text raises issues of taste and
debates that affect the television and
decency, quality and standards, audience ratings, complaints,
video industry with some appropriate
etc. Your findings will take the form of a 750-word report and
use of subject terminology
include a bibliography to show evidence of your research.
(2.1)
P3 describe television/video products
Your report should also outline the appeals of the programme. through the application of textual
Make reference to genre and what each text has contributed analysis techniques with some
to its respective genre, referencing ratings, spin-off appropriate use of subject terminology.
programmes and merchandising.

Task 2

Produce and present a short Powerpoint/Prezi describing key

audience theories:

 Hypodermic Needle
 Two-step flow
 Uses and gratifications
 Preferred readings
 Passive/active

Your Powerpoint should include visuals and an explanation of

each theory and its relevance to the examples. (2.2)

Task 3

Select a television programme or video content and analyse

it, considering the intended audience, codes and conventions,
form, genre and the products’ place within the wider industry.
(3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4)

Your findings will take the form of a 750-word report and

include a bibliography to show evidence of your research.

Read the assessment criteria carefully and make sure you

attempt them at all levels to include Pass, Merit and Distinction
grades.

Merit Criteria Distinction Criteria

 ND Creative Media Production Y1 2019/20 Semester 2 U25: Television & Video Studies
Merit: - Pass criteria plus following Distinction: - Merit criteria plus
following
M2 explain the key issues and debates that affect the D2 critically evaluate the key issues and
television and video industry with reference to debates that affect the television and video
detailed illustrative examples and generally correct industry with supporting arguments and
use of subject terminology elucidated examples and consistently using
subject terminology correctly
M3 explain television/video products through the
application of textual analysis techniques with D3 critically evaluate television/video products
reference to detailed illustrative examples and through the application of textual analysis
generally correct use of subject terminology. techniques with supporting arguments and
elucidated examples and consistently using
subject terminology correctly.

Resources
Class notes
Moodle
Class Tasks and handouts

Textbooks
Baylis P, Freedman A, Procter N et al – BTEC Level 3 National Creative Media Production, Student Book
(Pearson, 2010) ISBN 978-1846906725
Baylis P, Freedman A, Procter N et al – BTEC Level 3 National Creative Media Production, Teaching
Resource Pack (Pearson, 2010) ISBN 978-1846907371
Branston G and Stafford R – The Media Students Book (Routledge, 2006) ISBN 978-0415371438
Burton G – Talking Television: An Introduction to the Study of Television (Hodder Arnold, 2000) ISBN
978-0340589649
Long P and Wall T – Media Studies: Texts, Production and Context (Longman, 2009) ISBN 978-
1405858472
Journals
Broadcast Magazine
The Guardian (Monday media section)
Websites
www.barb.co.uk – the Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board
www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/editorialguidelines/edguide/– BBC Editorial Guidelines online
www.bbconline.co.uk – BBC
www.bbconline.co.uk/news – BBC news
www.carlton.com – Carlton TV
www.channel4.com – Channel 4 TV
www.granada.co.uk – Granada TV
www.mediaknowall.com – a good starting point for internet research on the media
www.newscorp.com – News Corporation
www.ofcom.org.uk – the broadcasting regulator, Ofcom
www.skynews.co.uk – Sky News
www.vlv.org.uk – the Voice of the Listener and Viewer