Media Studies

We live in a media-saturated world, where every waking moment is either influenced or documented by the media - from TV to popular social networks. A level Media Studies helps you develop a critical understanding of how the media not only acts as a form of entertainment, but as a means of worldwide communication and representation.

Media studies revolves around debating meaning and intentions, developing your critical analysis skills. You will be expected to engage with a wide variety of media outside of the classroom to aid your understanding of its changing nature.

You will study a wide range of texts including TV, radio, online platforms, newspapers and video games. You will investigate each text in relation to its theoretical framework, deepening your understanding of how they are constructed to appeal and convey particular meanings to audiences. You will also explore how the media is influenced by cultural, technological or institutional influences, and how these different contexts impact upon an audience.

This course consists of a 30% practical production unit, which involves creating cross media products to a set brief. This allows you to showcase your creative ability, demonstrate an understanding of media ‘codes and conventions’, and establish a relationship between your audience and chosen media form. In previous years, briefs have included music videos, promotional material and opening sequences to popular teenage dramas.

Progression routes The media is one of the fastest growing industries in the UK. Studying media enables progression on to general and specialised media courses, along with other creative courses such as film, marketing and PR. The transferable skills gained are also helpful for other academic courses such as journalism, English language or literature, business and communication studies.

I chose Leeds Sixth Form College as other students are more engaged than at school and want to be on the courses they have chosen.