Learner response: OSP assessment

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

WWW- This is an impressive assessment that shows a real understanding of media debates. Excellent analysis in Q1 and good opinion shown in Q2

EBI- I'd like to see some more high-level theory in Q2. For example. Gilroy for values + ideologies in The Voice. Also, Gauntlett has written of the mass media as a "Liberalising force" which is your exact point here.

    - Keep an eye on written English and get more specific examples from the CSP's in too.
2) Read the whole mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Identify five specific aspects from Figure 1 (the Google Home advert) that you could have mentioned in your answer (e.g. selection of image, framing and focus, colour, text etc.)

• Repetition of the word ‘home’ creates connotations of safety, warmth and comfort
• Reinforces white, western, middle-class representation of family life to the exclusion of other backgrounds (race/ethnicity, sexuality, age, class). Presents the white, western ‘2.4 children’ average as desirable, aspirational lifestyle – some audiences will reject this.
• The repetition of the word ‘home’ may disturb audiences who see the advert as an example that nowhere is safe from multinational capitalist giants such as Google.
• Some audiences may reject the stereotypical gender roles with a mother playing with the two children and no father in shot (presumably at work). This arguably reinforces negative and outdated gender stereotypes.

3) Now use the mark scheme to identify three potential points that you could have made in your essay for Question 2 (Hesmondhalgh - narrow range of values and ideologies).

The Voice should be successful due to the opportunities that are offered by digital media

and the new media landscape in creating a platform for values and ideologies such as a

strong black British voice. However, the poor construction of the website and social media

presence (poorly worded polls, cluttered design, low-quality photography, lack of fresh

content, poor video production values, weak sponsored content) means it is not the

a powerful voice in British media it should be.

Alternatively, it could be argued that Teen Vogue is replicating many of the mainstream,

hegemonic values and ideologies found across the cultural industries with regards to the

representation of women and the fashion industry.

Paul Gilroy has written extensively on the experience of black British people and his work on

‘double consciousness’ is worth exploring in relation to this question. The Voice arguably

plays an important role in offering a more diverse range of values and ideologies in offering

black British audiences representations that more closely reflect their experience of life in

Britain.

4) Use your exam response, the mark scheme and any other resources you wish to use to write a detailed essay plan for Question 2. Make sure you are planning at least five well-developed paragraphs in addition to an introduction and conclusion.

Intro:

• Give a basic rundown of The Voice and Teen Vogue as in their target demographic, what they stand for etc.
• Opinion on Hesmondhalg's theory.

First Para:

• What TV does to support hesmondalgh and why
• The cynical view of the reason why TV would support the main views of society 
• Talk about how if it relates to major society, then it's not necessarily a bad thing.

Second Para:

• The voice
• Views were opposing the popular belief but over time the change in society made their core view mainstream
• This makes The Voices a unique example.
• They're not changing their views for society, society adopted similar views over time. 

Third Para :

• Talk about size being an important determining factor on whether or not a culture industry will try and adopt the popular belief.
• Larger the business more likely to adopt the popular belief
• Jezebel and Rookie are blogs that countered popular belief  
• Changed over time, their belief became popular
• Someone has to challenge popular belief in order to change the status quo.
• TV and Thigh High Politics 

Fourth Para:

• Cultivation theory 
• Left wing promotion - 
• Gauntlett

• The difference in political belief will have a major effect on how you view this 

Conclusion:

• Enter Opinion 
• Promotion of liberal ideas not bad 
• Size plays major factor 

5) Finally, identify three key areas you plan to revise from the OSP unit (CSP aspects or theories) having looked at your feedback from this assessment.

1. Gauntlett revise more
2. More specific examples from TV 
3. Gilroy