AQA GCSE Media Studies Revision Guide - Revised Edition

After reading through the paragraphs opposite, you should be able to see that your answer could be much longer than you have time and space for – remember, this is an example of a 12-mark question. The AQA sample question paper has allowed about a page and a half for the answer. This is why we are referring to the questions as ‘open-ended’. No-one is expected to write about every possible aspect. In your answers, write about what you consider to be the most relevant details in support of the opinion you are putting forward. Media Two Section B – newspapers or online, social and participatory media and video games In Section B you will answer questions on either newspapers or online, social media and participatory media and video games . Remember that the speci c products assessed by this paper are all ‘in-depth CSPs’ so you could be tested on any area of the theoretical framework, as well as the contexts : historical , social , cultural or political . Longer-response questions will tell you which CSPs you should refer to. The nal question on the paper will be a synoptic question , for which your answer will need to draw together your knowledge and understanding from across the full GCSE Media Studies course. This question will also ask you to refer to at least one of your CSPs. As with the extended response question in Media One, you will be expected to make judgements and draw conclusions, using relevant examples from your CSPs to support what you are writing. Consider this example of a longer-answer question from Section B of the rst sample AQA Media Two paper: ‘Gender representation in video games is fair and balanced.’ How far do you agree with this view? Your answer should refer to Kim Kardashian: Hollywood and Lara Croft GO. [20 marks] Although the question asks speci cally about representation , it would be possible to also discuss audience and industry to some extent. You might refer to these aspects to explain how and why the di erent representations within the games have been constructed . As with the newspaper question discussed on page 11, you will use the named CSPs as examples to make more general points about the question – in this case about gender representation in video games. You could make a general point about di erent character types being appropriate to di erent genres of games, no matter what gender they are, then refer speci cally to the di erences between the representation of Kim Kardashian in the Hollywood simulation game, and Lara Croft in the GO adventure puzzle game. Lara Croft GO (top) and Kim Kardashian: Hollywood (bottom) 13 Introduction Copyright: Sample material