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Media industries

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do patterns of ownership and the need for regulation shape what the media produce?

Ownership and regulation: conglomerate ownership, vertical and horizontal integration, concentration of ownership, the profit motive, and why media industries are regulated.
A focused answer to the AQA A-Level Media Studies industries framework on ownership and regulation, covering conglomerate ownership, vertical and horizontal integration, concentration of ownership, the profit motive, and why media industries are regulated.
11 min answer →

How are media products produced, distributed and circulated, and how has digital technology changed this?

Production, distribution and circulation: the stages of the production process, distribution and marketing strategies, convergence and the impact of digital technology on how products reach audiences.
A focused answer to the AQA A-Level Media Studies industries framework on production, distribution and circulation, covering the stages of production, distribution and marketing strategies, convergence, and the impact of digital technology on how products reach audiences.
11 min answer →

What is public service broadcasting, and how does it differ from commercial media?

Public service broadcasting: the PSB remit to inform, educate and entertain, the funding and role of the BBC, the licence fee, and the debates about PSB in a commercial and digital landscape.
A focused answer to the AQA A-Level Media Studies industries framework on public service broadcasting, covering the PSB remit to inform, educate and entertain, the BBC and the licence fee, and the debates about PSB in a commercial and digital landscape.
11 min answer →

How are media products regulated, and how does film classification by the BBFC work?

Regulation of media industries: the role of regulators such as Ofcom, the BBFC and IPSO, age classification of film, the arguments for and against regulation, and self-regulation versus statutory regulation.
A focused answer to the AQA A-Level Media Studies industries framework on regulation, covering the role of regulators such as Ofcom, the BBFC and IPSO, film age classification, the arguments for and against regulation, and self-regulation versus statutory regulation.
11 min answer →

How do the set theorists Curran and Seaton and Hesmondhalgh explain the workings of media industries?

The set theorists for industries: Curran and Seaton on power, ownership and the press, and David Hesmondhalgh on the cultural industries, risk, vertical integration and the formatting of products.
A focused answer to the AQA A-Level Media Studies set theorists for industries, covering Curran and Seaton on power, ownership and the press, and David Hesmondhalgh on the cultural industries, the management of risk, integration and the formatting of products.
11 min answer →