Welcome to Media Studies

Media Studies is designed to widen the intellectual horizons for the students through the analysis of a wide range of media text – all of which have different context relating to the time they were created. This provides the students with deeper knowledge of the world. The subject enables learners to develop wider understand and appreciation of the media both in a historical and contemporary context. In contemporary culture, the media is an invaluable resource that all of us engage with. Critical reading is the centre point of Media Studies as with any new communication source, building the literacy skills is essential. Developing media literacy ensure that students are taught to read and question the viewpoints they may be presented with – to be an active consumer and not just accept the information that they are given. Studying the media not only enables learners to understand the ways in which products are designed to appeal to different groups of people but also how they can be manipulated to have a negative impact on the audiences they are targeting. For instance, when studying component 1, Media Messages, students examine how newspapers such as The Daily Mail and The Guardian represent immigration and linking this to the diversity and culture of BDA, students can draw upon their own experiences of the world. Through the study of these different aspects we are creating generations of students that can make their own calculated judgments of the media they are exposed to. At the same time, the students can become critical thinkers that will also create their own to challenge others. Media Studies shows the students how prejudice and social issues are interwoven into the media and how they can tackle them. Our aim is to empower students by teaching them the production of media. We want to motivate them to be proactive and even create their own media that can have a positive impact on the world and make a change. Media is the driving force for change, and through delivering this course we are allowing our students to have their hands on the wheel. 

Media Studies builds on several different core skills and whilst applying academic theorists to support their learning. As aforementioned, critical thinking is the centre point of Media Studies – combined with decision making and analysis, the students are equipped with consuming media texts and breaking them down. The assignments throughout media allow the students to become independent and build on research skills. The skill of appreciation and historical understanding of how context shape the media texts of that time is developed, adding further depth to their learning. The essay writing throughout Media studies shows two things – the academic writing skills our students have and their ability to consume information and articulate themselves effectively. This is reinforced with the application of subject-specific terminology used to analyse and compare media texts – allowing them to better express their thoughts and interpretation of media texts. Application of academic texts allows the students to be analytical and teaches them techniques that will be also applied to higher education. Through the knowledge they will gain from looking at different academic figures such as Stuart Hall, they also will understand different social concepts and theories. Finally, the element of practical skills that is developed for the students gives them an advantage of not only understanding media but also knowing how to effectively create it. Production skills allow the student to take role of a Media Producer, allowing them to fully understand what it takes to build a media text. 

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