Year 12 Media Studies Student Questionnaire

Hello, my name is Jack Monahan and I have just started my A-levels having previously attained a B in GCSE maths and a NCEA level 1 (New Zealand Qualification). My hobbies are photography and cycling.

Media Interests

Print Media:

I mostly read The Guardian and The Observer because my parents buy those two newspapers, so they are readily available in our house. Also they report the news in a way that is easily understood and they are also not as biased as most other newspaper. They report on subjects that are relevant to me such as the sports I like, such as cycling and not just football. I also quite often read up on news on the internet on the BBC news website mostly because It is more up to date then a newspaper. I also read the magazines Amateur Photographer, What Digital Camera and Cycling Plus.  These relate to my interests, I like cycling and photography.

Radio Media:

The main two radio stations I listen to are BBC Radio 1 (because it suits my tastes in music) – and 1Live (a German station on internet radio, because I used to learn German in New Zealand and, again, because it suits my music taste).

Music Industry

I don't particularly have a favourite genre of music – I might like some music in one genre but not all of it, Also I do use facilities to access music online such as Youtube and Spotify. I don't support illegal downloading as its theft.  I also think illegal down loading Is quite pointless these days because of the availability of music online on music streaming facilities and the falling cost of CDs and downloads. 


The music industry might influence my choices in many ways.  Product placement may be influencing the products I might buy, the type of clothes I choose to copy the bands that I like and identify with a social group to fit into.

Video games

My current favourite video game is Halo. It is a war game about the human race trying to stop their persecution by a alien race, the Covenant. While I think video games don't affect gender attitudes as much as some people think I think there has always been a general divide in genders to do with the types of games that they like to play. I do think it affects the way people think about the way conflicts should be resolved – they tend to lean towards the American way of solving conflicts with more aggression and on the offensive and not the way, for example, that Egypt recently changed its government through demonstrations.

New Technology

How Has New Technology.....

Increased understanding of the world: I think it has made it easer to find out about the world i.e we would not know anything about the middle eastern uprising in countries, such as Syria among others, without the internet and sites such as Twitter and Facebook.

Your ability to communicate with others: it makes it easier with sites like Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, the list goes on – also there is the advancement in mobile phone technology such as Blackberry’s and iphones with their ability to access these sites on the move. In this modern age, you are always connected.

Access to film, TV and the music industry: new technology has given the average person access to more visual media like film, TV and music than ever before. You can now get films streamed direct from websites such as Lovefilm and film4. The Main TV broadcasters now have online 'catch up' services such as iPlayer. YouTube and Myspace have given people acccess to an audience without record labels and so on.  Also Record labels etc also use the same spaces to market their stuff.

The ability to create your own media texts: it makes it easier with the ability for people to use programs such as Adobe Creative Suite and not only the accessibility of printing services to the public but the ability to put texts on the internet through blogs. There is also the falling cost of advanced camera equipment and the ease of use whether it be a digital stills or HD movie recording.

Television

My favourite TV channels are BBC 1 & 2 because of the variety of programming that is on them. I don't really have a favourite genre of of TV for the same reason I don't have a favourite music genre – the only genres I definitely don't watch are soap operas and talent shows such as the X factor , I just find them dull, boring and repetitive. The TV programs I find most memorable are Have I Got News For You, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, QI and Doctor Who.

Feature Film

My favorite film genre Is action thriller/adventure because often they have good storylines and are exciting.  The three most outstanding films I can think of are The Bourne Ultimatum, Saving Private Ryan and Boy.  


My favourite way of consuming film is at the cinema because I think nothing can beat the experience of sitting in front of a big screen.   My favourite cinema in Norwich is Vue, its easy to get to and they have a reasonably wide range of films.  I prefer to go and watch film on my own but I don't mind if there is someone else with me.

Am I A Media Producer ?

Unfortunately I have never taken part in a media production.

Conclusion

The only real media texts that have offended me are a few american news programs such a Fox News and the like.  I often find their views incomprehensible and often has a very biased right wing stance. I also believe that to comment and report on news that you have to know quite a lot about what is happening in the world and how the politics work in countries other than your own.  A lot of their reporters and political/general news commentators do not show that knowledge.

I think the most exciting media I have seen or heard is the reporting of the recent uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa. The past year has been quite eventful as dictatorships that have stood for decades have finally fallen.  The human interest angle of people not much older than me and like me becoming freedom fighters and liberators was exciting.  As was seeing the political changes as countries turn against their previous allies.  

There hasn't been really any TV programs that have change the way I think about the world ,although if there had to be one It would be a news programs.

If I was to construct a media text about the state of England I would use the medium of film to convey the message that if we want to advance as a country we need to stop worrying so much about money and do things because we enjoy doing it and not just for the money that is involved with it i.e. bankers and footballers to give an example.

I chose to do Media Studies for A-level because I would like to become a photojournalist and i think that it will help me understand how a picture gets to the point where it becomes a part of a newspaper report or a documentary or documents a story in its own right, and also because I really enjoy film and I would like to know more about it .