1. THE MUSIC
PRESS, PRINT &
ONLINE
Unit 1: external assessment.

2.  Starter:
How many different genres of
music can you think of?

4. Why are we studying this?
 The external assessment carries 40% of the
total marks available for GCSE Media Studies.
 It takes the form of a 1hour 30 minutes
supervised formal examination and is
timetabled.
 The provisional date and time of the external
assessment on the music press is as follows:
 Issue of pre-released material to students:
Tuesday 7th May 2013.
 Examination: Thursday 6th June 2013.

5. The pre release paper
 The pre-released material will take the form of a
brief detailing a contextualised scenario.
 During the period between its issue and the date
of the examination, students are expected to
extend and consolidate their knowledge and
understanding of the music press by completing
independent research and preparation in
response to the given brief. In the examination
students will then be required to complete four
tasks. Please note that:
 no formal teaching of this topic may take place
after this date. Teachers may adopt the role of a
critical friend as they respond to individual
student's progress.

6.  The ethos of the paper is to encourage
students to explore the topic and to show what
they know and understand.
 Students are not allowed to take any of their
preparatory notes into the examination.
Instead, a new copy of the pre-release
material will be issued to them along with the
question paper.

7. What do you have to do?
 complete 4 tasks in the time given.
 You do not have to write in continuous prose
and it is important to use of a variety of formats
which can include annotations, bullet
points, charts and mind maps.
 You need to show a range of examples, not
just those we have studied in class.

8. What are the examiners looking
for?
 A01: recall, select and communicate their
knowledge and understanding of media
products and the contexts in which they are
produced and consumed (10%)
 AO3: demonstrate research, planning and
presentation skills (5%)
 AO4: construct and evaluate their own
products using creative and technical skills
(5%)

9. What does this actually mean?
 A01: recall, select and communicate their
knowledge and understanding of media
products and the contexts in which they are
produced and consumed (10%)
 In your own words?

10.  AO3: demonstrate research, planning and
presentation skills (5%)

11.  AO4: construct and evaluate their own
products using creative and technical skills
(5%)

12. The music press, print & online
 British press only
 Equal attention to print & online
 Impact of the internet & future implications
 Some argue that the importance of the music
press has declined over recent years and
indeed it has had to compete with other areas
of the media in the promotion of music.

13. Different angles
 free music magazines and fanzines
 How do they differ from the mainstream music
press and what kinds of threats do they pose
to it?

14. LIAR
 As with all media topics, it is useful to consider
in terms of ‘LIAR’

15. Language
 This incorporates
 Genre
 Forms and conventions

16. genre
 A study of genre is crucial to an understanding
of the music press.
 Publications cater for complete range of
tastes and interests in music
 How many different genres of music can you
think of?

17.  Music genre gives a publication its identity
which can be easily recognised by a fan.
 It impacts on all areas of
design, content, mode of address and
underlying ideology.

18. To which genre do these artists
belong?
Punk: The Sex Pistols

19. Heavy metal:
Def Lepard

20. Indie, The Smiths

21. Dubstep:Skrillex

22. K-pop:Psy

23. Ska: The Specials

24.  Alternative Orchestral Dance Fitness & Workout
 College Renaissance Breakbeat Hip-Hop/Rap
Rock Romantic Dubstep Alternative Rap
 Goth Rock Wedding Music Exercise Dirty South
 Grunge Comedy Garage East Coast Rap
Novelty Hardcore Gangsta Rap
 Indie Rock Standup Comedy House Hardcore Rap
 New Wave Country Jungle/Drum'n'bass Hip-Hop
 Punk Alternative Country Techno Latin Rap
 Anime Americana Trance Old School Rap
 Blues Bluegrass Disney Rap
Contemporary Bluegrass Easy Listening Underground Rap
 Acoustic Contemporary Country Bop
Blues West Coast Rap
Country Gospel Lounge Indie Pop
 Chicago Honky Tonk Swing
Blues Inspirational -
Outlaw Country Electronic Christian & Gospel
 Classic Traditional Bluegrass Ambient CCM
Blues Traditional Country Downtempo Christian Metal
 Contemporar Urban Cowboy Electronica Christian Pop
y Blues IDM/Experimental Christian Rap
 Country Industrial Christian Rock
Blues Enka Classic Christian
 Delta Blues French Pop Contemporary
German Folk

25.  Christian & Gospel
 Praise & Worship Children's Music
Latino Lullabies
 Southern Gospel Alternativo & Rock Latino Sing-Along
 Traditional Gospel Baladas y Boleros Stories
 Instrumental Brazilian Classical
Avant-Garde
 March (Marching Contemporary Latin Baroque
Latin Jazz
Band) Chamber Music
Pop Latino
 J-Pop Raíces Chant
 Jazz Reggaeton y Hip-Hop Choral
Classical Crossover
 Avant-Garde Jazz Regional Mexicano Early Music
Salsa y Tropical
 Big Band New Age High Classical
 Contemporary Jazz Environmental Impressionist
 Cool Healing Medieval
Meditation Minimalism
 Crossover Jazz Nature Modern Composition
 Dixieland Relaxation Opera
 Fusion Travel
 Hard Bop
 Latin Jazz
 Mainstream Jazz

26.  The list goes on and is pretty much limitless.
 Most music magazines represent a niche
genre audience but the internet has made very
specific targeting possible.

27. Forms and conventions
 We need to study the layout, format, design
and content of both print and online
publications.
 How do web-based publications relate to print-
based ones? How are they alike and how are
they different?
 You need to identify the codes and
conventions of not only front covers/home
pages, but the range of content too


28. Task: choose a genre of music and
research one print and one online
publication.
 Consider:
 design, content, mode of address and
underlying ideology