Our second newspaper case study is The Times.This provides an excellent contrast with the Daily Mirror. The Times is a right-wing broadsheet newspaper that generally supports the Conservative Party and is aimed at a more educated, middle-class audience. Remember, this is an in-depth CSP and needs to be studied with reference to all four key concepts: Language, Representation, Industries and Audience. We'll be covering all of those concepts over the next two weeks.
This is the front page of The Times we will be studying for the exam (see right).
Our final tasks for theDaily Mirror involve studying Representation and Industry.
Remember, this is an in-depth CSP and needs to be studied with reference to all four key concepts: Language, Representation, Industries and Audience.
Daily Mirror notes
Representation
The Daily Mirror supports the Labour Party and is against the Conservative Party. Generally, the newspaper will act as a voice for normal people and go against the rich and powerful (like Conservative politicians or 'greedy bankers').
You need to study the selected CSP pages for the Daily Mirror to see how the newspaper represents different people and groups.
Industries
The Daily Mirror is owned by Reach, which used to be called Trinity Mirror. Reach publishes over 240 regional titles in addition to the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror - including our local newspaper website getwestlondon. The Daily Mirror's circulation has fallen drastically over the years from over 3 million a day in 1990 down to around 450,000 a day in 2020. Recent falls have been due to the rise of the internet which is why the Mirror's audience is much older now. To combat falling print revenues, the The Daily Mirror has:
The move towards a multi-platform landscape means that it publishes and synchronises across its print, desktop and mobile platforms. The Daily Mirror provides this online content for free. Some newspapers (e.g. The Times) have a paywall on their online content which means that they charge subscription fees to read articles. Free providers make money from advertising space online.
Created a social media strategy in collaboration with the digital team to drive growth of their Twitter and Facebook profiles.
Create news based content that updates regularly, is shared on social media channels, includes a range of video content and encourages audience involvement. Printed newspapers cannot do this so effectively.
News values
Media theorists Galtung and Ruge defined a set of news values to explain how journalists and editors decided that certain stories and photographs were accepted as newsworthy, while others were not. The following list is adapted from their work:
Immediacy: has it happened recently?
Familiarity: is it culturally close to us in Britain?
Amplitude: is it a big event or one which involves large numbers of people?
Frequency: does the event happen fairly regularly?
Unambiguity: is it clear and definite?
Predictability: did we expect it to happen?
Surprise: is it a rare or unexpected event?
Continuity: has this story already been defined as news?
Elite nations and people: which country has the event happened in? Does the story concern well-known people?
Negativity: Is it bad news? Bad news tends to get more focus as it’s more sensational/ attention grabbing.
Balance: the story may be selected to balance other news, such as a human survival story to balance a number of stories concerning death.
Blog tasks: Daily Mirror case study
Work through the following questions to complete your work on the Daily Mirror. Representation 1) What political party does the Daily Mirror support? 2) How does the Daily Mirror usually represent rich and powerful people? 3) How are celebrities usually presented in tabloid newspapers like the Daily Mirror? Look at the 'New Bond stars are revealed' story on the front page of the Daily Mirror.
4) How are the royal family presented in the double-page spread 'Kate told Harry to make peace... then they all met up for tea'? 5) Why do you think the Daily Mirror represents the royal family as a 'normal' family? Why might this appeal to Daily Mirror readers? Industries 1) What company owns the Daily Mirror? 2) What is the Daily Mirror's circulation in 2020? How many papers did the Daily Mirror used to sell back in the 1990s? 3) Why has the newspaper industry struggled in the last 20 years? 4) How has the Daily Mirror reacted to the decline in print sales and the growth of the internet? 5) List five of Galtung & Ruge's News Values and explain how they link to the stories in our CSP edition of the Daily Mirror.
Grade 8/9 extension task The Daily Mirror's owner, Reach (then Trinity Mirror) bought control of the Express and Daily Star newspapers in 2018. Read this Guardian feature on the deal. Why did Trinity Mirror buy the papers? You will get some lesson time to work on this case study but will need to complete it at home - due date on Google Classroom.
Remember, this is an in-depth CSP and needs to be studied with reference to all four key concepts: Language, Representation, Industries and Audience.
Daily Mirror notes
Language
AQA has selected the following pages as our Daily Mirror CSP pages:
Analyse these pages and look at which stories have been selected for the newspaper and how they are constructed for their audience.
Audience
The Daily Mirror audience is older with almost half the audience aged 65+. In terms of social class, most are in the C1, C2 DE social classes. They are likely to be in the Struggler, Resigned or Mainstream psychographic groups.
Blog tasks: Daily Mirror case study
Work through the following questions to cover the Language and Audience key concepts for the Daily Mirror. Language 1) Write the definition of the following key language for newspaper front pages: Masthead: Pug: Splash Head: Slogan: Dateline: Kicker: Byline: Standfirst: 2) How much does a copy of the Daily Mirror cost? 3) What are the main stories on the CSP edition of the Daily Mirror (see above)? 4) Why is the choice of news stories on the Mirror CSP front page typical of a tabloid newspaper? 5) What is the balance on the Daily Mirror front page between images, headlines and text? Audience 1) What is the target audience for the Daily Mirror? 2) Why does the Mirror front page story appeal to the Daily Mirror audience? 3) Why might a reader enjoy the Daily Mirror? Use Blumler & Katz Uses and Gratifications theory to add detail to your answer. 4) Why are print newspapers generally read by older audiences? 5) How is the 'Wills and Harry royal rift' story on the double page spread constructed to appeal to Daily Mirror readers? Grade 8/9 extension tasks Read this Guardian column on the Mirror's struggles with covering Brexit. How did the Mirror suggest people vote in the EU referendum and how did many of its working class audience actually vote? Guardian Media critic Roy Greenslade writes about why tabloid newspapers like the Mirror are struggling to attract younger readers in this column. Make a note of some of the key statistics in this article and also what Greenslade thinks tabloids should do to stay relevant in the digital age. This column also has an excellent discussion of the Mirror's political stance which is ideal to grade 9 answers. You will get some lesson time to work on this case study but will need to complete it at home - due date on Google Classroom.
Remember, this is an in-depth CSP and needs to be studied with reference to all four key concepts: Language, Representation, Industries and Audience. Introduction to newspapers - notes
GLow Words
Left-wing (Socialist): in favour of social equality and reform. The Labour Party is considered left-wing and the Daily Mirror generally supports Labour and left-wing causes.
Right-wing (Conservative): prefer the traditional way things are and in favour of low taxes. The Conservative Party is considered right-wing and the Times generally supports the Conservatives and right-wing causes.
Agenda: issues brought to the attention of the people through news.
Elitist: for the good of a few people, usually the upper classes or most educated.
Political Bias: when an industry or media product supports a certain political view.
Hard news: information on topics like business, politics and international affairs.
Soft news: blurs line between information and entertainment so may be centred more on gossip, celebrities or lifestyle issues.
Tabloid: smaller, popular and tends to focus on sensational stories and softer news.
Broadsheet: larger, more niche and tends to focus on serious, harder news.
Historical, social and cultural context
The ‘Press’ is a collective term for the newspaper industry. The name comes from printing presses. Newspapers are still popular media products for audiences to get their news, be entertained and informed. There are a range of national (Daily Mail), regional (Birmingham Mail) and specialist newspapers (The Racing Post).
Whilst still popular, since the 1950s, there has been a gradual decline in newspaper sales due to the rise of TV ownership (and news programmes) and, more recently, the growth of digital news through websites and social media. The importance of a free press A free press implies that journalists (those that write for newspapers) and newspaper editors can edit content free of intervention from Government influence. More than a third of the world’s population live in countries where there is no press freedom. Journalists are often imprisoned if they disagree with the Government, social media channels are not allowed, non-democratic countries often control access to information and employ state-run news organizations.
Tabloids and broadsheets
There are generally two classifications of newspapers – tabloids and broadsheets.
Tabloids tend to be easier to read, feature shorter articles and include more photographs. They report on major news, but also include a lot of showbiz gossip, entertainment and sport. They tend to be the better sellers. Examples include The Sun and the Daily Mirror.
Broadsheet newspapers traditionally used to be larger (printed on ‘broad sheets’) although most are the same size as tabloids now. They tend to be more serious, have smaller fonts, more advanced use of language and less photography (although they have included more over the last 20 years to be more popular). They tend to have lower circulation figures than tabloids. Examples include the Times and the Daily Telegraph.
Introduction to Newspapers: blog task
Create a new blogpost called 'Introduction to Newspapers' and answer the following questions:
1) What type of news can you typically find in a tabloid newspaper?
2) What type of news can you typically find in a broadsheet newspaper?
3) If someone is left-wing, which political party are they likely to support? Which newspaper would they be likely to read?
4) If someone is right-wing, which political party are they likely to support? Which newspaper would they be likely to read?
5) Why has there been a decline in newspaper sales in the last 20 years?
6) Why is a free press important in a democracy like the UK?
The second blog task for Class covers the Audience and Industry key concepts.
You can find the notes from the lessons below and then simply scroll down to find the blog tasks you need to complete.
Audience
Unlike Doctor Who and more in line with Torchwood before it (which also debuted on BBC3), Class is aimed specifically at a young adult audience and contains sexual content, violence and language above the level allowed in Doctor Who. It was broadcast initially on BBC Three (online only) to poor audience figures and later broadcast on BBC One between 10.45pm and 11.15pm slots. When the programme was on BBC One it was aired at 11.30pm had an audience of 0.28 million, a share of 5.1% of total TV audience. Around 250,000 have accessed the episode on iPlayer Target audience
Some mainstream appeal as it is linked to the ‘Whoniverse’ (Doctor Who universe) but too niche perhaps for a mass audience?
The show tried to appeal to young adult audience by including sexual scenes, more violence and more daring representations. Why was this not effective?
References to popular culture (pop culture) has meant an appeal to a wider age range.
Demographics: A-E class as some complex plot points but also action and SFX that are easy to understand
More diverse representation regarding gender, race and sexuality.
Fans - the 'Whoniverse' reaction Watch this fan reaction video on Co-owner of a Lonely Heart from the Doctor Who YouTube channel:
Industries
Class failed to make an impact for the BBC, with some mixed reviews and poor viewing figures. Class failed to make the BBC iPlayer Top 20 in its first seven weeks, and failed to secure over 1m viewers at any point when repeated on BBC One. This was for a number of reasons:
iPlayer release only initially.
BBC One late showing (after 10.30 slots). Poor scheduling.
The show was axed after one series. Why was this?
No-one – not even the BBC – seemed entirely sure who the show was for. A teen-oriented drama with adult themes, spun off from a series intended (primarily) for children, the tone of Class was confused.
Creator Patrick Ness was baffled by the decision to air the series in double-bills, late at night, more than two months after its BBC Three debut.
It sorely lacked a big selling point. Clearly, spinning itself off from Doctor Who was not enough to guarantee success.
Class distribution Media distribution is a term for the way the product reaches audiences. In the case of Class it was originally distributed (shown) online only on BBC Three. It was then shown weeks later in a late night slot “the graveyard slot” on BBC One. It was also shown on BBC America where it was slightly more popular. In America, the episodes were paired with Doctor Who episodes to create a ‘Whoinverse’ double bill.
Overall, the confused distribution model was almost certainly part of its downfall. Class marketing and promotion As Class was aimed at an older audience, there was a clear shift in the way it was marketed from traditional Doctor Who episodes (on a Saturday early evening slot).
Online marketing: Strong web presence. Highly interactive. Lots of video clips, interviews, fan art and fiction. Trying to build brand loyalty BUT criticised for not making more of its link to Doctor Who. Teaser trailer: Longer trailer:
BBC3 focus What is BBC Three and how does it fit into the profile of the BBC remit?
BBC Three launched as a TV channel in 2003 and its remit was to provide "innovative" programming to a target audience of viewers between 16 and 34 years old:
“The remit of BBC Three is to bring younger audiences to high quality public service broadcasting through a mixed-genre schedule of innovative UK content featuring new UK talent. The channel should use the full range of digital platforms to deliver its content and to build an interactive relationship with its audience. The channel's target audience is 16–34-year-olds.”
Until February 2016, BBC Three aired as a freeview TV channel. However, as a result of planned £100 million budget cut across the BBC, it was proposed that BBC Three be discontinued as a television service, and be converted to online only. The BBC recognised that younger people may watch TV at different times, on different devices using different services (iPlayer, YouTube, Netflix, etc) due to the rise of streaming and on-demand services.
BBC3’s content budget was slashed from £85m to £30m, with around £10m now spent on comedy, £10m on serious factual, £3m for drama and the rest on new types of content, such as short-form YouTube videos.
Why the change? There were changes to its audience’s viewing habits. Less than 50% of the video consumed by 16-24 year olds is now via ‘live’ TV (back in 2003 it was 100%), while over 90% of them now own a smartphone and have at least one social media account.
BBC: Industry notes reminder
The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) is a public service organisation and the oldest national broadcaster and the biggest in terms of employees [over 20,000]. It is different from other TV broadcasters in that funding comes from us all as BBC licence fee payers whereas other channels rely on advertising and sponsorship. The BBC has 3 key purposes: To Inform, Educate & Entertain. This means:
To provide information (that is supposed to be balanced)
To support learning for people of all ages
To produce creative output
To have diverse content (such as with its representations)
To reflect the United Kingdom, its culture and values to the world
Where does Class fit into these objectives and the BBC mission statement? BBC regulation reminder
The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) has a board of governing members and is independent of government intervention. This means that it can produce content free impartially.
Since 2017, The BBC is now regulated by OfCOM (the Office of Communications). OfCOM oversees all media channels and produces a code of conduct that all media channels must follow or have their licence to make content removed and/or be fined heavily.
This includes suitable programmes before the 9pm watershed and various other quality standards.
Class: Audience and Industry blog tasks
Create a new blogpost called 'Class: Audience and Industry blog tasks' and answer the following questions:
Audience
1) What were the viewing figures for Class and why do you think it did so badly? 2) What audience psychographic groups might particularly enjoy Class? 3) What audience pleasures are offered by Class - Co-owner of a Lonely Heart? Apply Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory to the episode. Make sure you provide specific examples from the episode to support your ideas.
Personal Identity:
Personal Relationships: Diversion (Escapism): Surveillance (Information / Facts): 4) Thinking of the 3 Vs audience pleasures (Visceral, Vicarious and Voyeuristic pleasures), which of these can be applied to Class - Co-owner of a Lonely Heart? 5) How did fans in the 'Whoniverse' (also known as 'Whovians') react to Class? Watch the fan reaction video (and read the YouTube comments) embedded above or check the comments in the extension articles below to help with this. Industries 1) What was the objective of BBC3 when it was launched? 2) Why did BBC3 go online-only in February 2016? 3) How does Class - Co-owner of a Lonely Heart meet the BBC's mission statement to 'inform, educate and entertain'? 4) How did the distribution of Class contribute to the failure of the show with audiences? 5) What advertising and marketing was used to try and promote Class to an audience? Why do you think this wasn't very successful? Comparison: An Unearthly Child and Co-owner of a Lonely Heart 1) How are the technical conventions different between 1963 Doctor Who and 2016 Class (e.g. camerawork, editing, sound and mise-en-scene)? 2) What similarities and differences are there between An Unearthly Child and Co-owner of a Lonely Heart in terms of the science-fiction genre? 3) What similarities and differences are there between An Unearthly Child and Co-owner of a Lonely Heart in terms of how they meet the BBC's remit to inform, educate and entertain? 4) How are representations of people, places and groups similar or different in the two shows? 5) What similarities and differences can you find in terms of the audience pleasures for An Unearthly Child and Co-owner of a Lonely Heart? Grade 8/9 extension tasks and reading Read this Digital Spy feature on why Class was cancelled after only one series. Do you agree with its criticisms regarding scheduling, audience and character development? This Guardian review of Class is much more positive - but the comments 'below the line' (BTL) are largely critical. Do you agree with the original review or the comments - and why? Read this Den of Geek fan review of Co-owner of a Lonely Heart. Do you agree with the praise and criticism in it and why? Finally, read this Indiewire feature on Class. It contains plenty of references to other films and TV shows (intertextuality) - what popular culture references can you find in this article?
Your due date for this second Class blog task will be set on Google Classroom.
Our second television Close-Study Product is Doctor Who spin-off Class from 2016. Remember, TV is an in-depth study which means we need to analyse the products in terms of media language, industries, audience and representation. Television will be examined in Paper 2 with a short clip to analyse - either from Class or from Doctor Who - An Unearthly Child. Notes from the lessons Television CSPs - what we need to study Episode 1 of Dr Who: An Unearthly Child, 1955 Episode 4 of Class: Co-owner of a Lonely Heart Media Language: how the television shows communicate their message through mise-en-scene and narrative. Industry: how the shows are produced and marketed; BBC funding and regulation. Representation: How certain groups and individuals and ideas / issues are represented in the shows. Audience: Target audience and audience pleasures. PLUS: Historical, cultural and social significance of the television shows.
Language
Key terminology for studying Class:
Brand Identity: how a business presents itself and wants to be perceived by the consumer.
Spin Off: a by-product of another, main product (e.g. this is from the Doctor Who universe).
Ethos: characteristics of a product based on the attitudes it shows.
Hybridity: Two genres or media types combined e.g. Stranger Things is a science fiction / horror television drama.
Intertextuality: When one media text references another media text (e.g The Doctor appears in Class)
Multi-strand: when a narrative is made up of lots of different storylines
Reminder - TV drama conventions:
Dramatic narrative, usually linear (with continuity across episodes.) This is called narrative arc e.g 13 Reasons Why and The Killing where the mystery spans the series.
Ensemble cast (characters with own storylines). Sometimes an episode will focus more on one character e.g. in LOST.
Specific technical codes e.g. realistic lighting and editing for social dramas to keep it gritty.
Use of stereotypical characters to get messages across quickly.
Narrative formula that is always followed e.g. Casualty (3 Strand); Homeland (multi-strand narrative).
Common use of flashback, point of view shots, dialogue and voice over, enigma and action codes throughout.
Reminder - Science Fiction conventions (NCIS):
Narrative
Alien invasion
Scientific advancement
Artificial intelligence
Time travel
Mutation
Post-apocalyptic struggles to survive
Chemical poisoning
Advanced technology
Experimentation
Disease / Contamination
Space travel
Characters
Doubles / Doppelgangers / Clones
Aliens who look like humans
Aliens who look different
New species
Scientists
People with advanced / superior intelligence
Robots and advanced AI e.g. computers who can think
Iconography
Futuristic hair and clothing
Military uniforms
Spaceships
Space suits and helmets
Futuristic weapons (light sabers / laser guns)
Laboratories and experimental props
Prosthetics / make-up
Colours- blue, silver, grey, green
Time machines / advanced computers/gadgets
Settings
Futuristic worlds
Parallel universes / alternate dimensions
Different time periods
Space or other planets
Dystopian or post-apocalyptic environments
Laboratories
Contaminated or toxic environments
Class: An introduction
Class is a spin-off series from Doctor Who and was shown on BBC3 and iPlayer in 2016. The story focuses on five of the students and staff at Coal Hill Academy (which is the same school featured in Episode 1: An Unearthly Child - an example of intertextuality) who are tasked by the Doctor to deal with alien threats while trying to deal with their personal lives. Class is aimed specifically at a young adult audience and contains sexual content, violence and language above the level allowed on the parent series. The premise of series one is that some characters are the last survivors of an alien war (with the Shadow Kin) and are hiding on Earth after being rescued by the Doctor. The Doctor appoints Miss Quill and the pupils as protectors of the school, noting that it has become a beacon throughout space-time. Until that moment a normal student, April is left sharing a heart with the Shadow Kin king, Corakinus, after a short fight in the first episode. The narrative structure in each episode and across the series is built using a multi-strand narrative which means that there are a range of plots building across each episode and narrative arcs which span the whole series.
Characters Charlie Smith, an alien posing as a human student. He is the gay prince of the Rhodians, and the last of his species. Ram Singh, a tough, antisocial student and gifted football player. Lost his leg in a fight with Corakinus on S1 Ep1. Key episode Ep2. April MacLean, an ordinary, unremarkable student whose life is forever changed when she encounters the king of the Shadow Kin, Corakinus. She shares a heart with him in Ep1 [which is key to understanding Ep4]. Andrea Quill, real name Andra'ath, the physics teacher at Coal Hill Academy. Like Charlie, she is secretly an alien and the last of her species, the Quill, long-time war enemies of the Rhodians. Tanya Adeola, a child prodigy of Nigerian origin who moved up three years at due to her cleverness. Key episode Ep3 Corakinus, the evil king of the Shadow Kin. Shares a heart with April. Travels through time/space tear at Coal Hill.
Episode 1: For Tonight We Might Die This is NOT the CSP that will come up in the exam but is useful to introduce the characters, setting and main themes of the show. You can find out details on the episode (and the rest of the series) on the BBC3 Class episodes page but unfortunately the programme is no longer on iPlayer. Class: Co-owner of a Lonely Heart
Episode analysis
Focus on your notes from class (or make your own notes) based around NCIS. Narrative: multi-strand narrative There are a number of narrative strands running through this episode. They include:
April's story
Corakinus's story
New Headteacher at Coal Hill Academy
Flower petal invasion/danger
Representations
Diversity in Class Much has been made of the diverse casting for Class, as well as the LGBT lead which was touted by the BBC prior to Class’ release. Do you think these representations and narratives are executed well? RACE & CLASS: The actors are from a range of ethnic and social class backgrounds, and it seems as though more may be to come about that in future episodes, since the premiere seemed to hint at some difficulties between Ram and his father. SEXUALITY: The homosexual kiss that Charlie shares with his date is normalised due to his role as an alien who only follows feelings and has no preconceptions of sexuality. GENDER: Tanya (a member of the BAME community) and April have intelligence and an academic prowess that they’re rightfully proud of, and Ram has emotions that he’s not afraid to show or speak about. Miss Quill is presented as an unemotional leader. These facts show that Class is trying to break barriers and subvert previous media stereotypes. DISABILITY: April has a mother who is disabled and their relationship is explored.
AGE: The Doctor and Miss Quill are both powerful, older characters and the young characters are seen displaying maturity and making tough decisions. On the other hand, some characters (e.g. Tanya's Mum) reinforce stereotypes of the strict parent and some aspects of the main characters also reinforce teen stereotypes.
Class: Language and Representation blog tasks Create a new blogpost called 'Class: Language and Representation blog tasks' and work through the following tasks: Language and close-textual analysis 1) Write an NCIS analysis for the episode - using notes from the screening in class. Make specific, detailed reference to moments in the text using media terminology (e.g. media language - camera shots and movement, diegetic/non-diegetic sound, mise-en-scene etc.) Co-owner of a Lonely Heart Narrative: Character: Iconography: Setting: 2) How does Todorov's theory of equilibrium apply to Co-owner of a Lonely Heart? Try and use the expanded version of Todorov's theory: Equilibrium - Disruption - Recognition - Reparation - New equilibrium. 3) Applying Propp's character theory, what character roles do each of the main characters in Class fit into? Alternatively, you may wish to discuss how characters do not fit Propp's character types. 4) What enigma and action codes (Barthes) can you find in Co-owner of a Lonely Heart? Make specific, detailed reference to the text using media terminology (e.g. media language - camera shots, diegetic/non-diegetic sound, mise-en-scene etc.) 5) What examples of binary opposition (Levi-Strauss) can you find in Co-owner of a Lonely Heart? How do these create narrative or drama for the audience? Representations 1) How is gender represented in Class - Co-owner of a Lonely Heart? Are gender stereotypes reinforced or subverted? 2) How is age (e.g. teenagers; older people like teachers or parents) represented in Class - Co-owner of a Lonely Heart? Does the show reinforce or challenge stereotypes about young people? 3) How is race and ethnicity represented in Class - Co-owner of a Lonely Heart? Are stereotypes reinforced or subverted? 4) How is sexuality represented in Class - Co-owner of a Lonely Heart? How does this reflect the BBC's remit to represent modern Britain? 5) How is disability represented in Class - Co-owner of a Lonely Heart? Why are disabled people generally under-represented in the media and how does Class try to address this?
Your due date for this first Class blog task will be set on Google Classroom.
The second half of our Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child case study focuses on the key concepts of Industry and Audience.
You'll find all the answers you need in the notes and clips below. You can then complete the blog tasks at the bottom of this blogpost.
Notes from the lessons
Audience
General audience notes:
Mainstream – broad appeal as millions of people watch the BBC
Long-running which shows it appeals to masses (12-40) and the reboot helped gain younger fans.
12 certificate so maybe young teens
References to popular culture (pop culture) has meant an appeal to a wider age range.
Demographics: A-E class as some complex plot points but also action and SFX that are easy to understand
Gender- split down middle (although boys are more usually fans of science fiction, this has changed over time. Also introduction of romance and drama in narrative. From 1970-2010 the female audience grew by 22%.
More diverse representation over recent years (gay characters, black central characters, strong female characters and of course the new female doctor) have all encouraged a wider audience.
Audience pleasures
We can apply Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory when analysing the audience pleasures offered by Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child. Remember, we must consider it from the perspective of a viewer in the 1960s who would have reacted in quite a different way to an audience in 2020. Remember, the four key categories for Uses and Gratifications theory:
INFORMATION/SURVEILLANCE: learning information that you did not already know. Doctor Who offers its audience an education about space travel, science and history.
PERSONAL IDENTITY: personally relating to something - seeing your lifestyle on screen. Think about how different audiences may identify with Susan, her teachers or the Doctor.
DIVERSION/ENTERTAINMENT: escapism and being entertained away from your normal life. Science Fiction is a classic genre for escapism - what examples of this could be found in the episode?
PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS: caring about characters and wanting to find out what happens to them. This is the first episode of four - which characters do you think the audience will want to follow on their journey?
The 3 Vs
VISCERAL PLEASURE: Physical thrill of watching something e.g hairs on the back of your neck in a horror film, sport, big explosions.
VICARIOUS PLEASURE: Experiencing something through the characters (e.g. time/space travel).
VOYEURISTIC PLEASURE: Watching something you wouldn't normally get a chance to see (e.g. inside TARDIS).
Industries
Importance of Doctor Who to BBC
Doctor Who is one of the most iconic franchises that the BBC has. It has been launched all over the world through BBC Worldwide and generates huge income for the BBC.
In 2014, a BBC Worldwide Report stated Sherlock and Doctor Who as the BBC’s biggest exports of the past year. The worldwide simulcast (simultaneous transmission) of “The Day of the Doctor” in 2013 saw this episode air at the same time in 98 countries on six continents.
BBC: Industry notes
The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) is a public service organisation and the oldest national broadcaster and the biggest in terms of employees [over 20,000]. It is different from other TV broadcasters in that funding comes from us all as BBC licence fee payers whereas other channels rely on advertising and sponsorship. The BBC has 3 key purposes: To Inform, Educate & Entertain. This means:
To provide information (that is supposed to be balanced)
To support learning for people of all ages
To produce creative output
To have diverse content (such as with its representations)
To reflect the United Kingdom, its culture and values to the world
BBC regulation
The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) has a board of governing members and is independent of government intervention. This means that it can produce content free impartially.
Since 2017, The BBC is now regulated by OfCOM (the Office of Communications). OfCOM oversees all media channels and produces a code of conduct that all media channels must follow or have their licence to make content removed and/or be fined heavily.
This includes suitable programmes before the 9pm watershed and various other quality standards.
Audience and Industry: blog tasks
Create a new blogpost called 'Doctor Who: Audience and Industry blog tasks' and answer the following questions:
Audience 1) Who is the target audience for Doctor Who? Has it changed since 1963? 2) What audience psychographic groups might particularly enjoy Doctor Who? 3) What audience pleasures are offered by An Unearthly Child? Apply Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory to the episode. Make sure you provide specific examples from the episode to support your ideas.
Personal Identity: Personal Relationships: Diversion (Escapism): Surveillance (Information / Facts): 4) What additional Uses and Gratifications would this episode provide to a modern 2020 audience? 5) Thinking of the 3 Vs audience pleasures (Visceral, Vicarious and Voyeuristic pleasures), which of these can be applied to An Unearthly Child? Industries 1) What was the television industry like in 1963? How many channels were there? 2) Why is Doctor Who such an important franchise for the BBC? 3) How does Doctor Who meet the BBC's mission statement to 'inform, educate and entertain'? 4) How is the BBC funded? 5) Who regulates the BBC and what is the watershed? Grade 8/9 extension tasks and reading Read this New Statesman feature on Doctor Who as a global phenomenon. What does it suggest about Doctor Who fandom, British identity and the importance of the brand to the BBC? Read this Guardian feature on the representations of race and ethnicity in Doctor Who over the last 55 years. How has the programme changed in its representations of race and how does this fit the BBC's remit to inform, educate and entertain?
You will have some lesson time to work on this but will need to complete this for homework - due date set by your teacher and on Google Classroom.
