1. Assignment brief
Qualification BTEC First Level 2 in Creative Media Production
Unit number and title Unit 4: Media Audiences and Products
Start date
Deadline
Assessor name
Assignment title CM2012 Assignment Unit 4
The purpose of this assignment is to:
This unit focuses on the ways in which media industries gather information about their audiences and categorise them,
how the texts that industries produce are constructed and addressed to particular audiences, and how those audiences
make sense of the products offered to them.
On completion of this unit a learner should:
1. Know how a media industry identifies audiences for its products
2. Understand how media products are constructed for specific audiences
3. Understand how audiences can respond to media products.
Tasks Grading Criteria
Mapping
Task 1 - Know how a media industry identifies audiences for its products P1, M1, D1
Choose one medium: Magazines or TV and produce a report explaining how advertisers in
that medium do the following:
 Classify audiences (Standard Occupational Classification (ABC1 etc), lifestyle or
psychographics; postcode or geo-demographics; age; gender; sexual orientation)
 Audience Measurement (focus groups, questionnaires, ratings (BARB), audience
measurement panels, face to face interviews)
Task 2 - Understand how media products are constructed for specific audience P2, M2, D2
Looking at “reality TV” specifically, write a report to analyse:
a) The genre
b) Methods of construction - selection; composition; combination
c) Style or mode of address – e.g. through content, through language, through genre,
through narrative, through visual imagery, through graphic style
d) Constraints on the product - Describe the difference between a code of practice, eg
BBC guidelines and legal restrictions placed on creators of TV programmes. Use
OFCOM as an example of a regulatory body for TV and explain the legislative
background surrounding OFCOM. Include detailed illustrated examples of how
OFCOM affects the content of TV programmes being produced, specifically
referencing reality TV.
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2. Task 3 - Understand how audiences can respond to media products P3, M3, D3
Range to cover
Reasons for preference: e.g. age, gender, ethnic background, sexual orientation
Language codes: e.g. verbal, visual, aural
Generic codes: e.g. language, content, narrative, characters, style, camera work, soundtrack,
music, mise-en-scène, iconography, graphics
There are many ways in which a media product can be understood or decoded by an
audience. Select a news broadcast from the TV and write a report which describes and
illustrates with examples, ways in which the relevant codes from the range to cover above are
used to help their audiences understand the product. Add screenshots of programmes to
illustrate (YouTube, BBC news online) to illustrate the codes and conventions you are
discussing
Sources of information:
Briefings by tutors, research using the internet, intranet and library, BBC, OFCOM.
Grading Criteria
This unit is internally assessed
Unit 4
P1 outline ways in which a M1 describe ways in which a D1 explain ways in which a
media industry identifies media industry identifies media industry identifies
audiences for its products audiences for its products audiences for its products
with some detail and with with reference to precise and
reference to appropriate detailed illustrative examples
illustrative examples
P2 outline ways in which a M2 describe ways in which a D2 explain ways in which a
media product is constructed media product is constructed media product is constructed
for a specific audience for a specific audience with for a specific audience with
some detail and with reference to precise and
reference to appropriate detailed illustrative examples
illustrative examples
P3 outline ways in which a M3 describe ways in which a D3 explain ways in which a
media product might be media product might be media product might be
understood by an audience. understood by an audience understood by audiences
with some detail and with with reference to precise and
reference to appropriate detailed illustrative examples.
illustrative examples.
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