Media Btec National
Unit 7: Understanding The Creative Media
Sector
Analysis Write Up
Task 2: Understand ethical and legal constraints within the media sector
Deadline for all Task 1 work to be completed: Friday 12th November
Use this sheet to help guide your essay on the structure and ownership of the media sector.
- Ethical considerations: You need to consider the social issues and sensitivities of your industry for, eg representation of gender, representation of religious beliefs,
linguistic usages and accessibility. You should also look at professional body codes of practice, eg BBC producers’ guidelines, Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C) accessibility standards
www.asa.org.uk – the Advertising Standards Authority
www.bbfc.co.uk – the British Board of Film Classification and computer gaming industry
www.journalism.co.uk – a website for journalists
www.nuj.co.uk – the National Union of Journalists
www.ofcom.org.uk – Ofcom the regulator of the UK’s broadcasting, telecommunications and wireless communications industries
www.pact.co.uk – UK trade association representing the commercial interests of independent feature film,TV, animation and interactive media companies
www.skillset.org.uk – website of Skillset, the Sector Skills Council for the creative media sector
www.vlv.org.uk – the Voice of the Listener and Viewer
- Legal considerations: You should write about the content, interpretation and application of laws relating to media that related directly to the two industries you have chosen to research eg if you were studying television you should research the Broadcasting Act 1990 (and later amendments). Other acts you should consider are:Official Secrets Act 1989, Obscene Publications Act 1959 (and later amendments),Films Act 1985, Video Recordings Act 1984, Race Relations Act 1976 (and later amendments), Human Rights Act 1998, Licensing Act 2003 (and later amendments); privacy law; copyright and intellectualproperty law; libel law
How you should write about your ethical and legal considerations:
- Identify the ethical consideration and law that is pertinent to your industry.
- Explain what it means and how it influences and effects your industry.
- Give an example to back up your point and explanation.
To obtain a PASS need to:
(P2) Describe ethical and legal constraints within the media sector
To obtain a MERIT need to:
(M2) Explain ethical and legal constraints within the media sector with reference to detailed illustrative examples
To obtain a DISTINCTION need to:
(D2) Comprehensively explain ethical and legal constraints within the media sector with reference to elucidated examples
Further details on what we are looking for at Pass, Merit and Distinction:
Pass: work on legal and ethical considerations will be brief with no link to examples of media products created by professionals or by the learners themselves. References to ethical and legal issues will be basic becauselearners will not have undertaken research to seek out interesting or unusual case studies.
Merit: learners will take care to consider relevant constraints when engaged in practical work and will explain how and why particular legislation and ethical considerations need to be taken into consideration, pointing to relevant instances of where they have done so in their work. Where case studies are undertaken, learners will provide detailed illustrative examples to express their ideas and understanding.
Distinction: learners will give thorough consideration to relevant constraints when engaged in practical work and will give detailed explanations of how and why particular legislation and ethical considerations need to be taken into account, exemplifying these explanations with fully elucidated instances of where they have done so in their work. They will be able to discuss the relevance of legislation and ethical issues through specific examples and be able to assess them by, for example, relating them to emerging social concerns. These examples will
be independently researched and closely related to contemporary media issues. For example, a case studymight look at the expansion of ‘reality television’ as popular entertainment, considering the way it continually pushes the boundaries of taste and legality. Examples of how regulators have become involved will be given, and learners will draw out of their examples precisely what is about them that exemplifies the points they illustrate.
