GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES COURSEWORK

RELIGION AND THE MEDIA

UNIT A: RELIGION AND LIFE

Ai. Describe the range of specifically religious programmes shown on terrestrial television.

For this coursework I will be analyzing different programmes. I will be assessing and evaluating a worship programme, a magazine programme, a documentary, a British soap opera and a film. Will also be looking at their content and deciding who the target audience is all these programmes.

When television started any religious programme was Christian as in the UK Christianity was the main religion. But as society is changing, television has become a multi-cultural to reflect on the change, and to include all people of other religions and cultures.

The worship programme I am looking at is ‘Songs of Praise’, the most popular religious show on television at the moment. It is shown on BBC1 at 6:30 on a Sunday evening as this time is said to be the ‘God Slot’.

The presenter, Sally Magnusson, gets involved in the programme rather than just present it, and occasionally they have special guest presenters.

It is filmed at different locations each time, dependant on the area and occasion in the Christian calendar. The episode I will be looking at is in Linglithgow, Scotland.

The programme always features hymns, human interest stories and stories of the local area. The target audience of the programme is Christians.

During the edition Sally tells you where she appears and what you will be watching throughout the show.

She begins talking through the stories and architectural changes of a castle in the local area and linking in religious views.

There are many hymns in the programme the first being, ‘O come O come Emanuel’. The hymn starts of being dark and becomes light as they rejoice. It shows the views of the church and congregation.

One of the local stories being on Mary Queen of Scotts and all about her baptism.

The hymn ‘Tell out My Soul’ is sung and then linked to the joy of children, closely linking into the Christian calendar, advent.

They visit a school for the deaf during the programme. The school involves students between 3 and 18. They then interview a teacher at the school, Donald Richards.

They also visit a new maternity wing at a local hospital and talk about how birth has become easier. A related hymn is sung ‘Light of the World’ to celebrate children and birth.

While then interviewing of young girl, Susan Manlove, they show what Susan was like before she had menijitis. They then show her with it, and talk about how it has effected her, like what she can and can’t do now. They talk about how they fought for her life wanting her to survive. And down not to just their faith they don’t lover her any less. To follow, another hymn ‘Jesus Joy of Man’s desiring’ to show and celebrate triumph over suffering.

At the end of the show several of the people involved say or in this case sign goodbye and then Sally Magnusson announces what will be coming up in next weeks show – in this case a preview of next weeks edition showing that Sir Cliff Richard will be on Songs of Praise.

I think the show ‘Songs of Praise’ is aimed at all Christians. Of all denomination they belong to, in my opinion I think its aimed at an older audience as its involving maybe their interests in history and the music, whereas a teenage audience would be interested as of the music they listen to, pop or rock music etc…but the human interest stories could involve more people than you’d expect. But it’s a Christian based programme aimed at them to see the effects of the faith up and down the UK.

‘No sex please where teenagers’, is a documentary involving a group of teenagers aged 15-17.  It’s a scheme where the teenagers agree to join where there is no sex for 5 months, whether you’re a virgin or not. Its called the silver ring scheme.

Join now!

It begins with help or advice on the teenagers to think more positively of themselves, and how they should act towards a relationship and health and hygiene as it were of their own bodies.

The programme discusses some difficult concepts including abstinence, but as a programme this is sensitively portrayed as not the main objective in it, but for the teenagers to lead a more fulfilling end/life as a benefit.  

The teens join the ‘Romance Academy’ for several months, aiming to earn self respect in many aspects in their life but to generally in sex or in the ...

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