PGCE - Independent Study (CED 323), Media Studies - What is it good for?
Atila Mustafa
PGCE
Independent Study (CED 323)
Media Studies - What is it good for?
Monday 5th January 2004
Phil Bayliss
It's no secret that Media Studies have been given a negative image with regards to worth and employment opportunities. This image can be attributed to a variety of factors that I have looked into and will discuss further within this research project. First and foremost I would like to explain why I chose to research this area. As a matter of personal interest this subject matter strikes a part inside of me that makes me want to scream. If it were not for the fact the that I believe in encouraging open debate and discussion within all areas of life then I would dismiss this question as pointless to the sense that it be paralleled with asking "Education - What is it good for?" To question the worth of a course that educates its students about an element of culture as large and present as the media is in my opinion absurd. But on a positive note it could be seen to add certain respectability to the subject too.
For the purpose of this project I shall define what Media Studies is and the aspects that I researched for this paper. Media Studies began life an amalgamation of cultural studies, sociology and communication studies. It was formed because of increased interest in the power of the media and the growth of jobs in the sector. Many of the lecturers who teach media at Exeter College would either not have had a Media course available to them or it was merely a small option within another course.
Media courses are very much in their infancy, which tend to make people view them as having less value than other courses.
"There's a lot of nonsense in it. It's not because it's vocational,
it's because it's new, it has not really got a literature. It has not
got established principles and it's taught variably - some places
well, some places badly."
(David Marsland - BBC Radio 4's Today Programme, Mar 2000)
Surviving the barrage of insults courses have spread throughout the country in the last twenty years and are offered in almost all universities.
"Media Studies is the fastest-growing subject at
further and higher education, reflecting the
importance media has on our lives and increasing
employment prospects."
(www.eastdevon.ac.uk/subjects.asp?subjectID=22, Dec 2003)
Students work in a wide range of studio programme production roles and learn location shooting, editing and pre-production management. Media theory also has a large root within the subject. This can include understanding programme content, style, genre, semiology, mass communication methods, representations, audiences and institutions and also incorporate analyses, evaluation, dissemination and observation of the media industry in its entirety. That's a large subject with huge content which is - unsurprisingly - split into fragments. Media Studies courses are grouped within areas of similarity and resources. For example: Media Studies - Print which encompasses everything to do with the world of publishing, photography and graphics; Media Studies - Moving Image which encompasses everything to do with film, TV and video; Media Studies - Audio which encompasses everything to do with radio and the music industry. Often other courses such as Lens Based Media, Graphic Arts, Film and Video, Film Studies and Video Techniques are also placed beneath the Media Studies umbrella. This is certainly the case at Exeter College and can be justified to a point for funding reasons. However, my study only focuses on Advanced Level and BTEC National Diploma courses in Media Studies - Moving Image.
So why do some people (myself included) think that Media Studies has been given such bad publicity provoking some to cast it aside as a worthless qualification deemed unnecessary within the media world of job opportunities? Before I attempt to address this question I must first of all state that the points it raises also represent what were for me the inspiring force that lead me to research this subject. Personally I have a vested interest in this subject matter for I am in every sense of the word a media teacher / lecturer. I feel that the future of media as a taught subject sits in the balance, and will continue to do so until accusations regarding its validity are addressed. So why is Media Studies considered in some circles as a soft option? To pin down an answer could be considered callous and probably misleading too. I think this relies on a multitude of possible answers that relate back to the opinions of the people who raised the question to begin with. My research has identified a few continually emerging opinions that include:
"There is a wide gap between the theory involved in media studies
and the reality of working in the media." (Clive Punter - www.mediaweek.co.uk - March 2003)
"There is little point in training people in specific skills for the media industry
because it changes so much." (Paul Marris - www.mediaweek.co.uk - March 2003)
"These are technical courses best learnt by apprenticeship rather than academic
training methods." (Adrian Furnham - http://education.guardian.co.uk - July 2, 2002)
"Media Studies qualifications have little if any standing within the media industry"
(Alan Roberts - www.dvdoctor.net - Dec 2003)
"Employers are more interested in people that can do the job as opposed to
those that can apply media theory to their work." (E Bell - http://education.guardian.co.uk - May 2002)
"Media courses cannot transfer skills needed within the industry. Only work
based experience and training can." (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/665308.stm March 2000)
I feel these opinions are all equally valid within the wider context of the fast moving forever-growing media industry. But I must raise the question that do Media Studies courses - or in fact any courses within further education and higher education - actually claim to give you the skills needed to enter the industry you wish to work in? Unfortunately, it could be argued that yes many do. I say unfortunately because I am a great believer that education should be based on personal development just as much, if not more, than just contributing toward the economic growth of the nation.
"A BTEC National is a practical work-related course.
You will learn by completing projects and assignments
that are based on realistic workplace situations, activities
and demands. As well as learning about the employment
area you have chosen, you will develop the skills you need
to start a career."
(http://www.runshaw.ac.uk/16-9/courses/media_btnd.htm - Dec 2003)
I have looked at quite a few further education and higher education web sites and found that institutions running vocational courses do advertise their media courses as viable within the industry and leading to ...
This is a preview of the whole essay
"A BTEC National is a practical work-related course.
You will learn by completing projects and assignments
that are based on realistic workplace situations, activities
and demands. As well as learning about the employment
area you have chosen, you will develop the skills you need
to start a career."
(http://www.runshaw.ac.uk/16-9/courses/media_btnd.htm - Dec 2003)
I have looked at quite a few further education and higher education web sites and found that institutions running vocational courses do advertise their media courses as viable within the industry and leading to employment. Some examples of these statements were found on Liverpool Community College's web site under the heading, what the course can lead to. The answer being:
"Low level employment in media industries and Higher education."
(www.liv-coll.ac.uk/esp/result.asp?comp_id=14&course_id=137)
Runshaw 6th Form College's web site offered a rather lengthy account of what the qualifications could lead to. This time under the heading, what will this course prepare me for? The answer was:
"This course is highly valued by employers and Higher
Education providers. On completion, you could progress
directly into a career in film, video and TV production,
animation, graphic design or photography."
(http://www.runshaw.ac.uk/16-19/courses/media_btnd.htm - Dec 03)
Some further education colleges go as far as stating that they offer industry standard resources to their students. This is most definitely the case with Exeter College whose prospectus reads that media students will be given the opportunity to work with industry standard equipment - this could not be further from the truth. Resources are limited and far from identical to those used within the media industry - but for educational purposes they are just about adequate. Runshaw 6th Form College goes a step further adding professional staff to the equation.
".... purpose-built creative arts studios with a suite of
industry standard Apple Mac computers. You will
benefit from highly qualified, experienced and dedicated
staff, with industrial experience."
(http://www.runshaw.ac.uk/16-19/courses/media_btnd.htm - Dec 03)
So with all these industrial resources, industrial environments and settings, industrial workloads and industrial experienced staff one could be forgiven for thinking they had stumbled upon a sure path in to the industry. Does experience within an educational institution qualify one for the jobs in the real world? It is my opinion that the experiences gained within an educational institution provide a taster of what could be faced in the real world, therefore determining whether that individual wants to pursue a career path within their chosen course of study. This brings us nicely to the age-old question; "Does education improve your chances of employment?" Maybe the question that should be being asked is, "Should education improve your chances of employment?"
Chris Woodhead, once Chief Inspector of Schools for OFSTED, is a stern believer that,
"Many vocational courses are vacuous and do nothing
for employment prospects."
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/880616.stm)
Well known for his criticisms of vocational courses Woodhead routinely poured scorn onto courses like Media Studies, Beauty Therapy, Sports Studies, Knitwear and Pig Enterprise Management to mention but a few. One could argue that his opinions are obviously centred on education being linked to employment. But Woodhead is only one of many. Former Higher Education Minister Margaret Hodge also gained a reputation for slurring vocational and new academic courses when she insisted that,
"Extra university places must not be met by simply
stacking up numbers on 'Mickey Mouse' courses."
(Richard Abbott - www.mediaweek.co.uk)
Although she refused to name specific courses amid questioning from reporters she did go on to define such a course as,
"one where the content is perhaps not as rigorous as
one would expect and where the degree itself may not
have huge relevance in the labour market."
(Richard Abbott - www.mediaweek.co.uk)
The final critic I would like to present and possibly the one with the least tact is historian and philosopher, Roger Scurton. He has been quoted as saying:
"Media studies course content is sub-Marxist gobbledegook
and courses are taught by talentless individuals who can't get
jobs in the media, so they teach instead. There's nothing to
learn except by way of apprenticeship on the job."
(E Bell - http://education.guardian.co.uk - May 2002)
I actually gasped in disbelief when I read this article. Scurton's comments beg the questions: can his comments extend to art and music teachers - are they talentless failed artists and musicians? How about English teachers - are they talentless and failed writers? You could go on forever. In fact you could question the worth of every course and the staff that teach it. Scurton's comments draw frightening parallels to the popular cynical GB Shaw quote:
"Those that can do. Those that can't teach"
(http://www.workinghumor.com/quotes/gb_shaw.shtml)
Is it not enough to have an appreciation, a good body of knowledge and a passion about the course that you teach or study? Does it always have to relate to economics, the labour market and employability of graduates?
Critics of Media Studies often raise the prospects of nil employment possibilities after graduation.
"Mr Woodhead lived up to his reputation for
controversy when, on Thursday, he cited [Media Studies]
as being a one-way ticket to the dole queue."
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/665308.stm - March 2000)
Over the years this line of criticism has continued to fuel the flames questioning the validity and worth of Media Studies. There are many varied opinions with regards to Media Studies leading to employment. The same could possibly be said for the majority of courses studied at colleges and universities across the country.
"We don't hear History, English, Philosophy or Theology
castigated because there are few opportunities for historians,
novelists and poets, the thinking professions and the God industries."
(http://www.natfhe.org.uk/says/lect0010/feat0004.html)
During my research I found that the vast number of contributors agreed that acquiring a Media Studies qualification did not guarantee, help or hinder one when it came to applying for a job. It seemed that most also agreed that this could be said of all qualifications.
"as with graduates from all subjects, having a degree
is only a fraction of the qualification most media
employers will look for, the rest is down to experience."
(E Bell - http://education.guardian.co.uk - May 2002)
The word experience cropped up frequently during this research project. It seemed that media employers preferred it against qualifications but not many could suggest how to acquire it. From my own personal experience I know that gaining experience within the media industry is easier said than done. Some still tend to call it a closed industry and that,
"The single biggest influence for getting a job in the
media is being related to someone."
(Richard Abbott - www.mediaweek.co.uk)
Others strongly empathise the importance of working for a low wage to gain the experience required.
"Media studies degrees are largely a waste of time, the
only way to get into film, tv, journalism, photography,
is actually to do the job for little pay and to be very good
at what you do."
(Alan Roberts - www.dvdoctor.net)
There is also the belief that:
"There is hostility from some media professionals
towards courses. The industry tends to pride itself on
rewarding hard graft rather than academic qualifications
and that often means starting at the bottom, making the tea."
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/665308.stm - March 2000)
I find it difficult to decide where my own opinions stand. I see Media Studies as a valid and worthwhile course but also understand why some regard it as worthless within a practical context. I believe that a middle ground can be achieved. Working knowledge of your craft is essential but surely relating it to theory can be too.
I had the pleasure of meeting many highly skilled editors, directors and producers while working at the BBC. The majority of them possessed degrees in a variety of subjects - none within Media Studies. I observed that although remarkably skilled a director I knew never really seemed to relate his work to anything other than the text on the script. I recall a conversation where I enquired about his inspiration and composition techniques when making a program. He seemed taken aback and answered, "I just follow the script." I think I expected an answer more along the lines of, "My inspiration comes from early Russian cinema whereas my composition techniques are an amalgamation of Brechtian and Noh theatre." Here I must raise the question that if everyone working in the media industry had a media or arts based degree and could effortlessly tie together theory, themes and working practical knowledge, then would the program content improve? The following quote was posted on an Internet forum. For me it is an inspiring passage that sums up how education and experience could possibly co-exist within the media.
"Any qualification is merely the first step on a career ladder.
A degree equips you with knowledge and skills, but it's up to
the individual to use them and develop them wisely. All things
being equal, education should provide for a higher earning
potential in the long-term. But learning is a continuous process
and does not stop at the college gates. Indeed, some might argue
that that's where true learning begins."
(Nigel Longman - www.dvdoctor.net)
A study taken by the BFI cited that:
"Media Studies graduate, whether from vocationally of
academically biased courses, have an above average record
for getting jobs."
(www.natfhe.org.uk/says/lect0010/feat0004.html)
I cross-referenced this article with one I came across on the BBC News web site. Here statistics read that Media Studies graduates were among the seventh highest group in terms of postgraduate employment:
"-....with 76% finding a job in the six months after graduating.
But only 15% of these jobs were anywhere in the media."
(E Bell - http://education.guardian.co.uk - May 2002)
It could be argued that 15% of media graduates finding employment within the industry is a negative figure and reflects badly on the courses and institutions.
But I feel one must put into perspective that these figures are quite similar if not better when compared with a wide range of courses - including sciences. Data from the Prospects web site shows 43% of Physics graduates from 2002 found employment after their course. Clerical and secretarial employment was the largest destination at 17% whereas science related employment stood at 10%. So Media Studies graduates are no way near the back of the dole queue as Chris Woodhead suggested. In fact results published by Prospects concluded that:
"A jobseeker brandishing a BA in media studies can expect
to do better than many of his or her contemporaries."
(www.prospects.ac.uk)
If you honestly believe that media courses should be a means to an end then I suppose you would be disappointed with any media industry employment figure below 50%. Richard Abbott sums up for me how Media Studies courses could be viewed with regards to employment possibilities.
"Media Studies is not a vocational programme of study.
It is a broad-based arts degree. Students are making their
way into a wide range of careers. It is not like architecture
or law where you become an architect or a lawyer respectively."
(Richard Abbott - www.mediaweek.co.uk)
Gathering Data at Exeter College
My aims were pretty clear from the outset. I wanted to research the views of staff and students at Exeter College with regards to questions like:
"Is Media Studies a soft option?"
"Do students / graduates follow onto higher education / employment?"
I then wanted to compare these results with factual data and statistics gathered from various bodies. First of all I surveyed the staff members within the media department. I was interested in finding out what their answers to the following question would be:
1/ Do you have an A Level or equivalent in Media Studies?
2/ Do you have a BA or equivalent in Media Studies?
3/ Do you have an MA or equivalent in Media Studies?
4/ Have you worked in the media industry? (If Yes, for how long and what
type of job.)
5/ Are you aware that some feel Media Studies is a soft option?
6/ Do you feel Media Studies if a soft option?
These questions were emailed to 16 members of staff of which 10 replied. I have entered the results into the table below.
More than anything I found these results somewhat predictable. The majority of staff who teach media at Exeter are at least 35 plus which would obviously mean that Media Studies courses were available to them only as options within Social Science and English courses. Although the survey specifically asked about media degrees or their equivalent, I would like to reveal that all but one of the media staff that responded had a degree qualification or equivalent within Drama, English, Cultural Studies or Humanities. I was already aware that the majority of staff had also worked in the industry but was surprised to find that the average length of time served was 2 to 5 years.
"Most lecturers are washed-up has-beens who talk
about their one moment of glory in the '80s!"
(Richard Abbott quoting marketing agency worker)
Two to five years seems like a very long moment of glory to me. As for Roger Scurton's comments regarding media courses being....
"....taught by talentless individuals who can't get jobs
in the media, so they teach instead."
(E Bell - http://education.guardian.co.uk - May 2002)
.... this is simply not true within the confines of Exeter College. It was no surprise that all of the staff were aware that some label Media Studies as a soft option. I can only imagine that they are confronted with this statement weekly within the press, colleagues, students and possibly their parents. The one member of staff that agreed Media Studies was a soft option actually stated that she thought any subject could be a soft option - even Astro Physics.
After the staff response, I turned to the student body. I wanted to first of all collect data from previous college leavers so as I could present this whilst surveying current students. I enquired about being given access to the college's first destinations database, but unfortunately this has not yet been implemented. Each individual department collects information on leavers from their lecturers in June, and I was granted access to this information by a senior lecturer. I did at first question the ethics of having access to this data, but have since decided that as long as my notes and papers stayed within the confines of this PGCE course that this would be acceptable. In total 120 Advanced Level and 22 BTEC Nation Diploma leaver's first destinations were looked at. I will present the finding as I compare them shortly.
Armed with this information I then focused on the current Media Studies students.
In all I surveyed 226 Advanced Level and 40 BTEC National Diploma students.
The most practical way of doing this was to enter their classroom at the beginning of
a session, introduce myself quickly, and ask for a quick show of hands to my questions. The first question I asked was, "Is Media Studies a soft option?" All 226 answered "No!" The rest of the questions were aimed at registering their perceptions of A Level and BTEC Media Studies leavers and their intended path after leaving Exeter College. Here are the results:
Question 1: Asked to 40 BTEC's
Are you considering applying to do a Media course in Higher Education?
Yes - 12 No - 28
Question 2: Asked to 226 A Level's
Are you considering applying to do a Media course in Higher Education?
Yes - 186 No - 40
Question 3: Asked to 226 A Level's
Out of 120 A Level Media Studies leavers, how many do you think applied
to do Media in Higher Education?
Question 4: Asked to 40 BTEC's
Out of 120 A Level Media Studies leavers, how many do you think applied
to do Media in Higher Education?
Question 5: Asked to 226 A Level's
Out of 22 BTEC Media Studies leavers, how many do you think applied to do Media in Higher Education?
Question 6: Asked to 40 BTEC's
Out of 22 BTEC Media Studies leavers, how many do you think applied to do
Media in Higher Education?
The actual figures registered in June 2003 were as follow:
A Level - 120 out of 120 applied to Higher Education
BTEC - 6 out of 22 applied to Higher Education
Students within the vocational Media Studies course seemed less interested in following through to Higher Education and projected this onto the BTEC leavers.
For the A level students on the other hand it, seemed that many of them actually thought of progressing onto Higher Education as a somewhat organic process. Within this whole debate there also exists a fierce argument between academic and vocational Media Studies. I feel that some of the results presented here show that the students acknowledge this feud and also live by certain expectations of what one another's courses stand for. Many of the BTEC's I have spoken to shun the A Level Media course for its lack of hands on and its emphasis on theory. Likewise many of the A levels I have spoken to shun the BTEC course because of it's lack of theory and its so called tick box assessment criteria.
If I had to be honest I would whole heartily encourage the study of the media but question the transformation of practical skills into the industry. By skills I am referring to use of equipment not team work, research, confidence etc. I personally feel that the media industry moves too fast for college and university budgets to contend with. Students who excel themselves and take initiative do however pick up practical hands on skills whilst studying media. Accord to Golding employers are recognising this and....
"...saying that they are happy to see students get broad
skills at university before getting the more specific skills
in training on the job."
(Golding - www.mediaweek.ac.uk)
So students will end up with a sound body of theoretical knowledge before progressing into the industry where they will gain sound practical knowledge. Sounds like the perfect recipe to me.
Whether the grey cloud of questioning the validity and worth of Media Studies will ever fade away is yet to be seen. There was a suggestion that the negative views being touted by politicians and the like may have....
".... rubbed off on young people picking their degree options.
Statistics from the University and Colleges Admissions Service
show applications for media studies courses are down."
(E Bell - http://education.guardian.co.uk - May 2002)
I mentioned earlier that within Media Studies there exists a bitter feud between the academic and the vocational courses. Maybe the subject does its reputation no favours allowing this debate to continue. Some suggest that this is actually the backbone of the whole debate and point the finger at 'red brick' institutions for holding academic courses over vocational ones. Whether academic or vocational I firmly believe that some study of the media is imperative.
"What a strange world it would be if universities didn't
encourage study of the fastest growing industry in the UK,
that takes up huge amounts of our leisure time,"
(Golding - www.mediaweek.ac.uk)
Another obvious yet powerful reason is offered by Alvarado (1992, p.94) when he says we must study media because it 'is there'. We should be encouraging the study of the media because it is an expanding area of thought, knowledge, skills, perception and employment. Some would argue that higher education should expand to meet the labour market as well as reflecting the great importance of the media in our culture and society as we strive to understand how it functions.
"In the current cultural, social and political circumstances
that we live in, the media is so pre-eminent, that some way of
understanding it is fairly crucial for an informed citizenship."
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/665308.stm)
Perhaps a qualification at degree level actually represents a person who was capable of studying to this standard engaging in complex thought processes; weighing up differing sides of various issues; entering into detailed discussion; and applying theoretical areas of study to practical areas and that the actual subject is not the most important aspect of the degree.
Word Count [4330]
Bibliography
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