Critical investigation: Tutorial

• Your issue is absolutely outstanding and brilliantly contemporary. It’s also important and there should be plenty of research out there that looks at political and media engagement. The issue is twofold: what is your text going to be? And can we avoid making the investigation focused on new/digital media – as this is prohibited due to it being an exam topic.

• Potential texts: EU referendum BBC Question Time. This would potentially work really well. Another option: News and current affairs television during the 2016 EU Referendum campaign. Be aware that 2,000 words isn’t much – don’t take on too much to analyse (in this regard, Question Time would be an easier approach).

• Your research plan is going to be brilliant – especially when I tell you about all the new books I’m ordering. Particularly look at Media power and politics – academics like Curran, Seaton, Shirky, Jenkins, Freedman, Fenton.

• One critical part is your title or question – work on this and we’ll go over it at the next tutorial. 

• Linked production – TV documentary (Newsnight style) on impact of cuts on young people. Sounds perfect.

• Next steps: finish project proposal and start building a comprehensive research plan.

• Post this to your blog with a brief plan for what you will work on in the next 10 days.

PLAN

• Work on and finish project proposal
• Find more relevant media texts online to analyse
• Read relevant sources, especially books
• Contact people for linked production before hand rather than nearer the time of the deadline