OCR A Level Media Studies H409/01 Media messages May 2025 Combined
QUESTION PAPER and MARK SCHEME
Oxford Cambridge and RSA
Monday 19 May 2025 – Afternoon
A Level Media Studies
H409/01 Media messages
Time allowed: 2 hours
You must have:
• the Resource Booklet
• the OCR 12-page Answer Booklet
INSTRUCTIONS
• Use black ink.
• Write your answer to each question in the Answer Booklet. The question numbers must
be clearly shown.
• Fill in the boxes on the front of the Answer Booklet.
• Answer all the questions.
INFORMATION
• The total mark for this paper is 70.
• The marks for each question are shown in brackets [ ].
• Quality of extended response will be assessed in questions marked with an asterisk (*).
• This document has 4 pages.
ADVICE
• Read each question carefully before you start your answer.
, © OCR 2025 [603/2339/5] OCR is an exempt Charity
DC (ST) 354678/1 Turn over
*184 6 4 325 04 *
, 2
Section A
News
Study Sources A and B in the Resource Booklet.
1 Analyse the media language used in Source A and Source B in relation to political contexts.
Use Barthes’ theory of semiotics to support your answer. [10]
2* Source A and Source B cover the same news event from two different online news sources, one
from a left-wing broadsheet newspaper and one from a right-wing broadsheet newspaper.
How far do the representations in the sources convey values, attitudes and beliefs?
In your answer you must:
• explain how representations in news sources convey values, attitudes and beliefs
• analyse the representations in the sources
• make judgements and reach conclusions about how far the representations in the sources
convey values, attitudes and beliefs.
[15]
3 Explain how social contexts influence the production and circulation of print and/or online news.
Refer to The Guardian and the Daily Mail to support your answer. [10]
4 Evaluate the effectiveness of one of the following theories in understanding how audiences
interpret online news.
EITHER
• Bandura’s Media Effects theory
OR
• Shirky’s ‘End of Audience’ theory
[10]
© OCR 2025 H409/01 Jun25
, 3
Section B
Media Language and Representation
5 Study Source C in the Resource Booklet.
Explain how magazines represent issues, individuals and/or social groups through processes of
selection and combination.
Use Source C to support your answer. [10]
6 You should have studied two music videos: one from List A and one from List B below.
List A List B
Corinne Bailey Rae – Stop Where You Are Radiohead – Burn the Witch
Lil Nas X – SUN GOES DOWN Sufjan Stevens – Sugar
Emeli Sandé – Heaven David Guetta – Titanium
Analyse how effective the use of intertextuality is in creating meaning in both music videos you
have studied.
In your answer you must:
• analyse the media language in both music videos in relation to how intertextuality is used to
create meaning
• make judgements and draw conclusions about the effectiveness of the use of intertextuality.
[15]
END OF QUESTION PAPER
© OCR 2025 H409/01 Jun25
QUESTION PAPER and MARK SCHEME
Oxford Cambridge and RSA
Monday 19 May 2025 – Afternoon
A Level Media Studies
H409/01 Media messages
Time allowed: 2 hours
You must have:
• the Resource Booklet
• the OCR 12-page Answer Booklet
INSTRUCTIONS
• Use black ink.
• Write your answer to each question in the Answer Booklet. The question numbers must
be clearly shown.
• Fill in the boxes on the front of the Answer Booklet.
• Answer all the questions.
INFORMATION
• The total mark for this paper is 70.
• The marks for each question are shown in brackets [ ].
• Quality of extended response will be assessed in questions marked with an asterisk (*).
• This document has 4 pages.
ADVICE
• Read each question carefully before you start your answer.
, © OCR 2025 [603/2339/5] OCR is an exempt Charity
DC (ST) 354678/1 Turn over
*184 6 4 325 04 *
, 2
Section A
News
Study Sources A and B in the Resource Booklet.
1 Analyse the media language used in Source A and Source B in relation to political contexts.
Use Barthes’ theory of semiotics to support your answer. [10]
2* Source A and Source B cover the same news event from two different online news sources, one
from a left-wing broadsheet newspaper and one from a right-wing broadsheet newspaper.
How far do the representations in the sources convey values, attitudes and beliefs?
In your answer you must:
• explain how representations in news sources convey values, attitudes and beliefs
• analyse the representations in the sources
• make judgements and reach conclusions about how far the representations in the sources
convey values, attitudes and beliefs.
[15]
3 Explain how social contexts influence the production and circulation of print and/or online news.
Refer to The Guardian and the Daily Mail to support your answer. [10]
4 Evaluate the effectiveness of one of the following theories in understanding how audiences
interpret online news.
EITHER
• Bandura’s Media Effects theory
OR
• Shirky’s ‘End of Audience’ theory
[10]
© OCR 2025 H409/01 Jun25
, 3
Section B
Media Language and Representation
5 Study Source C in the Resource Booklet.
Explain how magazines represent issues, individuals and/or social groups through processes of
selection and combination.
Use Source C to support your answer. [10]
6 You should have studied two music videos: one from List A and one from List B below.
List A List B
Corinne Bailey Rae – Stop Where You Are Radiohead – Burn the Witch
Lil Nas X – SUN GOES DOWN Sufjan Stevens – Sugar
Emeli Sandé – Heaven David Guetta – Titanium
Analyse how effective the use of intertextuality is in creating meaning in both music videos you
have studied.
In your answer you must:
• analyse the media language in both music videos in relation to how intertextuality is used to
create meaning
• make judgements and draw conclusions about the effectiveness of the use of intertextuality.
[15]
END OF QUESTION PAPER
© OCR 2025 H409/01 Jun25
