2025 OCR A Level Media Studies
H409/01 Media messages
Verified Question paper with Marking Scheme Attached
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
, 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
, 4
Oxford Cambridge and RSA
Copyright Information
OCR is committed to seeking permission to reproduce all third-party content that it uses in its assessment materials. OCR has attempted to identify and contact all copyright holders whose work is used
in this paper. To avoid the issue of disclosure of answer-related information to candidates, all copyright acknowledgements are reproduced in the OCR Copyright Acknowledgements Booklet. This is
produced for each series of examinations and is freely available to download from our public website (www.ocr.org.uk) after the live examination series.
© OCR 2025 H409/01 Jun25
H409/01 Media messages
Verified Question paper with Marking Scheme Attached
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
, 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
, 4
Oxford Cambridge and RSA
Copyright Information
OCR is committed to seeking permission to reproduce all third-party content that it uses in its assessment materials. OCR has attempted to identify and contact all copyright holders whose work is used
in this paper. To avoid the issue of disclosure of answer-related information to candidates, all copyright acknowledgements are reproduced in the OCR Copyright Acknowledgements Booklet. This is
produced for each series of examinations and is freely available to download from our public website (www.ocr.org.uk) after the live examination series.
© OCR 2025 H409/01 Jun25
