Media Studies

“The media is the most powerful entity on earth … Because they control the minds of the masses.” Malcom X

Media Studies instils students with a variety of skills that are both relevant to the world in which they live and crucial in allowing them to have some form of insight into a force that controls their world. At Aiglon College we believe that it is incredibly important and relevant to study a subject that defines our lives and changes the way we think; its popularity as a subject at Aiglon reflects the fact that the students here feel the same way.

Media Studies is a course which seamlessly blends theoretical and practical study. We teach a program which analyses the content, history, meaning and effects of a variety of media forms within both a creative and academic context. The academic elements of the course involve the close study and analysis of different forms of media and media organisations using a variety of theoretical and methodological processes. It teaches students to communicate in a sophisticated and analytical manner and is an excellent way for a student who is using English as a foreign language to cement and improve their written and oral skills. The creative area of the course involves the students being taught how to produce their own practical production work. It encourages students to be creative while they learn technological skills such as film editing and photo manipulation. The course always focuses on confirming the theoretical skills that the students have learnt with the practical implementation of those skills in production work. In the past, students have produced music videos, film trailers, TV advertisements, print advertisements, film posters and pages from their own magazine.

The enthusiastic and passionate manner in which Media Studies is taught, combined with the exciting content of the course syllabus means that students more often than not find this subject exhilarating and relevant. It is significant that many or our students go on to further education or a career within some area of the media, often based on their experiences of Media Studies at Aiglon College. A2 Level students this year have applied to higher education courses in film making, journalism, public relations and communications; a true reflection of the enthusiasm for the subject that they have acquired at Aiglon.

Though Media Studies is not available at IB level, it will still be taught at GCSE.