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Mediaology

 Media Studies, often dismissed as a 'soft' subject, actually plays a crucial role in shaping our world. To fully grasp its value, we should consider rebranding it as 'Media Science' and treat it with the same seriousness as STEM subjects. By placing a strong emphasis on its practical application, we can better equip students to confidently navigate the constantly evolving media landscape.

David Buckingham’s essay, "The Strangulation of Media Studies," critically examines recent UK government reforms to Media Studies GCSE and A-Level qualifications. These reforms, initiated in 2014, were part of a broader effort to overhaul secondary school education and became particularly threatening to subjects like Media Studies. Although the subject survived, Buckingham argues that the changes have compromised its integrity.

 

Buckingham places these reforms in the larger context of UK educational policy, which has been a tug-of-war between centralized control and market-driven approaches. Despite its established history, Media Studies continues to face criticism for being academically "soft" and lacking vocational value.

Buckingham contends that these criticisms are unfounded and stem from ignorance about the subject’s content. Media Studies has a rich academic tradition and is crucial for helping students critically engage with a media-saturated world. However, the challenge lies in external perceptions and how the subject is taught. Often, qualifications in Media Studies leave students with strong theoretical knowledge but ill-equipped to apply it practically.

A significant issue in Media Studies today is the gap between theory and practice. Graduates often possess a deep understanding of media theory but struggle to apply this knowledge in a world where media creation and distribution have become increasingly democratised. Understanding media without practical skills leads to an incomplete education. Urgent action is needed to address this gap for a more complete education in Media Sciences.

It could be argued that the government's recent push to streamline Media Studies into a more structured subject could be a step in the right direction. The efforts to make the subject more rigorous by introducing fixed texts and fact sheets (as restrictive as they might be) have, in some ways, moved Media Studies closer to the realm of science. However, these reforms have neglected the essential component of practical experimentation. Just as students in biology or physics learn through hands-on experience, media students should engage in practical activities that allow them to experiment with media in real-world contexts.

Buckingham also highlights issues with the government's approach. The idea of teaching academic theory, enforced through a mandatory list of theorists, reduces the subject content to mere facts to be memorised. Additionally, the artificial separation between Media Studies and Film Studies fails to reflect the reality of media convergence and undermines both disciplines.

In today’s media-saturated world, the ability to create and distribute media responsibly is more critical than ever. Media Studies should be treated with the same seriousness as any STEM subject, encouraging students to analyse, experiment, discover, and create.

By rebranding Media Studies as Media Sciences and incorporating practical experiences into the curriculum, we can develop a complete and relevant field of study. This approach would produce well-rounded students and help shift public perceptions about the value of media as an academic discipline, a crucial step in advocacy for Media Sciences.

While recent reforms have "strangled" media studies, it continues to survive. The challenge is ensuring it thrives as an essential and respected field of study, with a renewed focus on theory and practical application.

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