Question 1

What is NCEA AS 91248 about?

Accepted Answer

This standard asks you to pick a specific media product (like a TV show, film, or magazine) and write an essay explaining how and why it's designed to appeal to a particular audience. You need to show you understand who the intended audience is, how the creators target them, and what factors influence this relationship—like money, culture, technology, or what the audience wants.

Question 2

What do students need to do for AS 91248?

Accepted Answer

1. Select one specific media product (not a genre or franchise) and identify its target audience clearly 2. Describe how the media product is designed, marketed, and distributed to appeal to that particular audience 3. Use evidence from the product itself (scenes, design choices, marketing) plus secondary sources (box office figures, audience data, reviews) to support your points 4. Apply media theory or terminology (like audience profiling, audience targeting, or media effects) to explain *why* the relationship between product and audience works the way it does 5. Maintain clear focus on the exam statement throughout, using its key words in your argument rather than just mentioning it at the end

Question 3

What's the difference between Achieved, Merit, and Excellence for AS 91248?

Accepted Answer

Achieved: You describe the relationship between a specific media product and its audience with supporting evidence, identifying who the audience is and how the product appeals to them. Merit: You explain *why and how* the relationship works by confidently using evidence, statistics, and media theory to show the connections between the product's design, its targeting strategies, and its audience. Excellence: You examine the wider consequences and implications of this relationship, discuss how it changes over time (including technology and algorithms), integrate theory fluently, and argue a clear stance on the exam statement throughout.

Question 4

What mistakes do students typically make in AS 91248?

Accepted Answer

1. Analysing a whole genre (like 'road movies' or 'superhero films') instead of one specific media product—genres don't count, so pick a single film, TV show, or advertisement 2. Treating the exam statement as an afterthought rather than weaving its key words throughout your entire essay, or only mentioning it at the end of paragraphs 3. Name-dropping media theory or quoting theorists without actually explaining how they help your argument—say *why* the theory matters, not just that it exists

Media and audience

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