You may be reading this article and thinking about which course that you, or even your child, should take once you/they start their studies at a sixth form college. Many courses offer a great range of knowledge, and yet none promise as much depth into the modern world as Media, including the industries and the mass messages often distributed towards consumers.

As an A-Level Media student myself, who is particularly interested in the likes of advertising and journalism within the subject, I am going to explain reasons as to why A-Level Media is an important subject to take.

Students are offered the availability to learn about many exciting topics that we associate with our everyday lives and leisure – film, television, radio, and video games. Particularly within this course, students will learn how to witness the constantly changing relationship between producers and consumers.

An in-depth study is provided as to how a differing range of media industries are able to attract a wide audience. This is useful for anyone who wishes to work within the media. In fact, many different jobs now hold association with at least one of the media industries. This course would also be appropriate for any student aspiring to work in business or the visual arts, or even combined with at least one core subject, particularly if you are also looking to take A-Level English.

In today’s society, many more students and theorists are beginning to delve further into changing the media into a more diverse industry, in which small yet creative producers can achieve recognition alongside the very few conglomerates that have dominated the media over the past century, also known as the concentration of media ownership.

In terms of advertising and the mainstream music industry, many people including myself, are passionate about celebrating body positivity, not by encouraging weight gain but by celebrating all varieties of body types and life stories. This is also becoming more fully achieved as more people begin to reject the idea of the ‘ideal’ body type, which is in fact not ideal within the real world.

If you are looking to become a part of the industry, are passionate about morality and making a change for the better, or you simply want to expand your knowledge for the real world, then A-Level Media is the ideal course to take. Not having taken the GCSE myself, it is still possible to take the A-Level without taking the GCSE, although other qualifications will be required for eligibility.

I would definitely recommend the A-Level Media course. Many others would also recommend the course, particularly if they have had experience in the course themselves. With knowledge in the media, you will especially take away a greater insight into ways in which the media functions.