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ownership & control

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4 detailed 50-minute lessons with teaching scripts, worked examples, parent guides, and assessment criteria.

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Lesson Overview

Total Lessons: 4
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA

Learning Objectives

Prerequisites

Materials & Equipment

Lesson 1: Introduction: ownership & control

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Write down everything you already know about ownership & control. Then check against the key terms: key terms from ownership & control. Use a mini-whiteboard or paper.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Parent/Teacher Guide:
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: key terms from ownership & control.
If stuck: Re-read the revision notes (link above), then break the content into smaller steps.
Extension: See the Stretch & Challenge ideas in Lesson 4.
Teaching Script (35 mins):
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: ownership & control. By the end you will be able to answer exam questions on it unaided. It connects to the rest of Media Studies because the ideas here recur across the spec."
Mins 5-20 - Direct Instruction: Work through the core ideas below one at a time; after each, ask your student to explain it back in their own words.
Mins 20-30 - Guided Practice: Model the worked example together, then let your student attempt the first practice question with guidance.
Mins 30-35 - Independent Practice: 2-3 practice questions from Lesson 3 below, with immediate feedback.
First Look

Start with the revision notes summary, then attempt: explain the key ideas of ownership & control

Plenary (5 minutes)

Check Out

Your student states one thing they learned and one question they still have about ownership & control.

Lesson 2: Core Concepts: ownership & control

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Review Previous Lesson

Quick recap: write 3 key points from Lesson 1 on ownership & control. Check them against the notes below.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Key Fact: Media ownership determines who controls the production and distribution of media content, shaping what audiences see, hear, and read.
Key Fact: Conglomerates: massive corporations that own multiple media companies across different sectors — e.g. Disney (films, TV, streaming, theme parks, merchandise), Comcast (NBC, Sky, Universal).
Key Fact: Vertical integration: a company controls different stages of production and distribution — e.g. Disney makes films (Marvel), distributes them (cinema release), and streams them (Disney+).
Key Fact: Horizontal integration: a company acquires competitors at the same production stage — e.g. Disney buying 20th Century Fox, giving it more film content and market share.
Key Fact: Cross-media ownership: owning companies across different media platforms (newspapers, TV, radio, online). This creates synergies but reduces diversity of voices.
Key Fact: Curran and Seaton: media ownership is driven by profit and power, not quality. Concentrated ownership limits diversity, democracy, and creativity.

Practice (10 minutes)

Q: explain the key ideas of ownership & control

Answer:

Plenary (5 minutes)

Explain Back

Your student teaches the key points back to you without looking. Fill any gaps immediately.

Lesson 3: Application: ownership & control

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Recall the key terms: key terms from ownership & control. Define each in one sentence.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Parent/Teacher Guide: Let your student attempt each question alone first, then compare with the model answer. Award method marks for correct working even if the final answer is wrong.

Work through the practice questions on the revision notes page for this topic.

Plenary (5 minutes)

Error Review

Review any questions answered incorrectly. Identify whether the error was knowledge, method, or reading the question.

Lesson 4: Exam Practice: ownership & control

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Command Words

Review what these command words require: state (one point), describe (say what happens), explain (say why), compare (both sides), evaluate (judgement).

Main Content (35 minutes)

Extended Answer

Extended question: Full-Mark Response Evaluate the view that concentrated media ownership threatens democracy. [15 marks] <div class="

Concentrated media ownership poses significant threats to democratic functioning by limiting the diversity of information and perspectives available to citizens. Curran and Seaton argue that media industries are driven by profit and power, not by the desire to inform or serve democracy. When a few conglomerates control most media output, the range of voices and perspectives narrows. Content that challenges corporate interests may be suppressed, and coverage that aligns with owner interests is prioritised. The political implications are significant. Rupert Murdoch's newspapers have historically supported political parties that favour his commercial interests — notably The Sun's switch from Labour to Conservative. This demonstrates how ownership can translate into political influence, potentially distorting democratic debate. Conglomerate logic also shapes content. Disney's franchise model prioritises commercially safe products over challenging or experimental content. This reduces the cultural diversity available to audiences and limits the range of stories told. However, the threat is not absolute. Public service media (BBC, Channel 4) provide diverse content independent of commerc

Exam Tips: Use specific conglomerate examples (Disney, Comcast, Warner Bros. Discovery) and what they own | Apply Curran and Seaton's theory to CSPs to analyse the impact of ownership | Discuss both the commercial benefits and the democratic concerns of concentrated ownership
Common Errors: ✗ All large media companies are the same. ✓ Conglomerates differ in structure, strategy, and content. Disney's family-focused brand differs from Warner Bros. Discovery's news and entertainment mix. Generalising ignores the specific strategies and values of different companies. ✗ Independent media is always more diverse than mainstream media. ✓ Independents often offer more diverse content, but they also face financial constraints that limit production quality and reach. Some mainstream media (Channel 4, BBC) have diversity obligations that produce varied content. ✗ The BBC is impartial because it is publicly funded. ✓ While the BBC has impartiality obligations, critics argue its coverage ref
Stretch & Challenge (Grade 8-9):
  • Synoptic links: explain how ownership & control connects to another Media Studies topic you have studied
  • Real-world: research one real-world use or example of ownership & control
  • Critical: "What are the limitations of the models used in ownership & control?"

Plenary (5 minutes)

Assessment Criteria
  • Got it: Confident explanation + correct worked examples
  • Getting there: Main points OK, needs support with detail
  • Not yet: Confused on key concepts - re-run Lesson 2

Homework & Consolidation

Recommended Resources

🎓 Smart Lesson (Guided)