📚 AS Eduqas Media Studies: 2026 Exam Changes and Trends | AS Eduqas 媒体：2026年考试变化与趋势
As we look ahead to the 2026 examination series, the Eduqas AS Media Studies qualification is undergoing subtle but significant shifts that every candidate and teacher needs to understand. The media landscape is more dynamic than ever, influenced by the rise of streaming platforms, the dominance of short-form video, artificial intelligence in content creation, and evolving audience behaviours. This article unpacks the likely changes to the specification, close study products, assessment demands, and theoretical emphases, helping you to prepare with confidence and precision. Drawing on trends in media education and recent exam board communications, we offer a forward-looking guide that connects the core principles of media analysis with the new realities of 2026.
展望2026年的考试季，Eduqas AS媒体研究科目正在经历微妙而重要的变化，每一位考生和教师都有必要深入了解。媒体格局比以往任何时候都更为活跃，流媒体平台的崛起、短视频的主导地位、人工智能在内容创作中的应用，以及受众行为的变化都在施加影响。本文为你剖析考纲、指定研究对象、评估要求和理论重点的可能变化，助你自信而精准地备考。结合媒体教育趋势与考试局的近期动态，我们提供一份前瞻性指南，将媒体分析的核心原则与2026年的新现实紧密联结。
1. Updated Specification Overview | 大纲更新概览
Eduqas has indicated that the 2026 AS Media Studies specification will retain its familiar two-component structure, but with refreshed content to keep pace with the industry. The theoretical framework centred on media language, representation, media industries and audiences remains unchanged, yet the case studies and contexts are being modernised. This ensures that learners engage with products that truly reflect the current media ecosystem, including digital-first publishers and transnational conglomerates. Teachers should expect a revised set of close study products that are more global, diverse, and digitally native.
Eduqas已表明，2026年AS媒体研究考纲将保留其熟悉的两卷结构，但会更新内容，以跟上行业发展。以媒体语言、再现、媒体产业和受众为核心的理论框架保持不变，但案例研究和语境将被现代化。这确保学习者接触的产品能真正反映当前的媒体生态，包括数字优先出版商和跨国集团。教师应预期一份更具全球性、多样性和数字原生特征的指定研究对象新清单。
The most notable change is a greater integration of online and social media across all nine media forms. For example, newspapers will be studied as multiplatform brands rather than print-only entities, and the music video form will explicitly include artist-generated content on TikTok or YouTube Shorts. This holistic approach mirrors the way audiences actually consume media in 2026, blurring the lines between traditional and new media forms.
最显著的变化是，所有九种媒体形式都将更深层地融入网络和社交媒体。例如，报纸将作为多平台品牌而非单一印刷实体来研究，音乐视频形式则会明确纳入艺术家在TikTok或YouTube Shorts上生成的内容。这种整体性方法呼应了2026年受众实际消费媒体的方式，模糊了传统与新媒体形式之间的界限。
2. New Close Study Products (CSPs) for 2026 | 2026年最新指定研究对象
One of the most anticipated updates is the introduction of a new suite of Close Study Products that reflect diversity, contemporary social issues, and technological convergence. While the official list will be released in advance, it is widely expected that titles such as the television series Heartstopper (Netflix), the feature film Barbie (Warner Bros.), and the online magazine Gal-Dem (or a similar digital feminist publication) will feature prominently. These choices would allow students to explore representation of gender, sexuality, and ethnicity in current, high-profile media texts.
最令人期待的更新之一是引入一套全新的指定研究对象，它们将反映多样性、当代社会议题和技术融合。虽然官方清单将提前公布，但外界普遍预期，电视剧《心跳漏一拍》（Netflix）、电影《芭比》（华纳兄弟）以及在线杂志《Gal-Dem》（或类似的数字女性主义出版物）等作品将赫然在列。这些选择将使学生能够探讨当今高知名度媒体文本中的性别、性向与族裔再现。
In addition, a video game such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom or a live-service title like Fortnite could replace older CSPs to address cross-media convergence, participatory culture, and immersive storytelling. The advertising and marketing section is likely to feature a campaign built around influencer culture and user-generated content, perhaps from a brand like Gymshark or Rare Beauty. These CSPs will demand that learners apply theories of fandom, identity, and commodification in new ways.
此外，像《塞尔达传说：王国之泪》这样的电子游戏，或者《堡垒之夜》这类持续运营型游戏，可能会取代旧的指定研究对象，以回应跨媒体融合、参与式文化和沉浸式叙事等议题。广告与营销部分则很可能以围绕网红文化和用户生成内容打造的 campaign 为研究对象，例如来自 Gymshark 或 Rare Beauty 的品牌活动。这些 CSP 将要求学习者以全新方式运用粉丝、身份与商品化等理论。
3. Digital Convergence and Social Media | 数字融合与社交媒体
2026 marks a tipping point where social media is no longer seen as a separate media form but as a connective tissue across the entire specification. Students will be expected to analyse how traditional media products exist across multiple platforms, with TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube acting as critical sites for audience engagement. Convergence is not limited to technology but extends to cultural convergence, where fan labour and user-generated remixes feed back into official media narratives.
2026年是一个转折点，社交媒体不再被视为独立的媒体形式，而是贯穿整个考纲的结缔组织。学生将需要分析传统媒体产品如何存在于多个平台，而 TikTok、Instagram Reels 和 YouTube 则成为受众参与的关键场域。融合不仅限于技术，还延伸至文化融合——粉丝劳动和用户生成的再创作内容反过来又融入官方的媒体叙事。
Assessment questions in Component 1 are likely to explicitly ask candidates to discuss how a media product exploits digital convergence to maintain brand identity and reach fragmented audiences. You will need to be comfortable using terms like ‘transmedia storytelling’, ‘cross-platform synergy’, and ‘participatory culture’ with precise, applied examples from your CSPs. The line between producer and consumer has become so porous that ‘prosumer’ is now a foundational concept for the exam.
卷一的评估题目很可能明确要求考生讨论某个媒体产品如何利用数字融合来保持品牌身份，并触达碎片化的受众。你需要能够自如地使用“跨媒体叙事”、“跨平台协同”和“参与式文化”等术语，并用来自 CSP 的实例进行准确应用。生产者与消费者之间的界限已变得如此模糊，以至于“产消者”已成为考试中的一个基础概念。
4. Evolution of Component 1: Investigating the Media | 卷一：媒体探索的演变
Component 1 of the exam typically covers media language and representation across a range of forms. In 2026, the unseen analysis section may include sources drawn from influencer marketing posts, podcast thumbnails, or immersive web documentaries, reflecting the new media normal. The focus on comparing print and online versions of newspapers will intensify, with a sharper lens on how news values shift between a paper’s front page and its social media feed. Students must practice quick semiotic analysis of unfamiliar digital texts under timed conditions.
考试的表一通常涵盖多种形式中的媒体语言与再现。在2026年，无准备材料分析部分可能会包含来自网红营销帖文、播客缩略图或沉浸式网络纪录片的素材，从而反映新媒体的常态。对报纸印刷版和在线版的比较将更加强化，更敏锐地观察新闻价值如何在报纸头版和其社交媒体动态之间转变。学生必须在计时条件下练习对不熟悉数字文本的快速符号学分析。
Another emerging feature is the integration of data literacy. Candidates could be presented with simple audience metrics, likes, or share counts, and asked to interpret what these suggest about audience engagement and preferred readings. Thus, familiarity with quantitative snippets, alongside qualitative analysis, will give you an edge. This shift rewards candidates who think like media planners as well as cultural critics.
另一个新兴特征是对数据素养的整合。考生可能会看到简单的受众指标、点赞数或分享数，并被要求解读这些数据对于受众参与和主导式解读意味着什么。因此，熟悉量化信息片段与质化分析将为你带来优势。这种转变对兼具媒体策划和文化评论员思维方式的考生更为有利。
5. Component 2 Depth Studies: What to Expect | 卷二深度研究：趋势预测
Component 2’s deep-dive into three media forms – typically television, magazines, and online/social media – will also be refreshed. The television topic may move away from long-established serials toward global streaming originals that challenge traditional narrative structures, such as an interactive episode from Netflix or a limited series that tackles climate anxiety. Magazines will be studied in their digital afterlife, looking at how the Vogue brand operates on TikTok or how a music title like NME survives as an online-only platform.
卷二的深度研究涉及三种媒体形式——通常为电视、杂志和在线/社交媒体——也将更新。电视专题可能会从历史悠久的系列剧转向挑战传统叙事结构的全球流媒体原创作品，比如 Netflix 的一集互动剧集，或一部探讨气候焦虑的限定剧。杂志将在其数字生命的延续中被研究，审视《Vogue》品牌如何在 TikTok 上运作，或者像《NME》这样的音乐刊物如何作为纯在线平台生存下去。
Most significantly, the ‘online/social media’ form will be dissolved and reintegrated, meaning any of the three depth-study forms could incorporate extensive online elements. For instance, the magazine section may require candidates to analyse a publication’s Instagram strategy as part of its media language and representation. This demands a synthetic understanding where the boundaries between forms become porous and interdependent.
最重要的是，“在线/社交媒体”形式将被分解并重新整合，这意味着三种深度研究形式中的任何一种都可能包含丰富的在线元素。例如，杂志部分可能要求考生分析一份出版物的 Instagram 策略，并将其作为媒体语言与再现的一部分加以探讨。这要求考生具备综合理解力，意识到媒体形式之间的边界已经变得相互渗透和互为依存。
6. Key Theorists Still in Focus | 核心理论家仍为重点
The theoretical base for AS Eduqas Media Studies remains essential. You can expect examiners to continue drawing on the usual pantheon: Roland Barthes for semiotics, Tzvetan Todorov for narrative theory, Stuart Hall for representation and reception, David Gauntlett for identity, Curran and Seaton for media industries, and Sonia Livingstone for audience. However, the application of these theories is becoming more nuanced. Simply spotting stereotypes or binary oppositions no longer suffices; you must explain why they are ideologically significant in a particular context.
AS Eduqas 媒体研究的理论基础仍然至关重要。你可以预期考官会继续援引那批广为人知的理论家：罗兰·巴特的符号学、茨维坦·托多洛夫的叙事理论、斯图亚特·霍尔的再现与接收理论、大卫·冈特莱特的身份理论、柯伦与西顿的媒体产业理论，以及索尼娅·利文斯通的受众理论。然而，这些理论的应用正变得更为细腻。仅仅发现刻板印象或二元对立已不足够，你必须阐释它们在特定语境中为何具有意识形态意义。
In 2026, newer voices such as Safiya Umoja Noble on algorithmic bias and danah boyd on networked publics are being woven into classroom discourse, even if not formally required. Using these contemporary perspectives to support your argument – provided they illuminate the CSP – demonstrates wider reading and a critical edge. Nevertheless, the core 19 theorists remain your analytical toolkit; know them backwards.
在2026年，诸如萨菲娅·乌莫贾·诺布尔关于算法偏见、丹娜·博伊德关于网络公众等新锐声音正在被编织进课堂讨论之中，即便它们并非正式的必学内容。使用这些当代视角来支撑你的论证——只要它们能阐明指定研究对象——就能展现出你的广泛阅读量和批判性锋芒。当然，核心的十九位理论家仍然是你的分析工具箱，务必熟稔于心。
7. Representation and Identity in Contemporary Media | 当代媒体中的再现与身份
Representation continues to be the beating heart of the media studies course, and in 2026 the spotlights will be trained on intersectionality and self-representation. CSPs are deliberately chosen to show how ethnic minority, LGBTQ+, and disabled identities are constructed across mainstream and niche media. Students must move beyond counting positive or negative images and consider how media products offer complex, sometimes contradictory, depictions that reflect the lived experiences of marginalised communities.
再现依然是媒体研究课程的核心，而在2026年，聚光灯将投向交叉性理论与自我再现。指定研究对象经过特意选择，以展示族裔少数、LGBTQ+和残障身份如何在主流和利基媒体中被建构。学生必须超越简单计算正面或负面形象的层面，去思考媒体产品如何提供复杂的、时而矛盾的描绘，这些描绘反映出边缘群体的真实经历。
Self-representation on platforms like YouTube and TikTok becomes a key concept, where individuals and communities bypass traditional gatekeepers to produce their own media. This democratisation of representation links directly to David Gauntlett’s work on the ‘pick and mix’ of identity, but also raises questions about authenticity, commodification of activism, and algorithmic visibility. Expect exam questions to ask you to evaluate these tensions.
YouTube 和 TikTok 等平台上的自我再现成为一个关键概念，个人与社区借助这些平台绕过传统把关人，生产自己的媒体内容。这种再现的民主化直接与大卫·冈特莱特关于身份“拼配”的研究相联系，但也引发了有关真实性、行动主义商品化和算法可见性等问题。预计考试题目会要求你评估这些紧张关系。
8. Media Industries: Ownership and Regulation | 媒体产业：所有权与规制
The 2026 exam will press candidates to understand how media ownership impacts production, distribution and circulation on a global scale. The tension between public service broadcasting like the BBC and commercial streaming giants such as Netflix and Amazon Prime will be a fertile area for questions. You should be prepared to discuss the implications of concentrated ownership, vertical and horizontal integration, and the ways algorithms function as the new gatekeepers of culture, drawing on Curran and Seaton’s critiques.
2026年的考试将促使考生理解媒体所有权如何在全球范围内影响制作、发行和流通。诸如 BBC 这样的公共服务广播机构与 Netflix 和 Amazon Prime 等商业流媒体巨头之间的紧张关系，将是一个孕育考题的沃土。你应当准备好讨论所有权集中的影响、纵向与横向一体化，以及算法如何作为新文化把关人发挥作用，并结合柯伦与西顿的批评加以分析。
Regulation is equally dynamic. With the UK’s Online Safety Act coming into force, students will examine how statutory bodies like Ofcom are adapting their remits to cover video-sharing platforms and online harms. Comparative analysis between the self-regulating approach of the press (via IPSO) and the statutory regulation of television will test your ability to evaluate the effectiveness of regulation in the digital age. Real-world case studies on misinformation and influencer ad disclosures will be essential revision material.
规制同样充满变数。随着英国《在线安全法》的生效，学生将审视像 Ofcom 这样的法定机构如何调整职责范围，以涵盖视频分享平台和网络危害内容。将报刊（通过 IPSO）的自我规制方式与电视的法定规制进行比较分析，将考察你评估数字时代规制有效性的能力。关于假信息和网红广告披露的真实案例研究，将是必不可少的复习材料。
9. Audience Engagement and Participatory Culture | 受众参与和参与式文化
Audience behaviour has undergone a revolution, and the 2026 specification reflects this by foregrounding participatory culture and fandom. Henry Jenkins’s concept of ‘participatory culture’ will be central, but you will also need to engage with more critical viewpoints such as Christian Fuchs on digital labour and the ‘death of the audience’ as a passive entity. You must be able to debate whether audiences are truly empowered or if their free creative labour is exploited by corporations for profit.
受众行为已经历了一场革命，而2026年考纲通过凸显参与式文化和粉丝文化来反映这一点。亨利·詹金斯的“参与式文化”概念将是核心，但你也需要吸纳更具批判性的观点，例如克里斯蒂安·福克斯关于数字劳动的论述，以及将受众作为被动实体的“消亡”观。你必须能够辩论受众究竟是被真正赋权了，还是他们无偿的创造性劳动被企业为谋利而剥削。
The ways audiences construct meaning through memes, remixes and reaction videos also tie into Stuart Hall’s encoding/decoding model, but with a networked twist. Examiners will reward answers that show an appreciation of how algorithms shape the circulation of these readings and create filter bubbles. Make sure you can link specific CSP audience practices – such as Discord servers for a TV show or hashtag campaigns – to broader industry strategies aimed at maintaining sustained engagement.
受众通过“梗”、再混音和反应视频来建构意义的方式，也与斯图亚特·霍尔的编码/解码模型相连，但带有网络化的新意。考官会青睐那些能展现对算法如何塑造这些解读的流通并制造过滤气泡有所理解的答案。务必确保你能将特定 CSP 的受众实践——比如某档电视节目的 Discord 服务器或标签运动——与旨在维持持续参与度的更宏大产业策略联系起来。
10. Comparative Analysis Skills | 比较分析能力
Comparative questions have always been a staple of the Eduqas AS paper, but in 2026 they become more demanding. You might be asked to compare the representation of gender in a 1960s magazine advert with a 2024 TikTok ad, or to contrast the economic context of a public service documentary with a commercial streaming series. These tasks require not just descriptive comparison but a sophisticated argument about how media contexts – historical, social, cultural and political – shape media products.
比较分析题一向是 Eduqas AS 试卷的主打题型，但在2026年它们会变得更具挑战性。你可能会被要求比较1960年代杂志广告与2024年 TikTok 广告中的性别再现，或者对比一部公共服务纪录片与一部商业流媒体剧集的经济语境。这些任务要求的不仅是描述性比较，而是要提出一个精密的论证，阐明媒体语境——历史的、社会的、文化的、政治的——如何塑造媒体产品。
To excel, you should build revision tables that map out similarities and differences across your CSPs using the theoretical framework as your guide. For instance, how does the representation of youth differ between a legacy terrestrial TV show and a YouTube original series, and what does this reveal about changes in the political economy of media? Such preparation turns a potentially daunting question into an opportunity to showcase your analytical depth.
要取得优异成绩，你应当建立复习表格，以理论框架为指引，列出不同指定研究对象之间的异同。例如，一部传统地面电视节目与一部 YouTube 原创系列中的青年再现有何不同？这又揭示出媒体政治经济发生了怎样的变化？这样的准备能把一道看似吓人的题目，变成你展示分析深度的机会。
11. Exam Technique and Assessment Changes | 考试技巧与评估变化
While the structure of the AS exam paper remains consistent – a mix of short-answer and extended response questions – subtle shifts in wording and focus mean your exam technique needs recalibrating. Command words such as ‘evaluate’ and ‘judge’ are appearing more frequently, pushing you to form and support a clear conclusion. In the 30-mark component questions, a balance of theory, specific textual evidence, and critical analysis is non-negotiable; unsupported assertions will be ruthlessly penalised.
虽然 AS 试卷的结构保持一致——仍然是简答题与拓展回答题的混合——但措辞和重点的微妙转变意味着你的考试技巧需要重新校准。“评估”和“判断”这类指令词会更频繁地出现，这要求你形成明确的结论并加以支撑。在卷中的30分大题中，理论、具体文本证据和批判性分析的平衡是不可妥协的；缺乏支撑的断言将受到严苛的扣分。
Additionally, the importance of context is amplified. Examiners want to see that you can situate a media product within the moment of its production and consumption. This means knowing not just the year of release but the relevant technological, regulatory, and cultural circumstances. For example, discussing a film like Barbie without referencing current feminist movements and the post-pandemic cinema experience would result in a shallow answer. Timed practice of these context-rich essays is the key to confidence in 2026.
此外，语境的重要性被放大。考官希望看到你能将媒体产品置于其制作和消费的时代之中。这意味着不仅要知晓发行年份，还要了解相关的技术、规制和文化环境。例如，讨论《芭比》而不提及当下的女性主义运动和后疫情时代的影院体验，就会产生一个肤浅的答案。对这些富含语境的论文进行限时练习，是2026年获得自信的关键。
12. Preparing for the 2026 Exam: A Strategic Approach | 2026年备考策略
Given these changes, a proactive revision strategy is essential. Begin by immersing yourself in the new CSPs as soon as they are released, deconstructing them thoroughly using the full theoretical toolkit. Create a digital portfolio of audience posts, reviews, and industry data surrounding each product – this collateral will serve as your evidence base for audience and industry questions. Regularly read publications like The Guardian‘s media section or Press Gazette to stay informed about media business trends.
鉴于这些变化，一套主动积极的复习策略至关重要。从新版指定研究对象一经发布开始，就让自己沉浸于其中，运用全部理论工具箱对它们进行彻底解构。围绕每个产品建立一个包含受众帖文、评论和行业数据的数字档案库——这些资料将成为你解答受众与产业问题的证据基础。定期阅读《卫报》媒体板块或《Press Gazette》等出版物，以了解媒体商业趋势的动向。
Practise writing under timed conditions, especially the comparative and 30-mark depth essays. Seek feedback that specifically targets your use of theory, integration of context, and the clarity of your evaluative conclusions. Form study groups where you can debate different readings of the CSPs, as articulating and defending your interpretation out loud sharpens your written argument. With careful preparation, the 2026 exam is not a threat but a fantastic stage to demonstrate your media literacy and critical thinking.
在计时条件下进行写作练习，尤其是比较分析题和30分深度论文题。寻求有针对性的反馈，专注于你对理论的运用、语境的融入以及评价性结论的清晰度。组建学习小组，在其中你可以辩论对 CSP 的不同解读，因为口头阐明并捍卫你的阐释，能够打磨你的书面论证能力。只要精心准备，2026年的考试非但不是威胁，而是一个展示你媒体素养与批判性思维的绝佳舞台。
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