We often talk about the PEEL method of essay writing in media – it’s very useful because it keeps us focused, to the point and makes sure everything we write is relevent.

It’s best to start with the key points we want to make written out as a list. Then apply PEEL to each one, making sure what we write is not ‘waffle’. the LINK part should help our essay flow naturally on to the next point – we don’t want to sound too ‘stiff’.

Here’s my example:

POINT:

Children of Men is a feature film that uses visual elements in the background to give the audience insight into the world of the future.

EXPLAIN:

An example of this is when the director frequently cuts away from the main character to focus on little details in the scene around him, such as showing broken down and burnt out cars to represent a society that has lost hope.

EXAMPLE:

EVALUATION:

The affect this has is to always remind the viewer in a subtle way how dystopian the world has become without children in it.

LINK:

Another method the director uses to create the Dystopian atmosphere is in the films new broadcasts.

POINT:

Throughout Children of Men the British media is portrayed as very right wing and unforgiving of non-British immigrants.

EXPLAIN:

TV news and newspapers shown in the film tell the story of how Britain has become very anti-immigration to the point that it sees other countries as a real threat to the country. News broadcasts use graphics to highlight the danger of allowing immigrants to settle in the UK that is already struggling with resources.

EXAMPLE:

Scenes like this show newspaper headlines that explain how countries of the world are destroying themselves

There’s lots about PEEL on the web, I’ve found a few relevant images for you that could be used as posters for revision displays etc:

The rather nice green example above comes from :

meghanlouisefennessy

and she includes a nice powerpoint on slide share for you to view -she should be credited for this.

By the way the man with teh beard is legendary BBC Radio DJ John Peel, sadly with us no longer. From wikipedia:

John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004. He was known for his eclectic taste in music and his honest and warm broadcasting style.

Here he is in action:

So , nothing to do with writing good essays, but his name is PEEL, and he is a radio legend, so that’s good enough for me.

‘If something has me confused, I want to play it on the radio’

Categories: UncategorizedTags: Communication, PEEL, Radio, Research