Design a Media Studies Assignment: Analyze the BBC–YouTube Deal

Hook: Turn a high-profile industry shake-up into a practical, assessable case study

Students struggle to connect theory to real-world media change: they need clear briefs, evidence-based tasks, and assessment that rewards critical thinking and practical skills. This ready-to-use university assignment asks media studies students to evaluate the implications of the BBC–YouTube deal (reported January 2026) and produces a full brief, learning outcomes, research prompts, a detailed rubric, and presentation formats you can drop into a module.

Why this assignment matters in 2026

By early 2026 the streaming and social video landscape has shifted: platforms double down on bespoke content, AI tools reshape production and moderation, and public-service broadcasters experiment with platform partnerships to reach younger audiences. The reported talks between the BBC and YouTube — confirmed by publications including Variety and Deadline in January 2026 — offer an ideal, timely case study. Students will analyze platform strategy, copyright, public-service values, and the political economy of attention.

"The BBC is in talks to produce content for YouTube… a landmark deal" — Variety, Jan 16, 2026

Assignment overview (ready-to-use brief)

Task: Individually or in teams, produce a 3-part deliverable that evaluates the BBC producing bespoke shows for YouTube. Your submission must include: 1) a 2,000–2,500 word written report; 2) a 10–12 minute recorded presentation (video or audio with slides); and 3) a 500–800 word policy brief aimed at regulators or BBC executives.

Learning outcomes

• Apply media industry analysis to platform–broadcaster partnerships.
• Evaluate copyright, licensing and public-service constraints in cross-platform production.
• Use evidence (audience data, secondary literature, policy texts) to support arguments.
• Communicate findings concisely to different stakeholders (academic, industry, policy).

Context & framing (instructor notes)

Frame the assignment with three contextual anchors so students stay focused:

1. Audience reach: Why target YouTube? Consider Gen Z/young audiences, discovery mechanics, and the rise of short-form formats.
2. Public-service remit: How does producing for a commercial platform intersect with the BBC’s licence-fee mandate and editorial independence?
3. Economic model & copyright: What revenue, licensing or rights management structures are possible? How will copyright law and platform policies shape reuse and remixes?

Detailed assignment tasks

Part A — Written report (2,000–2,500 words)

Structure:

1. Executive summary (150–200 words)
2. Context & literature (500–700 words): synthesise recent 2024–2026 developments (platform strategy, regulation, audience shifts).
3. Analysis (900–1,100 words): stakeholder mapping, economic models, copyright implications, editorial risks/benefits, algorithmic impact on reach.
4. Recommendations (250–400 words): operational, editorial and policy recommendations.
5. References & appendices: data visualisations, brief methodology note.

Part B — Presentation (10–12 minutes)

Deliverable: A short recorded presentation for a non-academic audience (e.g., BBC commissioners or a policy panel). Include at least one visual: audience trend graph, rights-flow diagram, or prototype show concept and distribution plan.

Part C — Policy brief (500–800 words)

Target a decision-maker: either a BBC executive, an Ofcom policy advisor, or a YouTube partnership director. Keep language direct and actionable — list 3 immediate actions and 2 medium-term monitoring metrics.

Research prompts & key questions

Use these prompts to structure literature search and evidence collection:

• What are YouTube’s current content and monetization policies (2024–2026), and how do they affect broadcaster content? Consider changes in 2025 on ad revenue splits and Shorts monetization.
• How do BBC editorial and sponsorship rules apply when content first appears on a commercial platform?
• What audience behaviour data suggests YouTube is more effective than iPlayer for younger cohorts? Look for viewing-time, churn and discovery metrics.
• Which copyright frameworks apply? Compare UK fair dealing principles, EU/UK copyright updates up to 2025, and platform content-ID / takedown workflows.
• What are the political and regulatory risks? Consider media plurality, state-funded content on commercial platforms, and data-sharing concerns under 2025–2026 regulation updates.

Methodologies students should use

Encourage mixed-method approaches for robust analysis:

• Document analysis — press reports (Variety, FT, Deadline), BBC public statements, YouTube transparency reports.
• Content analysis — sample BBC and YouTube shows: format, length, credits, sponsorship attributions.
• Audience data — use public charts, BARB summaries, YouTube public metrics, social listening (mentions, sentiment) and Google Trends.
• Stakeholder interviews — optional: local industry practitioners, student-submitted anonymised questionnaires.
• Legal analysis — short review of rights assignment, moral rights, and platform ToS (terms of service).

Primary and secondary source suggestions (2024–2026)

• News reports: Variety (Jan 16, 2026), Financial Times follow-ups, Deadline coverage (Jan 2026).
• BBC corporate pages: partnership announcements, editorial guidelines, annual reports (2024–2025).
• YouTube policy pages: Partner Program updates, monetization changes (2025), content ID documentation.
• Regulatory texts: Ofcom statements on platform partnerships (2024–2026), UK copyright guidance.
• Academic: recent journal articles on platformization of public service media (2022–2025) and algorithmic governance (2023–2026).

Copyright & legal checklist (student tool)

Students must include a short legal checklist in appendices. At minimum address:

1. Who owns the final programme IP? (BBC retains, platform licence, co-production agreement?)
2. Can clips be re-used and remixed by third parties? If yes, under what licence?
3. How are music and archival rights cleared for global YouTube distribution?
4. What are YouTube’s content ID implications and automated takedowns?
5. Does the BBC need to cite sponsorship or paid promotion per its own codes when distributed on YouTube?

Rubric: How to grade (100 points)

Use this instructor-ready rubric with descriptors. Adapt weighting as needed.

• Argument & analysis (30 points) — clarity of thesis, depth of industry/copyright analysis, use of evidence. (Excellent 27–30; Good 21–26; Satisfactory 15–20; Poor <15)
• Research quality (20 points) — range of sources, currency (use of 2024–2026 material), primary data use. (Excellent 18–20; Good 14–17; Satisfactory 10–13; Poor <10)
• Practical recommendations (15 points) — feasibility, stakeholder alignment, monitoring metrics. (Excellent 14–15; Good 11–13; Satisfactory 8–10; Poor <8)
• Presentation (15 points) — clarity, visuals, delivery, audience adaptation. (Excellent 14–15; Good 11–13; Satisfactory 8–10; Poor <8)
• Policy brief & communication (10 points) — concision, recommended actions, target-audience focus. (Excellent 9–10; Good 7–8; Satisfactory 5–6; Poor <5)
• Ethics & copyright checklist (10 points) — completeness, legal accuracy, risk mitigation. (Excellent 9–10; Good 7–8; Satisfactory 5–6; Poor <5)

Presentation formats & creative options

Offer students options to demonstrate different skills:

• Traditional pitch: 10-minute recorded pitch to a BBC commissioning panel — mock Q&A optional (2 minutes typed responses).
• Short documentary: 8–10 minute video showing concept, audience reactions, and platform strategy with B-roll and annotated rights notes.
• Interactive slide deck: Prezi or timed Google Slides with embedded short clips and a live demo of proposed distribution schedule.
• Data visualisation: Dashboard-style presentation using publicly available YouTube metrics, showing predicted reach under different algorithms.

Sample timeline (6 weeks)

1. Week 1: Briefing, group formation, pitch of 2–3 research questions.
2. Week 2: Literature review & data collection (submit annotated bibliography).
3. Week 3: Draft stakeholder mapping and copyright checklist.
4. Week 4: Draft report submission for formative feedback.
5. Week 5: Finalise report, produce presentation.
6. Week 6: Presentations & submission of policy brief.

Advanced strategies for high-scoring submissions (2026 focus)

To reach distinction-level work encourage students to include:

• Algorithm-aware modelling: Use public APIs and documented ranking signals to estimate discoverability differences on YouTube vs iPlayer. YouTube Data API (public endpoints) can provide view/like/comment trends for comparable BBC clips.
• AI impact analysis: Discuss how generative tools reduce production costs but raise moderation and attribution challenges in 2026 (detection/labeling requirements introduced in late-2025 platform guidance).
• Rights-flow diagram: Visualise ownership from contributor to final platform, showing moral rights, performance rights, and platform license terms.
• Comparative case studies: Compare with other public-service media deals (e.g., European PSBs partnering with platforms 2022–2025) and extract lessons.

Common pitfalls to watch for

• Relying on speculation without source triangulation — verify claims from Variety/FT/Deadline with corporate filings or statements.
• Ignoring UK-specific copyright nuance (no blanket "fair use"); use accurate legal language: fair dealing, licensing, collective management organisations.
• Assuming YouTube = free monetisation — platform deals often include complex revenue-sharing and exclusivity conditions.

Assessment examples (teacher-facing)

Sample high-mark feedback focuses on evidence, clarity and feasibility:

Excellent work: strong use of public metrics to model reach, careful rights-flow diagram, realistic policy actions and an audience-led editorial strategy. Minor improvement: expand on data privacy implications of platform analytics sharing.

Ethics and inclusion

Instruct students to consider representational ethics and platform harms. Ask: How do commissioning choices affect marginalised voices? What moderation harms could arise from increased platform distribution? Require an ethical risk register (max 300 words).

Adaptations & extensions

For shorter modules or undergraduate seminars:

• Run as a 1-week exercise: students produce a 1,000-word memo and a 5-minute pitch.
• For postgraduate or industry courses: add a negotiation simulation between BBC and YouTube with role-playing.

2026 trends to reference in student work

• Platform partnerships: 2024–2026 saw multiple legacy broadcasters launch co-productions with big tech platforms to capture younger demographics.
• AI in production/moderation: 2025 guidance pushed platforms to label AI-generated content and refine detection — influence on editorial workflows is rising.
• Regulatory scrutiny: In the UK and EU, regulators increased oversight of platform-broadcaster relationships (2024–2026), emphasising transparency in data-sharing and sponsorship.
• Short-form dominance: YouTube Shorts and similar formats continue to reshape commissioning decisions and attention economics.

Quick grading checklist

• Does the report use 2024–2026 evidence? (Yes/No)
• Is the copyright checklist complete? (Yes/No)
• Are recommendations actionable and time-bound? (Yes/No)
• Is the presentation tailored to a non-academic audience? (Yes/No)

Final teaching tip

Make the real-world angle clear: assign students to take a stakeholder identity (BBC commissioner, YouTube partnerships lead, Ofcom advisor) — this helps them produce audience-appropriate outputs and deepens critical empathy.

Call to action

Use this pack in your next module or customise it for seminars. Download the editable brief, rubric and sample slides (instructor pack) and share student exemplars with our community. Want a tailored version for your syllabus? Contact us with your module length and student level and we’ll adapt the rubric and timeline.

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