C1- Newspapers

Question 1

who regulates Newspapers?

Answer 1

IPSO

Question 2

What is the Leveson inquiry?

Answer 2

The Leveson inquiry was an industry-wide investigation into how the press ascertains it’s information and how it protects, or in this instance, invades people’s privacy. The inquiry mainly focuses on technology, and the process of phone-hacking, breaking into someone’s personal mobile to access information. The inquiry concluded with the closure of the ‘News of the World’ newspaper, owned by News corp., Owned by Rupert Murdoch.

Question 3

What is the context of the stories covered in these editions-

Answer 3

-Both newspapers deal with the scandal surrounding allegations regarding parties and social gatherings held by the the Conservative party, who were in power at the time, at a time when it’s leaders had enforced strict restrictions on the people of England that prohibited such gatherings.
-The story was first reported in November 2021 and alleged that during the lockdown of Christmas 2020, parties had been held at Downing Street, some of which had been attended by the then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson. This led to an inquiry being undertaken by senior civil servant Sue Gray, the results of which published in January 2022.
-The scandal surrounding these allegations came to be commonly known in the media as ‘Partygate’. The suffix ‘gate’ was first used in the ‘Watergate’ scandal in the US in the early 1970s which resulted in the resignation of President Nixon. It has since been used to suggest a far-reaching scandal, usually related to politics or government.
-On the date this edition of the newspaper was published, it was reported that Sue Gray had revealed that the Metropolitan Police were investigating several possible breaches of lockdown by No 10 and Boris Johnson had refused calls for his resignation.

Question 4

What is the format of The Daily Mirror? and is it atypical or not?

Answer 4

The format is that the main story takes up the whole front page, which is atypical for newspapers, which highlights that the Daily Mirror thinks this story is quite important.

Question 5

Information about the Daily Mirror

Answer 5

-British daily national tabloid newspaper, established in 1903.
-targeted at a predominantly working-class readership and adopts a traditional left-wing political stance.
-One of the Mirror’s main competitors is The Sun newspaper which targets a similar socio-economic demographic but usually adopts a more traditional right-wing stance. The Daily Mirror is one of the only newspapers that consistently supports the Labour Party and their policies.
-the newspaper was initally established as a newspaper for women ‘to act as a mirror on feminine life’.

Question 6

Information about the Daily Mirror: the newspapers slogan

Answer 6

-The newspapers slogan ‘The Heart of Britain’ suggests that the newspaper stands up for the ordinary person and is a key part of the social and cultural life of the UK.

Question 7

Information about the Daily Mirror: the set edition

Answer 7

-The set edition for Section A was published on February 1st 2022. As a mostly left-wing newspaper, the Daily Mirror has been critical of the way the Conservative government has been handling the Coronavirus pandemic.

Question 8

Information about The Times

Answer 8

First published in 1785, is a British national ‘quality’ newspaper, and can be referred to as a broadsheet. Owned by Times Newspapers, a subsidiary of News UK, which is wholly owned by News Corp, owned by the Australian-American billionaire Rupert Murdoch.

Question 9

What codes and conventions (Media Language) does the Daily Mirror front page feature?

Answer 9

-explosive language “Gray report fallout”
-highligted numbers
-images
-punchy headline
-direct, informal language
-strapline infers he is below the standard of general public appreciation and support

Question 10

What codes and conventions (Media Language) does the Daily Mirror double page spread?

Answer 10

-the main image constructs binary opposites
-typograhy
-negative and deogratory language
-focus on topical issues (Vaccines)
-focus on public and their suffering
-pushes preferred political preference (Starmer’s letter)
-drawing comparions between the public and Johnson

Question 11

Links from The Times front page to the context

Answer 11

-Boris Johnson was keen to get the country “Back to normality” ahead of many more cautious countries, business elite, The Times readers, would appreciate this.
-The quote from Sue Gray anchors the idea of him as a rule-breaker and the positioning almost make it look as if he is laughing at her, but there is an element of nervousness in his expression
-Times readers may regard civil servants as just pen pushers- existing to check up on them (that they are following the rules.)
-The world of business stereotypically tend to look down upon civil servants.

Question 12

Analysis of The Times front page-

Answer 12

-As a whole, The Times aren’t out for Johnson as much as the Mirror is, as their front page features other stories.
-The lifestyle content under the masthead is light-hearted in tone. The paper has not treated the parties as seriously as some of their competitors. Not all readers would feel outraged at Johnson’s actions (some may actually admire his ‘maverick’ spirit.)

Question 13

The Times Newspaper style-

Answer 13

-It is typical of broadhseets to use straighforward language, but the number 4 and the word “failure” do cast Johnson in a negative light.
-The healdine and capiton are mater-of-fact; there is no advert bias or attempt to manipulate readers (The Times readers will already know what they think of Johnson- a headline isn’t going to sway them).

Question 14

The Times’ political context-

Answer 14

-centre-right, depending on the issue
-Murdoch and Johnson do have ties- Johnson took Murdoch to the 2012 Games as his guest and opened News Corp’s news HQ.
-Times readers may appreciate that he “got Brexit done”, as this ended some uncertianty which is bad for business.
-The business elite may also have seen their share of abuse of pwoer and corruption may see this as inevitable.

Question 15

Analysis of The Times front page copy-

Answer 15

-The copy reinforces the idea of Johnson as a ‘maverick’ with the reference to him refusing to follow Sue Gray’s orders to publish the report in full and him “rejecitng calls to quit”. Some readers may regard this as stubborn or bullish, but others may see it as strong leaderhsip.
-The viewpoint used in the first 2 columns is Sue Gray’s; she is accusing him, she claims there were “failures of leadership”, she claims that the Government’s standards do not meet the public expectations, This allows the educated and knowing audience to decide for themselves who to believe. The Times have selected quotes such as “drinking culture” and “hundreds of photos” which may be a shock to readers, but the language used is not dramatised.
-We also get Jacob Rees-Mogg agreeing that the report should be made public- this may encourage readers to think that the situation has been exaggerated. “Staff at No. 10” implies more collective guilt, and perehaps could deflect from Johnson’s individual “crimes”.
-Andrew Mitchell’s call for Johnson to quite could be read as a sign of guilt, but could also position readers to see this as disloyalty/betrayal (depending on their view of Johnson).

Question 16

The Times copy context-

Answer 16

-Times readers would also be aware of police corruption (the Hillsborough scandal, Steven port and Sarah Everard- the force is in special measures), Readers might therefore question the legitamacy of the accusations and investigations.

Question 17

Analysing the menu on The Times-

Answer 17

-The secondary stoires give the front page an international perspective.
-The football story focuses on a London club (Spurs) this may interest readers who support Spurs as thier local side (The Times has a significant readership in the city).
-Reflecting the interests of the “the UK’s business elite”, the VAT cut news would come as a dissapointment and the Bank of England “rate rises” reflect the core audience’s knowledge on financial matters and their need to be informed of economic affiars.

Question 18

Analysing the secondary story on The Times-

Answer 18

-Despite the subtle negative representation of Johnson (the readers may be losing support for him at this point as was the enitre country) this piece upholds government guidance on COVID and encourages caution when travelling (this was how the virus became a pandemic to start with.)
-The newspapers were a key mothd of communicating public information on COVID throughout the pandemic, as was TV,
-This is perhaps even more important in light of Downing Street parties- imagine if everyone started to ignore the rules
-Times readers are frequent travellers. Having to wear masks may not be the best news for them, but they would probably see it as a small price to pay to be able to have the freedom to travel, which they couldn’t do for such a long time.

Question 19

Social and cultural context of the Daily Mirror

Answer 19

-All newspapers, including The Daily Mirror, reflect the social and cultural contexts of the time in which they were prodcued. The Daily Mirror largely targets a lower middle class/ working calss readership and does so through the news values of the paper, the selection of stories and how particular social groups are represented.
-The choice to focus on this particualr story also reinforces a common social theme for this newspaper- ‘us Vs. them’, the idea that the government has issued rules that they feel they do not have to abide by.
-In the editiorial, the newspaper asserts itself as the voice of ‘the British people’, allying with them using the pronoun ‘us’ in ‘it makes up look cheap and nasty’.
-The newspaper’s plug also reflects a cultural context, advertising a feature on the Platinum Jubliee and reinforcing the cultural heritage of the UK.

Question 20

Daily Mirror- Newspaper Industry

Answer 20

-Owned by Reach Plc, the Daily Mirror was once the most popular tabloid in the UK. However, as is the case with other daily newspapers, the sales have been falling year on year. The average daily sales in February 2022 were 329,485, down 9%. Considering the most circulated newspaper, the free metro paper was at average daily sales level of 1,066,327, almost double it’s circulation in 2021.
-Reach Plc is the largest commerical, national and regional publisher in the UK. The group publishes more than 130 national and local media brands from the Daily Mirror, the Daily Record, the Daily Express, to local newspapers such as the Manchester Evening News and Nottingham Post. Reach Plc states that they are:’Champions, Campaigners and Changemakers…. At Reach, we have a clear core purpose: speaking up and shining a light on the truth.’

Question 21

Socical and cultural context of The Times

Answer 21

-All newspapers, including The Times, reflect the social and cultural contexts of the time in which they were produced. The Times largely targets a ABC1 demographic with culutral capital and an interest in news and analysis in detail. This demographic is targeted through the news values of the paper, the selection of stories and how particular social groups and issues are represented.
-The choice to focus on this particualr story also reinforces a common theme for this newspaper- to accurately present the news and it’s effect on society. Whilst it is not explicitly critical of the government on this front page, this story cut across political divides with many members of the Conservative party as well as Labour shocked by the revelations.
-The newspaper’s plug also reflects a cultural context with a lifestyle focus inteded to broaden the appeal of the newspaper.

Question 22

The Times- Newspaper Industry

Answer 22

The Times was first published in 1785 and is part of The Times newspaper group which is a subsidiary of News UK. News UK, is a British-based, American-owned newspaper publisher, and in instelf a subsidiary of the American mass media conglomerate News Corp. News Corp is a newly formed company that concentrates on newspapers and publishing. The company was formed following a split from News Corporation, a powerful conglomerate with interests in film and broadcasting in adition to newspapers and publishing. The company also produces The Sun newspaper and previously the News of the World, which ceased production following the phone hacking scandal of 2011. The company has demonstrated a predominantly right-wing political allegiance with The Sun newspaper, backing the Conservative party and previous Government in recent elections. However, The Times has maintained a nore neutral stance, particularly in it’s coverage of the Brexit debate as it’s readers are comprised of ‘Remainers’ and ‘Leavers’.
-The group was one of the first companies to introduce an online newspaper, but also a paywall, showing them adapt to the technoligcal advancements occuring all around them.

Question 23

Daily Mirror’s audience

Answer 23

• According to ABC data is predominantly C2DE, over 35 and are working class Labour supporters.
• Daily Mirror has achieved sucess with adapting technologies as it became the UK’s number one website with 32 million monthly readers across all digital platforms.

Question 24

How do the Daily Mirror producers target audiences?

Answer 24

• The choice and style of the main headline and central image are important in attracting the reader and in communicating the view the newspaper is taking on the particular story featured.
• They will reinforce the ideology of the newspaper on other pages such as their opinion page on their website.
• The newspaper’s values, attitudes and beliefs and the way in which they represent particular stories wil resonate with like-minded readers who has selected the newspaper to read.

Question 25

The Times’ audience

Answer 25

• According to ABC data, The Times’ target audience is predominantly ABC1, over 35 and has a liberal/right-wing political stance.
• Covers national and international current affairs due to the well-educated audience.

Question 26

How do The Times producers target audiences?

Answer 26

• The front page of the newspaper is important in targeting the audience. The choice and style of the main headline and central image are important in attracting the reader and in communicating the view the newspaper is taking on the particular story featured.
• The newspaper appeals to the audience through its content and hard and soft news items, for example the lifestyle supplement ‘times2’.
• The launch of the edition-based digital format addressed both the need to target a broader audience and understanding that readers of The Times preferred a digital edition that, whilst having some daily updates, closely resembled the print format. Distributing the publication
  across digital platforms allows it to be updated, which will appeal to younger audiences, as will the launch of ‘Times Radio’.
• Whilst the front page of the newspaper may be less explicit in its political allegiance, other pages in the newspaper and on digital platforms reinforce the right-wing ideology of the newspaper, for example the editorial and opinion pieces and political cartoons.
• The Times letters page is culturally iconic
  and offers readers an opportunity to air their views and interact with the community of the newspaper. This page and the ‘Comment’ section of the newspaper reflect the readership and their interests and concerns.
• The values, attitudes and beliefs of the newspaper and the way in which they represent particular stories will resonate with like-minded readers who may have chosen this newspaper because of its right-wing stance. Readers will be made to feel part of the newspaper’s community and that the stories and articles reflect their
  views. This audience will accept the preferred reading of the newspaper.

Question 27

The Daily Mirror: Representation

Answer 27

Front Page:
-The construction of the representation of the events themselves are dominated by the large image of Boris Johnson.
-The use of ‘crushing’ is significant in the way in which Kier Starmer dealt with Boris Johnson in the House of Commons.
-the sub-heading uses numbers to highlight Boris’ misdemeanors, painting him in a negative light.
DPS:
-the key focus of the representation is that it will focus on the responses to Partygate, all which construct a negative representation of the then-Government and the then-Prime Minister. This represented is to be expected from a left-wing publication such as the Daily Mirror.
-the representation of ‘normal’ people being affected by the issues is a technique used by the newspaper called emotional engagement which helps readers engaged as well as form their own personal negative representation of the people responsible for the events (the then-Tory Government).
-the language choices made by the writers and editors of the Daily Mirror are deliberately chosen to pain Boris in a bad light ‘disgraced country’s highest office’, ‘fiasco’, and ‘stain on our great nation’, are all prime examples of this.

Question 28

The Times: Representation

Answer 28

Front page:
-the construction of the representation of the event and the key player on the front page is dominated by the central image of Boris Johnson, anchored by a headline, sub-headings and pull quotes.
-their choice of image of Boris Johnson focuses on his code of expression of trepidation on his way to the Commons, (they haven’t gone as sinister as the Daily Mirror), as well as it being anchored by the caption and the quote from Sue Gray’s report.
-the headlines and subheading also represent the events and the then-PM in a negative way
-this construction of representation of the event does not reflect the newspaper’s usual political allegiance, which would be to support the Government, and by extension, the Conservative Party. It may be that the newspaper feels responsible as an opinion leader to reflect the reactions of many people with differing political views to the transgresses of the government.