daily mirror Flashcards
1
Q
product context
A
- The Daily Mirror is a British daily national tabloid newspaper. Established in 1903, it is aimed at predominantly working-class readership.
- It follows a traditionally left-wing political stance.
- This edition was published on March 13th, 2019, after Theresa May had encountered another Commons defeat over her Brexit proposals.
- As a mostly left-wing newspaper, the Mirror has been critical of the way the conservative government has been handling the Brexit negotiations
2
Q
Cultural context:
A
- Eastenders is one of the UK’s most popular soap operas, with a reputation for featuring hard-hitting storylines, it has been regularly watched by audiences of up to 20 million people
- This has turned the actors into celebrities and - like Dyer’s ‘Star Theory’ suggests - tabloid newspapers often run stories about the actor’s lives mirroring their Eastenders’ storylines.
- Traditionally, one of the Mirror’s main elements is sports reporting - often over half the paper is dedicated to sport
- The ‘back pages’ often feature the betting odds for horse races. Racing ‘meets’ like Ascot and Cheltenham have upper class associations but have increasingly become popular days out for the less wealthy audiences.
3
Q
Front page:
A
- The page is split between the political story, a ‘puff box’ promoting the pull-out supplement, and an advert for a betting service (that obviously links to the Cheltenham pull-out), demonstrates importance of betting and how they attempt to target those of a higher income
- The headline ‘Brexit Delay Mayhem’ and the use of the emotive words ‘surrender’, ‘defeat’ and ‘chaos’ suggest the negotiations for Britain leaving the EU are disastrous.
- The image of May looking very serious anchors the headline - that fact the image is tiny shows how little respect or faith the Mirror has in May’s abilities.
- The strapline ‘Fighting for you’ provides solidarity for people confused or worried about the political turmoil of Brexit.
- The Cheltenham Festival pull-out actually dominates the page - with bright green font and background, combined with an exciting action shot of a horse and rider, it grabs the attention more than the political story
- The puff box “All the tips! All the form!” offers practical advice and the offer of a free bet will also entice the reader. The use of these terms positions the reader as someone already knowledgeable about racing.
- The advert at the base of the page also uses brightly coloured graphics, the greens linking it to the racing feature above.
- The article about the assault on the actor is a close-up of her upset face, to create empathy and the reader feel closer to this ‘character’.
- The headline uses emotive slang like ‘glassed’ and ‘thug’ to condemn the attack. It also doesn’t use the real actor’s name (Katie Jarvis) instead addressing her as her character’s name. The abbreviation of Eastenders along with the slang suggests this story is less important and more ‘gossipy’.
4
Q
article
A
- The central image is a medium shot of Theresa May: her hands are raised which could connote defeat. It could also indicate conciliation or resistance.
- The text of the article shows it is a mixture of all of these! May is portrayed as someone who is losing, but who is also bravely fighting on against the odds.
- The language portrays the debate in Parliament as if it is a horse race. “A Faller at The 2nd” is racing track slang for a poorly performing horse
- Throughout the main article, May is described using light-hearted derogatory language (“tottering Theresa”)
5
Q
theory
structuralism, strauss
A
- There is a binary opposition between the MPs and “the Nation” which feeds into the ‘us vs them’
- There is also an opposition between the two political pundits on the double page piece.
- The language in the headlines (plus the odds from ‘Honest Jason’) also explains some quite complex political debates in using the allegory of a horse race - this dramatises the details
6
Q
rep
front page
A
- By reducing Theresa May to the smallest image on the page, the Mirror is sending a clear message about the way she is seen by her fellow MPs and by the newspaper’s target audience
- The headline focuses on her defeat and implies the whole situation is her fault
- This personalises a complex story by making it about the experiences of one individual rather than a complicated political
progress involving hundreds of people - This is a technique used by news media to help audiences build emotional engagement about ‘dry’ political or economic stories.
- The small amount of space given to the whole story - along with the “…Loses Key Vote Again’ headline - suggests that, May is an incompetent leader
- Both this and the Eastenders story could suggest women are weak and vulnerable: May ‘surrenders’, ‘Hayley’ has been physically assaulted.
- Yet the images - May in midargument, ‘Hayley’ looking defiant - give the impression of inner strength despite the attacks they have experienced.
7
Q
rep
article
A
- The detail of her losing her voice again represents her as both weak, but also relentless in her aims.
- The image of her dominates the page, whilst the male politicians are in far smaller photo-boxes. There is a sense that even though she is failing, she is going down fighting.
- Though this seems at odds with the Mirror’s political bias, it does fit with the large female market who may admire May’s tenacity even if they don’t like her politics.
8
Q
theory
feminist, zoonen
A
- Suggested that women are often portrayed as sexualised, weak or vulnerable in the media.
- Though the two women featured on the Mirror’s cover are from stories that seem to portray them as vulnerable, the images used connote strength and defiance in the face of adversity
9
Q
industry context
A
- The Daily Mirror was first published in 1903 as a newspaper for women ‘to act as a mirror on feminine life’. However the newspaper was quickly redesigned to appeal to a broader audience.
- Owned by the Reach plc
- Online media has largely been responsible for the downturn in print sales and the Daily Mirror has responded to this by launching ‘Mirror Online’ and having a presence on social media sites.
- The website offers interactive opportunities for its readers with competitions, polls and a ‘Got a story?’ feature which invites readers to submit their own stories.
- Though it doesn’t invite users’ comments on political issues, it does have accessible stories breaking down the key events into ‘bitesize’ chunks (e.g. “5 Facts About…”). This reinforces the Mirror’s brand being the “Intelligent Tabloid”.
10
Q
theory
power & media, curran & seaton
A
- Reach plc has maintained their position in the UK market despite falling sales of the Mirror and other mainstream titles by diversifying into regional news.
- This diverse pattern of ownership has allowed them to create the conditions for more varied and adventurous media products.
11
Q
theory
regulation, Livingstone & Lunt
A
- Think the needs of a citizen are in conflict with the needs of the consumer, because protection can limit freedom
- Reach plc is facing increasing pressure alongside the rest of the UK press industry to adhere to strict rules and regulations on industry practice.
12
Q
theory
cultural, Hesmondhalgh
A
- Reach plc has become a horizontally integrated company with a wide range of titles in order to maximise audiences and minimise risks.
- Rather than seeing digital media as a threat, the company has embraced its digital expansion and now offers digital marketing as well as digital classifieds to generate additional income.
13
Q
How are audiences grouped and categorised?
A
- The Daily Mirror’s target audience, is predominantly C2DE, over 35 and are working class Labour supporters
14
Q
How do audiences interpret the product?
A
- The audience is positioned as being disapproving of May, a Tory PM, and towards the other MPs.
- The use of despairing, defeated language would resonate with their cynicism towards politicians, and their fears about the ‘chaos’ of Brexit.
- The red font and central positioning of the headline indicates that this story is important, but the sandwiching between adverts for gambling, along with the ‘Loses Again’ indicates this is just another instalment in a long, process, and that it is advisable to focus on more entertaining experiences.
- The use of horse-racing terminology in the main article’s headlines relates to the audience’s interest in racing
15
Q
How do different audience interpretations reflect social, cultural and historical circumstances?
A
- The tone of the article - and the prominence of more stereotypical working class entertainment like soap operas and horse-racing - link to ideology of ‘populism’
