Newspaper

Question 1

Ideology of The Times

Answer 1

• centre-right
• broadsheet, quality newspaper

Question 2

The Times target audience

Answer 2

• ABC1 demographic
• interest in news and analysis and detail, foreign affairs, cultural capital

Question 3

How does the plug of The Times broaden the appeal?

Answer 3

• Reflects a cultural context with a lifestyle focus
• ‘How to be fit’ - promoting Times 2, article on fitness and personal story about being bit by a puppy

Question 4

How does The Times reflect the values of the newspaper?

Answer 4

• to accurately present the news and its effect on society
• The paper isn’t explicitly critical of the government on the front page, but story cuts across political divides with many members of Conservative Party as well as Labour shocked by revelations
•doesn’t explicitly shame the tories as their views are aligned and not to anger their right centrist audience, only inform them

Question 5

How is the layout of the front page of The Times conventional of a broadsheet?

Answer 5

• copy led rather than image led
•serif font

Question 6

Analysis of the Times masthead

Answer 6

• Slogan translates to God and My Right - dates to Richard 1st unchanged, reflects longevity and traditional values of newspaper
• crests of lion - connotes British establishment
• ‘The Times’ - suggests it reports and reflects upon issues of the time

Question 7

Headline of the Times

Answer 7

•‘Police investigate PM’s four lockdown parties’
• informative rather than sensational and enigmatic, yet subtle criticism through use of quantative figure ‘four’
• Chomsky’s theory of gatekeeping (selection and combination)

Question 8

Analysis of Times main image

Answer 8

• close up photo of Boris Johnson with indirect mode of address
• Code of expression shows fear/ apologetic stance entering the Commons, showing he has questions to answer, not explicitly criticising him

Question 9

How does the caption of The Times reflect the conventional style of newspaper?

Answer 9

Long and gives information based on facts, placing the photograph in a context rather than taking an active stance

Question 10

Language and mode of address in The Times

Answer 10

• formal - text detailed and compact
• opinion leader, educated + qualified - subheading ‘The Times Verdict’

Question 11

Apply Chomsky’s theory of gatekeeping to The Times

Answer 11

• Choice of pull quote ‘There were failures of leadership and judgement by different parts of number 10’ next to main image constructs negative representation

Question 12

Why does The Times not reflect its usual centre right ideology in partygate scandal

Answer 12

• newspaper feels responsible as an opinion leader to reflect the reactions of many people with different political reviews to partygate
• binary opposition between ideology and criticism of government

Question 13

Apply Stuart Hall’s theory of Representation to newspapers

Answer 13

• the front pages produce meaning through language used, using recognisable signs that will be interpreted by audience - headlines, mode of address, image
• contributes to construction of event and encode meanings to be decoded by the audience

Question 14

The Times industry context

Answer 14

• owned by mass media conglomerate News UK, owned by Rupert Murdoch, right wing businessman
• company has demonstrated this allegiance with right wing newspaper The Sun

Question 15

Apply Curran and Seaton’s theory of power and media to the Times

Answer 15

• part of horizontally and vertically integrated News UK
• limits creativity and journalist’s freedom
• newspaper industry dominated by a small number of powerful companies

Question 16

Apply Livingstone and Lunt’s theory of regulation to The Times

Answer 16

• Increasing power of conglomerates like News Corp and expansion into digital media places traditional regulation at risk
• facing increased pressure to adhere to regulation rules after 2011 hacking scandal

Question 17

Apply Hesmondhalgh’s cultural industries theory to the Times

Answer 17

• News UK as a conglomerate has access to cultural industries so is therefore financially protected
• expansion into digital industries - generating income through paywalls

Question 18

Apply Gerbner’s cultivation theory to newspapers

Answer 18

• Newspapers function as opinion leaders and mediate the news for the reader with their political allegiance in mind - views cultivated and reinforced by newspapers
• Audience exposure to repeated patterns of representation of government, influences their views of world around them

Question 19

Apply Stuart Hall’s reception theory to newspapers

Answer 19

• preferred reading - those who agree with the ideology of the newspaper and its view
• oppositional reading - those who have an opposing political allegiance to the view presented

Question 20

Apply Clay Shirky’s end of audience theory to newspapers

Answer 20

• concept of audience members as passive consumers is no longer plausible in the age of digital technologies
• enabled the rise of the prosumer who create their own content as a citizen journalist, and ‘speak back’ to the news media

Question 21

Target audience of Daily Mirror

Answer 21

• predominantly working class readership (C2DE)
•adopts a left wing stance

Question 22

What does the Daily Mirror’s slogan signify?

Answer 22

• ‘The Heart of Britain’
• Suggests that the newspaper represents the people + is a key part of the social + cultural life of the UK

Question 23

Scandal newspapers discuss

Answer 23

• 2022 Partygate
• in light of the Sur Gray report

Question 24

Mirror tabloid conventions

Answer 24

• bold and recognisable as a red top, tabloid, newspaper
• Image led
• Strong and sensational typography
• Kier Starmer

Question 25

Connotations of newspaper name ‘Daily Mirror’

Answer 25

Newspaper conveys messages about how the paper may ‘hold up a mirror to society’

Question 26

Connotations of Daily Mirror headline

Answer 26

• brief and dramatic, typical of papers style
• ‘Zero Shame’

Question 27

Connotations of Daily Mirror subheadings front cover

Answer 27

• provide more information through the employment of numbers for dramatic effect
• reinforced by yellow font, connotations of cowardice ‘300 pictures handed over’

Question 28

Damnation of Boris Johnson Daily Mirror main image

Answer 28

• image dominates front cover, appears unconcerned
• reinforced by caption ‘I’m not going’, suggesting failure to take responsibility
• Compared to caption accompanying Kier Starmer of ‘Crushing’, reinforcing left wing stance

Question 29

Language of the Daily Mirror

Answer 29

• emotive, reflects values and attitudes of the newspaper
• deems Johnson ‘shameless’
• direct mode of address, using colloquialisms like ‘cops’ and ‘lockdown bashes’ to engage with target readership

Question 30

How does the branding of the Daily Mirror continue onto the double page spread?

Answer 30

• colour red links to ‘red top’ masthead
• Subheading, pull quote and Kier Starmer’s name in red, connotes political allegiance of the newspaper

Question 31

How does the headline of the Daily Mirror double page spread covey the values and beliefs of the newspaper and its opinion of partygate?

Answer 31

• ‘A man with no shame’
• ‘shame’ repeated from front cover, emotive
• Large typography, spans both pages

Question 32

How do the Daily Mirror double page spread central images reinforce the condemning position of the newspaper?

Answer 32

• Juxtaposition between scene from the hospital ward with one of prime minister smirking and holding wine
• selection of images reinforces damaging consequences of partygate

Question 33

How is the angry tone of the Daily Mirror reinforced by the Daily mirror double page spread?

Answer 33

• supported using direct quotations from ordinary people, telling their own tragic covid 19 stories
• pull quotes in this section emphasised using large quotation marks, conveying the feeling of the newspaper: ‘continues to lie’ and a ‘mockery’

Question 34

How does the language of the double page spread vilify Johnson and governments actions?

Answer 34

• binary opposites are used to reinforce the point ‘quiet dignity’ of British civilians vs ‘lying bombast’ of Johnson

Question 35

Binary oppositions in Mirror double page spread

Answer 35

• Boris Johnson and ‘the people’ - us vs them ideology

Question 36

How has the Daily Mirror played on Johnson’s previous representation to push their ideology?

Answer 36

• Johnson has previously been criticised for his ‘smirk’
• Main image of front cover depicts this facial expression , reinforced by caption ‘I’m not going’, connoting seemingly uncaring attitude

Question 37

Chomsky’s theory of gatekeeping

Answer 37

Newspapers have mediated the story to portray a certain ideology and representation to audience

Question 38

How does the double page spread of the Daily Mirror personalise the scandal and therefore villainise Johnson more

Answer 38

• use of direct quotations and inclusion of individual stories and representations of ordinary people
• makes audiences build emotional engagement
• technique often used by tabloid newspapers

Question 39

How does the Daily Mirror reinforce the values of newspaper and expectations of readers in double page spread (involves a political figure)

Answer 39

• an open letter from Kier Starmer ‘Dear Mirror Readers’ - strikes a personal tone

Question 40

Binary opposition between Kier Starmer and Boris Johnson on Mirror double page

Answer 40

• Kier Starmer ‘voice of reason’ vs Boris Johnson ‘Rule Breaker’

Question 41

Damning language towards Boris Johnson

Answer 41

‘fiasco’
‘Stain on our great nation’
(Us vs them ideology)

Question 42

Apply Stuart Hall’s representation theory to the Daily Mirror

Answer 42

• Mirror uses stereotypical representations of the prime minister to convey its left wing agenda and to raise awareness of inequalities in society

Question 43

Daily mirror target audience

Answer 43

• C2DE, over 35, working class Labour supporters

Question 44

Apply Gerbner’s cultivation theory to Daily Mirror

Answer 44

• Newspapers function as opinion leaders - repeatedly represent their ideologies to audience, cultivates and influenced their views and opinions

Question 45

Who owns Daily Mirror

Answer 45

Reach PLC

Question 46

What is Gultang and Ruge’s theory?

Answer 46

• newspaper stories are selected based on news values:
• threshold
• unexpectedness
• negativity
• elite persons/places
• unambiguous
• personalisation
• proximity
• continuity

Question 47

What is Owen Jones’ theory

Answer 47

Newspaper industries dominated by a few right wing conglomerates, limits left wing ideology+ expression