Newspaper Flashcards
Ideology of The Times
• centre-right
• broadsheet, quality newspaper
The Times target audience
• ABC1 demographic
• interest in news and analysis and detail, foreign affairs, cultural capital
How does the plug of The Times broaden the appeal?
• 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
How does The Times reflect the values of the newspaper?
• 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
How is the layout of the front page of The Times conventional of a broadsheet?
• copy led rather than image led
•serif font
Analysis of the Times masthead
• 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
Headline of the Times
•‘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)
Analysis of Times main image
• 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
How does the caption of The Times reflect the conventional style of newspaper?
Long and gives information based on facts, placing the photograph in a context rather than taking an active stance
Language and mode of address in The Times
• formal - text detailed and compact
• opinion leader, educated + qualified - subheading ‘The Times Verdict’
Apply Chomsky’s theory of gatekeeping to The Times
• Choice of pull quote ‘There were failures of leadership and judgement by different parts of number 10’ next to main image constructs negative representation
Why does The Times not reflect its usual centre right ideology in partygate scandal
• 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
Apply Stuart Hall’s theory of Representation to newspapers
• 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
The Times industry context
• 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
Apply Curran and Seaton’s theory of power and media to the Times
• part of horizontally and vertically integrated News UK
• limits creativity and journalist’s freedom
• newspaper industry dominated by a small number of powerful companies
Apply Livingstone and Lunt’s theory of regulation to The Times
• 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
Apply Hesmondhalgh’s cultural industries theory to the Times
• News UK as a conglomerate has access to cultural industries so is therefore financially protected
• expansion into digital industries - generating income through paywalls
Apply Gerbner’s cultivation theory to newspapers
• 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
Apply Stuart Hall’s reception theory to newspapers
• 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
Apply Clay Shirky’s end of audience theory to newspapers
• 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
Target audience of Daily Mirror
• predominantly working class readership (C2DE)
•adopts a left wing stance
What does the Daily Mirror’s slogan signify?
• ‘The Heart of Britain’
• Suggests that the newspaper represents the people + is a key part of the social + cultural life of the UK
Scandal newspapers discuss
• 2022 Partygate
• in light of the Sur Gray report
Mirror tabloid conventions
• bold and recognisable as a red top, tabloid, newspaper
• Image led
• Strong and sensational typography
• Kier Starmer
Connotations of newspaper name ‘Daily Mirror’
Newspaper conveys messages about how the paper may ‘hold up a mirror to society’
Connotations of Daily Mirror headline
• brief and dramatic, typical of papers style
• ‘Zero Shame’
Connotations of Daily Mirror subheadings front cover
• provide more information through the employment of numbers for dramatic effect
• reinforced by yellow font, connotations of cowardice ‘300 pictures handed over’
Damnation of Boris Johnson Daily Mirror main image
• 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
Language of the Daily Mirror
• 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
How does the branding of the Daily Mirror continue onto the double page spread?
• colour red links to ‘red top’ masthead
• Subheading, pull quote and Kier Starmer’s name in red, connotes political allegiance of the newspaper
How does the headline of the Daily Mirror double page spread covey the values and beliefs of the newspaper and its opinion of partygate?
• ‘A man with no shame’
• ‘shame’ repeated from front cover, emotive
• Large typography, spans both pages
How do the Daily Mirror double page spread central images reinforce the condemning position of the newspaper?
• Juxtaposition between scene from the hospital ward with one of prime minister smirking and holding wine
• selection of images reinforces damaging consequences of partygate
How is the angry tone of the Daily Mirror reinforced by the Daily mirror double page spread?
• 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’
How does the language of the double page spread vilify Johnson and governments actions?
• binary opposites are used to reinforce the point ‘quiet dignity’ of British civilians vs ‘lying bombast’ of Johnson
Binary oppositions in Mirror double page spread
• Boris Johnson and ‘the people’ - us vs them ideology
How has the Daily Mirror played on Johnson’s previous representation to push their ideology?
• 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
Chomsky’s theory of gatekeeping
Newspapers have mediated the story to portray a certain ideology and representation to audience
How does the double page spread of the Daily Mirror personalise the scandal and therefore villainise Johnson more
• 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
How does the Daily Mirror reinforce the values of newspaper and expectations of readers in double page spread (involves a political figure)
• an open letter from Kier Starmer ‘Dear Mirror Readers’ - strikes a personal tone
Binary opposition between Kier Starmer and Boris Johnson on Mirror double page
• Kier Starmer ‘voice of reason’ vs Boris Johnson ‘Rule Breaker’
Damning language towards Boris Johnson
‘fiasco’
‘Stain on our great nation’
(Us vs them ideology)
Apply Stuart Hall’s representation theory to the Daily Mirror
• Mirror uses stereotypical representations of the prime minister to convey its left wing agenda and to raise awareness of inequalities in society
Daily mirror target audience
• C2DE, over 35, working class Labour supporters
Apply Gerbner’s cultivation theory to Daily Mirror
• Newspapers function as opinion leaders - repeatedly represent their ideologies to audience, cultivates and influenced their views and opinions
Who owns Daily Mirror
Reach PLC
What is Gultang and Ruge’s theory?
• newspaper stories are selected based on news values:
• threshold
• unexpectedness
• negativity
• elite persons/places
• unambiguous
• personalisation
• proximity
• continuity
What is Owen Jones’ theory
Newspaper industries dominated by a few right wing conglomerates, limits left wing ideology+ expression
