Newspapers Flashcards
What is the relevance of a newspaper?
They are a staple ingredient of how we gain knowledge of the world beyond our immediate experiences
What are print newspapers under pressure from the increasing use of? How do they respond to this?
- Tv and social/online media
- Pushes print news to be entertaining as well as informative
What do postmodernists suggest about news?
Be careful about what to believe, even ‘evidence’ and ‘logic’ is value dependent, arising from perspective
What are broadsheet newspapers?
More intellectual in their content, and in the coverage and reporting of events
Give an example of a broadsheet newspaper
The Guardian
State 3 characteristics of a broadsheet newspaper
- Educated audience
- Greater size, examines stories in depth
- Less sensationalist/celebrity material
What are tabloid newspapers?
The style of journalism that condenses stories into a simplified and easily absorbed format
State 3 characteristics of a tabloid newspaper
- Less educated audience
- Condensed, less detailed
- Celebrity/less serious news
Give an example of a tabloid newspaper
The Sun
3 key elements of the Daily Mirror
- Tabloid
- Left wing political stance
- Responded in horrified shock at the implications of a Trump Presidency
3 key elements of The Times
- Broadsheet in tabloid format
- Owned by News Corp - Rupert Murdoch (Curran and Seaton)
- Reasoned and neutral political stance of Trump’s victory
What are the 6 components of representation for newspapers that should be considered when analysing the Daily Mirror and the Times?
- Construction
- Mediation
- Selection
- Anchorage
- Stereotypes
- Ideology
What are the denotations of the Daily Mirror “It’s President Trump” front page?
- Weeping statue of liberty
- Dark urban/dystopian setting
- Threatening clouds
What is the anchorage of the Daily Mirror “It’s President Trump” front page?
Headlines, use of ellipsis and enigma codes:
“What have they done?”
“It’s President Trump…”
What could be said about the use of American iconography on the Daily Mirror “It’s President Trump” front page?
- Dominates the page
- Subverts the conventional ideals of hope and charity to one of a weeping statue
What could be said about the selection of word choice for the Daily Mirror “It’s President Trump” front page?
- The use of the word’s ‘us’ and ‘them’ create a binary opposition with the bias of ‘them’ being to blame for the suggested catastrophe
- The American voter is represented as unthinking in their actions hence the UK/rest of world will have to suffer the consequences of this
What are the denotations of the Daily Mirror “America’s Brexit” double page spread?
Use of the traditional American flag colour palette
What is the anchorage of the Daily Mirror “America’s Brexit” double page spread?
Headlines and intertextuality:
- References to Brexit
- Similar hostile reaction from the Daily Mirror (left wing) insinuating that it is a disaster
- Links to issues of immigration and the ‘out-of-touch elite’ which were cited as elements of Brexit
What is instantly clear to audience in the Daily Mirror “America’s Brexit” double page spread?
- Images are all of white faces and predominantly male
- Trump is shown in a strong and potentially aggressive pose whilst his supports are triumphant
- Clinton (defeated opponent) is shown as calm and accepting
What does Stuart Hall model in the Daily Mirror “America’s Brexit” double page spread?
The dominant hegemony of the right wing white male
What is The Times?
British national ‘quality’ newspaper first published in 1785
What are the ownership patterns of The Times?
The Times published by Times Newspapers since 1981, Times Newspaper is a subsidiary of News UK which is wholly owned by Rupert Murdoch’s conglomerate - News Corp
What is News UK?
A British-based, American-owned newspaper publisher, a subsidiary of American mass media conglomerate News Corp. News UK also controls other British newspapers such as The Sun. The company typically indicates a right wing political allegiance however The Times tends to be more neutral.
When was the set edition of The Times published?
This edition was published on the 10th November 2016 following the high profile American election campaign won by Donald Trump
How can The Times be linked to Curran and Seaton?
- The Times is part of a large conglomerate that is both horizontally and vertically integrated, this might inhibit creativity and freedom of journalists.
- Murdoch is often accused of controlling his newspaper content which means everything is very structured and lacks creativity and realism
What does the unusual high image to text ratio on the front page of The Times suggest?
Iconic world news
What can be said about the masthead of the set edition of The Times?
It is very traditional and recognisable
What can be said about the copy on the coat of arms: “Dieu Et Mon Droit”?
This translates to “God and my right”. This provides connotations of traditionalism and national identity. Traditionalism is also upheld by hanoverian coat of arms with a serif Times New Roman font
How is Trump wholly represented in the set edition of The Times?
Trump is represented as an ‘elite person’. He is framed centrally in a well-lit medium shot which helps to showcase his victorious body language
The Times Headline: “The New World” - what are the immediate connotations of this?
Connotations of dramatic global change
