The Voice - language and representation Flashcards
When did the Voice start and what format was it in back then?
In 1982 as a print newspaper. It was independently published and there were weekly editions
What were the issues at the time that the product aimed to inform readers about?
There were highly negative and stereotypical representations of black people. The use of Margaret Thatcher’s stop and search and systematic racism in the police led to tensions and violent riots in London, Liverpool, Manchester and Bristol in 1981
What are the voices aims?
They are a commercial media product looking to make a profit, but are also driven by fulfilling a public service through the targeting of ethnic minority audiences
Why was the Voice formed?
Events such as the Brixton riots were being reported by journalists who were often negative towards black people. Even if they were positive, they were outsiders, who didn’t really know what was going on and portrayed black people through the ‘white eye’. Black people were always being represented through a white person’s perspective
Who started the Voice?
Val Mcalla from a small council flat in London
What is the typography of the voice headline like?
Very similar to that used in a traditional newspaper, showing his it was and still is a newspaper. However, it blends freshness with traditionalism to signify trustworthiness alongside freshness. The paper seems like it has the readers back as its content is therefore assumed to be up-to-date
The stylized placement of the word ‘the’ as the dot above the letter I creates prominence on ‘voice’ and its connotations, prioritising this, showing its a loud, brand not afraid to speak up. Reinforced by the use of capital letters
The headline font uses serif font to reflect formality and importance as well as italics to show their voice is far reaching
What’s the typography like of the body font?
It’s lightweight sans serif to make it readable and legible, as well as making it more personalised and sophisticated for the readers who choose to engage with the stores
Why does The Voice tactically use a cross-formatting of aesthetic across the website and newspaper?
This helps to maximise brand recognition
What content does The Voice focus on?
framed around anything that is relatable for the Black British community.
How can the papers headlines and images be analysed under semiotics?
All the headlines act as enigma codes, revealing key information, but withholding enough to create clickbait, similarly the images used may only be fully understood by leading the article
What’s an example of a headline creating enigma and action codes?
Failed again: Windrush victims hit by pension losses
Who’s failed them again; who’s to blame? Why have they been hit by pension losses? How will this affect my pension?
The use of the word again creates an action code, as it creates frustrations for the reader, because this isn’t the first time this group have been victimised. Shows how there is a constant lack of consideration for this group and how the article is framed to aim frustrations at the government
What is the writing style of the paper (mode of address)?
lack of emotive, hyperbolic and sensationalist language. Instead it’s factual and uses unemotional language. They appear as a credible and ‘level-headed’ source of reliable information
-headlines as enigma codes
-succinct sentences which are short and to the point
The language somewhat reinforces binary oppositions arguably of the west vs the rest as the language conveys an us against them narrative. This portrays an ideological view of the world, as it encourages black people to tell their stories of struggle
The language looks to celebrate black successes, encouraging the community and looking to raise each other up in the hope to inspire the next generation
What’s an example of a headline used which creates gratifications of relatability for one group by directing frustrations at another group?
‘Black women express concerns for their safety after Tory donor’s racist comments’
What’s the layout of the website like?
White background to prevent pictures from clashing and is conventional of news sites
Fixed banner at the top with various tabs and links to socials. This disappears as you scroll down and so is less easy to navigate than a floating banner
Grid of stories with a descending hierarchy of importance to signify which stories to read first. Each story is on a card, which is inspired by a social media interface. Makes it easier for a phone user
Logo- conventional at the top left and when you click on it, it takes you back to home page
Connectivity- links and icons direct you to other social media outlets, as well as the subscribe button directing you to a page about price
The burger icon (three horizontal lines) loads a full list of categories and subcategories
What is the narratology of the paper like?
Uses the inverted pyramid structure, highlighting how the main function of the paper is to convey information rather than evoke an emotional response. This makes it seem trusted and places importance on the truth
What are the main categories in the banner and what does this reflect?
News
Sport
Lifestyle
Entertainment
Competitions
Opinion
Faith
This shows how while they still have some focus on hard news, they have had to move more towards soft and mainstream news to target their audience. However, it also gives the paper a continued USP as mainstream papers start to cater for a specialised audience.
