Wednesday 16th September 2020
Print News – Lesson 1
L/O – TO explore the purpose and process of the printed news industry.
Purpose
Most agree that the main purpose of news is to inform in some way.
Industries
Production: It is expensive to produce because it requires a large amount of material and to employ many highly trained staff. Technology has changed the traditional approach of production of circulation of news because its newspapers are now printed in colour. Also, because of satellite and internet the news can be read quickly from anywhere that doesn’t require the paper copy.
Distribution: The distribution is expensive because it has to be physically transported and needs to be in outlets from early morning. They could lessen the cost by printing it locally in town and also go online to become global and cheaper. There’s also free papers such as The Metro that tends to be thinner quality.
Marketing: They could promote their papers such as advertising on TV, social media, and sister papers to grab in different audiences. Exclusives and synergy deals with other companies are also a good way to share the market, and bring in a specific audience.
Circulation: The number of copies distributed, not sold.
Ownership
Ownership refers to people whom financially support and produces the paper.
1 “Media Barons” – wealthy individuals such as Rupert Murdoch.
2 Trusts – A legal arrangement that transfers funds from the owner to a “trustee” to manage and control the running of the paper such as Scott Trust (GMG) the Guardian.
3 Cross-Media converged conglomerates – global institutions that own numerous media outlets such as DMG and Lord Rothermere.
Newspaper ownership in the UK has become increasingly concentrated and therefore less diverse as the industry is run by just seven companies. More worryingly, almost 60% of the market share is owned by just two companies: News UK and DMG Media.
Economic Models and Funding
Production is financed in different ways but the main two ways are by circulation sales and advertising.
The print news industry is facing a crisis due to falling sales and increased use of online news.
Technological Developments
Since the 1980s, rapid development of hardware, software and converged devices has significantly changed the relationship between owners and their audiences.
Technology Introduced
1980s – Computers, printers and DTP programs
1990s – The Internet
2000s – Broadband, Web 2.0, smartphones and tablets, HD digital cameras, apps.
Effects on owners and audiences
1980s – Process of writing copy and art direction quicker. Owners control production and distribution on mass scale. Audiences have power to create own print media more easily but not distribute it.
1990s – Growing availability of information leads to greater competition for owners. Audiences have more control of information they residence from a greater ranger of sources; no cost.
2000s – Owners no longer in control of information circulated. Audiences able to create, share and distribute own news. Audiences can access information anywhere.
In order to remain relevant and tackle falling sales, news has had to go online.
Advantages of owners of internet news:
Production: Reduces environmental costs; energy saving.
Distribution: Reduces cost; global reach.
Circulation: Allows greater access which increases overall circulation: audiences can interact with the news; owners can monitor story popularity.
Disadvantages of internet news:
The Guardian has lost 200,000 print readers in 10 years.
The Independent is only available online.
Established owners are selling their titles.
Case Studies
Daily Mail
Ownership and funding
Summary of history of the paper
The Daily Mail was founded in 1896 by Alfred Harmsworth.
The owners/trusts and funding model used
Funded by DGM median and General Trust
Circulation figures
1,134,184
Advertising costs
Sale figures for the last 5 years
Decreased by
Alternative revenue
Online options: revenue
Change in the last 10 years
Ideologies, values and regulation
Mission statement or principle?
Mission statement
News values it priorities
Political bias (previous and now)
Previous - Labour
Now - Conservatives
Ideologies conveyed (look through papers)
Repoting style
Which body it's regulated by
Examples of any recent (last 5 years) complaints/breaches
The Guardian
Ownership and funding
Summary of history of the paper
The owners/trusts and funding model used
Circulation figures
Advertising costs
Sale figures for the last 5 years
Alternative revenue
Online options: revenue
Change in the last 10 years
Ideologies, values and regulation
Mission statement or principle?
News values it priorities
Political bias (previous and now)
Ideologies conveyed (look through papers)
Repoting style
Which body it's regulated by
Examples of any recent (last 5 years) complaints/breaches
Wednesday 16th September 2020
Lesson 2 - Print News
L/O: To explore the news values bias and regulation of printed news.
News Gathering
- Newspapers have teams of reporters who gather news locally or through Press Agencies and gather news globally.
- They report facts without many judgement, so the information is shaped to suit their newspaper
- DMG Media and News UK are shareholders in PA.
Gatekeeping
- The editor acts as a gatekeeper (responsible for selecting information)
- Editors can practise protective coverage (private information that can be harmful)
News Values
- Guidelines used to identify which news is most valuable/attract to the audience.
- Indicates that the news is a socially constructed product
- 12 most significant news values are:
1 - Frequency
2 - Threshold
3 - Unambiguity
4 - Meaningfulness
5 -
6 -
7 -
8 -
9 -
10 -
11 -
12 -
- Example; the readers of The Sun prefer more humours stories, rather than The Guardian which has a sense of balance.
Political Bias
- Political bias should be considered as it can influence a political outcome, creating democracy.
- Being left-winged means being liberal.
- Being right-winged means being conservative.
- The survey shows that half of the newspapers support right-wing values(homogenous)
- Most of the papers share similar views(plurality)
- The Daily Mail and The Sun are right-winged and are wealthy, white and male.
Political Bias - Left-winged, critiquing PM, the image is comedic and insulting, the background is dark blue which connotes to the conservative colour she lead for.
Media Language - The use of the repetition of the noun of "lies", suggests that Theresa May continually lies to the citizens of Britain, making her being portrayed as the villain.
- How does it reflect the ownership and audience of the two papers?
The Daily Mirror
Political Bias - Right-winged, supports PM, god-like image with the low angle surrounded by "followers".
Media Language - The use of the stative verb of "reignite" has the connotation of fire, implying Theresa May is a warm individual the cares about the people of Britain.
- How does it reflect the ownership and audience of the two papers?
Wednesday 23rd September 2020
Theory
Barthes: Semiology
Semiology = Signs
- Denotations can signify connotations, associated meanings for signs.
- Denotations and connotations are organised into mythes
- Mythes create ideology meaning and help ideology feel natural, real and acceptable.
Levi-Strauss: Structuralism
- This study of hidden rules is that it shapes a structure to communicate ideology and myths.
- We understand the world and our place within it based on binary oppositions.
E.G. Hero and Villain ( Good Vs Bad)
Print News - Lesson 3
L/O: To explore the regulation of printed news.
Regulation
- Regulation of any industry may be directed by government legislation or an independent authority. It controls how an industry is run and how people behave.
FOR: The news industry has too much political power and influence over British public.
AGAINST: The printed press should not be controlled by a democracy.
- Regulation is concerned with maintaining free press and the function of the Fourth Estate.
- Fourth Estate - The press and news media both explicit and implicit political issues.
- News content and information printed by the press
- Ownership and competition laws.
- The British press is self-regulated.
2011 - There was The Leveson Inquiry - Public-led inquiry into the relationship between the press and the public, police and politicians.
Recommendations:
1. Continue to be self-regulating
2. Create and new press standards body with a rigorous code of conduct.
3. Back up regulation with legislation.
Two regulatory bodies were established:
Independent Press Standard Organisation (IPSO)
Independent Monitor for the Press (IMPRESS)
IPSO
- Is NOT seen to fulfil Levinson's requirements
- In it's role it:
- Hold newspapers to account
- Protects the right of the individual
- Upholds standards of journalism
- Maintains freedom of expression for the press
- Public can complain
IMPRESS
- Became a Leveson complaint regulator in 2016
- Funded by IPRT (commercially independent from the news industry)
- First of its kind for the UK, but not received well by editors who see it as an attempt from the government to control the press.
Ownership and competition laws
- Communications Act 2003
- Enterprise Act 2002 enables directional intervention by the government if a cross-media merger raises plurality concerns.
- Prevent any one media type having too much influence
- Didn't take media changes into account
- In 2012, OFCOM recommended reviews every 4/5 years.
- 20% from controlling licences to provide ITV news.
MOCK Q3 DIRT
Explain how economic contexts, including commercial and not-for-profit funding, affect the distribution of newspapers. Refer to The Guardian and The Daily Mail to support your answers.
Mark Levels:
- Comprehensive (7-10)
- Adequate (4-6)
- Minimal (1-3)
Guardian
Funded by Scott Trust (Not-For-Profit) to avoid commercial influence
Decrease in sales:
- Contributes subscription membership(turned it around successful online)
- Lower sales can result in lower advertise.
- 15% share of market (goes back into the trust)3rd online share
- 2.8% market share
- Increased price
Daily Mail
Funded by DGM median and General Trust
- Commercial and advertising influence
- Rothmere family-media barrons (profit)
- Decrease in sales
- Won't pay as much in adverting if there are lower sales
- Online news is cheaper
- 7.7 million online
- 22.7 million online
- Price up paper
- Top of UK news market (70% population)
(link to Curran and Seaton)
Curran and Seaton: Power and Media Industries
1. Patterns of ownership and control are important in how media functions.
2. Media industries are capitalist and aim to increase concentration of ownership, this lead to a narrowing of opinions represented in the press.
3. Owners pursue profits at the expense of creativity of quality.
4. The impact of the internet on the ownership of the news it is still controlled by a oligarchy(smaller group who have control).
Hesmondhalgh: Cultural Industries
1. Cultural industries follow a capitalist pattern of increasing concentration and integration so production is owned and controlled by a few conglomerates.
2. Risk is seen in terms of loss of money. Risk is high because production costs are high.
3. Companies rely on repetition to minimise risk and cover failure repeated formats are easily recognised to audience and use copyright laws to protect products from reproducing and piracy.
Explain how economic contexts, including commercial and not-for-profit funding, affect the distribution of newspapers. Refer to The Guardian and The Daily Mail to support your answers.
The Daily Mail is funded by DMG and General Trust which is a family-media barrons which focuses solely on profit. As social-media platforms have become more widely used, it began losing profit, and then sold a producing factory, and then went online. The Daily Mail began seeing profits again as there are 7.7 million users online and 22.7 mobile users. This links with the theory of Hesmondhalgh of cultural capitalist patterns, siding with right-winged conservatives to help bring in a larger demographic. They also increased the pricing of their papers which also help inflict the increase of sales of the commercial distribution of The Daily Mail newspaper, and links with the Hesmondhalgh theory of having a risk of money. As physical newspapers become less relevant, they'll be more difficult to sell, so bumping up prices to 65p makes up their loss of money in the first place, giving The Daily Mail more profit.
Target = Guardian - donations, success = 15% share, mail adverts and clickbait = success and 20% share.
The Guardian is funded by the Scott Trust which is a not-for-profit organisation to avoid commercial influence. As social-media platforms have become widely used, The Guardian, similarly to The Daily Mail, began to lose profit. In order to restore their loses, they turned their newspapers into an online subscription, which was useful for people to access all over the world. The Guardian also lowered their sales of advertisements and focused on clickbait titles which was successful for it being printed. Being shared with Scott Trust by 15% (which is also funded The Observer) means all profits go back into The Guardian so they can continue producing papers. This links with the Hesmondhalghs theory of cultural industries as The Guardian tends to rely on repetition to minimise of risk and cover failure.
Industries such as the Guardian tends to rely on repetition to minimise of risk and cover failure.
Wednesday 30th September 2020
Case Studies
L/O: To investigate the ownership, funding, regulation, values and ideologies of the set products.
See Notes Above ^^
Livingstone and Lunt: Regulation
1. Consumers are individuals who seek private benefits from the media and require regulation to protect them from damage by the media. Citizens are social, seek public or social benefits from the media and require regulation to promote public interest.
2. Regulation in the UK is under threat by increasingly globalised industries due to technological convergence.
Culture Content
- Concentrated news ownerships supports one dimension view of British culture through news.
Wednesday 7th October 2020
Mock Question
Explain how the cultural context in how the news in produce influences the content offered to audience(10 marks 17 minutes).
Cultural context in production
Impacts content of news
Mail
Guardian
Theory
Cultural context in news produces influences in content in the Daily Mail as it's right-winged so it uses clickbait to attract the audience, tends to give out fake news, and lies to the audience willingly. This links to Hesmondhalghs theory of cultural industry following a capitalist pattern. of On the other hand, The Guardian is left-winged which does more thorough research towards their articles, giving two sides to the story and the reader can make a decision for themselves.
Wednesday 14th October
Dirt
Target Numbers: 1,2,3,5.
2 - Mixture of genres in culture context. Mixture of genres we likey(wider representation). Guardian supports post-modernism of genres.
We use a mixture of genres to show the culture context of a wider representation of our society. The Guardian
The Guardian - News Values and Bias
- Likely to prioritise: Composition over negativity, threshold, personalisation tor reflect liberal, progressive and balanced approach.
Katherine Viner (editor) describes values as agenda-setting. Stories are prioritised if they are in the public interest and reflect equality and freedom.
- She states need to report on different cultures, perspective and community services.
- Historically left of centre (liberal).
The Guardian Tech Developments:
- Recent technological developments have hit them the hardest: lowest print circulation figures of all UK dailies.
- Have responded with online issues, app and tablet edition.
- Holds 3rd largest share of combined online and print circulation.
ESSAY STRUCTURE
1 - Cultural context point
2 - Mail example
3 - Guardian example
4- Theory to link to both newspapers
Wednesday 21st October 2020
Target Audience
L/O: To investigation audiences of printed news and audience appeal
Audience profiling
- Demographics- Psychometrics (VALs)- Type: mass or niche.
Psychometrics
Mainstreamers - A person who belongs to the mainstream
Aspirers -
Succeeders
Resigned
Explores
Strugglers
Reformers
Print News Audiences
29.1 million people a month still read UK newspapers = mass audience (demographics)
51% male
55+ most likely
57% millennials
Middle (28%) and working (27%) class = psychometrics (VALs)
Aspirers, mainstreamers, reformers, the resigned and succeeders.
Target Audience Research
The Daily Mail
Demographics - 59% female, average age 59, white
Psychometrics (VALs) - 62% ABC1 (most in C1), middle class, Majority live in the South East, mainstream, resigned and succeeders
Hobbies/Interests - Read books, travelling, learning skills,
Issues they would be aware of - Right-winged political stuff
What they do with their disposable income - Average savings of £39,000
How they access media - Through paper copies of the newspaper and Facebook.
Films/Docs/Magazines/Music/Sites they like - Historical movies, listens to AC/DC, The Beatles and Stevie Wonder, live on LinkdIn and Facebook.
Types of stories that would appeal to them - Right-winged stories(conservatives)
The Guardian
Demographics - 50% female, average age 25-55+, multicultural society
Psychometrics (VALs) - 75% ABC(upper class), explorers, reformers and succeeders
Hobbies/Interests - Progressives who are interested in culture, travel and embrace technology and change.
Issues they would be aware of - Climate change, racism,
What they do with their disposable income - Travel
How they access media - Facebook and Twitter.
Films/Docs/Magazines/Music/Sites they like - Likes Elvis, James Bond, Facebook and Twitter.
Types of stories that would appeal to them - Left-winged stories(liberal)
Content and Appeal
Stories selected
- Whilst stories featured in a aper reflect the views of the owner and editor, they must also reinforce the values and interest of the target audience.
Harcup and O'Neil (2001)
1. The power elite - Stories concerning 'powerful individuals', organisations of institutions. This makes a distinction between world or business leaders and reality TV contestants, etc...
2. Celebrity -Stories concerning the already famous.
3. Entertainment - Includes stories about sex, shows business, human interest, funny stories or photos.
4. Surprise - Stories with an element of surprise and/or contrast
5. Bad news - Negative overtones(conflict, tragedy, etc...)
6. Good news - Positive overtones (rescue, miracle cures, etc...)
7. Magnitude - Stories with significant numbers of people or large impact
8. Relevance - issues perceived to be relevant to the readership. Would now include places like Magaluf, Ibiza, which might be recent to certain readerships.
9. Follow-up - Stories about subjects already in the news.
10. Newspaper agenda - Stories that fit the organisation agenda (incorporates continuing news and compositional values)
Good News - Holiday giveaway
Celebrity - Duchess of Cambridge(powerful)
Bad News - Boris quits
Surprise - Boris quitting
Relevance - Football
Magnitude - Brexit
Content and Appeal
Technical Codes
- Key codes and formatting conventions used to make the paper visually appealing
Language
- Lexis and mode of address depend on the genre, ideology and target audience.
Layout, cover lines and headlines
Weight watches recipes (good news)He finds love-with her friend(celebrity/surprise)
Colour and fonts
Black and white, sans serif font
Mode of address
Direct address
Lexis
Exclamatory sentences
Layout, cover lines and headlines
Dashes, emotive language, semantic field of "love"
Colour and fonts
Black, blue and white, sans serif font
Mode of address
3rd person
Lexis
Use of dashes to create suspense for the future of the UK
Wednesday 4th November 2020
2 - Targeting Audiences
L/O: - To explore how newspapers attract their audiences- Apply audience theory to newspapers
Bandura:
1. The media influence people directly.
2. The media can influence directly or indirectly through related platforms such as social media so we can become influenced by the media without being exposed to them.
Gerber: Cutivation Theory
1. Exposure to particular media forms, genres or content over long periods of time can cultivate and shake our behaviour. (E.g. video games = violence)
2. Repetition of negative media messages and values are likey to create "mean world syndrome" which leads to the mistrust and fear other within our society.
Hall(audience): Encoding/decoding model
Encode- Media producers encode with a preferred meaning
Decode- Dominant reading: Accepts the preferred meaning and ideological meaning.- Negotiated reading: A message seems to be "fine" but the audience disagrees.- Oppositional reading: The audience rejects the message and creates their own meaning.
How can we apply our theories to this newspaper front cover?
Bandura:
1. Weight Watchers as people could feel as if they need to lose weight as it's just as big as the head-line.
2. Use of the MailOnline influences people any and everywhere as it's easily accessible.
Gerber:
1."Agony of Ant's wife as he finds love - with HER friend" - celebrity lives which have nothing to do with us (being intrusive)
Lexis of "lets go to war" suggests that we could have a WWIII(violence = propaganda).
2. Repetition of the NHS falling apart suggests that would could end up having to pay for our healthcare because of people coming into our country and "stealing our jobs."
Hall:
Encode - Weight watches to lose weight
Decode - Oppositional meaning
Hall:
Encoding - Everyone loves Gareth Southgate
Decoding 1.Dominant - The semantic field of negativity of the lexis "May loses Johnson but faces down Brexit rebels - for now" suggests the sadness that May has lost as The Guardian is socialist and doesn't support Johnson.
2. Negotiated - The semantic field of negativity of the lexis "May loses Johnson but faces down Brexit rebels - for now" suggests that even though she lost, Boris could be of use to the nation.
3. Oppositional - The semantic field of negativity of the lexis "May loses Johnson but faces down Brexit rebels - for now" suggests that her losing is a good thing to the audience who supports the conservatives.
How do newspapers target and reach their audience with the following:
Mail
Price
Made their newspaper affordable to ABC (70p daily, Saturday being £1 and Sunday being £1.80).
Cross-platform advertising
Has the MailOnline.
Promotional offers
Range of companies such as Weight Watchers and uses discount codes and vouchers.
Subscriptions Sponsorship
Range of subscription packages.
Partnership marketing
Offers saving with Global savings Group in various retailers(partnership marketing).
Guardian
Price
Made their newspaper affordable to ABC
Cross-platform advertising
Online website
Promotional offers
Offers to supplements such as 30% off books at bookshop such as Waterstones.
Subscriptions Sponsorship
Deals with UNICEF, Unilever and Philips also sponsored by Glastonbury Festival
Partnership marketing
Contract with Yahoo to enable global reach and has donations.
Bandura:
1. The use of the semantic field of danger of the lexis "out of hours NHS hotline in meltdown" suggests that the NHS needs more support from the government which encourages to the reader to accept the Daily Mails news values and would want to give support to the NHS.
2. The concentration of the ideologies of supporting the NHS suggests that the Mail supports and values Conservative as it points out that NHS staff being overworked due to COVID, therefore they need more people in healthcare who potentially retired or unfit to come in to help and protect our nation.
Gerber 2:
Sensationalised headlines with strong emotive language by the lexis of @baby boy died after parents got wrong advice" which shows negative news values and social developments therefore seen as negative.
Wednesday 11th November 2020
Media Language
L/O: TO explore the use of media language and codes and convention in print news.
Codes:
- TECHNICAL: Camerawork, editing and MES choices that require technical equipment/skills to produce e.g. shot type, layout, etc.
- SYMBOLIC: The meaning communicated through the technical elements.
- CONVENTIONS: The generally accepted way of doing something.
Two main genres of UK national daily newspapers: tabloid and broadsheet
GENERAL DIFFERENCES: Tabloid
Size
11 x 17 inches
Lexis
Informal
Mode of Address
Direct
Headline Size
Large
Image to text ratio
Lots of images
GENERAL DIFFERENCES: Broadsheet
Size
749 x 597 mm
Lexis
Formal
Mode of Address
Indirect
Headline Size
Middle-sized
Image to text ratio
A few images
Barthes:
1. Denotations can signify connotations associated meanings for the same sign.
2. Denotations and connotation are organised into myths.
3. Myths create an ideological meaning and help ideology feel natural, real and acceptable.
Newspaper Genres
Tabloid Journalism (soft news)
News that blurs the line between information and entertainment such as celebrity gossip.
Quality Journalism (hard news)
News that are related to circumstances of a recent events or incident considered to be of significance/importance such as COVID.
Tabloidisation
Dual Convergence - Genres borrow conventions from one another.
1. Genres change or decline in popularity, both news papers decline in popularity.
2. We see a repetition in both newspapers with the same codes and conventions.
3. Broadsheet has borrowed the sizing from tabloid newspapers to save money to target to a different demographic.
Wednesday 18th November 2020
Media Language and Case Studies
L/O: To analyse the use of media language and codes and conventions in set products
The Daily Mail
- It is considered to be the first UK tabloid in terms of its journalism.
- It is considered to be a mid-market tabloid
- A newspaper that offers a mix of both soft and hard news content in its coverage of news to appeal to its target audience.
- Using your knowledge of the conventions of both tabloid and broadsheet papers, explain both tabloid and broadsheet papers, explain how to Mail has hybridised these two genres. Look at content and layout.
Tabloid - Concentrates on sensational news which is heavily illustrated in which the magazine itself is more compressed than to broadsheet. Formal lexis and has a direct mode of address with lots of images.
Broadsheet - More formal and covers mostly hard news with an indirect tone of address. It has less images than the tabloid, yet the magazine itself is larger.
The Mail has hybridised the two genres by keeping its magazine like a broadsheet with its formality, but has reduced the size of the magazine to the size of a tabloid to reduce production costs.
- The technical conventions in the Mail enables the editor to signify meaning and communicate the paper;s conservative viewpoints and ideologies.
- For example, the serif font is used for the majority of the front cover, connoting traditional values and a sense of authority - that the readers can trust their reporting.
Cover Analysis
Analyse how this cover uses Media Language to show genre, viewpoints and ideologies.
Elements to use:
- Masthead- Logo- Use of sans serif font- Colour- Skyline and puff- Headline, subheading and stand first- Byline- Main image- Captions
The masthead of serif front of "The Daily Mail" targets to an older audience because it tends connote with formality.
The logo is a lion(?) which connotes to majesty which could link with the crown on top of the shield as it's protecting royalty and serving the nation by the use of the shield. The pegasus connotes to being free and brave as it's also protecting the nation with the lion. The pegasus could also be represented with religion of greek mythology as it denotes with flying, which could connotes with flying to the heavens. More evidence of the pegasus linking with religion is by the use of the lexis on the logo, "dieu et mon droit" which translates to "God and my right" which is the motto of the Monarch of the UK. The fact the pegasus is on the right hand side connotes that the pegasus is the "God" protecting the Monarch (crown) of the UK. This links with Levi-Strauss' theory of structuralism as it shows the ideologies of The Daily Mail with their patriotic beliefs.
The Daily Mail uses the colour pallet of black and white in which they both denotes to opposites, connoting the Daily Mail respects both side of the spectrum when it comes with choosing a siding party. This attracts to the right-winged C1 target audience as they tend to want to hear both side before making an assumption, showing that the daily mail respects their ideologies of opinions.
The main image of the queen in the middle of the president of American and the first lady which connotes with the UK being surrounded by America, following in their footsteps. The mid-shot shows the body positioning, which suggests America feels awkward being in their current position.
The headline of the lexis, "The Pomp" means the president travelled overseas to visit the queen for a ceremony. The lexis of "and the pygmy" means an ethnic person who's short, suggesting the queen is ethnic(?) by the fact she's extremely short compared to the president of America.
Media Language Theory: Levi-Stauss (Structuralism)
1. This is the study of hidden rules that shape a structure to communicate ideology or myths.
2. We understand that world and our place within it based on binary oppositions. For example: night and day. We know it is not night if it is day.
The Guardian
- Historically, it as a broadsheet associated with serious journalism and hard news coverage requiring a educated reader.
- It adopted the compact (tabloid) size in January 2018.
- In doing so, it made changes to its masthead, colour palette, font and layout.
- Look at examples from pre 2108 and now. Explain the changes it made to the areas mentioned.
Pre 2018 -
Masthead - "theguardian" (lack of capitalisation)
Colour palette - Blue and white
Font - Serif
Layout - Adverts at the top and bottom, main image on the right hand side, headline quite small, above the main image.
After 2018 -
Masthead - "The Guardian" (has capitalisation for its name, spread apart, larger.)
Colour palette - Blue, white, red and yellow
Font - Serif (same)
Layout - Main image in the middle, headline at the top of the main image but bigger than before.
Media Language: Theory
Baudrillard: Postmodernism
1. Postermodern society is concerned with hyper-real simulations, play of signs and images.
2. Social distinctions are no longer rigid; difference in class, gender politics and culture become simulations.
Analyse how this cover uses Media Language to show genre, viewpoints and ideologies.
Elements to use:
- Masthead- Logo- Use of sans serif font- Colour- Skyline and puff- Headline, subheading and stand first- Byline- Main image- Captions
The Guardian Logo/masthead is in the serif font connotes to the conservative 60 year old audience due to the defined legibility. The headline has the lexis "I didn't criticise PM. That is fake news, says Trump", alongside with the low angle shot of Donald Trump looking ridiculous whilst walking alongside Theresa May. The headline co-insides with the image as it portrays Donald Trump in a negative light even though the photo is a low angle which is associated with authority. But in this case, it looks to be avoiding the PM, as if he's snickering behind her back.
Wednesday 25th November 2020
Print News: Representation
L/O: To explore the constructions of representations in papers and the impact of contexts on these representations.
Representation
- Dominant Group (DG) holds position of power within social institutions or owns the production of news.
- Many academic theorists suggest that member of the group have the following characteristics: - Middle aged- Christian - Male - Middle class- Capitalist- White- Heterosexual- Able-bodied- Western - University enclosed
Dominant Ideology - The social experience, values and beliefs of the dominant group- If there's a dominant group, there will always be an subordinate group
Contexts
Ownership
- Media barons: Media barons will feel the need to protect the dominant ideology of society.
- Journalists: They'll pick journalists who conform with society, who are more personalised.
Economic Factors
- Capitalism: Editors would represent Capitalism positively.
- Newspaper Genre: Editors would make the genre of the paper to represent their dominant target audience.
News values and political bias
- Genre: Editors would make the genre of the paper to represent their dominant target audience, therefore promoting conservative viewpoints.
- Target Audience: The target audience is the dominant ideology of white, heterosexual men
- Political Agenda: Share their current political party.
Regulation
- Free Press: Regulated by the IPSO (can't be influenced)
- Self-regulation: Newspaper doesn't have much influence.
Selection
Gatekeeping
Combination
Tabloid Covers:
- May focus of a range of stories represented in a similar way.- Usually reinforces common representation of the DG through celebrity of popular culture.-Tend to repeat representations from edition to edition so that the combination becomes naturalised, expected and accepted.
Broadsheet Covers:
- May focus of a range of stories represent in different ways.- May question common representation of the DG to encourage the reader to do the same.- Combination of content may aim to provide a range of perspectives in the chosen representations.
Selection and Combination
1. Number of stories = 3- Issues include: The royal family and Brexit- Groups represented: White, heterosexual, middle-aged, women, conservative, foreigners- Groups absent: Ethnic groups, men, young people
2. In the Sun the representations are women negative because of the headlines of the lexis in the article representing Kate Middleton, "Kate that go the cream" to make her seem like she's not appropriate for her job.
1. Number of stories = 5- Issues include: Tax, Labour, charity, models, weight-loss- Groups represented: White, conservative, men and women,Groups absent:
Stereotypes
Social Group / Common Stereotypes Found / Purpose of Negative StereotypeClass / Lower-class = negative, upper-class = positive / Negative stereotypes exist to make the upper-class feel superior Age / Young people = negative, old people = negative, middle-aged = positive / Negative stereotypes of young people as they want to make a change to society.Gender / Female = negative, male = positive / Negative stereotypes of women exist because the dominant ideology is men, portraying women as un-intelligentEthnicity / white = positive, ethnicity apart from white = negative / Negative stereotypes for other ethnicities to represent eh dominant ideology of which people (white supremacy) Disability
Realism
Realism: The presentation of something as if it were real and what we would except to see in real life.
Constructed realism: The way in which a media product uses the technical elements of media language to create a product that looks real but is a version of reality which is constructed through a series of choices made by the editor.
Van Zoonen is represented in The Sun with the use of Kate Middleton wearing a white dress with a slit in the leg which shows her femininity as a member of the royal family in a negative light.
Hall is represented by lack of diversity shown in the Sun newspaper, and the fact they insulted foreigners as be suggesting they're main source voters.
Contexts
- Different cultures do different things
What the newspaper covers -
- Editors have huge power
Money and issues behind it -
- History
Wednesday 2nd December 2020
Print News: Representation and case studies
L/O: To analyse the constructions of representations in case studies and the impact of contexts on these representations.
Industry Contexts
Daily Mail: Owner, form and current editors are all part of the dominant group. This will impact the choices in the way events, social issues and groups are represented.
- Economic and social context are all represented from a traditional perspective to reinforce the conservation values.
- As a mid-market tabloid, it has a focus on reporting national current affairs alongside celebrity or entertainment news.
- These representations rely on:- Individuals in the DG- Traditional family values- British culture/nationalism- right-winged political ideology- The conservative party - Potential negative representation of minority groups, not just through the reporting of these groups, but also by their absence.
Analysis
Comment on:- The various events, issues, social groups and individuals chosen- The connotations of those representations - The positive and negative stereotypes of class, age, gender, ethnicity and disability (CAGED)
How are events, issues, individual and social groups represented on this cover through processes of selection and combination?
- The events in this cover shows the white men protesting, representing the lack of females, which targets to the Daily Mail's dominant group of men.
- The issues in this cover the wide shot of the protests that show the lack of cultural diversity and the fact that it's male men being shown. Also represents the Daily Mail's ideology of the dominant group due to the fact of the absence of minority groups to reflects their lack of social power.
- The individuals shown in the cover are the Queen (England) and Donald Trump and his wife. The fact that both of the Americans are on both sides of the queen, overpowering her in height suggest the power that America holds on England, and the lexis of the headline, "The Pomp" meaning mafia creates fear of Americans.
- The social groups in the Daily Mail are middle class which represents the dominant class thought the images, "mob" could also suggest the mass amount of working class individuals. Alongside the shot of the protests shows the stereotypes of the middle class as portraying them as out of control and a treat to middle class values.
How does the Mail construct stereotypes to communicate and position audiences?
The Mail constructs stereotypes to communicate and position in the audience by the use of the lexis "mob" to show the chaos of the working class, as they're out of control and could be a threat to the Daily Mail's DG audience of the middle class. This will make the audience look down on working class who are liberal, whereas the middle class who support the Daily Mail are conservative.
Industry Contexts
The Guardian: Despite being owned by a trust which aims to support diversity, the members are largely white, British and middle-class. Therefore, representations from a perspective of white middle class. The editor invites columnists from a range of social groups to provide diversity. So they provide opportunities for a minority group but reflect values from a liberal middle class viewpoint. This links to the Curran and Seaton theory of historical ownership as the trust ensures ownership and control which doesn't affect the journalist values, but the target audience of the dominant group.
- As a broadsheet, it has a focus on reporting nation and global current affairs an civic issues that are of public interest, Suggests objective representations, however news values will still be applied by the editor.
- As they have a centre-left political bias, they will look to choose positive representations that support this and be critical to the dominant political group.
- Guardian staff and target audience are largely white, middle class, British and university educated. So, although it aims to construct positive representations of a range of events, issues and individuals, the perspective will always be with some bias from the DG.
Analysis
Comment on:- The various events, issues, social groups and individuals chosen- The connotations of those representations - The positive and negative stereotypes of class, age, gender, ethnicity and disability (CAGED)
How are events, issues, individual and social groups represented on this cover through processes of selection and combination?
- The issues in this cover is the main story as it represents through the main image and headline of the lexis "I didn't criticise PM. That is fake news, says Trump" is constructed in a way to may Donald Trump seem ridiculous. This indicates the Guardian's values of Trump negatively, reflecting their left-winged liberal ideologies.
- The events in the cover shows Donald Trump grasping Theresa May which represents the DG of men having control over women.
- The social groups of the Guardian is targeted to the dominant group of the middle class by the use of their lexis which suggests the target is well educated to a university level.
- The individuals in the main image are Theresa May and Donald Trump which shows two powerful individuals. But, the fact that there's a football sub-story suggests the newspaper is target to the male audience. This represents the Guardians DG again by the use of stereotypical masculine stories.
How does the Guardian construct stereotypes to communicate and position audiences?
Stereotypes are used to communicate and position audience by the use of the Guardians DG shown on the main image due to the lack of individuals and the lack of diversity in disability, which stereotypically represents them as inferior to those who aren't as able-bodied. There's also a lack of diversity when it comes to racism which could create the stereotype of the DG which support the Guardian's values and ideologies. The fact that there has been 17 IPSO cases has made them so respect due to the fact of their inaccurate stories and the invasion of privacy and intrusion which links to Livingstone and Lunt' theory.
Representation Theory
Butler: Gender Performativity -
- Gender is created in response to our performance of gender roles.
- We earn how to perform these gender roles through repetition and ritual so it becomes naturalised.
Gilroy: Ethnicity and Post-Colonialism -
- The black atlantic is transatlantic culture that is simultaneously African, America, Caribbean and British.
- Britain has failed to mourn its loss of empire, creating post-colonial melancholia, leading to a version of British Colonial history that criminalises immigrants.
- Representations support a belief in they inherent superiority of white western civilisations.
Wednesday 9th December 2020
Online News
L/O: To explore the industry, regulation and ownership of print and online, social and participatory news.
Industry
- Online news in a vital part of the business that owners look to develop.
1. Which factors have led to the increase in online news?- Decrease of paper sales, means less people are reading the news. So creating an online news subscription/website means everyone can have access to the news because of the rapid growth of technology.
2. How do owners monetise online news content?- Owners earn revenue by through advertisements of their websites, similarly to paper copies by the fact they get money through clicks/online interactions. Also some news owners have an online subscription, meaning they can get money through a subscription service annually. + donations and pay walls.
3. How has the development of technology and digital convergence impacted the production, distribution and circulation of online news?- People can read news wherever they want, more easily which creates a digital convergence around the world. This impacted the production and distribution as people are more likely to read news online therefore, editors and journalists need to create more stories quicker, and also to a wider audience. The production is also easier and cheaper so you don't need to print of the news and also you can easily edit the paper through the website. As there's more people who can access any type of news through the internet via phones etc throughout the world, online news is more likely to be circulated globally instead of nationally from printing press.
4. How is online news regulated and why is this an ongoing issue?- IPSO (Leveson) which some newspaper thinks it's a restriction to the freedom of speech. You can comment of news, and the fact that the internet isn't regulated means there's more likely to be fake news.
The Daily Mail
- The MailOnline or dailymail.co.uk was launched in 2003, rebranded in 2006.- DMGT 20.1% share of market- DMGT adapted their paper to consumer preference and capitalises new income revenues through digital content.- MailOnline platforms: desktop, mobile, tablet formats, social media- Different adverting platforms - 2017 MailOnline combined revenue £119 million 9increase of £93 million for 2016.- Shows the success of the online brand (introduce paywall)- Increase revenues and reach a wider audience
Production- Content exclusive for MailOnline (not published on print)- Employs over 800 people who post 1,500 articles and 560 videos a da- Conservative new values- Broad mic of international news (mainly UK)- Entertainment, celebrity and lifestyle news is a major component (dominated images)
Distribution- Distributed across digitally converged platform (apps)- Reduces distribution - Enables global reach for the brand- Allows the brand to attract younger audiences (rather than print)
Circulation- 2015 MailOnline is considered to be the most visited English language news website in the world- A1/3 of its daily traffic comes for USA + Australia- 15 million uses accessing its content daily- 10 million SC readers daily- Facebook page 1 billion monthly readers
Regulation- Member of IPSO (reader can complain regarding content)- Since 2015 IPSO received 39 complaints(2 upheld)- IPSO content produced by MailOnline journalists (content isn't regulated)- Journalists filet and edit content which it deemed offensive- Minimal impact: Invading privacy inaccurate information, gossipy nature of site news. (regulated by journalists.)- Significant impact: Sharing, commenting (self regulated)
TASK: 1. What impact has digital convergence had on the production, distribution and circulation of DMGT online content?
People can read news wherever they want, more easily which creates a digital convergence around the world. This impacted the Daily Mail through production and distribution as people are more likely to read news online therefore, editors and journalists need to create more stories quicker, and also to a wider audience. The production is also easier and cheaper so you don't need to print of the news and also you can easily edit the paper through the website. The Daily Mail also closed a printing factories also helped them with starting online news. As there's more people who can access any type of news through the internet via phones etc throughout the world, online news is more likely to be circulated globally instead of nationally from printing press.
2. Go to the IPSO website and find examples of complaints against MailOnline content. What features do these complain have in common? were they upheld?
- Lots of complains which tend to be about the lack of accuracy, with few investigations upheld.
3. Select two articles from the MailOnline. Look at the types of comments left by uses and explain the problems they could create for regulation.
- Explanation of comments
The Guardian
TASK: 1. What impact has digital convergence had on the production, distribution and circulation of GMG online content?
People can read news wherever they want, more easily which creates a digital convergence around the world. The production is also easier and cheaper so you don't need to print of the news and also you can easily edit the paper through the website. The Daily Mail also closed a printing factories also helped them with starting online news. As there's more people who can access any type of news through the internet via phones etc throughout the world, online news is more likely to be circulated globally instead of nationally from printing press.
2. Select two articles from theguardian.com. Look at the types of comments left by users and explain the problems they could create for regulation.
Exam Style QuestionExplain how the global cultural context in which news is produced influences the content offered to audiences. Refer to the MailOnline and theguardian.com to support your answer. [10 MARKS]
- Reflects conservative news as it's a conservative newspaper- Guardian uses postmodern mixtures of genres
Guide -
Wednesday 16th December 2020
The Guardian
What impact has digital convergence had on the production, distribution and circulation of GMG (Guardian Media Group) online content?
Digital convergence of the Guardian online has impacted the production, distribution and circulation through the four different online platforms on the desktop, mobile, tablet formats and social media.
Digital convergence has impacted the production as the online version of GMG content as it has the same values and the print version, but also the online version has a greater range of content than the print version due to the fact it's more easily and cheaper to be updated online by journalists.
Digital convergence has impacted distribution through its websites, apps and social media as it reduces its distributions costs and enhances profit from advertising, but also reaches to a global audience as its easily accessible to read anywhere.
Digital convergence has impacted the circulation of GMG online content due to the fact the website has increased its circulation by 25% since 2015 due to the increase of technology. The guardian online ha 34.7 million global users with 1.15 million users across theguardian.com by mobile or tablet.
Look at the types of comments left by users and explain the problems they could create for regulation.
(can't find the comments on the website itself so I went on their Instagram)
Article 1 - Joe Biden picks Deb Haaland as first native American interior secretary
"diversity of oppressors is not a thing to be celebrated"
"This is such great news. Such a diverse cabinet. Stark contrast to the last administrations."
Problem - They aren't regulated, so anyone can say anything even if it's hurtful.
Article 2 - King of Sweden criticises country's 'failed' Covid strategy
"And there's Britain's 67,000"
"I wonder much he got paid to say that"
Problem - The internet isn't regulated, so readers can say whatever they want even if the information is incorrect.
Explain how the global cultural context in which online news is produced influences the content different to audiences. Refer to the MailOnline and theguardian.com to support you answer.
How has the internet encouraged globalisation of news?
The internet has encouraged globalisation of news as it connects people as anyone can have access to any type of news throughout the world.
Explore a cultural context that you can link to global appeal and change in content offer to audience. Link the relevant point to the relevant newspaper.
News stories feature cultural events (such as Guy Fawkes) which would be important to the national audience, but could also educate the global audience who may become interested.
How has the MailOnline reached a global audience?
MailOnline has reached a global audience by targeting their news globally, but mainly focusing on British politics.
Give an example of the content found on the website to support your answer.
How has the GuardianOnline reached a global audience?
The GuardianOnline has reached a global audience by the use of their inclusiveness in covering art, literature, film, sports and travel. This reaches diversity of audiences around the world as it covers both UK, but global news.
Give an example of the content found on the website to support your answer.
Mention how the online version encourage readers to participate in their news stories and share these (share, comment, tips).
The online versions are much more easier to share unlike the print versions as you can share article on social media giving your personal opinion. Due to the internet not being regulated, people can say hurtful things towards the newspaper, also spreading rumours.
Allows monitoring of audience behaviour through engagement to keep up with changing global cultural context.
Postermodern mixing of genres reflects the changing of newspaper conventions, which keeps the audience engaged with the newspaper itself as it's constantly changing and adapting to current trends.
Wednesday 6th January 2021
Online News
L/O: To explore audience appeal and use of print and online, social and participatory news.
Terminology:
Ad-like
To present something to a client that's like an ad without being a full on ad itself.
Click-stream
Users activities on the internet by represented by the sequence of link they click on.
Echo chambers
Exposed only to opinions that they agree on their own.
Front door traffic
The number of readers on the news site who searched for their domain name from Google.
Audience Reach
- Advertisements aren't affective online news, so new technologies and digital convergence enables owners to reach different segments of the market at different times of the day. This allows them to extend their market reach globally and demographically.
- UK news brands have the reach of 84% of men and women, wit 88% being 18-34 year olds.
- Owner reach a millennial audience who are unlikely to read print news.
- Combined with print reach they achieve a broader cross-section of the population.
- Sold to advertisers as online news readers engage different with advertising. Meaning, digital advertising is still successful.
Echo chambers - Audiences only receive more of the same to reinforce their current likes and preferences.
How does news brands reach different audiences using online platforms and what questions this raises?
News brands reach to different audiences through digital convergence to market at different times of the day, which reaches a broader cross-section of the population as digital news is much more easier to access than print. As it's more easier to access, news can be shared through social media, meaning anyone can comment on it, even if it's offensive and incurrent. This is because the internet isn't regulated, unlike print news, digital news is more likely to receive backlash, and to a larger extent.
MailOnline
The MailOnline content is accessed by almost 13million daily browsers across its platforms.
Demographics:- 73.3% ages 35+- 26.7% aged 15-25 (print is 9.5%)- Most visits are from the ABC1 group.
DMGT argues their success is due to 'a consistent application of core principles', defined as:- Creating addictive and timely content.- Using data and analytics effectively.- Making front door traffic and engagement a priority.- Reinforcing the Daily Mail brand.- Cheap, scalable video that tells stories originally.- Content to drive direct traffic to desktop and mobile homepages.- Discount codes.
They use click streaming to analyse audiences preferences. This is seen through Editor's Six of the Best and Most Shared Right Now. These show the range of stories that appeal to their audience.
Appeal through use of news values and selection
Celebrity
Donald Trump
Entertainment
Violence
Surprise
Four people died
Bad news
Four people died because of his actions
Good news
Donald Trump admitting defeat
Relevance
American election
Follow-up
"Husband of Trump rioter and Air Force vet...cop opened fire"
News agenda
Fits with the American audience agenda
Appeal through use of technical codes and language
Layout
Headline at the top of the article, MailOnline at the top left hand on the website.
Colours
Blue and white
Font
Serif
Mode of Address
Indirect
Lexis
"I give up" - informal, easy to read
Uses and gratification of MailOnline
Personal Identity
"Are you suffering from Menopause face?" - Use of the lexis "you" gives it a sense of personal identity, and the target audience is 73% 35+ who may be relate to the article.
Information
Informing the public on current affairs.
Entertainment
People will read the news to feel to entertained as a form of escapism.
Social Interaction
People can comment on article, giving their views and interacting with other people's comments.
The Guardian
theguardian.com content is accessed by over 4million daily browsers across its platforms.
Their readers can be identified by the following demographics:- 67% aged 35+- 33% aged 15-25(print is 9.5%)- Majority of visits from ABC1 group.
Digital news provision is highly successful and they believe their audience to be very much 'consumers of content'.
Their audience can be broken down into the following:- 34.7million monthly global unique users- 24.2 million UK monthly cross-platform users
They are the market leader to analyse audience preferences. This can be seen though the most viewed section and shows readers are most interested in stories ranging from culture, sports, politics and economics.
Appeal through use of news values and selection
The Power Elite
Trump and Biden
Celebrity
Trump and Biden
Entertainment
The audience will want to know if Trump keeps his promise
Surprise
Trump finally accepting defeat
Bad News
Continues election lies
Good News
'promises orderly transition'
Magnitude
Has an impact on the American audience.
Relevance
Relevant to the American public
Follow-up
From the 2020 election results
News Agenda
Fits with the American audience agenda
Appeal through use of technical codes and language
Layout
The Guardian logo on the right hand side, headline on the top of the article.
Colours
Blue, white and yellow
Font
Serif
Mode of Address
Indirect
Lexis
Formal
Uses and gratification of theguardian.com
Personal Identity
The use of Trump and Biden create a sense of personalisation as (depending on the individual), support one of them, making the audience want to read the article.
Information
The viewers want to understand what's going on, educating themselves on the subject.
Entertainment
The audience may read the article out of enjoyment.
Social Interaction
Being able to share the article on social media means the audience can interaction with one another.
Jenkins: Fandom
- New media have enabled participatory culture where audience are active.
- Participatory audience create online communities using new media forms to develop or influence how media is consumed.
Shirky: End of Audience
- Traditional media are shaped by centralised producers.
- Audience were seen as a mass of people with predictable behaviours.
- Audience behaviour is now variable; they are prosumers who can create and shaped their own content.
- User-generated content create emotion connections.
Wednesday 13th January 2021
Online News
L/O: To analyse representations in online, social and participatory news.
ONLINE NEWS WEBSITES
Banner - Graphic display at the top and bottom of the website
Navigation Bar - Aid visitors for accessing information
Social Media Links - Such as Twitter, Facebook, etc.
Sidebar - Text that appears next to the main article
Reader sign in link - Like a hyperlink
Search Tool - For the visitors to search for specific areas.
Video Advert - An advertisement in a video, normally at the side of the website.
News content - News shown on the website.
Copy - The same article written in the newspaper, but copied onto the website.
Headline - The title of the article.
Font and Typeface - Font is the software, and typeface is the design of the characters.
Feature article - An article that deals with a particular topic.
Central Images - The main images on the article.
Advert - Normally at the side of the article, the clicks/views help pay for the online version.
Masthead - The title of the website.
Colour Palette - The main colours commonly used on the website.
Comments Button - For the audience to put their own opinions on the article.
Share Links - To share onto social media.
Page Links - Link you to other sources.
SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS
Banner - The first thing shown on your profile.
Sidebar - Such as twitter.
Masthead - The title of the specific social media.
Profile Picture - The accounts
Username - The name you choose when you sign up.
Caption - The name of the post.
Image - The image the user posts.
Community - Members can relate with common experience and interests.
Like, share, comment buttons - How to gain social interaction/followers.
Conventions
The Daily Mail on Twitter has a limit to 280 character limit, so it uses clickbait for the audience to click on the link on which is then directed onto the website.
Multiple Meanings
The Sun - Hall's Theory
The Sun uses an unflattering main image on Nicola Sturgeon to portray her in a negative light.
The masthead of The Sun is on the top left hand of the website, portraying itself as the real-life sun.
Links to Coronavirus live blog.
Use of comments.
Social Media Links.
Dominant - The audience agree with lockdown, therefore agreeing with the article.
Negotiated - The audience my agree to some extent, but disagree with other viewpoints.
Opposition - The audience disagrees with lockdown and the article entirely.
MailOnline
Which ML print front page conventions are also used on the online and SM pages?
Twitter and the MailOnline both have the main image.
Which ML conventions used on the online platforms are NOT used in the print version?
No social media links
Which ML conventions are most successfully used to connect the platforms as the same news brand?
The same profile picture, username and brand values.
Which ML conventions are used to tell audiences they can participate in the content provided?
The use of social media links and comment sections means the audience can give their own opinion to the content.
Headline - The MailOnline has taken the side of the passenger shown in the main image of the man, making him look like a friendly and reasonable person.
Main Image - The image of the passenger, makes the reader picture the person.
Comments button - Shows there are 1.2k comments, meaning it reached to a large audience.
The Guardian
Which ML print front page conventions are also used on the online and SM pages?
The Guardian's Twitter and Facebook both have the same banner.
Which ML conventions used on the online platforms are NOT used in the print version?
No social media links and no page links to direct you from the social media platform to the official website.
Which ML conventions are most successfully used to connect the platforms as the same news brand?
The use of the like comment share feature means the brand can be able to connect with the audience.
Which ML conventions are used to tell audiences they can participate in the content provided?
As the audience can comment on the social media platforms and website of The Guardian, the audience can give their own opinion on the article.
Headline - Negative light of the government.
Images - Prison to show the reader what it's like.
By-line - Taking the blame by admitting defeat.
Comments button - Shown with 181 shares directed onto social media.
Wednesday 20th January 2021
Online News
L/O: To analyse representations in online, social and participatory news.
Ideologies
Individualism - A social theory that emphasises the worth of the individual over the social group. It is associated with capitalist ideals of free enterprise, the pursuit of profit and the right to self-realisation and freedom.
Globalisation - A process by which the world is becoming increasingly interconnected due to increased trade and cultural exchange. This has seen greater trade and free movement of capital, goods and services, with the most successful companies being multi-national.
Consumerism - Encourages the acquisition of good and services in ever increasing amounts. Economic policies emphasise consumption and are linked to the idea of individualism with consumption as the free choice of the consumer. It cuts across social groups such as religion, age, gender and ethnicity in focusing on the interests of the consumer.
Mail Online
Impact of industry contexts
- The representations offered in the MailOnline, not only reflect the values and agenda of DMGT, but must also appeal to a global audience for the website to have global reach and maximise profit.
- As an online tabloid, the MailOnline focuses on reporting global human interest stories featuring celebrities and entertainment. The representations of these event, individuals and social groups rely on:
- Sensationalised, personal and emotive journalism.
- The possible prioritising of positive representations of:
1. Individuals in the family group.
2. Traditional family values.
3. Global, westernised cultural values.
4. A right-wing political ideology.
5. The values of consumerism and individualism.
- The possible prioritising of negative representations of minority groups, not just through the reporting style but also by their absence.
MailOnline Website: Identify where this can be seen and what specific representations have been constructed.
Shows soft news stories with a high social grade of A (trump), which shows western society with right-winged political ideology.
Due to the fact that there's no minority groups (race, gender, etc) suggests the negative representation of Main Online (Hall).
Representation Area
Selection and combination of content
Connotations of the representation
Events
Biden becoming president of the USA.
Taking over Trump to show that Biden is now the superior one. (White male, DG)
Issues
Right-winged newspaper.
Biden being left-winged, contradicts the MailOnline’s ideologies.
Social Groups
White.
Lack of diversity of race connotes to the Mails DG.
Individuals
Joe Biden.
Representing him in a positive light by the use of the lexis “humble”, suggesting he isn’t that bad. Mail supporting him.
Ideology
Content selected to represent ideology
Preferred meaning
Globalisation
“Reunifying America”
Suggesting America needs to be unified again, to bring people together.
Individualism
“Humble Joe Biden”
Upper-class (A), white, male, no disability shown. Mail’s ideologies suggesting he’s the right role for being president.
Consumerism
“Healing country bitterly divided after four years of Trump”
Suggesting Trump destroyed the country.
MailOnline Article
Twitter - Shows positive representation as the past presidents are wishing Biden luck whilst standing apart (COVID).
Facebook - Focuses of Clickbait head-lines to get more clicks to their page.
Dominant groups have social power: Police (shows white men), lack of diversity regards to gender and race. (Hall)
Individualism is important: People who need the vaccines, feel like they'll miss out. (Gauntlett)
Globalisation benefits society: The lexis 'biblical', is known globally(could be referenced to religion), as a large scale.
Consumerism is natural: "Storm threat to vaccines" - could affect the readers' lives as the vaccine is vital, they don't want to lose out.
Media Theory
Wednesday 27th January 2021
Online News
L/O: To analyse representations in online, social and participatory news.
The Guardian
Impact of industry contexts
- The representation offered in the guardian.com extend those from the print version but must also appeal to a global audience for the website to have global reach and maximise profit.
- As an online tabloid, it would be expected to report global human interest stories featuring celebrities and entertainment - this is hard to se when compared to other online tabloids however; its representations of these event, individuals and social groups rely on:
1. Balanced, liberal journalism.
2. Prioritising public interest stories that represent the following issues:
- Politics and current affairs.
- Social welfare.
- The arts, culture, sports and lifestyle.
- Global, westernised culture values.
- Representative diversity of social groups.
- A centre-left political ideology.
theguardian.com: specific representations that have been constructed.
Shows both soft and hard news stories such as climate change(bush fires) and politics.
Due to the fact there are no minority groups such as women, race, individuals for a different social class shown considering the Guardian is suppose to be a left-winged newspaper. This contradicts their values and ideologies.
- theguardian.com may offer a different viewpoint to other online news platforms, it is still made due consumption, thus reinforcing globalisation consumerism and individualism as ideologies.
- Consumerism allows GMG to extend the content from The Guardian across is online news platforms, building on its brand values via a loyal audience whop are encouraged to continue consuming the brand. This has increased traffic to the site and improved revenue for GMG, suggesting the representation constructed are appealing to its audience and therefore advertisers.
- This indicates that the need to increase profit doesn't have to be at the expense of finding newer reader with different news content.
Representation Area
Selection and combination of content
Connotations of the representations
Events
Schools will stay closed for even longer – 8 March.
Many students will be able to receive a proper education for even longer – putting then at a disadvantage.
Issues
Left-winged newspaper.
Boris being right-winged goes against The Guardian’s ideologies. But the story itself supports left-winged ideologies.
Social Groups
White, male.
Lack of diversity of race and gender goes against The Guardian’s ideologies, but not the DG of the company.
Individuals
Boris Johnson.
The newspaper represents Boris negatively by the lexis’ of “too slow” which suggests he only cares about himself, not the individuals of his country. The Guardian shows to support the people, not Boris.
Ideology
Content selected to represent ideology
Preferred meaning
Globalisation
“Global Coronavirus updates”
Showing the world that England still suffers from Coronavirus, and many people have died. Meaning, changes are happening constantly.
Individualism
“PM too slow to act throughout Covid pandemic”
Upper-class (A), white, male, no disability shown. Goes against The Guardian’s ideologies, not against the DG ideologies of the company itself. BUT suggests that considering these factors, Boris isn’t fit for PM due to the number of deaths he has caused.
Consumerism
“Hopes schools in England will reopen from 8 March”
Suggesting that things will be different in England from then onwards.
The Guardian Articles
Twitter - Shows positive representation as the new president of the US (same ideologies as the Guardian), that he'll take over the Covid stimulus aid himself.
Facebook - Shows suggested clickbait, but also identifies mental health and COVID-19 (popular topics).
Dominant groups have social power: Shows diversity of social groups such a race and gender. (Hall)
Individualism is complicated: "the mistrust felt by ethnic minority groups must be put aside to save lives" - Goes against The Guardian's ideologies as they're suggesting that ethnic minority groups should put their feelings aside, and just do their job. (Gauntlett)
Globalisation benefits society: "Appeal to people from ethnic minority backgrounds to be vaccinated" - Ethnic minority backgrounds shouldn't have to appeal in the first place as it's a human right. (Gilroy)
Consumerism is part of everyday life: "Reassure groups resisting inoculation" - Suggesting that it doesn't matter on your ethnicity, you'll still get vaccinated. It's a right to be vaccinated.(Gilroy)
Wednesday 3rd February 2021
News Contexts
L/O: To explore the contexts of the news industry.
Helped because of the lack of education at the time period.Printing press was able to make newspapers.
Economic= moneyNews made money
Political bias shown in newspaperspolicies of ownerships (4-5 years)
Social context is visible to everyday livesDG are represented in the newspaper industry.Reflects society an world.
It is expected from our culture (Britain), but culture is different to other parts of the world (cultural preferences).
The Guardian
Online
Historical: The digital age has decreased the printing press, therefore most newspaper companies have also gone digital (DMG).
Economic: The Guardian being liberal, but having the DG as their main journalists which control the news just to make a profit. As distribution of the print newspapers decrease, the Guardian sold one of their newspaper factories and went digital to rely on consumerist economy, and to survive.
Political: The Guardian being liberal, but having the DG as their main journalists which control the news just to make a profit. Guardian reflects their liberal political bias by the use of the insulting lexis towards conservative party member (PM Boris Johnson).
Social: The DG of the Guardian is white and male which reflects that society still hasn't changed, considering the fact the values of the Guardian itself is for the people not regarding on their gender and ethnicity.
Cultural: The Guardian presents British culture as the norm from its political viewpoints and ideologies by the use of diversity in their stories. But as there's an online version of the Guardian, people from around the world can educate themselves on British life/news.
Print
Historical: Newspapers are tone of the oldest media forms; dating back to the 17th Century in the UK. But since the 19870s, the digital age has impacted the printed press, and decreased of printing sales in the 21st Century, therefore going to digital.
Economic: The Guardian being liberal, but having the DG as their main journalists which control the news just to make a profit. Printed newspapers losing money due to the digital age, therefore, The Guardian had to close down one of their printing factories in order to save money.
Political: The Guardian is liberal, and it shows its values due to the headline "May loses Johnson...", which shows their values and ideologies due to the fact Theresa May is Conservative, but due to the dominant group of the Guardian being white, male and middle class, it also goes against their "ideologies".
Social: The dominant group of the Guardian is white, middle class, male which shows the lack of diversity within its suggested values. Considering this, the Guardians values itself is suppose to be for the people, which makes the audience/readership re-think their true intentions.
Cultural: The Guardian presents British culture as the norm from its political viewpoints and ideologies by the use of diversity in their stories. They show British culture through political figure such as Theresa May, in which would be know in British society, but not from the rest of the world due to the fact it's on print.
Daily Mail
Online
Historical: The digital age has decreased the printing press, therefore most newspaper companies have also gone digital.
Economic: The Daily Mail is a conservative paper, meaning it can spread their capitalist ideologies which can be sold for profit. As distribution of the print newspapers decreases, the urge to go digital became more needed. The Daily Mail got their own subscription service, MailOnline, to draw attention to the public via the internet.
Political: The Daily Mail being Conservative means that they can show their political opinions and report on ideologies that matter to their dominant group of white, middle class, men. The MailOnline reflects their Conservative ideologies through the article due to the lack on minority groups such as ethnicity.
Social: The DG of the MailOnline is white and male which reflects that they haven't changed even though society itself have. Due to their dominant social positions, they feel like they can disregard social issues such as race and gender, by only reporting institutions such as law, government and finance, etc.
Cultural: The MailOnline presents British culture as the norm from its political viewpoints and ideologies by the use of the lexis "storm threat to vaccines", this shows British culture s the urge to get vaccinated (COVID) is being highly pushed in the UK itself, so British citizens missing out on their vaccine due to a storm could start an uproar. As it's online people from around the world can have an insight o the weather conditions and vaccine situation in Britain.
Print
Historical: The digital age has decreased the printing press, therefore most newspaper companies have also gone digital.
Economic: The Daily Mail is Conservative, therefore, their capitalist papers can be sold to make a profit. Through consumerist economy, The Daily Mail has managed to keep selling printed papers due to the fact they're funded by DGM media and General Trust in order to keep circulating their papers.
Political: The fact that the Daily Mail is conservative, their capitalist ownerships keep them going through their ideologies. This is shown through the headline lexis, "The Pomp and the pygmy" which connotes that American values is more powerful than British values due to the fact that the Donald Trump is over powering the queen.
Social: Due to the lack of social groups represents the Daily Mail's Capitalist ideologies, suggesting the don't care about minority groups rather than to publish news to do with their readerships which shapes the readers social consciousness of society itself.
Cultural: The Daily Mail's ownerships represents British culture as one-dimensions through their conservative views of British culture which reinforces cultural norms. Showing chaos of ethnic minority groups of multiple unique individuals suggests that that the Daily Mail disagrees with the public speaking out, which shapes the future of their ideologies of the readerships opinions.
Wednesday 10th February 2021
News Exam Format
L/O: To understand the exam format for the news unit.
Questions 1
Analyse the representation in Sources A and B. Use Van Zoonen's concept of patriarchy in your answer.
Sources A and B both represent the prime minister negatively even through both newspapers share different ideology's due to The Sun being a tabloid, and The Times being a broadsheet. These can be linked through the feminist Van Zoonen due to the facial expressions of David Cameron shown in both covers.
In source A, Van Zoonen's concept of patriarchy is portrayed by the use of masculinity shown by the mise-en-scene of the white, middle-class, David Cameron's body language suggesting that men also have emotions, meaning we should pity him. This reflects the Sun's right-winged conservative ideology due to the lexis "teary PM didn't want Brexit grief", which suggests that t's not the PM's fault, and the public should pity him The Sun suggests that you(readers) should take pity to men as they're allowed to make mistakes unlike women. Whereas source B, The Times, uses Van Zoonen's concept of patriarchy as it portrays David Cameron negatively by the use of the lexis "Brexit earthquake" which suggests disaster caused by the PM. Due to The Times being mixed (centrists), it seems to be not supportive of David Cameron by the use of the medium shot of him and a woman(maybe wife), which suggests that he needs support from another person to go out, showing patriarchy of men and women.
Questions 2
How far has genre influenced the media language in Sources A and B?
In your answer you must:- Outline genre conventions in British newspapers.- Analyse the contrasting use of media language in the sources.- Make judgements and reach conclusions about how far genre has influence the media language used.
Genre has influence the media language is Sources A and B due to the British ideology society has for us, shown in the use of our lexis used in your newspapers, therefore society outside of Britain will create their own stereotypes based on the media language used.
In Source A, The Sun represents conventions of a tabloid newspaper which shows sensational news with conservative ideology shown by the lexis of the headline, "Why should I do the hard s**t?" The use of the language suggests that tabloids respect the PM, blaming the British public for Brexit. The use of the red, white and blue(in the advert), has connotations to the British flag, creating stereotypes on the British public, which is shown to the world, meaning the media is reflecting our views of British society.
In Source B, The Times represents conventions of a broadsheet newspaper which shows realistic news with centrist ideology through the lexis in the minor headline, "Prime Minister announces resignation", which shows no opinion of the Prime Minster or the general public, which doesn't create any stereotypes on either individuals. But by the use of the black and white colour pallet which suggests the newspaper has a sophisticated, middle-class, well-educated audience which in itself could create the stereotype of the readership of The Times.
In conclusion, both newspapers have different judgements towards the PM due to the fact their genre and ideologies are different, meaning the media language they use has a different impact.
Question 3
Explain how the political context in which newspapers are produced influences their ownership and regulation. Refer to the Guardian and the Daily Mail newspapers you have studied to support you answer.
Political context is shown in both The Guardian and the Daily Mail newspapers as both owners and their editors support their own political bias (either liberal or conservative), reflecting their political values in their news reporting.
The Guardian is a left winged newspaper in which is funded by Scott Trust, but the Guardian isn’t regulated by the IPSO, meaning the public can’t submit complaints, meaning the papers can self-regulate their own papers, showing what they want on their newspapers including their liberal political preferences shown through their online website(theguardian.com).
The Daily Mail is a right winged newspaper in which is owned by the DMGT within the Rothmere family for over 100 years. But due to the lack of circulation on paper sales, the Mail closed one of their printing factories and went online(MailOnline), meaning the Mail can spread their conservative political bias globally.
Question 4
Evaluate the usefulness of one of the following in understanding audience for online newspapers such as the Guardian and the Mail Online: Shirky “end of audience” theory.
The usefulness of Shirky’s end of audience can be shown on both the Guardian.com and MailOnline as traditional media (newspapers) are now online, meaning more people can access opinions of the newspaper, meaning audiences opinions/behaviours can change due to the internet, not by their own opinion("consumers are now producers").
Shirky draws attention to the potential effect of online media of news as it threatens traditional newspapers as there's less need of distribution which is shown as one of the Daily Mails newspaper factories shut down because of this, but also went online(MailOnline), which generated a larger audience globally.
As the audience is no longer passive and shown being active, meaning audiences are now reacting to media such as the share, like, comment features on online websites. This changed our behaviour as both of the Guardian and the Daily Mail both have a Twitter and Facebook, audiences can interact (comment) on them, being able to give criticism to t he editors. This could also be due to the fact that the internet isn't regulated unlike newspaper itself, therefore people don' feel pressured to not speak out of their true feelings and thoughts of particular stories in which could be possibly-click bait which could be shown on the Daily Mail.
Wednesday 10th March 2021
News: Mock
Study Sources A and B then answer all the questions in Section A.
Source A - Front cover of The Independent newspaper, 25 October 2016."The Jungle" was a refugee and migrant camp in Calais, France from January 2015 to October 2016.
Source B - Front cover of the Daily Mail newspaper, 25 October 2016.
1. Analyse the different representations of ethnicity in Sources A and B. Apply ONE appropriate theory of representation in your answer. (10 marks)
NOTESSource A - Independent is not any party, shows ethnicity, (A-C1),
Source A - Daily Mail is conservative, right-winged ideologies, dominant group, upper class A-C1, no ethnicity shown, British ideology shown
2. Sources A and B cover the same news event but from two different newspapers. (15 marks)How far has the combination of elements of media language influenced meaning in the sources?
In your answer you must:- Explain how the combination of elements of media language influences meaning in newspapers.- Analyse how media language has been used to construct meaning in the sources.- Make judgements and reach conclusions about how far the combination of elements of media language has influences meaning in the sources.
NOTESource A - "Farewell, Jungle. Hello, uncertain future" - the future of refugee and migrant camp in Calais, France suggests that even though refugees and migrants are "free", their future itself is uncertain.Source B - "YOU pay £36M for Calais clear-out", "That's what French will bill us for chaos" - says that refugees and migrants aren't worth their freedom due to money, calling them "chaos" suggests that they don't deserve the right for their freedom.
3. Explain the impact of technological developments and changing economic contexts on the cost for audiences of consuming news. Refer to The Guardian and the Daily Mail to support your answer. (10 marks)
NOTESThe Guardian - Being funded by a Scott Trust meant the Guardian's editors were less likely to lose profit when physical newspapers sales began decreasing. Therefore, they begun to run an online subscription service available to audiences to access it throughout the world. Industries such as the Guardian tends to rely on repetition of clickbait titles to minimise of risk and cover failure, attracting the audiences due to contributing to consumerist economy.
The Daily Mail - Social media platforms increasing due to the rise of technology, meaning printed news in decreasing. The Daily Mail shut down one of their printing factories, and went online (MailOnline), with 7.7 million users. Daily Mail have increased their printed papers(65p), forcing their middle-class, white, male audience to convert to online news due to physical copies of newspapers becoming less relevant, meaning they're more difficult to sell.
4. Evaluate the usefulness of one of the following theories in understanding the extent to which media ownership influences the content of news stories. (10 marks)
CURRAN AND SEATON (power and media industries)
- Patterns in ownership and control are important in how the media functions as newspapers need to create a sense of familiarity with the audience in terms of political party/stories, etc.
- Media industries are capitalist and aim to increase concentration of ownership; leads to narrowing of opinions represented in the press. This is shown in the Daily Mail as it's a capitalist newspaper in which shows their ideologies within its stories and within it's editors (dominant group).
- Owners pursue profit at the expense of quality or creativity. Due to the absurd clickbait headlines, it suggests that newspaper editors know that having clickbait headlines means more people will click/buy the magazine, meaning more profit for the newspaper conglomerate.
Culture Content
- Concentrated news ownerships supports one dimension view of British culture through news.
Wednesday 7th October 2020
Mock Question
Explain how the cultural context in how the news in produce influences the content offered to audience(10 marks 17 minutes).
Cultural context in production
Impacts content of news
Mail
Guardian
Theory
Cultural context in news produces influences in content in the Daily Mail as it's right-winged so it uses clickbait to attract the audience, tends to give out fake news, and lies to the audience willingly. This links to Hesmondhalghs theory of cultural industry following a capitalist pattern. of On the other hand, The Guardian is left-winged which does more thorough research towards their articles, giving two sides to the story and the reader can make a decision for themselves.
Wednesday 14th October
Dirt
Target Numbers: 1,2,3,5.
2 - Mixture of genres in culture context. Mixture of genres we likey(wider representation). Guardian supports post-modernism of genres.
We use a mixture of genres to show the culture context of a wider representation of our society. The Guardian
The Guardian - News Values and Bias
- Likely to prioritise: Composition over negativity, threshold, personalisation tor reflect liberal, progressive and balanced approach.
Katherine Viner (editor) describes values as agenda-setting. Stories are prioritised if they are in the public interest and reflect equality and freedom.
- She states need to report on different cultures, perspective and community services.
- Historically left of centre (liberal).
The Guardian Tech Developments:
- Recent technological developments have hit them the hardest: lowest print circulation figures of all UK dailies.
- Have responded with online issues, app and tablet edition.
- Holds 3rd largest share of combined online and print circulation.
ESSAY STRUCTURE
1 - Cultural context point
2 - Mail example
3 - Guardian example
4- Theory to link to both newspapers
Wednesday 21st October 2020
Target Audience
L/O: To investigation audiences of printed news and audience appeal
Audience profiling
- Demographics
- Psychometrics (VALs)
- Type: mass or niche.
Psychometrics
Mainstreamers - A person who belongs to the mainstream
Aspirers -
Succeeders
Resigned
Explores
Strugglers
Reformers
Print News Audiences
29.1 million people a month still read UK newspapers = mass audience (demographics)
51% male
55+ most likely
57% millennials
Middle (28%) and working (27%) class = psychometrics (VALs)
Aspirers, mainstreamers, reformers, the resigned and succeeders.
Target Audience Research
The Daily Mail
Demographics - 59% female, average age 59, white
Psychometrics (VALs) - 62% ABC1 (most in C1), middle class, Majority live in the South East, mainstream, resigned and succeeders
Hobbies/Interests - Read books, travelling, learning skills,
Issues they would be aware of - Right-winged political stuff
What they do with their disposable income - Average savings of £39,000
How they access media - Through paper copies of the newspaper and Facebook.
Films/Docs/Magazines/Music/Sites they like - Historical movies, listens to AC/DC, The Beatles and Stevie Wonder, live on LinkdIn and Facebook.
Types of stories that would appeal to them - Right-winged stories(conservatives)
The Guardian
Demographics - 50% female, average age 25-55+, multicultural society
Psychometrics (VALs) - 75% ABC(upper class), explorers, reformers and succeeders
Hobbies/Interests - Progressives who are interested in culture, travel and embrace technology and change.
Issues they would be aware of - Climate change, racism,
What they do with their disposable income - Travel
How they access media - Facebook and Twitter.
Films/Docs/Magazines/Music/Sites they like - Likes Elvis, James Bond, Facebook and Twitter.
Types of stories that would appeal to them - Left-winged stories(liberal)
Content and Appeal
Stories selected
- Whilst stories featured in a aper reflect the views of the owner and editor, they must also reinforce the values and interest of the target audience.
Harcup and O'Neil (2001)
1. The power elite - Stories concerning 'powerful individuals', organisations of institutions. This makes a distinction between world or business leaders and reality TV contestants, etc...
2. Celebrity -Stories concerning the already famous.
3. Entertainment - Includes stories about sex, shows business, human interest, funny stories or photos.
4. Surprise - Stories with an element of surprise and/or contrast
5. Bad news - Negative overtones(conflict, tragedy, etc...)
6. Good news - Positive overtones (rescue, miracle cures, etc...)
7. Magnitude - Stories with significant numbers of people or large impact
8. Relevance - issues perceived to be relevant to the readership. Would now include places like Magaluf, Ibiza, which might be recent to certain readerships.
9. Follow-up - Stories about subjects already in the news.
10. Newspaper agenda - Stories that fit the organisation agenda (incorporates continuing news and compositional values)
Good News - Holiday giveaway
Celebrity - Duchess of Cambridge(powerful)
Bad News - Boris quits
Surprise - Boris quitting
Relevance - Football
Magnitude - Brexit
Content and Appeal
Technical Codes
- Key codes and formatting conventions used to make the paper visually appealing
Language
- Lexis and mode of address depend on the genre, ideology and target audience.
Layout, cover lines and headlines
Weight watches recipes (good news)
He finds love-with her friend(celebrity/surprise)
Colour and fonts
Black and white, sans serif font
Mode of address
Direct address
Lexis
Exclamatory sentences
Layout, cover lines and headlines
Dashes, emotive language, semantic field of "love"
Colour and fonts
Black, blue and white, sans serif font
Mode of address
3rd person
Lexis
Use of dashes to create suspense for the future of the UK
Wednesday 4th November 2020
2 - Targeting Audiences
L/O: - To explore how newspapers attract their audiences
- Apply audience theory to newspapers
Bandura:
1. The media influence people directly.
2. The media can influence directly or indirectly through related platforms such as social media so we can become influenced by the media without being exposed to them.
Gerber: Cutivation Theory
1. Exposure to particular media forms, genres or content over long periods of time can cultivate and shake our behaviour. (E.g. video games = violence)
2. Repetition of negative media messages and values are likey to create "mean world syndrome" which leads to the mistrust and fear other within our society.
Hall(audience): Encoding/decoding model
Encode
- Media producers encode with a preferred meaning
Decode
- Dominant reading: Accepts the preferred meaning and ideological meaning.
- Negotiated reading: A message seems to be "fine" but the audience disagrees.
- Oppositional reading: The audience rejects the message and creates their own meaning.
Bandura:
1. Weight Watchers as people could feel as if they need to lose weight as it's just as big as the head-line.
2. Use of the MailOnline influences people any and everywhere as it's easily accessible.
Gerber:
1."Agony of Ant's wife as he finds love - with HER friend" - celebrity lives which have nothing to do with us (being intrusive)
Lexis of "lets go to war" suggests that we could have a WWIII(violence = propaganda).
2. Repetition of the NHS falling apart suggests that would could end up having to pay for our healthcare because of people coming into our country and "stealing our jobs."
Hall:
Encode - Weight watches to lose weight
Decode - Oppositional meaning
Hall:
Encoding - Everyone loves Gareth Southgate
Decoding
1.Dominant - The semantic field of negativity of the lexis "May loses Johnson but faces down Brexit rebels - for now" suggests the sadness that May has lost as The Guardian is socialist and doesn't support Johnson.
2. Negotiated - The semantic field of negativity of the lexis "May loses Johnson but faces down Brexit rebels - for now" suggests that even though she lost, Boris could be of use to the nation.
3. Oppositional - The semantic field of negativity of the lexis "May loses Johnson but faces down Brexit rebels - for now" suggests that her losing is a good thing to the audience who supports the conservatives.
How do newspapers target and reach their audience with the following:
Mail
Price
Made their newspaper affordable to ABC (70p daily, Saturday being £1 and Sunday being £1.80).
Cross-platform advertising
Has the MailOnline.
Promotional offers
Range of companies such as Weight Watchers and uses discount codes and vouchers.
Subscriptions Sponsorship
Range of subscription packages.
Partnership marketing
Offers saving with Global savings Group in various retailers(partnership marketing).
Guardian
Price
Made their newspaper affordable to ABC
Cross-platform advertising
Online website
Promotional offers
Offers to supplements such as 30% off books at bookshop such as Waterstones.
Subscriptions Sponsorship
Deals with UNICEF, Unilever and Philips also sponsored by Glastonbury Festival
Partnership marketing
Contract with Yahoo to enable global reach and has donations.
Bandura:
1. The use of the semantic field of danger of the lexis "out of hours NHS hotline in meltdown" suggests that the NHS needs more support from the government which encourages to the reader to accept the Daily Mails news values and would want to give support to the NHS.
2. The concentration of the ideologies of supporting the NHS suggests that the Mail supports and values Conservative as it points out that NHS staff being overworked due to COVID, therefore they need more people in healthcare who potentially retired or unfit to come in to help and protect our nation.
Gerber 2:
Sensationalised headlines with strong emotive language by the lexis of @baby boy died after parents got wrong advice" which shows negative news values and social developments therefore seen as negative.
Wednesday 11th November 2020
Media Language
L/O: TO explore the use of media language and codes and convention in print news.
Codes:
- TECHNICAL: Camerawork, editing and MES choices that require technical equipment/skills to produce e.g. shot type, layout, etc.
- SYMBOLIC: The meaning communicated through the technical elements.
- CONVENTIONS: The generally accepted way of doing something.
Two main genres of UK national daily newspapers: tabloid and broadsheet
GENERAL DIFFERENCES: Tabloid
Size
11 x 17 inches
Lexis
Informal
Mode of Address
Direct
Headline Size
Large
Image to text ratio
Lots of images
GENERAL DIFFERENCES: Broadsheet
Size
749 x 597 mm
Lexis
Formal
Mode of Address
Indirect
Headline Size
Middle-sized
Image to text ratio
A few images
Barthes:
1. Denotations can signify connotations associated meanings for the same sign.
2. Denotations and connotation are organised into myths.
3. Myths create an ideological meaning and help ideology feel natural, real and acceptable.
Newspaper Genres
Tabloid Journalism (soft news)
News that blurs the line between information and entertainment such as celebrity gossip.
Quality Journalism (hard news)
News that are related to circumstances of a recent events or incident considered to be of significance/importance such as COVID.
Tabloidisation
Dual Convergence - Genres borrow conventions from one another.
1. Genres change or decline in popularity, both news papers decline in popularity.
2. We see a repetition in both newspapers with the same codes and conventions.
3. Broadsheet has borrowed the sizing from tabloid newspapers to save money to target to a different demographic.
Wednesday 18th November 2020
Media Language and Case Studies
L/O: To analyse the use of media language and codes and conventions in set products
The Daily Mail
- It is considered to be the first UK tabloid in terms of its journalism.
- It is considered to be a mid-market tabloid
- A newspaper that offers a mix of both soft and hard news content in its coverage of news to appeal to its target audience.
- Using your knowledge of the conventions of both tabloid and broadsheet papers, explain both tabloid and broadsheet papers, explain how to Mail has hybridised these two genres. Look at content and layout.
Tabloid - Concentrates on sensational news which is heavily illustrated in which the magazine itself is more compressed than to broadsheet. Formal lexis and has a direct mode of address with lots of images.
Broadsheet - More formal and covers mostly hard news with an indirect tone of address. It has less images than the tabloid, yet the magazine itself is larger.
The Mail has hybridised the two genres by keeping its magazine like a broadsheet with its formality, but has reduced the size of the magazine to the size of a tabloid to reduce production costs.
- The technical conventions in the Mail enables the editor to signify meaning and communicate the paper;s conservative viewpoints and ideologies.
- For example, the serif font is used for the majority of the front cover, connoting traditional values and a sense of authority - that the readers can trust their reporting.
Cover Analysis
Analyse how this cover uses Media Language to show genre, viewpoints and ideologies.
Elements to use:
- Masthead
- Logo
- Use of sans serif font
- Colour
- Skyline and puff
- Headline, subheading and stand first
- Byline
- Main image
- Captions
The masthead of serif front of "The Daily Mail" targets to an older audience because it tends connote with formality.
The logo is a lion(?) which connotes to majesty which could link with the crown on top of the shield as it's protecting royalty and serving the nation by the use of the shield. The pegasus connotes to being free and brave as it's also protecting the nation with the lion. The pegasus could also be represented with religion of greek mythology as it denotes with flying, which could connotes with flying to the heavens. More evidence of the pegasus linking with religion is by the use of the lexis on the logo, "dieu et mon droit" which translates to "God and my right" which is the motto of the Monarch of the UK. The fact the pegasus is on the right hand side connotes that the pegasus is the "God" protecting the Monarch (crown) of the UK. This links with Levi-Strauss' theory of structuralism as it shows the ideologies of The Daily Mail with their patriotic beliefs.
The Daily Mail uses the colour pallet of black and white in which they both denotes to opposites, connoting the Daily Mail respects both side of the spectrum when it comes with choosing a siding party. This attracts to the right-winged C1 target audience as they tend to want to hear both side before making an assumption, showing that the daily mail respects their ideologies of opinions.
The main image of the queen in the middle of the president of American and the first lady which connotes with the UK being surrounded by America, following in their footsteps. The mid-shot shows the body positioning, which suggests America feels awkward being in their current position.
The headline of the lexis, "The Pomp" means the president travelled overseas to visit the queen for a ceremony. The lexis of "and the pygmy" means an ethnic person who's short, suggesting the queen is ethnic(?) by the fact she's extremely short compared to the president of America.
Media Language Theory: Levi-Stauss (Structuralism)
1. This is the study of hidden rules that shape a structure to communicate ideology or myths.
2. We understand that world and our place within it based on binary oppositions. For example: night and day. We know it is not night if it is day.
The Guardian
- Historically, it as a broadsheet associated with serious journalism and hard news coverage requiring a educated reader.
- It adopted the compact (tabloid) size in January 2018.
- In doing so, it made changes to its masthead, colour palette, font and layout.
- Look at examples from pre 2108 and now. Explain the changes it made to the areas mentioned.
Pre 2018 -
Masthead - "theguardian" (lack of capitalisation)
Colour palette - Blue and white
Font - Serif
Layout - Adverts at the top and bottom, main image on the right hand side, headline quite small, above the main image.
After 2018 -
Masthead - "The Guardian" (has capitalisation for its name, spread apart, larger.)
Colour palette - Blue, white, red and yellow
Font - Serif (same)
Layout - Main image in the middle, headline at the top of the main image but bigger than before.
Media Language: Theory
Baudrillard: Postmodernism
1. Postermodern society is concerned with hyper-real simulations, play of signs and images.
2. Social distinctions are no longer rigid; difference in class, gender politics and culture become simulations.
Analyse how this cover uses Media Language to show genre, viewpoints and ideologies.
Elements to use:
- Masthead
- Logo
- Use of sans serif font
- Colour
- Skyline and puff
- Headline, subheading and stand first
- Byline
- Main image
- Captions
The Guardian Logo/masthead is in the serif font connotes to the conservative 60 year old audience due to the defined legibility. The headline has the lexis "I didn't criticise PM. That is fake news, says Trump", alongside with the low angle shot of Donald Trump looking ridiculous whilst walking alongside Theresa May. The headline co-insides with the image as it portrays Donald Trump in a negative light even though the photo is a low angle which is associated with authority. But in this case, it looks to be avoiding the PM, as if he's snickering behind her back.
Wednesday 25th November 2020
Print News: Representation
L/O: To explore the constructions of representations in papers and the impact of contexts on these representations.
Representation
- Dominant Group (DG) holds position of power within social institutions or owns the production of news.
- Many academic theorists suggest that member of the group have the following characteristics:
- Middle aged
- Christian
- Male
- Middle class
- Capitalist
- White
- Heterosexual
- Able-bodied
- Western
- University enclosed
Dominant Ideology - The social experience, values and beliefs of the dominant group
- If there's a dominant group, there will always be an subordinate group
Contexts
Ownership
- Media barons: Media barons will feel the need to protect the dominant ideology of society.
- Journalists: They'll pick journalists who conform with society, who are more personalised.
Economic Factors
- Capitalism: Editors would represent Capitalism positively.
- Newspaper Genre: Editors would make the genre of the paper to represent their dominant target audience.
News values and political bias
- Genre: Editors would make the genre of the paper to represent their dominant target audience, therefore promoting conservative viewpoints.
- Target Audience: The target audience is the dominant ideology of white, heterosexual men
- Political Agenda: Share their current political party.
Regulation
- Free Press: Regulated by the IPSO (can't be influenced)
- Self-regulation: Newspaper doesn't have much influence.
Selection
Gatekeeping
Combination
Tabloid Covers:
- May focus of a range of stories represented in a similar way.
- Usually reinforces common representation of the DG through celebrity of popular culture.
-Tend to repeat representations from edition to edition so that the combination becomes naturalised, expected and accepted.
Broadsheet Covers:
- May focus of a range of stories represent in different ways.
- May question common representation of the DG to encourage the reader to do the same.
- Combination of content may aim to provide a range of perspectives in the chosen representations.
Selection and Combination
1. Number of stories = 3
- Issues include: The royal family and Brexit
- Groups represented: White, heterosexual, middle-aged, women, conservative, foreigners
- Groups absent: Ethnic groups, men, young people
2. In the Sun the representations are women negative because of the headlines of the lexis in the article representing Kate Middleton, "Kate that go the cream" to make her seem like she's not appropriate for her job.
1. Number of stories = 5
- Issues include: Tax, Labour, charity, models, weight-loss
- Groups represented: White, conservative, men and women,
Groups absent:
Stereotypes
Social Group / Common Stereotypes Found / Purpose of Negative Stereotype
Class / Lower-class = negative, upper-class = positive / Negative stereotypes exist to make the upper-class feel superior
Age / Young people = negative, old people = negative, middle-aged = positive / Negative stereotypes of young people as they want to make a change to society.
Gender / Female = negative, male = positive / Negative stereotypes of women exist because the dominant ideology is men, portraying women as un-intelligent
Ethnicity / white = positive, ethnicity apart from white = negative / Negative stereotypes for other ethnicities to represent eh dominant ideology of which people (white supremacy)
Disability
Realism
Realism: The presentation of something as if it were real and what we would except to see in real life.
Constructed realism: The way in which a media product uses the technical elements of media language to create a product that looks real but is a version of reality which is constructed through a series of choices made by the editor.
Van Zoonen is represented in The Sun with the use of Kate Middleton wearing a white dress with a slit in the leg which shows her femininity as a member of the royal family in a negative light.
Hall is represented by lack of diversity shown in the Sun newspaper, and the fact they insulted foreigners as be suggesting they're main source voters.
Contexts
- Different cultures do different things What the newspaper covers -
- Editors have huge powerMoney and issues behind it -
- HistoryWednesday 2nd December 2020
Print News: Representation and case studies
L/O: To analyse the constructions of representations in case studies and the impact of contexts on these representations.
Industry Contexts
Daily Mail: Owner, form and current editors are all part of the dominant group. This will impact the choices in the way events, social issues and groups are represented.
- Economic and social context are all represented from a traditional perspective to reinforce the conservation values.
- As a mid-market tabloid, it has a focus on reporting national current affairs alongside celebrity or entertainment news.
- These representations rely on:
- Individuals in the DG
- Traditional family values
- British culture/nationalism
- right-winged political ideology
- The conservative party
- Potential negative representation of minority groups, not just through the reporting of these groups, but also by their absence.
Analysis
Comment on:
- The various events, issues, social groups and individuals chosen
- The connotations of those representations
- The positive and negative stereotypes of class, age, gender, ethnicity and disability (CAGED)
How are events, issues, individual and social groups represented on this cover through processes of selection and combination?
- The events in this cover shows the white men protesting, representing the lack of females, which targets to the Daily Mail's dominant group of men.
- The issues in this cover the wide shot of the protests that show the lack of cultural diversity and the fact that it's male men being shown. Also represents the Daily Mail's ideology of the dominant group due to the fact of the absence of minority groups to reflects their lack of social power.
- The individuals shown in the cover are the Queen (England) and Donald Trump and his wife. The fact that both of the Americans are on both sides of the queen, overpowering her in height suggest the power that America holds on England, and the lexis of the headline, "The Pomp" meaning mafia creates fear of Americans.
- The social groups in the Daily Mail are middle class which represents the dominant class thought the images, "mob" could also suggest the mass amount of working class individuals. Alongside the shot of the protests shows the stereotypes of the middle class as portraying them as out of control and a treat to middle class values.
How does the Mail construct stereotypes to communicate and position audiences?
The Mail constructs stereotypes to communicate and position in the audience by the use of the lexis "mob" to show the chaos of the working class, as they're out of control and could be a threat to the Daily Mail's DG audience of the middle class. This will make the audience look down on working class who are liberal, whereas the middle class who support the Daily Mail are conservative.
Industry Contexts
The Guardian: Despite being owned by a trust which aims to support diversity, the members are largely white, British and middle-class. Therefore, representations from a perspective of white middle class. The editor invites columnists from a range of social groups to provide diversity. So they provide opportunities for a minority group but reflect values from a liberal middle class viewpoint. This links to the Curran and Seaton theory of historical ownership as the trust ensures ownership and control which doesn't affect the journalist values, but the target audience of the dominant group.
- As a broadsheet, it has a focus on reporting nation and global current affairs an civic issues that are of public interest, Suggests objective representations, however news values will still be applied by the editor.
- As they have a centre-left political bias, they will look to choose positive representations that support this and be critical to the dominant political group.
- Guardian staff and target audience are largely white, middle class, British and university educated. So, although it aims to construct positive representations of a range of events, issues and individuals, the perspective will always be with some bias from the DG.
Analysis
Comment on:
- The various events, issues, social groups and individuals chosen
- The connotations of those representations
- The positive and negative stereotypes of class, age, gender, ethnicity and disability (CAGED)
How are events, issues, individual and social groups represented on this cover through processes of selection and combination?
- The issues in this cover is the main story as it represents through the main image and headline of the lexis "I didn't criticise PM. That is fake news, says Trump" is constructed in a way to may Donald Trump seem ridiculous. This indicates the Guardian's values of Trump negatively, reflecting their left-winged liberal ideologies.
- The events in the cover shows Donald Trump grasping Theresa May which represents the DG of men having control over women.
- The social groups of the Guardian is targeted to the dominant group of the middle class by the use of their lexis which suggests the target is well educated to a university level.
- The individuals in the main image are Theresa May and Donald Trump which shows two powerful individuals. But, the fact that there's a football sub-story suggests the newspaper is target to the male audience. This represents the Guardians DG again by the use of stereotypical masculine stories.
How does the Guardian construct stereotypes to communicate and position audiences?
Stereotypes are used to communicate and position audience by the use of the Guardians DG shown on the main image due to the lack of individuals and the lack of diversity in disability, which stereotypically represents them as inferior to those who aren't as able-bodied. There's also a lack of diversity when it comes to racism which could create the stereotype of the DG which support the Guardian's values and ideologies. The fact that there has been 17 IPSO cases has made them so respect due to the fact of their inaccurate stories and the invasion of privacy and intrusion which links to Livingstone and Lunt' theory.
Representation Theory
Butler: Gender Performativity -
- Gender is created in response to our performance of gender roles.
- We earn how to perform these gender roles through repetition and ritual so it becomes naturalised.
Gilroy: Ethnicity and Post-Colonialism -
- The black atlantic is transatlantic culture that is simultaneously African, America, Caribbean and British.
- Britain has failed to mourn its loss of empire, creating post-colonial melancholia, leading to a version of British Colonial history that criminalises immigrants.
- Representations support a belief in they inherent superiority of white western civilisations.
Wednesday 9th December 2020
Online News
L/O: To explore the industry, regulation and ownership of print and online, social and participatory news.
Industry
- Online news in a vital part of the business that owners look to develop.
1. Which factors have led to the increase in online news?
- Decrease of paper sales, means less people are reading the news. So creating an online news subscription/website means everyone can have access to the news because of the rapid growth of technology.
2. How do owners monetise online news content?
- Owners earn revenue by through advertisements of their websites, similarly to paper copies by the fact they get money through clicks/online interactions. Also some news owners have an online subscription, meaning they can get money through a subscription service annually. + donations and pay walls.
3. How has the development of technology and digital convergence impacted the production, distribution and circulation of online news?
- People can read news wherever they want, more easily which creates a digital convergence around the world. This impacted the production and distribution as people are more likely to read news online therefore, editors and journalists need to create more stories quicker, and also to a wider audience. The production is also easier and cheaper so you don't need to print of the news and also you can easily edit the paper through the website. As there's more people who can access any type of news through the internet via phones etc throughout the world, online news is more likely to be circulated globally instead of nationally from printing press.
4. How is online news regulated and why is this an ongoing issue?
- IPSO (Leveson) which some newspaper thinks it's a restriction to the freedom of speech. You can comment of news, and the fact that the internet isn't regulated means there's more likely to be fake news.
The Daily Mail
- The MailOnline or dailymail.co.uk was launched in 2003, rebranded in 2006.
- DMGT 20.1% share of market
- DMGT adapted their paper to consumer preference and capitalises new income revenues through digital content.
- MailOnline platforms: desktop, mobile, tablet formats, social media
- Different adverting platforms
- 2017 MailOnline combined revenue £119 million 9increase of £93 million for 2016.
- Shows the success of the online brand (introduce paywall)
- Increase revenues and reach a wider audience
Production
- Content exclusive for MailOnline (not published on print)
- Employs over 800 people who post 1,500 articles and 560 videos a da
- Conservative new values
- Broad mic of international news (mainly UK)
- Entertainment, celebrity and lifestyle news is a major component (dominated images)
Distribution
- Distributed across digitally converged platform (apps)
- Reduces distribution
- Enables global reach for the brand
- Allows the brand to attract younger audiences (rather than print)
Circulation
- 2015 MailOnline is considered to be the most visited English language news website in the world
- A1/3 of its daily traffic comes for USA + Australia
- 15 million uses accessing its content daily
- 10 million SC readers daily
- Facebook page 1 billion monthly readers
Regulation
- Member of IPSO (reader can complain regarding content)
- Since 2015 IPSO received 39 complaints(2 upheld)
- IPSO content produced by MailOnline journalists (content isn't regulated)
- Journalists filet and edit content which it deemed offensive
- Minimal impact: Invading privacy inaccurate information, gossipy nature of site news. (regulated by journalists.)
- Significant impact: Sharing, commenting (self regulated)
TASK:
1. What impact has digital convergence had on the production, distribution and circulation of DMGT online content?
People can read news wherever they want, more easily which creates a digital convergence around the world. This impacted the Daily Mail through production and distribution as people are more likely to read news online therefore, editors and journalists need to create more stories quicker, and also to a wider audience. The production is also easier and cheaper so you don't need to print of the news and also you can easily edit the paper through the website. The Daily Mail also closed a printing factories also helped them with starting online news. As there's more people who can access any type of news through the internet via phones etc throughout the world, online news is more likely to be circulated globally instead of nationally from printing press.
2. Go to the IPSO website and find examples of complaints against MailOnline content. What features do these complain have in common? were they upheld?
- Lots of complains which tend to be about the lack of accuracy, with few investigations upheld.
3. Select two articles from the MailOnline. Look at the types of comments left by uses and explain the problems they could create for regulation.
- Explanation of comments
The Guardian
TASK:
1. What impact has digital convergence had on the production, distribution and circulation of GMG online content?
People can read news wherever they want, more easily which creates a digital convergence around the world. The production is also easier and cheaper so you don't need to print of the news and also you can easily edit the paper through the website. The Daily Mail also closed a printing factories also helped them with starting online news. As there's more people who can access any type of news through the internet via phones etc throughout the world, online news is more likely to be circulated globally instead of nationally from printing press.
2. Select two articles from theguardian.com. Look at the types of comments left by users and explain the problems they could create for regulation.
Exam Style Question
Explain how the global cultural context in which news is produced influences the content offered to audiences. Refer to the MailOnline and theguardian.com to support your answer. [10 MARKS]
- Reflects conservative news as it's a conservative newspaper
- Guardian uses postmodern mixtures of genres
Guide -
Wednesday 16th December 2020
The Guardian
What impact has digital convergence had on the production, distribution and circulation of GMG (Guardian Media Group) online content?
Digital convergence of the Guardian online has impacted the production, distribution and circulation through the four different online platforms on the desktop, mobile, tablet formats and social media.
Digital convergence has impacted the production as the online version of GMG content as it has the same values and the print version, but also the online version has a greater range of content than the print version due to the fact it's more easily and cheaper to be updated online by journalists.
Digital convergence has impacted distribution through its websites, apps and social media as it reduces its distributions costs and enhances profit from advertising, but also reaches to a global audience as its easily accessible to read anywhere.
Digital convergence has impacted the circulation of GMG online content due to the fact the website has increased its circulation by 25% since 2015 due to the increase of technology. The guardian online ha 34.7 million global users with 1.15 million users across theguardian.com by mobile or tablet.
Look at the types of comments left by users and explain the problems they could create for regulation.
(can't find the comments on the website itself so I went on their Instagram)
Article 1 - Joe Biden picks Deb Haaland as first native American interior secretary
"diversity of oppressors is not a thing to be celebrated"
"This is such great news. Such a diverse cabinet. Stark contrast to the last administrations."
Problem - They aren't regulated, so anyone can say anything even if it's hurtful.
Article 2 - King of Sweden criticises country's 'failed' Covid strategy
"And there's Britain's 67,000"
"I wonder much he got paid to say that"
Problem - The internet isn't regulated, so readers can say whatever they want even if the information is incorrect.
Explain how the global cultural context in which online news is produced influences the content different to audiences. Refer to the MailOnline and theguardian.com to support you answer.
How has the internet encouraged globalisation of news?
The internet has encouraged globalisation of news as it connects people as anyone can have access to any type of news throughout the world.
Explore a cultural context that you can link to global appeal and change in content offer to audience. Link the relevant point to the relevant newspaper.
News stories feature cultural events (such as Guy Fawkes) which would be important to the national audience, but could also educate the global audience who may become interested.
How has the MailOnline reached a global audience?
MailOnline has reached a global audience by targeting their news globally, but mainly focusing on British politics.
Give an example of the content found on the website to support your answer.
How has the GuardianOnline reached a global audience?
The GuardianOnline has reached a global audience by the use of their inclusiveness in covering art, literature, film, sports and travel. This reaches diversity of audiences around the world as it covers both UK, but global news.
Give an example of the content found on the website to support your answer.
Mention how the online version encourage readers to participate in their news stories and share these (share, comment, tips).
The online versions are much more easier to share unlike the print versions as you can share article on social media giving your personal opinion. Due to the internet not being regulated, people can say hurtful things towards the newspaper, also spreading rumours.
Allows monitoring of audience behaviour through engagement to keep up with changing global cultural context.
Postermodern mixing of genres reflects the changing of newspaper conventions, which keeps the audience engaged with the newspaper itself as it's constantly changing and adapting to current trends.
Wednesday 6th January 2021
Online News
L/O: To explore audience appeal and use of print and online, social and participatory news.
Terminology:
Ad-like
To present something to a client that's like an ad without being a full on ad itself.
Click-stream
Users activities on the internet by represented by the sequence of link they click on.
Echo chambers
Exposed only to opinions that they agree on their own.
Front door traffic
The number of readers on the news site who searched for their domain name from Google.
Audience Reach
- Advertisements aren't affective online news, so new technologies and digital convergence enables owners to reach different segments of the market at different times of the day. This allows them to extend their market reach globally and demographically.
- UK news brands have the reach of 84% of men and women, wit 88% being 18-34 year olds.
- Owner reach a millennial audience who are unlikely to read print news.
- Combined with print reach they achieve a broader cross-section of the population.
- Sold to advertisers as online news readers engage different with advertising. Meaning, digital advertising is still successful.
Echo chambers - Audiences only receive more of the same to reinforce their current likes and preferences.
How does news brands reach different audiences using online platforms and what questions this raises?
News brands reach to different audiences through digital convergence to market at different times of the day, which reaches a broader cross-section of the population as digital news is much more easier to access than print. As it's more easier to access, news can be shared through social media, meaning anyone can comment on it, even if it's offensive and incurrent. This is because the internet isn't regulated, unlike print news, digital news is more likely to receive backlash, and to a larger extent.
MailOnline
The MailOnline content is accessed by almost 13million daily browsers across its platforms.
Demographics:
- 73.3% ages 35+
- 26.7% aged 15-25 (print is 9.5%)
- Most visits are from the ABC1 group.
DMGT argues their success is due to 'a consistent application of core principles', defined as:
- Creating addictive and timely content.
- Using data and analytics effectively.
- Making front door traffic and engagement a priority.
- Reinforcing the Daily Mail brand.
- Cheap, scalable video that tells stories originally.
- Content to drive direct traffic to desktop and mobile homepages.
- Discount codes.
They use click streaming to analyse audiences preferences. This is seen through Editor's Six of the Best and Most Shared Right Now. These show the range of stories that appeal to their audience.
Appeal through use of news values and selection
Celebrity
Donald Trump
Entertainment
Violence
Surprise
Four people died
Bad news
Four people died because of his actions
Good news
Donald Trump admitting defeat
Relevance
American election
Follow-up
"Husband of Trump rioter and Air Force vet...cop opened fire"
News agenda
Fits with the American audience agenda
Appeal through use of technical codes and language
Layout
Headline at the top of the article, MailOnline at the top left hand on the website.
Colours
Blue and white
Font
Serif
Mode of Address
Indirect
Lexis
Uses and gratification of MailOnline
Personal Identity
"Are you suffering from Menopause face?" - Use of the lexis "you" gives it a sense of personal identity, and the target audience is 73% 35+ who may be relate to the article.
Information
Informing the public on current affairs.
Entertainment
People will read the news to feel to entertained as a form of escapism.
Social Interaction
People can comment on article, giving their views and interacting with other people's comments.
The Guardian
theguardian.com content is accessed by over 4million daily browsers across its platforms.
Their readers can be identified by the following demographics:
- 67% aged 35+
- 33% aged 15-25(print is 9.5%)
- Majority of visits from ABC1 group.
Digital news provision is highly successful and they believe their audience to be very much 'consumers of content'.
Their audience can be broken down into the following:
- 34.7million monthly global unique users
- 24.2 million UK monthly cross-platform users
They are the market leader to analyse audience preferences. This can be seen though the most viewed section and shows readers are most interested in stories ranging from culture, sports, politics and economics.
Appeal through use of news values and selection
The Power Elite
Trump and Biden
Celebrity
Trump and Biden
Entertainment
The audience will want to know if Trump keeps his promise
Surprise
Trump finally accepting defeat
Bad News
Continues election lies
Good News
'promises orderly transition'
Magnitude
Has an impact on the American audience.
Relevance
Relevant to the American public
Follow-up
From the 2020 election results
News Agenda
Fits with the American audience agenda
Appeal through use of technical codes and language
Layout
The Guardian logo on the right hand side, headline on the top of the article.
Colours
Blue, white and yellow
Font
Serif
Mode of Address
Indirect
Lexis
Formal
Uses and gratification of theguardian.com
Personal Identity
The use of Trump and Biden create a sense of personalisation as (depending on the individual), support one of them, making the audience want to read the article.
Information
The viewers want to understand what's going on, educating themselves on the subject.
Entertainment
The audience may read the article out of enjoyment.
Social Interaction
Being able to share the article on social media means the audience can interaction with one another.
Jenkins: Fandom
- New media have enabled participatory culture where audience are active.
- Participatory audience create online communities using new media forms to develop or influence how media is consumed.
Shirky: End of Audience
- Traditional media are shaped by centralised producers.
- Audience were seen as a mass of people with predictable behaviours.
- Audience behaviour is now variable; they are prosumers who can create and shaped their own content.
- User-generated content create emotion connections.
Wednesday 13th January 2021
Online News
L/O: To analyse representations in online, social and participatory news.
ONLINE NEWS WEBSITES
Banner - Graphic display at the top and bottom of the website
Navigation Bar - Aid visitors for accessing information
Social Media Links - Such as Twitter, Facebook, etc.
Sidebar - Text that appears next to the main article
Reader sign in link - Like a hyperlink
Search Tool - For the visitors to search for specific areas.
Video Advert - An advertisement in a video, normally at the side of the website.
News content - News shown on the website.
Copy - The same article written in the newspaper, but copied onto the website.
Headline - The title of the article.
Font and Typeface - Font is the software, and typeface is the design of the characters.
Feature article - An article that deals with a particular topic.
Central Images - The main images on the article.
Advert - Normally at the side of the article, the clicks/views help pay for the online version.
Masthead - The title of the website.
Colour Palette - The main colours commonly used on the website.
Comments Button - For the audience to put their own opinions on the article.
Share Links - To share onto social media.
Page Links - Link you to other sources.
SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS
Banner - The first thing shown on your profile.
Sidebar - Such as twitter.
Masthead - The title of the specific social media.
Profile Picture - The accounts
Username - The name you choose when you sign up.
Caption - The name of the post.
Image - The image the user posts.
Community - Members can relate with common experience and interests.
Like, share, comment buttons - How to gain social interaction/followers.
Conventions
The Daily Mail on Twitter has a limit to 280 character limit, so it uses clickbait for the audience to click on the link on which is then directed onto the website.
Multiple Meanings
The Sun - Hall's Theory
The Sun uses an unflattering main image on Nicola Sturgeon to portray her in a negative light.
Links to Coronavirus live blog.
Use of comments.
Social Media Links.
Dominant - The audience agree with lockdown, therefore agreeing with the article.
Negotiated - The audience my agree to some extent, but disagree with other viewpoints.
Opposition - The audience disagrees with lockdown and the article entirely.
MailOnline
Which ML print front page conventions are also used on the online and SM pages?
Twitter and the MailOnline both have the main image.
Which ML conventions used on the online platforms are NOT used in the print version?
No social media links
Which ML conventions are most successfully used to connect the platforms as the same news brand?
The same profile picture, username and brand values.
Which ML conventions are used to tell audiences they can participate in the content provided?
The use of social media links and comment sections means the audience can give their own opinion to the content.
Main Image - The image of the passenger, makes the reader picture the person.
Comments button - Shows there are 1.2k comments, meaning it reached to a large audience.
The Guardian
Which ML print front page conventions are also used on the online and SM pages?
The Guardian's Twitter and Facebook both have the same banner.
Which ML conventions used on the online platforms are NOT used in the print version?
No social media links and no page links to direct you from the social media platform to the official website.
Which ML conventions are most successfully used to connect the platforms as the same news brand?
The use of the like comment share feature means the brand can be able to connect with the audience.
Which ML conventions are used to tell audiences they can participate in the content provided?
As the audience can comment on the social media platforms and website of The Guardian, the audience can give their own opinion on the article.
Images - Prison to show the reader what it's like.
By-line - Taking the blame by admitting defeat.
Comments button - Shown with 181 shares directed onto social media.
Wednesday 20th January 2021
Online News
L/O: To analyse representations in online, social and participatory news.
Ideologies
Individualism - A social theory that emphasises the worth of the individual over the social group. It is associated with capitalist ideals of free enterprise, the pursuit of profit and the right to self-realisation and freedom.
Globalisation - A process by which the world is becoming increasingly interconnected due to increased trade and cultural exchange. This has seen greater trade and free movement of capital, goods and services, with the most successful companies being multi-national.
Consumerism - Encourages the acquisition of good and services in ever increasing amounts. Economic policies emphasise consumption and are linked to the idea of individualism with consumption as the free choice of the consumer. It cuts across social groups such as religion, age, gender and ethnicity in focusing on the interests of the consumer.
Mail Online
Impact of industry contexts
- The representations offered in the MailOnline, not only reflect the values and agenda of DMGT, but must also appeal to a global audience for the website to have global reach and maximise profit.
- As an online tabloid, the MailOnline focuses on reporting global human interest stories featuring celebrities and entertainment. The representations of these event, individuals and social groups rely on:
- Sensationalised, personal and emotive journalism.
- The possible prioritising of positive representations of:
1. Individuals in the family group.
2. Traditional family values.
3. Global, westernised cultural values.
4. A right-wing political ideology.
5. The values of consumerism and individualism.
- The possible prioritising of negative representations of minority groups, not just through the reporting style but also by their absence.
MailOnline Website: Identify where this can be seen and what specific representations have been constructed.
Shows soft news stories with a high social grade of A (trump), which shows western society with right-winged political ideology.
Due to the fact that there's no minority groups (race, gender, etc) suggests the negative representation of Main Online (Hall).
Representation Area | Selection and combination of content | Connotations of the representation |
Events | Biden becoming president of the USA. | Taking over Trump to show that Biden is now the superior one. (White male, DG) |
Issues | Right-winged newspaper. | Biden being left-winged, contradicts the MailOnline’s ideologies. |
Social Groups | White. | Lack of diversity of race connotes to the Mails DG. |
Individuals | Joe Biden. | Representing him in a positive light by the use of the lexis “humble”, suggesting he isn’t that bad. Mail supporting him. |
Ideology | Content selected to represent ideology | Preferred meaning |
Globalisation | “Reunifying America” | Suggesting America needs to be unified again, to bring people together. |
Individualism | “Humble Joe Biden” | Upper-class (A), white, male, no disability shown. Mail’s ideologies suggesting he’s the right role for being president. |
Consumerism | “Healing country bitterly divided after four years of Trump” | Suggesting Trump destroyed the country. |
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MailOnline Article
Twitter - Shows positive representation as the past presidents are wishing Biden luck whilst standing apart (COVID).
Facebook - Focuses of Clickbait head-lines to get more clicks to their page.
Dominant groups have social power: Police (shows white men), lack of diversity regards to gender and race. (Hall)
Individualism is important: People who need the vaccines, feel like they'll miss out. (Gauntlett)
Globalisation benefits society: The lexis 'biblical', is known globally(could be referenced to religion), as a large scale.
Consumerism is natural: "Storm threat to vaccines" - could affect the readers' lives as the vaccine is vital, they don't want to lose out.
Media Theory
Wednesday 27th January 2021
Online News
L/O: To analyse representations in online, social and participatory news.
The Guardian
Impact of industry contexts
- The representation offered in the guardian.com extend those from the print version but must also appeal to a global audience for the website to have global reach and maximise profit.
- As an online tabloid, it would be expected to report global human interest stories featuring celebrities and entertainment - this is hard to se when compared to other online tabloids however; its representations of these event, individuals and social groups rely on:
1. Balanced, liberal journalism.
2. Prioritising public interest stories that represent the following issues:
- Politics and current affairs.
- Social welfare.
- The arts, culture, sports and lifestyle.
- Global, westernised culture values.
- Representative diversity of social groups.
- A centre-left political ideology.
theguardian.com: specific representations that have been constructed.
Shows both soft and hard news stories such as climate change(bush fires) and politics.
Due to the fact there are no minority groups such as women, race, individuals for a different social class shown considering the Guardian is suppose to be a left-winged newspaper. This contradicts their values and ideologies.
- theguardian.com may offer a different viewpoint to other online news platforms, it is still made due consumption, thus reinforcing globalisation consumerism and individualism as ideologies.
- Consumerism allows GMG to extend the content from The Guardian across is online news platforms, building on its brand values via a loyal audience whop are encouraged to continue consuming the brand. This has increased traffic to the site and improved revenue for GMG, suggesting the representation constructed are appealing to its audience and therefore advertisers.
- This indicates that the need to increase profit doesn't have to be at the expense of finding newer reader with different news content.
Representation Area | Selection and combination of content | Connotations of the representations |
Events | Schools will stay closed for even longer – 8 March. | Many students will be able to receive a proper education for even longer – putting then at a disadvantage.
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Issues | Left-winged newspaper. | Boris being right-winged goes against The Guardian’s ideologies. But the story itself supports left-winged ideologies.
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Social Groups
| White, male.
| Lack of diversity of race and gender goes against The Guardian’s ideologies, but not the DG of the company.
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Individuals | Boris Johnson. | The newspaper represents Boris negatively by the lexis’ of “too slow” which suggests he only cares about himself, not the individuals of his country. The Guardian shows to support the people, not Boris. |
Ideology | Content selected to represent ideology | Preferred meaning |
Globalisation | “Global Coronavirus updates” | Showing the world that England still suffers from Coronavirus, and many people have died. Meaning, changes are happening constantly. |
Individualism | “PM too slow to act throughout Covid pandemic” | Upper-class (A), white, male, no disability shown. Goes against The Guardian’s ideologies, not against the DG ideologies of the company itself. BUT suggests that considering these factors, Boris isn’t fit for PM due to the number of deaths he has caused. |
Consumerism | “Hopes schools in England will reopen from 8 March” | Suggesting that things will be different in England from then onwards. |
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The Guardian Articles
Facebook - Shows suggested clickbait, but also identifies mental health and COVID-19 (popular topics).
Dominant groups have social power: Shows diversity of social groups such a race and gender. (Hall)
Individualism is complicated: "the mistrust felt by ethnic minority groups must be put aside to save lives" - Goes against The Guardian's ideologies as they're suggesting that ethnic minority groups should put their feelings aside, and just do their job. (Gauntlett)
Globalisation benefits society: "Appeal to people from ethnic minority backgrounds to be vaccinated" - Ethnic minority backgrounds shouldn't have to appeal in the first place as it's a human right. (Gilroy)
Consumerism is part of everyday life: "Reassure groups resisting inoculation" - Suggesting that it doesn't matter on your ethnicity, you'll still get vaccinated. It's a right to be vaccinated.(Gilroy)
Wednesday 3rd February 2021
News Contexts
L/O: To explore the contexts of the news industry.
Helped because of the lack of education at the time period.
Printing press was able to make newspapers.
Economic= money
News made money
Political bias shown in newspapers
policies of ownerships (4-5 years)
Social context is visible to everyday lives
DG are represented in the newspaper industry.
Reflects society an world.
It is expected from our culture (Britain), but culture is different to other parts of the world (cultural preferences).
The Guardian
Online
Historical: The digital age has decreased the printing press, therefore most newspaper companies have also gone digital (DMG).
Economic: The Guardian being liberal, but having the DG as their main journalists which control the news just to make a profit. As distribution of the print newspapers decrease, the Guardian sold one of their newspaper factories and went digital to rely on consumerist economy, and to survive.
Political: The Guardian being liberal, but having the DG as their main journalists which control the news just to make a profit. Guardian reflects their liberal political bias by the use of the insulting lexis towards conservative party member (PM Boris Johnson).
Social: The DG of the Guardian is white and male which reflects that society still hasn't changed, considering the fact the values of the Guardian itself is for the people not regarding on their gender and ethnicity.
Cultural: The Guardian presents British culture as the norm from its political viewpoints and ideologies by the use of diversity in their stories. But as there's an online version of the Guardian, people from around the world can educate themselves on British life/news.
Print
Historical: Newspapers are tone of the oldest media forms; dating back to the 17th Century in the UK. But since the 19870s, the digital age has impacted the printed press, and decreased of printing sales in the 21st Century, therefore going to digital.
Economic: The Guardian being liberal, but having the DG as their main journalists which control the news just to make a profit. Printed newspapers losing money due to the digital age, therefore, The Guardian had to close down one of their printing factories in order to save money.
Political: The Guardian is liberal, and it shows its values due to the headline "May loses Johnson...", which shows their values and ideologies due to the fact Theresa May is Conservative, but due to the dominant group of the Guardian being white, male and middle class, it also goes against their "ideologies".
Social: The dominant group of the Guardian is white, middle class, male which shows the lack of diversity within its suggested values. Considering this, the Guardians values itself is suppose to be for the people, which makes the audience/readership re-think their true intentions.
Cultural: The Guardian presents British culture as the norm from its political viewpoints and ideologies by the use of diversity in their stories. They show British culture through political figure such as Theresa May, in which would be know in British society, but not from the rest of the world due to the fact it's on print.
Daily Mail
Online
Historical: The digital age has decreased the printing press, therefore most newspaper companies have also gone digital.
Economic: The Daily Mail is a conservative paper, meaning it can spread their capitalist ideologies which can be sold for profit. As distribution of the print newspapers decreases, the urge to go digital became more needed. The Daily Mail got their own subscription service, MailOnline, to draw attention to the public via the internet.
Political: The Daily Mail being Conservative means that they can show their political opinions and report on ideologies that matter to their dominant group of white, middle class, men. The MailOnline reflects their Conservative ideologies through the article due to the lack on minority groups such as ethnicity.
Social: The DG of the MailOnline is white and male which reflects that they haven't changed even though society itself have. Due to their dominant social positions, they feel like they can disregard social issues such as race and gender, by only reporting institutions such as law, government and finance, etc.
Cultural: The MailOnline presents British culture as the norm from its political viewpoints and ideologies by the use of the lexis "storm threat to vaccines", this shows British culture s the urge to get vaccinated (COVID) is being highly pushed in the UK itself, so British citizens missing out on their vaccine due to a storm could start an uproar. As it's online people from around the world can have an insight o the weather conditions and vaccine situation in Britain.
Print
Historical: The digital age has decreased the printing press, therefore most newspaper companies have also gone digital.
Economic: The Daily Mail is Conservative, therefore, their capitalist papers can be sold to make a profit. Through consumerist economy, The Daily Mail has managed to keep selling printed papers due to the fact they're funded by DGM media and General Trust in order to keep circulating their papers.
Political: The fact that the Daily Mail is conservative, their capitalist ownerships keep them going through their ideologies. This is shown through the headline lexis, "The Pomp and the pygmy" which connotes that American values is more powerful than British values due to the fact that the Donald Trump is over powering the queen.
Social: Due to the lack of social groups represents the Daily Mail's Capitalist ideologies, suggesting the don't care about minority groups rather than to publish news to do with their readerships which shapes the readers social consciousness of society itself.
Cultural: The Daily Mail's ownerships represents British culture as one-dimensions through their conservative views of British culture which reinforces cultural norms. Showing chaos of ethnic minority groups of multiple unique individuals suggests that that the Daily Mail disagrees with the public speaking out, which shapes the future of their ideologies of the readerships opinions.
Wednesday 10th February 2021
News Exam Format
L/O: To understand the exam format for the news unit.
Questions 1
Analyse the representation in Sources A and B. Use Van Zoonen's concept of patriarchy in your answer.
Sources A and B both represent the prime minister negatively even through both newspapers share different ideology's due to The Sun being a tabloid, and The Times being a broadsheet. These can be linked through the feminist Van Zoonen due to the facial expressions of David Cameron shown in both covers.
In source A, Van Zoonen's concept of patriarchy is portrayed by the use of masculinity shown by the mise-en-scene of the white, middle-class, David Cameron's body language suggesting that men also have emotions, meaning we should pity him. This reflects the Sun's right-winged conservative ideology due to the lexis "teary PM didn't want Brexit grief", which suggests that t's not the PM's fault, and the public should pity him The Sun suggests that you(readers) should take pity to men as they're allowed to make mistakes unlike women. Whereas source B, The Times, uses Van Zoonen's concept of patriarchy as it portrays David Cameron negatively by the use of the lexis "Brexit earthquake" which suggests disaster caused by the PM. Due to The Times being mixed (centrists), it seems to be not supportive of David Cameron by the use of the medium shot of him and a woman(maybe wife), which suggests that he needs support from another person to go out, showing patriarchy of men and women.
Questions 2
How far has genre influenced the media language in Sources A and B?
In your answer you must:
- Outline genre conventions in British newspapers.
- Analyse the contrasting use of media language in the sources.
- Make judgements and reach conclusions about how far genre has influence the media language used.
Genre has influence the media language is Sources A and B due to the British ideology society has for us, shown in the use of our lexis used in your newspapers, therefore society outside of Britain will create their own stereotypes based on the media language used.
In Source A, The Sun represents conventions of a tabloid newspaper which shows sensational news with conservative ideology shown by the lexis of the headline, "Why should I do the hard s**t?" The use of the language suggests that tabloids respect the PM, blaming the British public for Brexit. The use of the red, white and blue(in the advert), has connotations to the British flag, creating stereotypes on the British public, which is shown to the world, meaning the media is reflecting our views of British society.
In Source B, The Times represents conventions of a broadsheet newspaper which shows realistic news with centrist ideology through the lexis in the minor headline, "Prime Minister announces resignation", which shows no opinion of the Prime Minster or the general public, which doesn't create any stereotypes on either individuals. But by the use of the black and white colour pallet which suggests the newspaper has a sophisticated, middle-class, well-educated audience which in itself could create the stereotype of the readership of The Times.
In conclusion, both newspapers have different judgements towards the PM due to the fact their genre and ideologies are different, meaning the media language they use has a different impact.
Question 3
Explain how the political context in which newspapers are produced influences their ownership and regulation. Refer to the Guardian and the Daily Mail newspapers you have studied to support you answer.
Political context is shown in both The Guardian and the Daily Mail newspapers as both owners and their editors support their own political bias (either liberal or conservative), reflecting their political values in their news reporting.
The Guardian is a left winged newspaper in which is funded by Scott Trust, but the Guardian isn’t regulated by the IPSO, meaning the public can’t submit complaints, meaning the papers can self-regulate their own papers, showing what they want on their newspapers including their liberal political preferences shown through their online website(theguardian.com).
The Daily Mail is a right winged newspaper in which is owned by the DMGT within the Rothmere family for over 100 years. But due to the lack of circulation on paper sales, the Mail closed one of their printing factories and went online(MailOnline), meaning the Mail can spread their conservative political bias globally.
Question 4
Evaluate the usefulness of one of the following in understanding audience for online newspapers such as the Guardian and the Mail Online: Shirky “end of audience” theory.
The usefulness of Shirky’s end of audience can be shown on both the Guardian.com and MailOnline as traditional media (newspapers) are now online, meaning more people can access opinions of the newspaper, meaning audiences opinions/behaviours can change due to the internet, not by their own opinion("consumers are now producers").
Shirky draws attention to the potential effect of online media of news as it threatens traditional newspapers as there's less need of distribution which is shown as one of the Daily Mails newspaper factories shut down because of this, but also went online(MailOnline), which generated a larger audience globally.
As the audience is no longer passive and shown being active, meaning audiences are now reacting to media such as the share, like, comment features on online websites. This changed our behaviour as both of the Guardian and the Daily Mail both have a Twitter and Facebook, audiences can interact (comment) on them, being able to give criticism to t he editors. This could also be due to the fact that the internet isn't regulated unlike newspaper itself, therefore people don' feel pressured to not speak out of their true feelings and thoughts of particular stories in which could be possibly-click bait which could be shown on the Daily Mail.
Wednesday 10th March 2021
News: Mock
Study Sources A and B then answer all the questions in Section A.
Source A - Front cover of The Independent newspaper, 25 October 2016.
"The Jungle" was a refugee and migrant camp in Calais, France from January 2015 to October 2016.
Source B - Front cover of the Daily Mail newspaper, 25 October 2016.
1. Analyse the different representations of ethnicity in Sources A and B. Apply ONE appropriate theory of representation in your answer. (10 marks)
NOTES
Source A - Independent is not any party, shows ethnicity, (A-C1),
Source A - Daily Mail is conservative, right-winged ideologies, dominant group, upper class A-C1, no ethnicity shown, British ideology shown
2. Sources A and B cover the same news event but from two different newspapers. (15 marks)
How far has the combination of elements of media language influenced meaning in the sources?
In your answer you must:
- Explain how the combination of elements of media language influences meaning in newspapers.
- Analyse how media language has been used to construct meaning in the sources.
- Make judgements and reach conclusions about how far the combination of elements of media language has influences meaning in the sources.
NOTE
Source A - "Farewell, Jungle. Hello, uncertain future" - the future of refugee and migrant camp in Calais, France suggests that even though refugees and migrants are "free", their future itself is uncertain.
Source B - "YOU pay £36M for Calais clear-out", "That's what French will bill us for chaos" - says that refugees and migrants aren't worth their freedom due to money, calling them "chaos" suggests that they don't deserve the right for their freedom.
3. Explain the impact of technological developments and changing economic contexts on the cost for audiences of consuming news. Refer to The Guardian and the Daily Mail to support your answer. (10 marks)
NOTES
The Guardian - Being funded by a Scott Trust meant the Guardian's editors were less likely to lose profit when physical newspapers sales began decreasing. Therefore, they begun to run an online subscription service available to audiences to access it throughout the world. Industries such as the Guardian tends to rely on repetition of clickbait titles to minimise of risk and cover failure, attracting the audiences due to contributing to consumerist economy.
The Daily Mail - Social media platforms increasing due to the rise of technology, meaning printed news in decreasing. The Daily Mail shut down one of their printing factories, and went online (MailOnline), with 7.7 million users. Daily Mail have increased their printed papers(65p), forcing their middle-class, white, male audience to convert to online news due to physical copies of newspapers becoming less relevant, meaning they're more difficult to sell.
4. Evaluate the usefulness of one of the following theories in understanding the extent to which media ownership influences the content of news stories. (10 marks)
CURRAN AND SEATON (power and media industries)
- Patterns in ownership and control are important in how the media functions as newspapers need to create a sense of familiarity with the audience in terms of political party/stories, etc.
- Media industries are capitalist and aim to increase concentration of ownership; leads to narrowing of opinions represented in the press. This is shown in the Daily Mail as it's a capitalist newspaper in which shows their ideologies within its stories and within it's editors (dominant group).
- Owners pursue profit at the expense of quality or creativity. Due to the absurd clickbait headlines, it suggests that newspaper editors know that having clickbait headlines means more people will click/buy the magazine, meaning more profit for the newspaper conglomerate.
24/9/2020
ReplyDeleteTarget: Cover Guardian now and 7.
See DIRT starter work through the improvements.
12/10/20
ReplyDeleteGood start:
Target areas: 1, 2, 3, 5.
Ensure you cover both newspapers.
4/11/20
ReplyDeleteThorough notes and good use of technical language.
Remember that the Daily Mail is right wing which is Conservative not Labour.
18/11/20
ReplyDeletePlease complete the homework set, which was to finish off the annotation of the front cover of the newspaper as detailed on my blog. Try to add more details to your notes, these are your revision tools for the exam.
2/12/20
ReplyDeleteTarget: 3-Apply theory to case study examples where possible.
11/1/21- Excellent notes, well done, keep it up.
ReplyDelete18/1/2021- thorough research examples and amazing notes, well done!
ReplyDeleteTarget: try to put your notes now into full sentences to answer the questions as an overall exam style response.
20/1/21- excellent notes, well done.
ReplyDelete27/1/21- Excellent notes well done.
ReplyDelete3/2/21- Excellent notes here and also brilliant examples chosen to explore contexts.
ReplyDelete10/2/21- Good answers started here, For Q1 you would need to explore further the representation of Patriarchy that is presented in both papers, how is it reinforced and how is it reinforced in politics as a whole through the newspaper front covers.
ReplyDeleteQ2Good start- Here to take it further you would need to comment on the difference in the genre of Broadsheet and tabloid, this would also need to include a little history of what to expect from each and how each reinforces that. If you could then explore the difference in font, colour, image and lexis this would highlight the difference in genre using media language.
Have a go at Q3 and Q4.