HW - News 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 your answer. [10 marks]

The political context of both the guardian and the daily mail have significant impacts in the ways in which they’re owned and regulated. The newspapers political status influences its content, quality, opinions on public issues, but perhaps only to a certain level.

The Guardian is a left wing quality newspaper which supports the labour party. It is owned by The independent Scotts trust, a charity which supports values such as diversity and empowerment. The ownership of the guardian may be influenced by its political support for labour, which also encourages such values. This is seen in almost all of the covers and news stories of the guardian, which address issues relating to diversity or equality. The cover featuring Meghan Markle gives the message of Britain needing to accept ethnic diversity. The guardian also focuses on serious matters such as Brexit, the British education system, making audiences aware of their responsibility as citizens, mirroring the attitude of labour. The daily mail is a popular right wing newspaper, owned by daily mail and general trust which is under the control of Lord Rothermere, its chairman. His support for the conservative party is seen in the content of the daily mail, which often publishes its support for Theresa may , the royal family. Overall, the political context of newspapers significantly impacts its ownership often reflected through the content.

The Political context of newspapers also influences the ways in which they’re regulated. Press Freedom is a core value in the news industry, it gives journalists the freedom to openly support or criticize issues. Newspapers are not owned by a government body making them free to publish without government interference. It can be said that because of press freedom the political context of the guardian and daily mail cannot fully dominate its regulation. This may be why the guardian often publishes its criticism of the government e.g. lack of support for those in poverty. The daily mail openly publishes soft news such as celebrity gossip on its covers. However, despite the existence of press freedom both the guardian and the daily mail are often regulated according to their political status. The front covers of the daily mail almost always supports members of the royal family, and create a moral panic regarding the Muslim population.

Overall, it can be said that the political context of the guardian and the daily mail has a significant influence on the way their ownership and regulation. Although the political status of both newspapers largely influences ownership, impacting its content and opinions, it has limited control over the way both papers are regulated.

HW questions - News

Q1 Analyse the different representations of gender, social class, ethnicity in Sources A and B. Apply one appropriate theory of representation in your answer.

Sources A and B show news coverage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, in relation to their royal wedding. The cover for the Sun features the couple together, and constructs Meghan in a rather negative way, whereas the front cover for the Times creates a more positive presentation of Meghan and her mother.

Source A shows the front cover of the sun, a popular newspaper. The main image on the cover is of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. When studied in terms of gender it can be said that this cover constructs a negative representation of gender, especially of Meghan as a woman. She is highly sexualised and objectified. She is wearing a red dress which reveals her cleavage, red lipstick. There is a  high level of makeup almost trying to make her look white, hence undermining her ethnicity. These features represent Meghan as a stereotypical western woman, which is conventional of The Sun. Furthermore, the headline addresses Meghan as ‘Princess pushy’ suggesting how she is dominating and bossy. The subheading ‘she’s met her Prince Charles’ implies the idea that women need men in their life. Zoonen’s theory of gender is applicable to this cover. Zoonen argues that in the media women are almost always an object and men are the spectacle. In this cover Meghan is clearly objectified, which Zoonen would argue is done to maintain patriarchy.

The second cover is from the Times, a quality newspaper, featuring Meghan and her mother quite positively. In the main image we see them smiling and close together connoting a loving and caring relationship between the two. Meghan’s mother is shot slightly in front of Meghan suggesting how she is protective of her daughter. The fact that two ethnic minority women are being featured on the front cover is in itself an achievement from the regular coverage of white, objectified women across newspapers. The long shot shows that they’re both wearing simple dresses which do not objectify or sexualise them in any way. This cover seems to undermine Zoonen’s theory, as it portrays Meghan and her mother in a quite graceful and respectable manner. However, the clothing is quite British in terms of style and colours, black, white and navy blue, perhaps showing the desperation of Meghan’s family to fit into British culture. The main headline ‘Welcome to the family’ creates a feeling them and us, it is as if the royal family is doing Meghan a favour by accepting her.

Overall, it can be argued that the two front covers from The Sun and The Times construct two very different representations of gender, when studied in relation to Zoonens theory. The cover for The Sun reinforces the stereotypes of objectification and sexualisation which Zoonen discusses, through the highly sexualised depiction of Meghan. However, the cover from The Times refutes Zoonens ideas and it does not present women as objects but rather as powerful individuals, about to be a part of the royal family.

Q2: Q2. Sources A and B cover the same news event but are from two different newspapers. 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 influenced meaning in the sources. [15 marks]

Sources A and B both rely heavily on media language in order to present two alternative presentation of the same event. The sun largely follows the conventions associated with popular newspapers while the times shows a quality newspaper approach. Aspects of both newspapers such as mode of address, ideology and layout of page largely influence the meaning in both sources.

The Sun is a popular newspaper, owned by News Corporation, often supporting the ideologies of the conservative party. The page has a very crowded composition, with many headlines, captions and subheadings, the largest words on the page are ‘Princess Pushy’ written next to the image of Meghan, making us assume that she is the princess pushy. The fact that Meghan is dolled up supports this idea. The mode of address is very informal and easily understood keeping in line with the popular genre. The page is also crowded in terms of the many news stories it focuses on, the royal wedding, football, Remembrance Day, Christmas. Similarly the page is crowded with various images, the main image of harry and Meghan, at the top we see Lionel Messi, an image of a poppy. A crowded layout is a traditional convention of the Sun, but it can be said that this element creates a negative image of the newspaper, as it is interpreted to be for the lower class, the uneducated, who take joy in simple language, imagery and entertainment.  The Sun featuring stories which are to do with British history and traditions such as the royal family, remembrance day, Christmas show its support for the conservative party.

The times is a quality newspaper which also supports the conservative party. The layout the page is neat and clear as the texts and images are separate. There is more use of text than image because quality newspapers seek to inform rather than entertain readers. The colours are very subtle; black, blue and white. The use of just one image of Meghan and her mother adds value to the cover, showing how it’s for the well-educated, upper/middle class readers.  The main headline ‘Welcome to the family’ creates a very warm feeling about the royal family, presenting them as friendly people, tolerant to diversity despite being a traditional institution. In fact the whole cover focuses on just one event, every subheading and caption links to the royal wedding, e.g. ‘key role of Prince Charles’, ‘The order of service’. This idea is supported by the smiling image of Meghan and her mother, they look as if they’re been well looked after. It can be said that the Times purposely constructs a respectable image of the royal family, to keep loyal to its conservative ideologies.

Overall , it can be argued that both newspaper use a combination of the elements of media language to construct to very different presentations of the royal family. Both newspapers seem to be largely influenced by their genre of quality or popular as well as their political stance. They reflect these ideologies largely through the layout of the covers. 

Heaven Homework Question

With reference to Emeli Sande’s heaven how realistic are the representations offered by the video

 

Emeli Sande’s ‘Heaven’ depicts street life in a working class area of East London. The video itself is filmed in Bethnal Green and includes various representations which are realistic. The three most significant representations are the portrayal of street life in London, the presentation of the individuals and Emeli Sande’s presentation of herself as an artist.

Street life in ‘Heaven’ is significant as the whole video is filmed in a real working class district of East London, Bethnal Green, contributing towards the naturalistic representations. The depiction of poverty is quite realistic seen in the two different shots of men, one who is sleeping on the ground with a blanket, and another seen sitting on a carpet at the side of a street. Both these men represent poverty and homelessness in the working class areas of East London. Individuals in reality can be seen in these areas living on streets and sleeping on grounds, hence the representation here is highly realistic and relatable. Another realistic representation of street life in the video is the shot of a mother at a bus stop on a rainy day feeding her child. This shot may reflect the everyday struggles of a working class mother, who has to work and cater for her child. Many other shots of real and natural situations such as graffiti on walls, children playing outside their homes also adds to the naturalistic representation of street life.

Another realistic portrayal is of the individuals. The video shows a montage of a mix of people from different ethnicities, classes and backgrounds, done through various close ups. One of the first shots is of a young white woman in a red backless dress, presented in an ambiguous way as she seems to be sexualised because the camera focuses on her body, but the fact that she walks away from the camera implies how she herself refuses to be objectified. Another shot is of an elderly man who makes direct eye level contact with the camera, he seems to be speaking for people of his age who perhaps experience issues like poverty, illness. Another realistic portrayal is seen through an extreme close up of a black man with dreadlocks, representing ethnic minorities and diversity in London. The portrayal of individuals in heaven is highly realistic as people are captured in their natural state and setting, they have in no way been glammed up for the camera, which seems to be a true reflection of the diversity of people in London.

The final and perhaps the most significant representation in ‘heaven’ is of the artist herself, Emeli Sande. From the very first shot of her, Emeli is portrayed as an individual who is a part of the world in the video, as she does not break the realism of the video. This can be seen in the very first shot where she looks out of a window looking somewhat unhappy, implying how she herself has had negative experiences, connecting her to all the other individuals’ portrayed in the video. Emeli Sande is dressed is also dressed in a casual manner wearing a black overall, with minimal make up which makes her a character in the video rather than a star performer. Another realistic representation of her is the locations in which she is filmed, in various shots Emeli is seen standing in the middle of streets, inserting herself into the street life of East London. However, it can be said that Emeli Sande is an exception in the video. She is the only one professionally dressed, wearing makeup, and she seems to a level of power no one else does. Her presence in the video is almost godly, which questions the extent of her realistic representation.

Overall, it can be said that the representations offered by Emeli Sande’s Heaven are quite realistic as the whole video depicts a natural way of life in the working class district of East London.  The use of real locations and individuals and Sande’s position in this world all work together to create a genuine representation of street life, individuals and the artist.

 

Heaven Homework Question

With reference to Emeli Sande’s heaven how realistic are the representations offered by the video

 

Emeli Sande’s ‘Heaven’ depicts street life in a working class area of East London. The video itself is filmed in Bethnal Green and includes various representations which are realistic. The three most significant representations are the portrayal of street life in London, the presentation of the individuals and Emeli Sande’s presentation of herself as an artist.

Street life in ‘Heaven’ is significant as the whole video is filmed in a real working class district of East London, Bethnal Green, contributing towards the naturalistic representations. The depiction of poverty is quite realistic seen in the two different shots of men, one who is sleeping on the ground with a blanket, and another seen sitting on a carpet at the side of a street. Both these men represent poverty and homelessness in the working class areas of East London. Individuals in reality can be seen in these areas living on streets and sleeping on grounds, hence the representation here is highly realistic and relatable. Another realistic representation of street life in the video is the shot of a mother at a bus stop on a rainy day feeding her child. This shot may reflect the everyday struggles of a working class mother, who has to work and cater for her child. Many other shots of real and natural situations such as graffiti on walls, children playing outside their homes also adds to the naturalistic representation of street life.

Another realistic portrayal is of the individuals. The video shows a montage of a mix of people from different ethnicities, classes and backgrounds, done through various close ups. One of the first shots is of a young white woman in a red backless dress, presented in an ambiguous way as she seems to be sexualised because the camera focuses on her body, but the fact that she walks away from the camera implies how she herself refuses to be objectified. Another shot is of an elderly man who makes direct eye level contact with the camera, he seems to be speaking for people of his age who perhaps experience issues like poverty, illness. Another realistic portrayal is seen through an extreme close up of a black man with dreadlocks, representing ethnic minorities and diversity in London. The portrayal of individuals in heaven is highly realistic as people are captured in their natural state and setting, they have in no way been glammed up for the camera, which seems to be a true reflection of the diversity of people in London.

The final and perhaps the most significant representation in ‘heaven’ is of the artist herself, Emeli Sande. From the very first shot of her, Emeli is portrayed as an individual who is a part of the world in the video, as she does not break the realism of the video. This can be seen in the very first shot where she looks out of a window looking somewhat unhappy, implying how she herself has had negative experiences, connecting her to all the other individuals’ portrayed in the video. Emeli Sande is dressed is also dressed in a casual manner wearing a black overall, with minimal make up which makes her a character in the video rather than a star performer. Another realistic representation of her is the locations in which she is filmed, in various shots Emeli is seen standing in the middle of streets, inserting herself into the street life of East London. However, it can be said that Emeli Sande is an exception in the video. She is the only one professionally dressed, wearing makeup, and she seems to a level of power no one else does. Her presence in the video is almost godly, which questions the extent of her realistic representation.

Overall, it can be said that the representations offered by Emeli Sande’s Heaven are quite realistic as the whole video depicts a natural way of life in the working class district of East London.  The use of real locations and individuals and Sande’s position in this world all work together to create a genuine representation of street life, individuals and the artist.

 

HW Question

How is media language including intertextuality used in burn the witch to construct representations of groups, message and values?

Burn the witch is a narrative music video by Radiohead which depicts the horrific experiences of a man who observes a tyrannical society concealed under the face of an idealistic British town. The video was released before the EU referendum hence it focuses on themes of social exclusion during the immigration crisis. The video uses aspects of media language such as mise en scene and intertextuality to construct alternative messages and values regarding immigration and social exclusion.

Mise en scene is used in Burn the witch constructs messages about the oppression and the theme of appearance vs reality. The video begins by showing a traditional rural British village where the townspeople and mayor seem to agree on an issue. Shots of citizens carrying out daily tasks such as mowing the lawn, painting the post-box further reinforce the happy and normal village life.  The setting implies feelings of warmth and safety in the town which contradicts the concealed oppression, seen in the shots which follow. A man is seen marking someone’s front door with a red cross, eradicating a member, and waving at him at the end , children joyfully play on a dunking chair traditionally used to punish witches, and a beautifully decorated pastry is seen from which blood is dripping. All of these shots are clear examples of oppression in the town, however they appear in a manner which makes it seem that there is nothing wrong, for example the reality of an animal being slaughtered is neatly hidden under the sheet of pastry. Burn the Witch’s use of mise en scene such as setting location, bright lighting give an important message about the reality of oppression which is often concealed under the appearance of stability.

A significant intertextual reference made in Burn the Witch is to the 1973 film The Wicker man, which shows the journey of Sergeant Howie, an outsider on a remote island.  The reference is clearly seen in the final shots of the video where the townspeople show the tourist a wooden effigy, similar to the one shown in the film. This scene is the final act committed to remove the tourist from the town, hence it is a strong message about social exclusion. Throughout the video thbe mayor of then town is seen leading the tourist and showing him the different acts of oppression practiced in the town. For example, towards the middle of the video a woman is seen tied to a tree and men in swords cover her, two women joyfully are seen decorating some wood with flowers  which turns out to be a hanging rope, showing how normal pubic execution is in in town. However, the tourist not once questions the towns idea of justice and punishment, and his silence eventually leads to his death, as he is burned in the effigy. This intertextual reference is perhaps the bands way of spreading the message of people needing to shed light on injustices.

The final piece of intertextual reference made in Burn the Witch is to 1960s animated children’s programmes; Trumpton and Camberwick Green. Both series depicted idyllist communities, created to teach the young values of social solidarity. However Burn the witch seems to mock such traditions through the dark narrative. The video uses similar bright lighting, slow editing and steady camera work, and even characters such as the mayor to construct the same peaceful world. However, the acts of cruelty committed and normalised during the video, for example, children on dunking chairs, the bloody cow pie and the tourist burned in the effigy criticises the ideal worlds the programmes build. Perhaps the band uses the village as a metaphor to give the message of hidden oppression in society, which people often fail to recognize because they are brainwashed into the idea that they exist in a perfect community.  

Overall it can be said that Radiohead uses three different pieces of media language to construct messages around the idea of community, hidden oppression and social exclusion. The band plays with various elements of genre to not only criticise the stereotypes regarding immigration and exclusion but also build a rather alternative viewpoint.

HW Question

How is media language including intertextuality used in burn the witch to construct representations of groups, message and values?

Burn the witch is a narrative music video by Radiohead which depicts the horrific experiences of a man who observes a tyrannical society concealed under the face of an idealistic British town. The video was released before the EU referendum hence it focuses on themes of social exclusion during the immigration crisis. The video uses aspects of media language such as mise en scene and intertextuality to construct alternative messages and values regarding immigration and social exclusion.

Mise en scene is used in Burn the witch constructs messages about the oppression and the theme of appearance vs reality. The video begins by showing a traditional rural British village where the townspeople and mayor seem to agree on an issue. Shots of citizens carrying out daily tasks such as mowing the lawn, painting the post-box further reinforce the happy and normal village life.  The setting implies feelings of warmth and safety in the town which contradicts the concealed oppression, seen in the shots which follow. A man is seen marking someone’s front door with a red cross, eradicating a member, and waving at him at the end , children joyfully play on a dunking chair traditionally used to punish witches, and a beautifully decorated pastry is seen from which blood is dripping. All of these shots are clear examples of oppression in the town, however they appear in a manner which makes it seem that there is nothing wrong, for example the reality of an animal being slaughtered is neatly hidden under the sheet of pastry. Burn the Witch’s use of mise en scene such as setting location, bright lighting give an important message about the reality of oppression which is often concealed under the appearance of stability.

A significant intertextual reference made in Burn the Witch is to the 1973 film The Wicker man, which shows the journey of Sergeant Howie, an outsider on a remote island.  The reference is clearly seen in the final shots of the video where the townspeople show the tourist a wooden effigy, similar to the one shown in the film. This scene is the final act committed to remove the tourist from the town, hence it is a strong message about social exclusion. Throughout the video thbe mayor of then town is seen leading the tourist and showing him the different acts of oppression practiced in the town. For example, towards the middle of the video a woman is seen tied to a tree and men in swords cover her, two women joyfully are seen decorating some wood with flowers  which turns out to be a hanging rope, showing how normal pubic execution is in in town. However, the tourist not once questions the towns idea of justice and punishment, and his silence eventually leads to his death, as he is burned in the effigy. This intertextual reference is perhaps the bands way of spreading the message of people needing to shed light on injustices.

The final piece of intertextual reference made in Burn the Witch is to 1960s animated children’s programmes; Trumpton and Camberwick Green. Both series depicted idyllist communities, created to teach the young values of social solidarity. However Burn the witch seems to mock such traditions through the dark narrative. The video uses similar bright lighting, slow editing and steady camera work, and even characters such as the mayor to construct the same peaceful world. However, the acts of cruelty committed and normalised during the video, for example, children on dunking chairs, the bloody cow pie and the tourist burned in the effigy criticises the ideal worlds the programmes build. Perhaps the band uses the village as a metaphor to give the message of hidden oppression in society, which people often fail to recognize because they are brainwashed into the idea that they exist in a perfect community.  

Overall it can be said that Radiohead uses three different pieces of media language to construct messages around the idea of community, hidden oppression and social exclusion. The band plays with various elements of genre to not only criticise the stereotypes regarding immigration and exclusion but also build a rather alternative viewpoint.

Shelter Advert Analysis

How is media language used in the shelter advert?

Refer to the social, political and cultural context (15 marks)

 

Shelter is a charity targeted at individuals with vulnerable housing. The adverts encourage people to seek help from the organisation and not live in the fear of losing their home.  The organisation offers advice to those who are in the fear of losing their homes, are in debt or having to deal with difficult landlords. The Shelter advert uses various elements of media language for example imagery, text and political context to construct meanings about the issue of housing.

The first aspect of media language used in the shelter advert is imagery. The advert comprises of three images showing a close up of three individuals, allowing their facial expressions to be clearly read, which present misery, stress and nervousness. It can be argued that these individuals represent those who are facing financial and housing issues. We see two females and one male, who look middle aged connoting how the issue of homelessness could affect any age or gender. However, the three individuals seem white Middleclass, hence the advert lacks in racial diversity, making it difficult for a non-white person to relate to. The black background connotes a sense of emptiness and loss which may reflect the feelings of the individuals featured. The use of eye level angels, directly address the audiences and establish the connection of us being in this together. The colour scheme is black and red, black portraying the dark emotions of the people at risk e.g. anxiety. Red being a colour of danger and fear, is perhaps a warning sign for audiences to seek help from the organisation and avoid experiencing a difficult situation.

The second aspect media language used in the advert is its text. There are three large headlines written in a transparent red, reading ‘But where will we live’, ‘He can’t do that’ and ‘I can’t face it’. The statements are simple and clear making them relatable to the ordinary person, establishing a connection between the organisation and audiences. They offer a contrast to the idea of individuals complicating financial and housing issues. The use of red for the text is significant as it symbolises blood which is vital in the human body, implying the intensity of financial and housing issues in people’s everyday lives. However, the red is in a transparent texture, connoting how the problem does not have to be permanent and can be dealt with. The phrases below add depth to the headline at top and all end with ‘We can help’ assuring individuals that shelter is there for support in any situation. At the bottom right hand corner the logo of the organisation is recognisable establishing brand identity. The red search box at the bottom centre of the page encourages individuals to seek help as it is just a click away.

The final aspect of media language associated with the advert is its cultural and political context. The shelter adverts were released in 2011 as a result of the government’s spending budget in 2010. It was decided that there will be 60% plus cut in the social housing budget leading to house rent becoming unaffordable for people and homelessness increasing. The Shelter adverts are thus a criticism of the government’s failure to deal with the housing crisis, which effected millions across the UK. The organisation’s mission is to exist to defend people’s right to a safe home, so that no family has to suffer and live in the fear of being homeless.