Newsworthiness: what reality is constructed by The Times and how does media language help it to construct a hierarchy of importance?
- Newsworthiness refers to how WORTHY a story is of being featured in the news. Only the producers of media have this ability, and the producers of mainstream mass media therefore have significant power. In this sense, the Times constructs a reality which interpolates its audience, shaping their views, ideologies and even their reality.
- The most newsworthy story is that of Johnson attending parties during lockdown. There is more copy or column inches dedicated to this story indicating its importance. The main image accompanies this article constructing a hierarchy where this story is clearly at the top. This political story will appeal to the target audience for the times: older, right wing, and middle class.
- However, the headline is one of ten, constructing a reality where this important event was not the only event to happen. Additionally, immediately to the right of this series story is another serious, hard news story about covid travel restrictions. Additionally, immediately above this story are two soft news stories, which reinforce and construct a reality where Johnson's transgression is rather less important.
- However, the story is still broadly critical of Johnson, who was remarkably unpopular at this time.
- The main story is that Boris Johnson broken lockdown rules and is being investigated. This constructs the reality that this event is the most important in the country. However, the Time’s interpretation of these events is that this is not the enormous issue some other newspapers believe it is. This story is constructed as being most important due to the enormous headline and the main image of Johnson. This aligns with the interests of the Times readership, as this political story is addressed in a descriptive and informative way.
- However, a similar weighting is provided to soft news stories. The stories on fitness and being bitten by puppies here construct a reality which is hyperreal, a fake world of distracting soft news to help distract the audience from the most important things
Narrative - how does this front page serve as a conclusion to an ongoing story?
Narrative: “Boris Johnson announces complete UK lockdown amid coronavirus crisis” (March 2020). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlJIwTd9fqI What mechanisms does this announcement use to ensure it’s veracity? Why is it so important to do so? How does the headline story in the Times reinforce and complete narratives established years earlier? Why is this important?
Newspapers are a factual medium. Yet they construct exciting narrative as all media products do to engage their target audience in order to maximise profit.
- The initial Johnson announcement positioned Johnson in a mid-shot directly addressing the audience and positioning the audience close to him, and in such a way that we agree he’s being truthful. He uses direct address throughout, you, we, to construct an inclusive rhetoric, establishing a narrative where we as the British public must play by the rules. If not, people die. Johnson used the language of war, directly discussing death and enlistment in order to establish a sense of fear to ensure audiences will follow the rules.
- The MES of this broadcast was carefully selected to construct a reality of leadership, importance, and seriousness. The MES of the big expensive wooden table constructs Johnson as a firm and stable leader. Immediately to his left is a union flag which connotes patriotism and the ideology of a strong stable empire. Johnson is wearing a suit, a hegemonic expectation of politicians and prime ministers. Johnson comes across as a stern father who has declared war. He will protect the country if we comply. His approval ratings increased after this event.
- Two years later, The Times openly criticises Johnson for reneging on these promises. While Johnson was previously constructed as resembling Churchill. However, the times construct him as a villain, albeit one who is old, unwell and tired. By constructing a narrative to real life events, the times construct a biased reality which will doubtless sway audiences real life opinions. Additionally, this narrative is exciting and dramatic, assuming the readers of the times care less about facts than entertainment.
- The Times essentially features the conclusion of this narrative, where Johnson has now shifted from protagonist to antagonist. In the initial announcements, Johnson resembled Winston Churchill through referential codes, which helped the British public the seriousness of the situation. However. The Times concludes and constructs a narrative where Johnson now resembles a tired old villain, who has incompetently not followed through on his promise. This unhappy ending constructs an ideology that our country and social system is falling apart, forcing the target audience to challenge their own political views and to now be critical of Johnson. It also ensures that the readership t=place their trust in the newspaper, and buy it every day.
How does the front page of The Times use media language to construct distinct representations of gender that position the middle class target audience?
Hall and Van Zoonen: media language constructs representations, and representations construct reality. What realities are constructed about gender, class, politicians, race, Britain and the Covid19 pandemic?
