Every media product is biased to a certain degree.This is because media products are created by real people (!), with real ideological perspectives, and with reasons for representing people, issues or events in a certain way. We refer to these reasons as an agenda.
The front cover of The Daily Mirror, presented below is clearly very much ideologically opposed to Donald Trump, and there are a range of excellent examples of how below. But perhaps a better example is why?
Why does a newspaper, whose sole function is surely to inform the audience what is happening in the world, take a definite point of view?
Why do newspapers demonstrate bias and agenda?
1) In order to appeal to a certain target audience. In many cases, newspapers will even construct a target audience, and will maintain certain political campaigns (for example Brexit) over a period of years
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| The Daily Mail has demonstrated itself to be pro-Brexit in every conceivable way, as this frenzied and highly controversial front cover demonstrates |
2) To provide entertainment for the audience, a newspaper will often present extremely opinionated views, in order to entice the audience. This creates narrative conflict
3) Certain benefits including celebrity endorsement and guest columns by politicians who share similar ideological views
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| Boris Johnson's column for The Daily Telegraph is a massive deal for the newspaper. This endorsement is only made possible through the newspaper's pro-Conservative ideology |
A textual analysis of how the front covers to The Daily Mirror and The Times demonstrate ideological bias
The Daily Mirror
Cheers to R block for the brilliant analysis!
- Headline provokes a rhetorical question to the audience, creating an uncomfortable direct mode of address. This anchors the audience in such a way that they will share the same feelings.
- use of sans serif font has a hermeneutic connotation for the audience, that it is formal and blunt. This suggests Trump's presidency will lack formality. It is also a connotation of the tabloid newspaper.
- The mise-en-scene of the pillar of smoke is symbolic of of the World Trade Center bombings . An explicit example of intertextuality
- Mise-en-scene pf the red text situated at the bottom connotes failure and destruction, further insinuating that the Mirror is biased against Trump's ideologies
- Main image of the statue of liberty crying is connotative of Trump's imminent destruction of America
- A Binary opposition is formed through the dark clouds and the green statue of liberty, suggesting that America itself is situated in a dark
- The mise-en-scene of destruction demonstrates to the target working class audience that the world's narrative narrative is currently in a state of disruptive, unbalanced equilibrium. This directly refers to post apocalyptic genre conventions in order to inform the working class audience that we are in a state of drastic unbalance
The Times
Cheers to T block for the excellent analysis!
- The mise-en-scene of the American flag is symbolic of of freedom, justice and american values. This anchors the audience to believe that Trump is a positive force.
- The headline, 'THE NEW WORLD is presented in a serif font, which has connotations of positivity, seriousness, and the ideology that Trump will be a global force for good.
- Trump's red tie is connotative of hope, positivity, and patriotism. Red is also the colour of the republican party.
- Placement of headline is directly over Trump's heart, demonstrating his love and intentions to shape the world.
- A possible polysemic reading: slightly wary of the future. Bias through selection: a slightly smug picture of Trump has been elected, suggesting that Trump is unprepared. For other audiences, it might connote confidence, or Trump's fear at responsibility
- Lexis: choice of the word 'shockwaves' is perhaps symbolic of natural disasters. Potentially, the audience may negotiate a negative response to Trump
- Pull quote's lexis demonstrates the new president's egotism, but may be comparative to other orators like Martin Luther King. ~However, also an intertextual reference to a comic book super villain. Yellow has connotations of strength and superiority.
- Ultimately, by generally supporting Trump, The Times has demonstrated a significant right wing bias. Further reinforces the ideological perspective of the newspaper.
