This response/ plan specifically uses the Tuesday 2nd April editions of
The Times and
The Daily Mirror to explore the question.
Underline
How do The Daily Mirror and The Times construct their audiences?
Definition
Construction: the way in which the producer creates a concept, representation or audience. In effect, this involves INFORMING the audience their likes, dislikes, political ideologies, and even sexual preferences! A constructed audience can be targeted far more efficiently Also constructs brand loyalty, ensuring audiences buy the edition every day.
Knee jerk
Both newspapers construct their audience primarily through demonstrating a clear and instantly identifiable political inclination
Mirror
- Audience constructed through the use of stereotypically working class lexs, such as "Brexit Crisis Continues": block capitals, concise, to the point, hyperbolic
- Article about Pope supporting LGBT identity, suggesting an inclusive readership supportive of LGBT themes and rights
- 20 pages of sport, 16/20 are focused on football, (80%)!! A stereotypical working class sport
- 2 Macdonald's adverts within the first three pages, and two Lottery Adverts within the first ten. Cultivates hegemonically held stereotype tat working class people are fixated on gambling
- "MPs choose.. nothing" - blunt and hyperbolic consideration of political issues. Highly narrativised! Intertextual reference to TV game shows
Times
- Constructs a mass middle class right wing target audience through the the intellectual and advanced lexis, for example "MPs reject Brexit plan in lifeline for May deal" - presumed intertextual knowledge, an assumption of interest in political matters
- Travel supplement "go and explore" - connoting maturity independence - including a luxury holiday to "Avinion, Provence"... luxurious! Glamourous!
- Business section: several pages, dealing with complex and sophisticated issues. "...Easyjet's Brexit Warning"
- Omission of left wing representation and opinions
- Aggressive headlines: "UKIP infiltrators will tear Tories apart"
- Climate [protest article represents protesters as foolish . Commons in glued to a cheeky spectacle: choice of lexis: innuendo, euphemistic, and demonstrates an ideological opposition to climate change protests
- Adverts focus on Banking, ISAs and mobile phone contracts, indicating a level of confidence in the financial capabilities of the target audience