Tuesday 18 April 2023

Compare how producers can use representations to position audiences. Make reference to the front page of Metro you have been provided with and the front page of The Times you have studied in class




Underline the key terms


Compare how producers can use representations to position audiences. Make reference to the front page of Metro you have been provided with and the front page of The Times you have studied in class


Key term alert!


Sometimes, not knowing a key term can COMPLETELY break your answer. ‘Positioning’ is one of them. Make sure you know what it means!


Positions - the ways in which an audience is ‘placed’, by the producer, using media language. 


Knee jerk reaction


Both newspapers use representations of conservative politicians/female politicians/upper middle class/ruling class middle aged white women to position the audience in a critical mode of address, and to invite criticism


Plan


MES

Stereotypes 

Lexis

Van Zoonen - feminism 

Representation 

Composition 

Anchorage

Masthead 

Copy

Font 

Sans serif

Serif

Pick and mix theory

Identity

Right wing

Left wing

Advert 

Binary oppositions 

Semiotics

Proairetic code 

Bias 

Ideology

Postcolonial theory

Reception theory 

Manipulative

Broadsheet 

Tabloid 

Representation theory 

Stereotypes = shortcut

Subordinate 



Introduction


DAC - definition, argument, context


Representation is a re-presentation of reality. Representations always reflect the ideology of the producer. In representing their ideology, producers will hope to shape the ideology of the audience. In this essay, I shall argue that both newspapers use representations of middle aged women to position the audience in a highly critical mode of address, and to encourage an unfavourable view of the politician in question. In order to make this argument, I shall refer to The Times, a UK Right Wing broadsheet, that nevertheless takes a critical approach to then conservative PM Teresa May. I shall also refer to Metro, a tabloid newspaper that takes a critical approach to Liz Truss, the shortest reigning UK PM of all time. 


Paragraphs


PEA - Point, evidence, argument 


  • Both newspapers make heavy anchorage through the lexis of their headlines to construct a highly manipulative and highly leading mode of address to position their audiences. The use of hyperbolic language such as ‘the worst’ makes this ideological perspective explicit for the target audience, and assumes that the target audience already dislikes these political figures in an excellent example of ideological cultivation.
  • The lexis of ‘heavy defeat’ reinforces and cultivates the ideological perspective that May is not powerful enough for this position. Terms such as victory and defeat are symbolic of war, and present to the right wing target audience the idea of a bloody and brutal battle that May has clearly lost. Additionally, through losing this aggressive war, a stereotypical assumption about women is cultivated; that women are emotional, weak, powerless, and unsuited for combat. This notion of May being weak and feeble is anchored through the mes of flash photography, which emphasises not only the proairetic code of her eye bags (which suggest sleepiness), but also the MES of her grey hair. This constructs a stereotypical portrayal older women, and reinforces the ideology that they are weak an frail. This ideology will resonate and appeal to the conservative target audience. 
  • The selection of the colour red symbolises danger, blood, aggression and violence
  • The audience is positioned as male, through the highly stereotypical representation of women which reinforces gender binaries
  • The Marks and Spencer advert on Metro positions the audience as stereotypical working class, and presents an aspirational mode of address
  • The selection of the story about the Cheltenham festival explicitly positions the audience of the Times as stereotypically middle class.