This task helps practise for the unseen media language question, the unseen representation comparison question, and the industry and audience questions by using a single unseen newspaper front page pulled from Tomorrow's Papers Today
However, the real focus of this revision task is to practise using theory, and to demonstrate how useful certain theories are. The following theories are from completely different parts of the framework, yet they all link together when applied at a high level. Therefore, while I have tried to keep them separate, in the group discussion, they all overlapped. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY FINE AND GOOD, as long as you absolutely make sure to actually answer the question in front of you! For example, if it’s a representation question, semiotics is perfect for understanding how representations are constructed.
Media Language - Semiotics - Barthes - Different meanings are constructed through different codes. A code is anything that can hold meaning
- The image of the murdered old man is set against a black background, which here connotes death and evil.
- The binary opposition constructed between the scandalous headline story of murder and the idyllic country garden constructs a highly enticing binary opposition to the target audience, and infers that this newspaper will be excellent value for money. This diametric opposition is further anchored through the symbolism of the colour palettes: grey and miserable for murder, and bright and green for the country gardens
Representation - Representation - Hall - Representations are constructed through media language by the producer to present an ideology to the audience. Stereotypes always occur where there is an imbalance of power
- A binary opposition is constructed between the good, innocent and white older gentleman, and the younger, threatening and black murderer.
- This binary opposition reinforces the differences between the protagonist and the antagonist of this narrative.
- Additionally, the mental health of the murderer is underplayed in favour of constructing him as a threatening killer, a fact that is anchored through the selection of images, which clearly depicts the MES of blood on the murderer’s hand, inferring his guilt from the outset.. (Click here for a more reasoned analysis of the link between underfunding mental health services and apparently random acts of murder, published in the broadsheet newspaper The Guardian)
- Additionally, this is a perfect example of a biased representation of a man of colour. While traditionally white people are represented in more favourable ways in both tabloid and broadsheet newspapers, the stereotype that black people are more threatening and dangerous has been cultivated through highly biased representations for decades.
- Finally the representation of a scandalous murder proves a source of escapism for the target audience. These horrible narratives are shocking, and clearly will appeal to a working class audience. The maxim ‘if it bleeds it leads’ is often used by tabloid newspapers in particular, and by manipulating the target working class audience with a fearful mode of address, Reach PLC ensure maximum audience consumption
- The National Trust, and visiting large stately homes is seen as a stereotypical middle class activity, where a middle class lifestyle is sold to the target audience. However, in targeting a working class audience, The National Trust are using the promise of a free family pass as a sell line and incentive to target a working class audience who may normally not visit stately homes. This marketing strategy is clearly carried out in the name of power and profit, and directly benefits the Mirror through the use of a lucrative advertising contract.
Media industries - Power - Curran and Seaton - The sole function of a media product is for power and profit
- The simple and straightforward selection of stories in tabloid newspapers are carefully selected to reflect the ideology of the producer. By presenting such a straightforward ‘good vs evil’ ideology to their working class target audience, a manipulative mode of address here ensures that the Daily Mirror minimises risk and maximises profit
- By including a brief lead in story on the front page, the newspaper ensures it’s financial success, by offering the target audience a teasing hermeneutic code
Audience - Reception - Hall - The producer encodes a message or ideology, and the audience can decode this in a variety of different ways
- The image of the old smiling man against a black backdrop encodes an ideological perspective that the victim was innocent and vulnerable. In turn this strongly constructs a preferred ideological perspective that the audience should feel sorry for him, and therefore will engage more with the newspaper. This ideology is heavily anchored through the lexis ‘pure evil’ which clearly refers to the murderer, and constructs a clear and straightforward mode of address for the working class target audience.