A Man With no Shame - Daily Mirror DPS analysis

How is meaning constructed in the ‘A Man With No Shame’ double page spread?

• A number of different images from a number of different times and placers have been selected and combine to create a sense importance and business. It emphaises the idea that this is hard news and important. It also flattens time and space, combining a range of exciting events to create an entertaining mode of address. 
• The main image of the hospital sits in the fold of the double page spread. Spread across the two pages, it connotes importance. The image itself uses the MES of protective gear, which symbolises the fight against covid. Here the NHS are represented as selfless and heroic. The MES of the patient ltying on the bed lacks a face, depersonalising and anonymising them. This removal of identity allows the target audience to project their own experiences on to the figure, making it a relatable mode of address. 
• The composition of the NHS image is chaotic, and lacks a point of focus, yet the binary opposition of Johnson standing in a brightly lit exterior location draws the audience’s eye to him.
• The narrative of the chaotic and terrifying experiences of the emergency room is contrasted with the narrative of Johnson enjoying himself. This sense of enjoyment is anchored through the MES of the champagne flute, which has connotations of upper class lifestyles and luxury. It also has conotations of celebration. The high production values suggest this is a professional photograph, reinforcing the luxury of the situation.
• Johnson is not smiling with his facial expression connoting a smug and relaxed attitude. When anchored with the NHS image, it constructs a version of reality knowingly putting people’s lives in danger for his own comfort and enjoyment
• The inset image of Johnson  functions as a referential code, and references Bond villains. Johnson is compared to a cartoon villain, which reinforces the ideology that he is evil
• Rule breaker: Boris Johnson took us for fools. Achilles the ideology that Johnson is insulting the british public. The use of the word ‘us' constructs a personal mode of address: we, the readers are British, and we all share an ideology, and we all despise Johnson. This lexis constructs a sense of community, which ensures the newspaper sells copious day after day
• Main image
• Subheadings
• A personal, human interest story about a covid victim
• A letter from Kier Starmer, the leader of the labour party
• Interviews with ‘ordinary people’ affected by covid
• A poliutical cartoon
• An editorial, the view of the editor, often extremely biased 
• The serious tone, in addition to the significant amount of copy opposes and is atypical of the standard tabloid. Perhaps the mirror is actually treating their working class audience with respect and an expectation they will understand. 
• The headline ‘A Man With No Shame’ reinforces the notion that Johnson has no shame. This jnhot only makles clear the ideological perspective of the newspaper (left wing), but it also repeats the lexis of the font page headline story, and cultivates the idea that ‘Johnson=shame’. By using such simple and repetitive language, it is inferredf the target audience have a lower level of education
• Intertextual reference to ‘the man with no name’, a character in a series of 60s Westerns suggests an older target audience. Additionally, this use of pun is childish and informal
• The main image and secondary main image form a binary opposition between the luxurious image of Johnson sipping champagne from a champagne glass, to the chaotic, serious hard news coded image of the emergency room udring the covid pandemic. 
• A binary opposition is constructed between the struggles of the general public, and the privileged lifestyle of the PM. This notion of privilege is encoded and anchored through the MES of the champagne flute, the expensive suit, and the pleasant outdoor location
• US vs them
• Composition - johnson has his back to the medics, suggesting that he does not care. This is further anchored through Johnson’s casual posture and dismissive facial expression
• Layout of double page spread is intense filled with a variety of modes of address. It combines a political cartoon, several interviews with ‘ordinary people’ and their exoperiences, a letter from Kier Starmer, an editorial (an opinioned piece written by the editor)...
• The colour palette resembles the union flag, anchoring the ideology that Johnson has disgraced the country. This is anchored through the lexis ‘Johsnon has disgraced the country's highest office’. This patriotic mode of address will appeal sterotypically to the working class target audience
• ‘Labour Leader’s Message To You’, aligning audience with then opposition party, and providing a direct response by the leader of the opposition himself

Kier Starmer’s letter 

• The use of red contrasts with the blue of the main image, but also symbolises the ideologies of the labour party. Red is the colour of revolution, and here Starmer premises a change of power
• Towards the end of the letter, Starmer sets out his manifesto, and his series of promises. Clearly Starmer has written this column in order to promote the labour party 
• The font used to sign off the letter confusingly makes starmer appear less educated and more relatable. The font resembles comic sans, which has connotations of simplicity and clarity and informality. This suggests that Starmer is attempting to emphasise and appeal to the working class audience 
• Kier Starmer’s l;ack of tie and relaxed postured suggests he is leaning in l;ike a confident, and sharing vital information with the audience. His relaxed depression suggests a conversation in the pub, which will appeal to the working class target audience
• The lexis ‘we’ suggests Starmer is on level ground with the public, and is not untouchable and even cultured like Boris Johnson
• The use of flattering language, eg ‘the british people aren’t fools’ helps to anchor and position the target audience
• Takes the form of an ad hominem attack on Brois Johnson, frqeuntly insulting him,l and calling for him to resign. This brutal attack helps keep the message clear and easy to understand
• Red here is connotative of many things: it is polysemic. It represents political violence, the passion of patriotism, and the official colour of the labour party. These meanings combine to reinforce the message
• The choice of italic comic sans resembles handwriting. It signifies that Starmer cares about the public, and by extension, Mirror readers
• The British People aren’t fools: they never believed any of it. Colloquial language, that acknowledges the feelings of the public. Assumes the same ideological perspective and also infers the audience are intelligent. Flattering lexis
• Lexis is informal, blunt and straightforward
• The anchorage provided with the selection of image of Starmer suggests that he is talking, providing a direct mode of address. The casual posture and relaxed facial features suggest a friend chatting to another friend at the pub. Additionally, the title ‘sir’ is omitted, keeping him more relatable
• Cultivates an ideology that the Labour Party are competent and clearly should be in power