NEWSPAPERSComponent 1 Sections A & B

Focus Areas

• Section A

• Media language

• Representation

• Media contexts

• Section B

• Media industries

• Audiences

• Media contexts

on A

You will need to study the front and back pages of The Times and the front page and linked article in The Daily Mirror

You will need to study a complete edition for each newspaper (plus selected pages from each of their websites)

Learners will develop the ability to…• analyse critically and compare how media products, including

products outside the commercial mainstream, construct and communicate meanings through the interaction of media language and audience response

• use a range of complex theories of media studies and use specialist subject specific terminology appropriately in a developed way

• debate key questions relating to the social, cultural, political and economic role of the media through discursive writing

• construct and develop a sustained line of reasoning which is coherent, relevant, substantiated and logically structured in an extended response.

Media Language Theoretical FrameworkMedia Language Media Forms

How the different modes and language associated with different media forms communicate multiple meanings

Advertising & marketingMusic videoNewspapers

How the combination of elements of media language influence meaning

Advertising & marketingMusic videoNewspapers

How developing technologies affect media language

Music videoNewspapers

The codes and conventions of media forms and products, including the processes through which media language develops as genre

Advertising & marketingMusic videoNewspapers

Media Language Theoretical FrameworkMedia Language Media Forms

The processes through which meanings are established through intertextuality

Advertising & marketingMusic videoNewspapers

How audiences respond to and interpret the above aspects of media language

Advertising & marketingMusic videoNewspapers

The significance of the varieties of waysintertextuality can be used in the media

Advertising & marketingMusic videoNewspapers

The way media language incorporates viewpoints and ideologies

Advertising & marketingMusic videoNewspapers

In the exam

Section A: Analysing Media Language and Representation (45 marks)

One question (media language) will require analysis of an unseen text – this may either be an advert, music video or newspaper front pages.

The other question (representation) is based on an unseen text and will require comparison to one of the texts your have studied – this may be either an advert, music video or newspaper front page.

One of these questions is likely to be audio-visual.

Section B: Understanding Media Industries and Audiences (45 marks)

This section will assess knowledge and understanding of media industries, audiences and media contexts in relation to any of the forms studied for this section: advertising & marketing, film, newspapers, radio and video games.

There will be two questions:

• Question 3 will be a stepped question assessing knowledge and understanding of media industries in relation to one form studied.

• Question 4 will be a stepped question assessing knowledge and understanding of audiences in relation to a different media form from that assessed in question one.

Newspapers:The Times and The Daily Mirror

You will develop knowledge and understanding of the two newspapers as evolving media products in terms of the relevant newspaper industry and audience issues they illustrate.

In order to develop this awareness, you will consider one complete print edition of each newspaper chosen by me and selected key pages from each newspaper's website, including the homepage and at least one other page.

Mastheadthe newspaper's name, often in traditional gothic

lettering. It may not have changed for many years so

it's the easiest way to identify a newspaper. An

important part of branding – semantic codes of the

name can be identified.

Slogana 'catchphrase' summing up the newspaper's

philosophy or unique selling point

“All The News That's Fit To Print”—The New York Times

'Puffs' or ‘blurbs’colour bands that aim to attract readers to additional

stories inside – usually more light hearted to broaden

the audience base

Headlinesthe largest typeface on the page for the most important stories. Popular newspaper employ colloquialism and puns with quality newspapers being more formal

New

spap

er c

on

ven

tio

ns

Straplinein smaller typeface, above or below headline

that explain more about the story

Local School Rocked by Series Of Explosions

StandfirstBlock of text that introduces the story and offers

initial content

By-linejournalist's name & details, often includes a

photo

By Clark Kent, Special Correspondent

StandaloneA picture story used on the cover to offer visual engagement

Central ImageUsually a dramatic picture filling most of the

cover, anchorage text/caption usually close by

to offer context

News in brief (NIB) / side

barsSmaller facts or articles in a list / column

positioned at the side or bottom of the paper

Pull QuotesInteresting quotes from the article extracted and

written in larger font to make it stand out

“I really like ice cream when it’s hot”

Jump LineFollows the teaser headline on the front page

encouraging readers to buy and read on.

AdvertsNewspapers may included adverts and offer on the cover – depending on the type – which will appeal to the audience

‘Turn to page 6’

Visual Elements

White spaceArea on the newspaper that has no text, image or advert is left blank

Margins and guttersLines to prevent text overlapping , newspapers have clear set areas of text, image, title

FramesShapes outlining the parts of text such as stories or columns, to make them visually separate

ColumnsNewspapers always use columns when producing covers – it is the conventional layout

Serif Font – Italic style font

Sans serif Font – Plain font type

News ValuesIdeology

Threshold

Unexpectedness

Negativity

Elite persons/places

Unambiguous

Personalisation

Proximity

Continuity/currency

The bigger the impact and reach of the story

An event that is a shock or out of the ordinary

Bad news is more interesting ‘if it bleeds, it leads’

Stories about important people and powerful nations

Stories that are easy to understand and for papers to report on

Stories that include human interest – ‘real’ people

Stories that are closer to home are more likely to be included

Stories that are already in the news continue to run and are updated

The Times – American Election (10th Nov 2016)

Focus Areas

Section A• Media language• RepresentationSection B• Media industries• Audiences• Media contexts

Component 1 Section AMedia Language and Representation

Product Context

• The Times newspaper is a British national ‘quality’ newspaper first published in 1785.

• The Times has been published by Times Newspapers since 1981 a subsidiary of News UK, wholly owned by News Corp, Rupert Murdoch’s company

This edition was published on the 10th November 2016 following the unprecedented high profile American election campaign which was eventually won by Republican Donald Trump, a 70 year old billionaire famous for appearing on reality TV show The Apprentice.

• The Times is famous for having a range of journalists with varied political viewpoints which allows the newspaper to offer a more neutral political stance on Trump’s victory.

WHAT IS THE TERM?

A term applied to the editing and filtering process where decisions are made to let some information ‘pass through’ to the receiver (audience) and other

information remains barred.

GATEKEEPING

SECTION A – ANALYSING MEDIALANGUAGE AND REPRESENTATION

Media Language - Cultural Context

• Donald Trump achieved one of the most improbable political victories in modern US history, despite a series of controversies exposed during the election campaign, his extreme policies that drew criticism from both sides of the political spectrum, a record of racist and sexist behaviour, and a lack of political experience.

• The contemporary audience can be assumed to be familiar with the codes and conventions of newspaper front pages and the mode of address that these newspapers present to their readers.

NEWS VALUES

In 1965 some media researchers analysed international news stories to find out what kind of stories came top of the news ‘agenda’ worldwide. Their findings led to them creating a list of ‘news values’ – a kind of scoring system. A story that scores highly on each news value is very likely to make the front page, or the start of a TV news bulletin.

It is not just down to news values that decides which stories come top of the news agenda: journalists and news editors draw on their own experience to decide what should be deemed the most important, or what should come top.

Different news organisations have their own system of setting a news agenda: what one newspaper will put on the front page is not necessarily what another paper will put on the front page.

In pairs discuss the annotations you have made to this image

The Times chose to use an image across both the

front and back pages of Trump celebrating his

victory against a backdrop of the American flag.

This use of American iconography establishes

the cultural context of the story and connotes

patriotism. Trump and Mike Pence, the Vice

President, are positioned in a medium close up

shot on either side of the frame with Trump in the

foreground.

Codes of dress connote a business approach with both men dressed in black suits but wearing red and blue ties which again reflect American iconography. The body language of the two men demonstrates an emotive response with Pence applauding Trump and the president clenching his right fist in celebration.

The copy on the front cover is in white like the masthead and simply states ‘The New World: Donald Trump sends shockwaves around the Globe’. This statement is powerful but maintains a neutral approach which encourages readers to establish their own viewpoint. The use of a quote by Trump on the back page again suggests a neutral stance but could be interpreted as offering readers an insight into Trump’s character and need for acceptance.

Theoretical perspectives: Semiotics –Roland BarthesThe use of American iconography throughout the front and back pages and the use of the American flag as a backdrop will have immediate cultural significance for the reader who will be able to create meaning in the associations they have with these signs.

Theoretical perspectives: Structuralism - Levi–StraussThe use of the headline ‘The New World’ positioned over Trump’s jacket invites readers to question what the impact of Trump’s presidency may be, which is reiterated through the use of the subheading “Donald Trump sends shockwaves around the Globe’. His body language suggests determination and jubilation.

Representation

1. Who are the gatekeepers?

2. What ideologies are being presented?

Consider how representations are constructed through a process of selection and combination.

Both Trump and Pence represent the stereotypical, white, middle class, male politician and their strong Christian, conservative values were used throughout the election campaign to encourage the American public to vote Republican.

Both Trump and Pence are dressed in tailored business suits which represent them as business like and conservative in their appearance. They are both wearing American flag badges on their lapels which is symbolic of their patriotism and commitment to their cause. The use of coloured ties (blue and red) is symbolic of the American flag and draws attention to the men. Their body language and facial expression connote determination and a serious approach.

Theoretical perspectives:Representation – Stuart HallThe representation of Trump and his Vice

President are constructed, using media language

to create meaning for the audience. The use

of these ‘signs’ by the newspaper suggest that

Trump and his team belong to a specific cultural

group of predominantly white, middle class men.

This use of representation transmits ideas

to the reader about inequalities of power and

the subordination of certain social groups.

AUDIENCE RECEPTIONAnchorage is a technique where by the choice of written text, commentary, mise en scene, camera angle or soundtrack can direct the audience towards a certain meaning.

This is also known as a PREFERED READING(Stuart Hall).

A NEGOTIATED READING is when the audience understands what message the producer is trying create through their representation, however, the audience uses their own common sense in light of their knowledge and experience and decides whether to accept it..

An OPPOSITIONAL READING is when you realise what a message a media representation wants to you to have and then interpreting it in a completely different way.

KEY THEORIST: PAUL GILROYThe idea that colonial discourses continue to inform contemporary attitudes to race and ethnicity in the postcolonial era.

The idea that civilisation constructs racial hierarchies and sets up binary oppositions based on notions of ‘otherness’.

In After Empire, Gilroy (2004) identified that there are often ‘hostile responses to strangers and settlers’. So much so, that ‘incomers may be unwanted and feared…’.

What other contextual factors are

significant (consider Brexit, US

presidency campaign)?

How are the ideological values of

the newspaper being represented?

Audience readings: Preferred:

Negotiated reading?

Oppositional?

How is the audience being targeted?

Other relevant media theory (semiotics, binary oppositions…)

KEY QUESTIONS

How does The Mirror use media language to communicate meaning (refer to the cover and double page spread)? (10)

How is America represented? (25)

Explain how social and cultural contexts influence newspaper production, using The Daily Mirror as an example. (10)

Explain how The Daily Mirror targets its audience in this edition. (10)