C1SA Newspapers Daily Mirror (2021 onwards) context language representation asy1

Component 1
Section A
Newspapers
Media Language &
Representation
Case Study:
The Mirror

What type (genre) of media
product is this?
How can you tell?
What are the codes (and
genre conventions) that are
present?
When is this media product
from?
Which clues suggest the time
of production to you?
The Mirror: Language & Genre

Product Context
National Tabloid Newspaper
Established in 1903
Mainly working class
readership,
Traditionally left wing political
stance.
Main competitor is The Sun,
which target similar social
economic demographic, but
has a right wing stance

Product Context
This edition published on March 13th,
2019 Theresa May had encountered
another Commons defeat over her Brexit
proposals.
As a mostly left-wing newspaper, the
Mirror has been critical of the way the
(right wing) conservative government
has been handling the Brexit negotiations

Political Context
On 23rd June 2016, citizens of the UK voted
to leave the European Union (EU). This was nicknamed ‘Brexit’.
In the run up, The Mirror urged readers to vote Remains (against
Brexit).
(It’s right-wing tabloid rivals were pro-Brexit).

Political Context
The Daily Mirror was one of the few papers in support of remaining, as this content research
shows.
https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/eu-referendum-daily-mail-front-page-says-
leave-mirror-backs-remain-weight-of-fleet-street-coverage-favours-brexit/

Political Context
The vote was very close with 51.9% voting to leave and 48.1%
voting remain.
The controversies from the campaign continued even after the vote.
Remainers accused leave voters of xenophobia and racism;
Leavers accused Remainers of being unpatriotic and un-democratic.

Political Context
The period since the referendum has been one of
political turmoil.
With the country divided, the Mirror knows it cannot risk
alienating any readers who may have voted for Brexit.
To do so would also risk looking like it does not respect
democracy.
It therefore does not explicitly criticise the idea of Brexit,
but instead the right politicians who are currently in
charge of managing it.

Political Context
Following the resignation of David Cameron
shortly after the vote, Theresa May has faced
regular leadership challenges from within her
own party, and a snap general election in 2017
in which her party suffered heavy losses.
Meanwhile, she had been regularly visiting
Brussels and other EU countries in an effort to
create a Brexit deal that would satisfy both the
EU and the UK parliament.

Political Context
On the date this edition of the Mirror was
published, MPs had voted against the deal she
had negotiated with the EU.
This was very serious as the UK was scheduled
to be leaving the EU just ten days after.
Withdrawing from the EU with ‘no deal’ could
have catastrophic consequences on trade,
immigration, healthcare etc., affecting all UK
citizens.

Cultural Context
The contemporary audience
could be assumed to be familiar
with the codes and conventions
of tabloid newspapers and the
sensationalised mode of
address that these newspapers
present.

Cultural Context
Eastenders is one of the UK’s most popular
soap operas, with a reputation for featuring
hard-hitting storylines that often feature issues
such as rape, domestic violence and
homophobia.
Since 1985, it has been regularly watched by
audiences of up to 20 million people.
.
This has turned the actors into celebrities and - like Dyer’s ‘Star Theory’ suggests - tabloid
newspapers often run stories about the actor’s lives mirroring their Eastenders’ storylines.
In other words, the characters are treated as if they are real people and the characters identity
supercedes the actors real life. Here, the person attacked is refered to by her characters name
Hayley (actors name is actually Katie Jarvis)

Cultural Context
Traditionally, one of the Mirror’s (and
other tabloids’) main elements is sports
reporting - often over half the paper is
dedicated to sport.
The ‘back pages’ often feature the
betting odds for horse races and will have
special ‘pull out’ features when there is a
major racing event.
Racing ‘meets’ like Ascot and
Cheltenham have upper class
associations, but have increasingly
become popular days out for the less
wealthy audiences.
.

How has the text been constructed to create
meaning? *purpose/effect
Remember – use denotation/connotation.
Consider - what is this trying to do, how is it
trying to do it?
TASK: In pairs – write a paragraph on each of
the following headings, using as much of the
terminology as possible. Be prepared to
feedback to class.
Visual Codes (colour, gesture, costume, design
and layout, iconography, etc.)
Technical Codes (Camera - framing, angle,
image editing & composition).
Verbal Codes (Lexis, mode of address,
rhetorical devices, typography, etc.)
Barthes’ Codes: (Hermeneutic, proairetic,
semantic, symbolic, cultural),
Textual Analysis

Analyse and annotate your image, using
the following terms:
Front Page
Analysis • Advert
• Anchorage
• Byline
• Celebrity
• Close Up
• Connotations
• Copy
• Cultural Code
• Denotations
• Direct Mode of
Address
• Emotive language
• Enigma Code
• Font
• Headline
• Masthead
• Puff box
• Pun
• Rule of
Three/Repetition
• Sans Serif
• Semantic Code
• Sensationalism
• Slang
• Specialist
Vocabulary
• Standfirst
• Strapline

Masthead positioned top left – easy to find on shelves and first place eyes look
Title ‘Mirror’ has connotations of reflection, views, identity and the personal. Suggests
paper is a reflection of society and its readers with personal connection
Includes date, price and website address.
Strapline “Fighting For You”, (direct mode of address/synthetic personalisation,
emotive language, Implies newspaper has it’s readers interests at heart.
Front Page
Analysis

Main story has Headline in largest
font to highlight its importance.
Written in CAPS, san serif, Bold
‘Impact’ – connotes importance and
grabs attention.
Front Page
Analysis
Main story uses word play/pun “Mayhem” Theresa May. Implies it is her fault.
Anchored by image of May next to headline. High angle shot, relatively small image of her
looking concerned – connotes weakness
Byline credits reporter Pippa Crerar and her position Political Editor – connotes expertise
Standfirst gives short introduction and draws reader into main copy.
Use of emotive language (Mayhem, surrender, defeat, chaos) construct sensationalist
representation

Front page split between:
a ‘puff box’ promoting the pull-out
supplement,
the main political story and
an advert for a betting service (that
obviously links to the Cheltenham pull-
out).
This implies Horse Racing, betting and
sports are as important to the reader
interests as the political story.
Story about EastEnders actress in top
right indicates Readers’ interest in
celebrity news.
Front Page
Analysis

Puff box “All the Silks.. All the tips.. All the form!” offers practical advice and the offer
of a free bet will also entice the reader appealing to working class, (struggler?’)
target audience.
Specialist vocabulary (and the ones in advert at bottom) are cultural codes that
would be understood by racing fans and positions the reader as someone already
knowledgeable about racing.
The advert at the base of the page also uses brightly coloured graphics, the greens
linking it to the racing feature above.
Front Page
Analysis The pull-out advert dominates
the page - with bright green
font and background, combined
with an exciting action shot of
a horse and rider, it grabs the
attention more than the political
story.

Article about the assault on the actor
is a close-up of her upset face, to create
empathy and the reader feel closer to this
‘character’.
The headline uses emotive slang like ‘glassed’
and ‘thug’ to condemn the attack. It also doesn’t
use the real actor’s name (Katie Jarvis) instead
addressing her as her character’s name.
The abbreviation of Eastenders (‘Enders’) along
with the slang suggests this story is less
important and more ‘gossipy’.
Reference to UK soap opera and character’s
name are also ‘cultural codes’ for people who
know the programme.
Front Page
Analysis

Article Analysis

Article Analysis Analyse and annotate your image, using
the following terms:
• Allegory
• Alliteration
• Connotation
• Denotation
• Emotive Language
• Gesture Code
• Metaphor
• Mid Shot
• Pull Quote
• Slang

Article Analysis
Central image is a medium shot
of Theresa May:
Gesture code: Her hands are raised which
could connote defeat. It could also indicate
conciliation or resistance.
The text of the article shows it is a mixture of all
of these. May is portrayed as someone who is
losing, but who is also bravely fighting on
against the odds.

Article Analysis
The language of the whole article is allegorical: portraying the debate in Parliament as if it is a
horse race.
“A Faller At The 2nd” is racing track slang for a poorly performing horse, and there is even a
book-keeper character at the bottom of the page, offering odds for the different Brexit outcomes.

Article Analysis
Throughout the main article, May
is described
using light-hearted derogatory
language (“tottering Theresa” -
alliteration). Though her
“dwindling authority” is ridiculed, at
some points her efforts sound
almost heroic (“dashing to
Brussels”).

Article Analysis
On either side of the double page there
are two rival columns offering opposing
viewpoints on the proceedings. The style of
these is similar to that of sports journalism, and
there are numerous light-hearted pop culture
references (e.g. comparing one man to Gandalf
from Lord Of The Rings and including his famous
line “You shall not pass”).
Pull quotes are used to highlight key information
and break up the body of text to make more
interesting to look at.

Representation
Consider how representations are
constructed through a process of
selection and combination
How is Theresa May
Represented?
How are political events
represented?
How are women represented?

Representation
How is Theresa May
Represented?
Her image next to word ‘Mayhem
links her explicitly with situation – her
actions are to blame.
Image = small, high angle,, face
looking downbeat – connotes
weakness
Emotive, negative, words like
‘mayhem…delay…surrenders…
massive defeat…chaos’, and that it
has happened ‘again’ emphasise
her repeated failures and impact
upon nation.

Representation
How is Theresa May
Represented?
In article, May portrayed of as
embattled continues with a blow by blow
account of the debate.
The detail of her losing her voice again
represents her as both weak, but also
relentless in her aims.
The image of her dominates the page,
whilst the male politicians are in far
smaller photo-boxes. There is a sense
that even though she is failing, she is
going down fighting.
Though this seems at odds with the
Mirror’s political bias, it does fit with the
large female market who may empathise
and/or admire May’s tenacity even if
they don’t like her politics.

Representation
How are political events represented?
Sensationalist language is used to make political
story more interesting/exciting.
Making the story about an individual (May)
personalises the story, simplifying what is a very
complex situation.
Large headline, but small amount of copy and use
of ‘again’ suggests that these political conflicts have
become almost commonplace/tiresome, and this is
all part of the ongoing Brexit ‘chaos’.
Use of Horseracing allegory in article is topical
and makes ‘dry’ political story more interesting for
target audience.

Representation
How are women represented?
Two images of women on front page could be
seen to represent women as stereotypically
weak – failing in professional roles/politics
(May) or being victims of violence (Enders
Hayley).
Mean while, image of man on horse looks
powerful and dominates page.
But could be argued that image of female PM
is somewhat empowering and that both
women’s facial expressions connote
determination and defiance in face of adversity.
A more nuance response should consider this
more complex representation, which may be to
appeal to large female readership (audience
50:50 gender split).

C1SA Newspapers Daily Mirror (2021 onwards) context language representation asy1

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