The document provides an analysis of the language used in newspaper articles about riots in London in 2011. It finds that the articles consistently portray the young people involved in a negative light through the use of biased and emotive language. They are referred to as "thugs", "feral kids", and emphasis is placed on their hoodies and masks to imply criminal intent. No reasons for the riots are explored and the perspectives of the young people are not included. Binary oppositions are created between the young rioters and normal, law-abiding citizens. The analysis concludes that the newspaper coverage exaggerated the dangers of the riots and used powerful language to create a strong negative representation of the young people as wild, out of control, and rebelling

2. DAILY MAIL 9/08/11
Title: Emotive language ‘thugs’
Orgy of violence rages’. This immediately
signifies bias as the offenders are labelled
‘thugs’ – criminals who will perpetrate violence
for no particular reason.
‘Orgy’ of violence suggests that what the thugs
were undertaking was deeply pleasurable for
them and signifies the amount of people
involved.
Topic sentence: paragraph about the
violence taking place.
Language: Described as “sporadic”
“attacks”. “Sporadic” seems as though
there is no organisation or reason
behind them and “attacks” make s
what was happening seem as though it
was a deliberate attack on the public.
Opposites established: ‘Normal
people’ dining and the rioters
smashing and destroying.
Topic sentence: An attack on a
bus.
Language: The detail about them
riding BMX’s emphasises their age
and again, opposites are
established: commuters vs. the
“thugs”.
Opposites established: ‘Normal
people’ dining and the rioters
smashing and destroying. The
terror of ‘normal’ citizens
emphasised.

3. Photo of group of hoodies
chosen. Rep of youth:
‘hoodies’ in gangs.
Caption emphasises ‘masked’ in
order to make a connection with
hoodies and moral panics.

4. Binary Opposite established:
The teenage ‘thug’ creating
violence and the police
officer with his hand out as
though asking for peace.
Again, ‘masked’ emphasised but this time ‘yob’ used, instead of ‘thug’. The caption anchors the meaning of the photo
and suggests the teenager is throwing the bottle at the police. The framing tries to suggest that he is throwing the
bottle at the police officer pictured who is appealing for peace.

5. Selection of source: A woman running
for her life. Very dramatic. Us vs Them
clearly established here once again:
Normal folk vs. the teen yobs.
The caption anchors
the meaning of the
text: Young and
lawless.
Representation of
teenagers taking part
in the riots overall.
Photo = binary
opposition between
law and order and
lawlessness.

6. Person in the picture labelled as a
‘rioter’ though no evidence to
suggest he is doing anything wrong
other than walking passed a
burning car.
Nonchalance / uncaring /
lawlessness of youth represented.
Alcohol emphasised.

7. Summary of ideologies:
• Those taking part in the riots represented exclusively young people and hoodies /face
coverings emphasised to link to moral panics and hoodies. Also, groups or gangs.
• Police and ‘normal’ citizens seen as victims. Binary Opposition: Us vs. Them.
• Binary Opposition: Law and order vs. chaos and crime
• No reasons for riots explored and no sources from younger generation
• Bias language used when referring to youths: ‘thugs’

8. Title: Controversial language used
‘Underclass’ ‘Lashes out’. This
instantly connotes news bias as the
rioters are branded as ‘underclass’
signifying they are from a poor
background living a poverty lifestyle.
‘Lashes out’ signifies that the
offenders are attacking back at
authority for no reason and not
considering the consequences.
Topic Sentence: initial paragraph
depicting the generation who
committed the crimes as well as
discussing some of the violence that
had taken place.
Vocabulary: ‘Hooded Teenagers’
Youth are depicted to be the blame
of the riots with the newspapers
emphasising ‘hooded’ creating a
stereotype for the offenders of the
crimes. Opposites are created:
community vs. Hooded teenagers.
Vocabulary: ‘Feral Kids with no jobs’
this news article represents youth as
‘feral’ calling them wild with no jobs
signifying to the audience they are
‘dossers’ patrolling street corners as
they have nothing better to do. The
newspaper reinforces that the
offenders where ‘kids’ signifying
they are rebelling against society.

9. Photo of Maplin after a riot
has taken place. Emphasising
the damaging committed by
the ‘youth’ rioters. This image
also signifies that the youth
are rebelling against authority
as a armed police officer I
wasn’t able to stop the
damage committed.
Caption anchors the image ‘A looted
store in Tottenham’ anchoring that the
offenders are ‘feral’ relating to moral
panics of ‘youth rebel.’
In the image, no electronics are
displayed and the shop has been
ambushed connoting to the audience
the servility of the riots and the
‘heartlessness’ of the offenders
committing the crimes. Enhancing the
moral panic as other shop keepers
apprehension will grow stronger.

10. •
•
•
•
•
Summary of Ideologies:
The offenders of the riots are ‘hooded young ferals’/ hoodies emphasised to link to
moral panics as their identity is hidden as well as gangs.
Local communities branded as victims. Thus linking to Binary Opposites: locals vs.
Hooded Youth.
Newspaper doesn’t take into account youths opinions or explore the reasons
behind the London Riots.
Strong emotive, bias language used constantly throughout newspaper article to
create a strong representation of Youths ‘Ferals.’

11. Title: Powerful vocabulary used ‘Escalates.’
This instantly signifies to the audience that
the Riots are getting out of hand and there
has been no sustained control. ‘Police
battle’ opposites created: Authority
(police) vs. Offenders of riots.
‘Control’ connotes that riots have control
currently and the police have failed to take
control over the situation.
Topic Sentence: raises awareness and
emphasises the severity of the riots as the
‘prime minister’ has cut short his own
holiday to try and deal and take full control
of the situation. This connotes to the
audience how ‘dangerous’ the riots have
become and the ‘Prime minister’ himself has
to deal with the situation signifying a
weakness in the services.
‘London’ which instantly connotes danger
and shock in the audience as the riots are
being held in the capital. This therefore
emphasises the danger that the workers and
authority are in living and commuting in
London. This links to the moral panics as
people in London would fear for the worse as
the riots are exaggerated making it sound as
if everyone in London is in server danger!

12. The torched cars and bin
are made to look like the
male had committed the
crime whilst a gang are in
the background. Yet again
enhancing the ‘youths’
rebellious behaviour
emphasising the moral
panic of youths becoming
‘out of control’ and ‘wild’
Photo of rebellious behaviour as well as a
hooded, identityless male. Representation
of youth ‘hooded’ ‘masked’ in order to
make a connection with moral panics with
‘hooded dangerous ferals; looting the
streets.
Language: ‘A masked man’ draws
attention to the kind of people that
are committing the crimes. This
connotes to the audience that the
offenders are dangerous as there
identity is hidden. The tracksuit also
creates a representation of the social
class that are offending the crime.
Making them seem to be of ‘lower
classes’ living a poverty life.

13. • Summary of Ideologies:
• Those committing the crimes are represented to be young,
hoody wearing, masked criminal that are becoming ‘wild’ and
‘out of control.’
• Binary Opposites are created: Local, civilized community vs.
Offenders/gangs
• No reasons explored for the riots and limited sources
connoting News Bias.
• Bias, powerful language used throughout to create strong
representations for the offenders.