Newspapers - Media Language and News

Recap 

• Name 3 features you would expect to find on a Broadsheet Newspaper.
• Masthead
• Large amount of Copy
• Formal Lexis
• Name a left-wing/ liberal newspaper.
• The Guardian
• Name the 3 'red-top' newspapers sold in the UK.
• The Sun
• Daily Star
• Daily Mirror
• Why was the Leveson Inquiry held?
• To put more restrictions/ regulation on Freedom of Press
• Due to the Phone Hacking Scandal
• Which theorists discuss Regulation and what regulatory body did they study? 
• Livingstone and Lunt
• Ofcom
• What is the name of the regulator which was set up after the Leveson Inquiry? It is a voluntary regulator: The Daily Mail opted in but The Guardian did not because it contradicts the idea of Free Press. 
• IPSO
• What theory is Roland Barthes associated with? 
• Semiotics
• What is the difference between he signifier and the signified? 
• Signifier is the denotation whilst signified is the connotation
• ‘the special trick of ____ is to present an ethos, ideology or set of values as if it were a natural condition of the world, when in fact its no more than another limited, man-made perspective’
• Myth

Media Language and News : Semiotics

Barthes studied Semiotics in the 1960s which involves studying signs. 

• A sign consists of a signifier(a word, an image, a sound) and its meaning- the signified 
• The denotation of a sign is its literal meaning. For example, the word DOG denotes a mammal that barks. 
• Denotation signify connotations- the associations of the denotation. Eg. The ideas that dogs are loyal, man’s best friend etc
• Denotations and connotations are organized into myths- the ideological meaning. These make ideology seem ‘natural’. For example, an image of a Bulldog might activate a myth of Britishness.

Where did the connection of Britishness and the bulldog begin?

During World War One, cartoonist depicted figures of Britain as/ with Bulldogs as a representation of their strength, tenacity, and willingness to fight larger 'animals'.

What type of ideology does this connect to: Feminism, Ethnocentrism or Consumerism? Explain your choice. 

Ethnocentrism as Britain depict their behaviour, custom, language, and religion as superior.

Can this myth be harmful?

In some cases it can be harmful due to the reactions/ retaliation of others, but its main idea is to convey an overly positive light of one's culture.

• Red top Masthead - Showcases that the newspaper is a tabloid and so will depict an emotional, exaggerated, and entertainment-based story.
• The Masthead - the title of 'daily mirror' suggests the self-reflective intentions of the paper; making it emotional, personal, and opinionated
• Main Image - The image depicting a happy Harry and Meghan takes up the majority of the page connoting the significance of the story and that their opinions on the celebrities' lives is important to the paper and their readers.
• Headline - the phrase 'tripped and fell' connotes a rather violent becoming - hinting at the paper's labour/ left wing viewpoint - but when paired with the serif font can also be seen to resemble the idiom of 'falling in love', with the pronouns of 'she' and 'my' suggesting the personal quote. This references the tabloids nature to retrieve celebrity interviews. The placement of it on top of the main image anchors the two and reinforces the positive impression of the event.
• Copy - The lack of copy on the page is another trait of tabloid newspapers, but also connotes that the main focus of the newspaper is the lead story. This is emphasized through the off-leads at the bottom of the page that discuss further views/ information on the lead story.
• Caption - the caption of 'Smitten, Harry and Meghan Yesterday' is some of the only copy on the cover. This connotes a positive light on the couple as well as that the story is fairly recent and therefore up to date and relevant.