Representation
-The photo could be seen as representing May stereotypically as a weak woman, however, the invasive framing of the photo shows she is allowing her feelings to show in private whereas in public she is more controlled |
- Female politicians often find it hard to balance being a strong, capable leader with being warm and kind. Andrea Leadsom criticised May for not being a mother. |
- The language of the headline focuses on her emotions over her political achievements but the tone suggests this is justified |
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Media language
- The central image is a close-up of May with dark rings under her eyes and a pained expression. This connotes tiredness, stress and high emotion |
- The headline anchors the image and gives the story a narrative where May is a character (fulfils the news value of personalisation) |
- The 'In the News' stories supply global context of what the audience is interested in |
- Most of the print is black on white which connotes seriousness, however, the fashion headline at the top is in a paler, feminine colour and therefore is less serious |
- The strapline and heraldic style logo draw on the Times' history and reputation as a trustworthy publication |
Theoretical Approaches
Semiotics: Barthes |
The headline connotes the private nature of the photo. The private framing of the photo emphasises the personal nature of it |
Narrative: Todorov |
The complexity of the issue is turned into a story with May as a character |
Feminism: Van Zoonen |
Although May is presented as vulnerable, she is not sexualised. She is shown as a powerful woman battling against men, which is not a common representation in the media |
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Audience
- Target audience: ABC1, over 35, liberal/right-wing, well-educated, middle class, interested in global reporting |
- The Brexit edition is neutral so allows the audience to form their own opinion and response. The close-up allows identification and empathy with May and the Brexit process |
Industry
- News corp was newly formed after a split from News Corporation due to an interest in TV and film as well as print. |
- News Corp also publishes the Sun and the News of The World, which closed down after the 2011 phone hacking scandal |
- It demonstrates a right-wing view with The Sun but The Times is more neutral |
- The group offered the first online newspaper in the UK but also introduced paywalls due to declining sales |
- The Times is the only national quality newspaper to show year-on-year growth in circulation |
- The Times is part of the IPSO: a regulatory body for newspapers that is funded by the industry |
Theoretical Approaches (copy)
Power and media industries: Curran and Seaton |
The Times is part of a large conglomerate which may limit creativity. Rupert Murdoch is often accussed of controlling content which supports this point. However, diverse patterns of ownership may create conditions for a more varied approach to products. |
Regulation: Livingstone and Lunt |
The UK press is facing harsher regulation after 2011. There is an underlying issue of protecting citizen's from harmful material while allowing press freedom |
Cultural Industries: Hesmondhalgh |
The Times Newspaper Group offers a wide variety of titles to minimise risk and maximise profit. It has embraced digital media and adding paywalls to increase income |
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Production context
- It is a quality newspaper published since 1785 |
- Since 1981, it has been published by Times News, a subsidiary of News UK which is a subsidiary of News Corp and owned by Rupert Murdoch. It is British based and American owned and produces other publications including The Sun and The News of The World. |
- This edition was published 13th March 2019, after Theresa May lost a vote on her Brexit plan in the House of Commons |
- The Times had a variety of views which allowed it to have a neutral stance |
- After the Brexit vote and David Cameron's resignation in 2016, turmoil occurred |
- The argument between leave and remain carried on even after the Brexit vote with Theresa May calling a snap election in 2017 |
- The Conservatives suffered heavy losses in the snap general election when May kept putting forward her Brexit deal which kept getting voted out by Parliament |
- The cultural context links horseracing meets like Ascot to the upper classes |
Theoretical Approaches (copy) (copy)
Cultivation: Gerbner |
Exposure to repeated patterns of representation(of May struggling to reach a deal, of Brexit chaosgenerally) by newspapers can shape and influencean audience’s views and opinions. Gerbner wenton to say that this is not like ‘hypodermic model’but rather depends on what the audience alreadybelieves. The messages (e.g. politicians areineffectual) need to resonate with an establishedbelief (e.g. Brexit is a chaotic mess) in theaudience (e.g. middle class, middle-right wing) |
Reception: Hall |
The Times has portrayed May and the vote ina way that encourages a negotiated reading.By focusing on the emotional state of Mayand the general despair at the progress ofnegotiations, it is asking readers to reflect ontheir own emotional response to the situation. |
End of Audience: Shirky |
The concept of audience members as passiveconsumers is no longer tenable in the age ofthe internet with the rise of the prosumer whocan create their own content such as submitting stories and being part of forums. Many broadsheetnewspapers like The Times have embracedthis, taking popular ‘below-the-line’ (i.e. non-professional) commentators and offering them‘above-the-line’ columns in their on-line editions. |
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