EVIDENCE FROM OUR NEWSPAPERS

Monday 23rd feb 2026 - version of the times and the mirror

HOW DOES OWNERSHIP INFLUENCE MEDIA PRODUCTS

• The Times → owned by News UK (part of a large conglomerate)

• Daily Mirror → owned by Reach plc

👉 Points:

• ownership affects:

  • political bias

  • target audience

  • content style

POLITICAL BIAS IN NP

POLITICAL BIAS

TIMES

• pg 12 - “reform: we will not let churches become mosques”

reform trying to restore Britain christian heritage

• pg 13 - imagery of Hannah Spencer (Green Party) - candid picture, not smiling nicely, un-appealing face position

making Green Party / women look stupid and un trustworthy, reliable

• pg 13 - “labour will look again at cost of student loans”

right wing do not like giving money / loans out

MIRROR

• front page- “ANDREW SCANDAL FALLOUT” +
  “William: I need to calm down…”

loaded lang (scandal and fallout) and dramatic tone positions royals situations as a crisis, encouraging cristism on elite insitutions

• front - “restore trust in royals”

highlights loss of public trust Reflects a public-interest, accountability-focused ideology (typical of left-leaning press)

• front - positive picture of William and Kate, next to smaller image of negatively frowning prince Andrew

construction of moral trust :“good” royals (rebuilding trust) “bad” elite figure (Andrew) / selective representation = ideological positioning

TARGET AUD

MIRROR

• front page “William: I need to calm down”

personal lang / makes him seem dramatic, reach plc targeting a c2de WC audience, content become sensationalised and personalised

• pg 4 “we WILL recover”

will in capitals, certainty and intensity, priority of attention grabbing headlines and fitting a less time rich audience, emotional reaction over critical thinking

• front +pg 4,5 large images of Kate and William everywhere

strong focus on celeb visuals, content is focused on entertainment and visual heavy layout appeals to less literacy rate aud

TIMES

• front page “Evidence of Epstein’s UK flights destroyed”

serious and investigative tone, focus on information / evidence rather than emotion, news corp targeting a abc1 audience, that expect factual reporting

• pg 4 “Reform: We will not let churches become mosques”

Political, ideological framing of target aud, Reflects centre-right political alignment , Appeals to readers interested in politics + governance

• Layout: multiple columns, smaller images, long text blocks

Dense information → requires higher literacy + attention, Content becomes detailed, analytical, and text-heavy suitable for higher education/ upper classes

CONTENT STYLE

MIRROR

• William: I need to calm down…”

Feels like direct speech / gossip style reporting, Style is simplified to suit a mass audience, increasing accessibility and sales

• “We WILL recover”

Capitalisation creates urgency and impact, Commercial ownership encourages sensationalism

• Full-page images of William & Kate at the Baftas

Blends news + celebrity culture, Tabloid ownership prioritises visual engagement

TIMES

• “Evidence of Epstein’s UK flights destroyed”

ocus on evidence, investigation, institutions, News Corp maintains a broadsheet reputation

• “Reform: We will not let churches become mosques”

Structured, policy-focused headline, Content style is analytical rather than emotional

• Layout: long columns, dense paragraphs, minimal images

Requires sustained attention and literacy, Subscription-based model = focus on quality over mass appeal.

HOW HAVE CHANGES IN TECH AFFECTED MEDIA INDUSTRIES

• decline in print sales

• rise of:

  • online news

  • social media

👉 Key term: digital convergence

ONLINE NEWS ( WEBSITES )

MIRROR

HOW DO NEWSPAPER MAINTAIN PROFITABLIITY

HOW DO NEWSPAPERS TARGET AUDIENCE

HOW DO NEWSPAPERS APPEAL TO AUDIENCES

HOW DO AUDINECED INTERPRET MEDIA PRODUCTS DIFFRENTLY