Diagram of the daily mirror - set text (front cover) (feb 2022) | Quizlet

significance of masthead font

sans serif font connotes simplicity and clarity, which is appropriate for its readership who typically have lower literacy levels than broadsheet newspapers.

significance of red background on logo

denotes that this is a red top tabloid newspaper. This has connotations of being more sensationalist with a greater focus on soft news

what does the name 'mirror' suggest'?

denotes a reflective glass used for looking at yourself. The connotations of this is that it should reflect the society that a mirror reader may see themselves as part of.

what does the strapline 'heart of britain' suggest?

it is at the ‘centre’ of Britain’s society, but ‘heart’ also has connotations of life and love

when was the set text?

1st feb 2022

what type of newspaper is tdm?

british daily national tabloid newspaper

when was tdm established?

est in 1903 - targeted at working class audience

who is the main competitor of tdm?

‘the sun’ – targets a similar audience but more right wing

what political leaning is tdm?

left wing

what form of newspaper is tdm?

- tabloid

- mid-market

- red-top

what is the slogan?

'the heart of Britain

what does the slogan suggest?

newspaper stands up for the people of the uk and is a key part of social and cultural life in the uk

background context

critical of the tory gov during the pandemic

what is the target audience for tdm?

lower middle class/ working class readership

in what way is the TA reflected?

news values, stories and representations of social groups

us vs them ideology

idea the gov has issued rules they feel they don't have to abide by (binary opposition of authority/nation)

newspaper plug

feature of platinum jubilee – reinforces the cultural heritage of the uk

how does tdm use prounouns?

asserts itself as the voice of the british people – use of pronoun ‘us’

what story does the edition cover?

scandal surrounding allegations of parties + social gatherings held by the conservative gov when leaders had enforced strict restrictions that prohibited gatherings

when was the story first reported?

tdm in nov 2021 – alleged during the lockdown in 2020, over Christmas parties had been held by the pm

what happened on the day of publishing?

gray reported the police were investigating several breaches of lockdown by no 10 and boris had refused to reisgn

what did the scandal become known as?

partygate’ – gate being used to suggest a scandal in politics/gov

who was the inquiry led by?

civil servant sue gray + results were published in jan 2022

why is the cover less conventional for a tabloid?

- more serious tone

- no references to entertainment or sport. This might reflect the mood of the nation at the time

- no adverts - tabloids usually feature advertising on the cover to supplement the cover price and provide a prime position for advertisers.

how does the newspaper position itself as a mid-market newspaper?

while emotive, does not seem to sensationalise the story, suggesting the newspaper has tried to distance itself from its competitors such as ‘The Sun’ and ‘The Star’.

how is the front cover conventional?

- hard news story is presented in a more attention-grabbing and sensational way, a strategy tabloids use to appeal to and maintain readers; it also positions its readers to be interested in politics but in a way that they find engaging.

- the splash dominates the layout, and there is relatively little copy

how is the front cover conventional?

- dominance of the main image and lack of copy on the cover is conventional for a tabloid

- simple language is conventional for a tabloid. The red masthead denotes this is a tabloid newspaper – specifically a ‘red-top’, which has connotations of sensation and gossip.

TERM

headline

DEFINITION

compiled of a list of the statistics behind the lockdown party scandal. The listing compounds the issues and makes the PM's failings more profound - especially 'his own flat'.

TERM

colours

DEFINITION

•The numbers are coloured yellow, which symbolises warning or hazard. The headline culminates with the words 'zero shame'.

TERM

anchorage of numbers

DEFINITION

•This anchors the image, which unlike the very similar main image in The Times, appears to show a definite smirk from the PM and therefore conveys their anti-Conservative ideology.

TERM

key figures

DEFINITION

The rest of the copy is more objective, using the voices of Gray and Scotland Yard to add weight to the report.

TERM

language

DEFINITION

The language used to discuss BJ, however, is more cutting, saying he 'snubbed' calls to quit and 'brashly insisted' he would 'fix it'.

TERM

keir starmer

DEFINITION

The section ends with Starmer 'warning' him that the public think he should 'do the decent thing'.

TERM

starmer

DEFINITION

•The smaller inset image of Kier Starmer (Labour leader) reflects the concern that many of the left-wing audience will feel.

TERM

repetition of 'shame'

DEFINITION

•In the standfirst, Boris is called 'shameless' an emotive word that connotes lack of care of others - a stereotypical conservative trait.

TERM

colloquial language

DEFINITION

•Colloquial terms such as 'Partygate', 'bashes' show the conventional informality of the tabloid linguistic style.

TERM

main image

DEFINITION

mid-shot of Boris Johnson against a black background, which could symbolize doom or destruction. This places the newspaper in opposition to Boris Johnson, although it is similar to images used on both right-and-left-wing newspapers on that day.

TERM

codes of expression

DEFINITION

denoting a smirk – could connote his lack of care and his 'shameless' response to the scandal. This suggests the Mirror’s viewpoint is anti-government.

TERM

emotive lanaguge

DEFINITION

Zero Shame’ uses emotive language typical of tabloids. This is preceded with a list of numerical evidence suggesting the newspaper is aiming to be led by facts rather than sensation.

TERM

emotive language on puff

DEFINITION

to create broader appeal – possibly a female audience. This secondary headline anchors the images of the Queen and her father and suggests the tears are those of the Queen, presenting her as a figurehead both the newspaper and its audience will sympathise with (unlike Boris Johnson).

TERM

keir starmer story

DEFINITION

suggests the newspaper shares his viewpoint and is again using his voice to speak for their own ideologies

TERM

color codes

DEFINITION

The choice to highlight the numbers in the headline in yellow, a colour that has connotations of hazards and warnings, positions the newspaper as out to get Boris Johnson.

typography

Strong typography, name of newspaper - the paper 'holds a mirror' up to what is taking place in society

page split

between the political story + a plug promoting the platinum jubilee feature, political story takes prominence

layout

conventional

image led over text. Bold masthead and recognisable as a red top, tabloid newspaper

slogan

'heart of britain' suggests the newspaper cares about what's happening to the people of the uk

headline

Brief, dramatic headline - emotive language eg 'zero shame'

strapline

'gray report fallout' sums up the context of the story w negative connotations

sub-headings

provide more info through the employment of numbers for dramatic impact

main image

dominates the front page + anchors the headlines - he appears unconcerned

caption

‘I’m not going’ suggests his failure to take responsibility for what’s happened

accompanies the image of labour leader keir starmer – crushing boris – left wing stance of tdm

emotive language

refers to boris as shameless, reinforces their political views

what language is used?

colloquialism such as ‘cops’ and ‘lockdown bashes’ to engage with TA

what is the significance of the main image?

focuses on his code of expression and anchor of the caption ‘I’m not going’ – previously has been criticised for his smirk – connotes his uncaring attitude – conveys attitudes of the newspaper

what does the word 'crushing' refer to?

how starmer delt with boris in the house of commons

sub heading

uses number to highlight the misdemeanours boris was involved in ‘300 pictures handed over’ ‘and still’ suggests the weight of evidence against him should be enough but he still doesn’t take responsibility

how does this position audiences?

to accept the newspapers view as it reinforces their own ideas about the gov

applied theory: stuart hall's reception theory

- uses stereotypical representations of the pm + other members of the gov to convey left wing agenda + raise awareness of inequalities in society

- inequalities in power highlighted in the story – those in power have been seen to flout the rules they set themselves while the ‘ordinary people’ must conform to the restrictions and suffer as a result

how does the front cover use signs?

recognisable signs – codes of clothing convey messages about social standing. glass of wine in boris’ hand connotes a party – juxtaposed (binary opposition) against the signs that suggest the ‘critical care’ ward – lead audiences to draw negative conclusions about his behaviour

applied theory: curran + seaton's power+media industry

- newspaper industry is dominated by a small number of powerful companies

- concentrated ownership model of newspaper industry means audiences receive a narrow range of viewpoints – tdm is a lone voice in a largely right-wing press

- reach plc has maintained their position in the uk market despite falling sales of tdm and other mainstream titles

applied theory: structuralism – levi strauss

- Binary opposition between the gov, boris + 'the people' - feeds into the 'us vs them' ideology of 'populism'

- Newspaper uses signs that are recognisable to audiences + connote meanings - use of red colour, codes of clothing eg nurses clothing,

what was the newspaper initially published for in 1903?

newspaper for women ‘to act as a mirror on feminine life’ – soon redesigned to appeal to a broader audience

who is tdm owned by?

reach plc

is the newspaper popular?

was once the most popular tabloid in the uk

how has this changed?

sales have been falling - down 9% in 2022

how has technological change impacted sales?

been responsible for the downturn in print sales

what has tdm done in response to print sales falling?

dm launched ‘mirror online’ and establishing a presence on social media

how has mirror online + the social media presence impacted the newspaper?

given the newspaper ability to produce up to the minute national + global news and update this content regularly

what kind of content does the website produce?

accessible content, breaks stories into bitesize chunks

who is reach plc?

largest commercial, national + regional publisher in the uk – punlishes more than 130 national and local media brands from tdm, the daily record, the daily express and other local newspapers

what is reach plc's aim?

speaking up and shining a light on the truth

who is reach plc part of?

IPSO – independent body not backed by gov

what is reach plc's slogan?

‘champions, campaigners and changemakers’

TERM

daily mirror logo/masthead

DEFINITION

red background connotes the red-top nature of the newspaper + sans serif font connotes the modern political ideology

TERM

codes of expression

DEFINITION

anchors the title 'zero shame' as bj is shown smiling/smirking an we see a quote saying 'i'm not going' enforces us vs them ideology where he does not feel he should take responsibility for his actions despite his failures to the nation

TERM

sue gray

DEFINITION

significant as it was the official investigation into the goverment lockdown parties - shows that this source is trusted and reinforces the left wing agenda of the newspaper - positions the audience to take a similar view that the pm has failed the nation

e

TERM

'tears for the king' puff

DEFINITION

positive view of the royal family is unconventional for a left wing newspaper as usually liberals are critical of the monarchy however on mirror online we can also see the cover stories of the royal family as if they are celebrities

TERM

pull quote 'i'm not going'

DEFINITION

anchors the 'zero shame' headline as this reinforces the idea that bj is refusing to take responsibility for his actions

TERM

colloquial language

DEFINITION

links to the sensationalist tabloid nature of the newspaper w a working class audience w a low literacy/education level

TERM

'crushing'

DEFINITION

word keir starmer used to refer to boris johnson - they have chosen the labour leader as someone to speak on the matter as they are a left wing newspaper themselves

TERM

'and still'

DEFINITION

shows that despite everything, all the evidence and hate toward the gov, boris still has no shame and is refusing to the the right thing + resign

TERM

significance of numbers

DEFINITION

is used to reinforce the left wing ideology of the newspaper as the sheer extent of the situation is something serious that has lots of evidence, however tdm is critical of the lack of shame and responsibility in goverment