The sun

Explore how the print advertisement for The Sun uses media language to create

meanings:

Text: “the sun” has connotations of power, importance and is central to our lives, much like the sun is in our solar system. Furthermore, the hot connotations of “the sun” might also suggest that they have all the “hot” new e.g. the latest news. Strapline: “peoples paper” signifies that the paper is popular as well as patriotic and nationalist, which ties in with their values. The price, “60p”, is very low2 to allow for a wider audience to be able to buy from them, especially lower classes. “promise”, makes Boris Johnson seem quite trustworthy and words like “turbocharged” signify him as being dominant and powerful. The headline is a large, bold sans serif font to be attention grabbing, and is a great way of drawing in readers. The simple wording is easy to understand and targets readers with low literacy levels. The headline, “jab’s army”, is an intertextual reference and play-on word for the British Tv Show Dad’s Army, set in WW2, and so might target an older audience who would understand the reference and remember the show. The collective pronoun “our” includes the readers and makes them feel as though the Sun has been responsible for the vaccine. The direct address, “you” engages the audience but also has connotations of wartime propaganda posters. “The sun says”, suggests that their opinion is very important and should be listened to, this paired with the flattery of from words like “fantatstic” makes it even more persuasive. The use of emotive language: “terrible” adds drama and is persuasive. Mentioning that the campaign is supported by the NHS makes it seem more serious and trustworthy, furthermore the use of statistics makes the campaign more factual and wide-reaching.

Images/visual codes: The thumbs up image alongside the Brexit article connote that brexit is a positive thing and that it is going well, and their also reflects the fact that The Sun campaigned for Brexit in the run-up to the referendum and are Pro Conservative. An iconic image of the face of Big Ben which is manipulated to have a syringe/needle in place of one of the hands conveys the message that it is time for everyone to get the vaccine, creating a sense of urgency in the narrative. Also, the use of such an iconic landmark makes it eye-catching for the reader because it is so recognisable. The British iconography creates an image of nationalism, patriotism and targets British audience who value their national heritage. The heart signifies love and might imply that if you join in and receive the vaccine you would be showing your love for your country

Layout/design: The price is quite small on the page connoting its insignificance. The large images and headlines and small amounts of text also help target a less educated audience. Pull quotes by celebrities help engage audiences and persuade them that it is important, also they themselves have been quite involved with the virus whether it was raising a large sum of money or having a loved one in hospital, it makes the virus seem more real, dangerous and important.

Genre conventions:

Colour: The red, white and black colour palette suggest this is a tabloid newspaper and the bold colours make the paper stand out and eye-catching.

Political contexts:

Representations: Article acts as an enigma code, and as a teaser designed to hook the reader into reading the bigger article inside.

Representation: the intertextual reference adds to the values of britishness and the narrative that the fight against covid is like a war. Lots of military language and references creates a narrative themed around war and fighting, making Covid out to be the villain and the public as the heros