Holly Turner Media

The Daily Mail Hall - Through stereotyping and the communication of ideology, those in power try to fix the meaning of a representation to a preferred reading that suggests there can only be one true meaning. The editor constructs contrasts in the stereotypes to represent opposing political views. In positioning the stereotypes as good and bad, the Daily Mail fixes a preferred reading to right-wing politics as good and left-wing politics as bad. Hall - Meaning is created by a representation, but it isn't just by what is present but also by what is absent and different. Representation of the dominant group as white, male, middle class, middle-aged and right wing can be seen to reinforce the paper's political agenda. The absence of minority groups can be interpreted as reinforcing their lack of power in the social and political arena. Gauntlett - The media have an important but complex relationship with identities. The Daily Mail provides a traditional, conservative view of what ...

Explain how the political context in which newspapers are produced influences their ownership and regulation. Refer to the Guardian and the Daily Mail newspapers you have studied to support your answer. (10 marks) Intro - must be macro The UK news industry is oligopolistic, where 80% of news brands are controlled by three companies, two of which have press barons at their head. Because the press is controlled by so few people, this affects how newspapers are produced, the views they convey and the way they are regulated. Contrast between Daily Mail and Guardian The Daily Mail is part of the DMGT group, run by Lord Rothermere under a proprietor ownership model. The owner and the editor have a close relationship which can influence the production of stories and content. Fundamentally, the paper needs to sell copies to make profit through sales - a result of the capitalist nature of the market. Conversely, the Guardian is run by the Scott Trust, whose only role is to administrate the stru...

Answer structure (using Hesmondhalgh's cultural industries theory as an example) Start with a one-line summary of the theory Hesmondhalgh's theory of cultural industries argues that companies within industries are increasing concentration within a few large oligopolies which repeat narratives, genres and stars to minimise risk. Apply to Stranger Things Hesmondhalgh's theory is useful in explaining the presence of stars such as Winona Ryder and Matthew Modine in Stranger Things . Through the use of these stars, Netflix minimised risk by using pull marketing, engaging the fans of these established stars ( Ryder starred in Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands, while Modine starred in the Batman trilogy ). Not only this, Netflix exploited a millennial pull through the use of tried and tested genres and story arcs to engage audiences nostalgically . The theory falls down when trying to explain the use of a young, unknown cast of students , however, this is a common Spielbergian ...

Hall - Representation Theory One line summary Media language is used to create representations; stereotyping is often used to assert power Usefulness for understanding newspapers  Can be applied to any media product including newspapers Applies particularly to the way in which newspaper headlines try to fix the meaning of a representation, both the copy and the photographs Draws attention to the role of power in representations - both the general distribution of power in society and the power of newspapers as an institution - but also the power of the audience to decode representations in different ways Limitations for understanding newspapers Doesn't explain anything specific to newspapers as it is a general theory of representation Gauntlett - Identity Theory One line summary We use the internet and other media texts to help us create our identity; we now have more of a variety of representations to identify with Usefulness for understanding newspapers Can be applied to any media...

Social Description The influence of changes in gender roles, of gender, racial and ethnic inequalities on television programmes; knowledge and understanding of the influence of social anxieties and/or contested social values on television programmes (for example social anxieties such as domestic terrorism and surveillance, and wider western social values towards security, family, home and the perceived breakdown of the "nuclear" family) How social roles influence television programmes How common values and anxieties are portrayed in television programmes Stranger Things The episode intertextually reflects 1980s family and gender relations and is set within a Spielbergian, mostly white world of suburban family life, representing mothers as figures struggling to hold the family together, fathers as absent, insensitive or distracted, and young boys as establishing a fierce loyalty and masculine camaraderie in the face of a hostile world. Mike's teenage sister, Nancy, is repr...

Will either focus on news brands as a whole, online newspapers specifically or print newspapers specifically Mail Online Mail Online is separate to the Daily Mail Editorially different, appeals to a different audience Enables DMGT to reach a wider market across their combined print and online platforms Content is more gossipy than political Much younger demographic than print counterpart International audience with large proportion of traffic coming from US 2000 articles, 900 videos and 30,000 photos per day online Readership of Daily Mail in print is 1 million, online is 35 million per month Have around 10 dealings with IPSO per week from 14,000 articles Surprisingly low considering Mail's reputation Still has a right-wing, conservative agenda but a greater focus on celebrity and entertainment Most stories are personalised and focus on individuals rather than collectives Guardian Online 36.5 million site views a month 33% of readers aged 15-34, 67% 35+ Like Mail Online, has a youn...

Key things to mention Three companies own 80% of UK newspaper market (oligopoly) Guardian only has a 10% share Press is the fourth estate - underpins democracy and holds the powerful to account Our social system is a capitalist, free market economy - this is why the newspaper industry is an oligopoly dominated by right-wing press and why the market needs to be regulated to ensure plurality (multiple voices), which is necessary for a free press Close relationship between press and politicians was criticised by the Leveson inquiry, leading to greater levels of transparency After Leveson two regulatory boards emerged: self-regulation by IPSO - an industry body which upholds press standards and maintains editors' code of conduct - not Leveson compliant - used by Daily Mail IMPRESS is the only other regulator but as it is state backed few national newspapers have signed up The Guardian have signed up to neither as they claim both regulators are flawed - instead the Scott Trust has its o...

Must be confident with all theorists Have to talk about theorists from at least two different frameworks (representation, audience, industry, language) to access top marks May direct you to talk about a specific theory but should talk about relevant theorists either way to show that you know them well Mark scheme breakdown: AO1  - demonstrate knowledge and understanding of contexts of media and their influence on media products and processes  (10 marks) AO2:1  - apply knowledge and understanding of the theoretical framework of media to analyse media products, including in relation to their contexts and through the use of academic theories AO2:3  - apply knowledge and understanding of the theoretical framework of media to make judgements and draw conclusions  (20 marks for both AO2) Structure What are the differences between the two shows, and to what extent is this because of the audiences that are watching them? Macro - LFTVD industry - Netflix vs DR - private ...

Semiology - Barthes Key ideas Meaning is communicated through signs which are made up of the signifier (the thing itself) and the signified (the meaning). This process depends on the connotations  of a sign. Barthes uses the word myths to describe the way the connotations suggested by a sign have come to be seen as normal and natural. The meanings created by these myths often reflect dominant values and ideologies . In one sentence: Meaning is created by signs through connotation, which may naturalise dominant values and ideologies. Strengths and weaknesses Useful for identifying some of the ways that meaning is communicated in LFTVD and for considering how those meanings might relate to social values and ideologies. Doesn't account for importance of other media language elements (e.g. genre conventions, narrative structures) in creating meaning. May result in readings which don't reflect potentially diverse meanings and values audience members may construct. Applied to Strange...