Political Context

 Political Context

Introduction: Historical, Cultural, Political

The Daily Mail and The Guardian are both national institutions whose historical, cultural and political significance were established at their inception and have hardly changed over the last two centuries. The Guardian was founded in 1821 in response to the Peterloo massacre. It's liberal founders intended the paper to provide a voice for the marginalised and to hold the powerful to account. It has maintained its reputations for journalistic integrity and rigour ever since. Today, while it does still have an excellent reputation for largely unbiased journalism, it does also face some criticism for its tendency to support more left wing political positions. By contrasts, The Daily Mail, is unabashedly right leaning and conservative in its messaging and has been since its founding in 1896. In the 130 years since its first publication its owners and editors have maintained the stance that it does not actively support any political party, but rather that it serves its middle class readership, whose views have tended to align with the Conservative party. It is and has always been a politically populist publication and this has shaped its response to the representations of individuals, ideas and events.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enemies_of_the_people_(headline)#/media/File:Daily_Mail_-_Enemies_of_the_People.png 

The three judges who 'blocked Brexit' | Daily Mail Online

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CwXl1s9XgAQl8sH?format=jpg&name=large

 

 

UNSEEN EXTRACT

 QUESTION:

Analyse the way that Media Language is used to present social contexts in Source A (The Daily Mail) and Source B (The Guardian Online).​ 

Apply Barthes Theories about Semiotics in your answer.

CONTEXT

The Nottingham maternity scandal centred on serious failures in maternity care at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, where hundreds of babies and mothers died or suffered avoidable harm. A major review published in June 2026 found evidence of a “toxic” institutional culture, including concerns that women’s experiences and warnings were not properly listened to. The story prompted wider debate about women’s healthcare, institutional accountability, gender inequality and whether NHS systems adequately listen to and protect mothers and babies. 

SOURCE A: The Daily Mail Front Cover (Right Wing) 

https://hermes.media.static.aol.com/media/2026/06/25/a125da6a-abfd-3dad-af27-27d6084acb90/168a8572-b4d2-4a76-a8da-614215f22cb8.jpg 

 

 

SOURCE A: The Daily Mirror Front Cover (Left Wing) 

 

SAMPLE ESSAY

Barthes theorises that signs are used to construct connotations connected to social and cultural myths. He argues that these myths make ideologies seem natural and reinforce social and cultural norms.

The social context constructed by the Daily Mail cover addresses the myth of male power and perhaps attempts to undermine the cultural myth of the NHS as a deeply caring institution. The banner headline is bold and damning in its portrayal of men as a social group, stating clearly that male “arrogance” and a refusal to “listen” is at the heart of the scandal that led to the death or harm of “500 mothers and babies.” At first, we might see this as challenging the right wing patriarchal ideological position of the Daily Mail, but it is notable that the headline still centralises male authority; it reinforces the myth that men as a social group have power over women and children, which naturalises patriarchal authority, despite being critical of men as a social group. The typography, using capitals and a serif font reinforces the traditionalist stance of the newspaper, further lending itself to the idea that it tacitly traditional values of male hierarchy and control. Interestingly, the Daily Mail has chosen not to use an image associated with this lead story. This may be because they didn’t want to create sympathy for the female victims, but it is more likely to reinforce their criticism of the left-wing institution (NHS). The connotation of having no image of people involved reinforces the idea that the NHS are faceless and don’t care for the weakest social groups, mothers and babies. This naturalises the right-wing ideological position of the paper.

The Daily Mirror frames the story in a far more humane way, within the social context of family and couples rather than patriarchal control. It constructs the myth of family but also of governmental power to improve in the face of disaster. Unlike the Daily Mail, the Mirror selects an image of a bereaved couple. The vignette effect and the choice of facial expression and body language construct a sense of their grief. The proxemics places Sarah in the front of the image, perhaps to construct the sign that women suffer the greatest loss when a child dies. However, her husband is also shown to be grieving, which negates the patriarchal values seen in the Daily Mail, creating a more collectivist and egalitarian approach to the story, which will naturalise the more progressive values of the Mirror’s left-wing readership. The headline, “Never Again,” is bold and sans serif, connoting the seriousness and strength of the sentiment; moreover, the white on black is stark and may connote the sense that there is only one way to see the situation. Unlike the Daily Mail, which accused a toxic culture within the NHS, The Mirror constructs a more positive position by presenting a promise by Health Secretary using the powerfully emphatic word “pledge.” This actively supports a culture of change and constructs the cultural myth that the NHS is an important institution that the government must support rather than condemn.

PAPER 1 INDEX

 THIS PAGE IS A WORK IN PROGRESS. IT WILL SHORTLY CONTAIN AN INDEX OF ALL THE ELEMENTS IN PAPER 1 OF THE EXAM.

Brief Two: Web Design Brief (including Genre Research)

 NB: This brief will have very similar wording to the actual briefs that will be released by the exam board. There are lots of small details that you need to think about carefully.

THE BRIEF: ONLINE CONTENT

You work for an independent online Media Production company. You have been tasked with creating a mock-up version of the Homepage and One Hyperlinked Page, for an online newspaper called Guardian Youth. You must maintain clear links to The Guardian brand, but with a focus on attracting younger readers. Your target audience is 16 to 25 year olds who are socially conscious and politically aware. 

 

STEP 1: CODES AND CONVENTIONS RESEARCH

i) Analyse the codes and conventions of The Guardian Online's homepage and create a PowerPoint presentation that identifies the conventions of the website and considers how they are designed to appeal to their target audience.

ii) Analyse the codes and conventions of a hyper linked article on The Guardian Online's website and create a PowerPoint presentation that identifies the conventions of the website and considers how they are designed to appeal to their target audience. 

NB: That is two presentations.

Helpful Link: https://www.theguardian.com/uk 

 

STEP 2:  WRITE A STATEMENT OF INTENT BASED ON YOUR RESEARCH

Answer the following question:

How do you intend to use, develop or challenge the codes and conventions of Guardian Online's existing website to attract your target audience? 

Using no more than 200 words, identify the conventions that you feel will appeal to your assigned demographic and establish which ones (if any) you wish to challenge and why. This should be two, simple and concise paragraphs. 

 

STEP 3: CREATE YOUR WEB PAGES

For this task, you will need to create a wix account. You should be able to get a free account. DO NOT PAY FOR AN ACCOUNT. As the brief clearly states:

Create the homepage for an online Newspaper called Guardian Youth.

Create one hyperlinked article, that can clearly be accessed via the homepage.

In addition, your web pages MUST contain:

At least 5 original images. At least 2 of these original images must include representations of two distinct social groups, based on Social Class, Gender, Ethnicity, Age, Sexuality or Ability/Disability. 

For any other images you may use either found images or AI generated images. 

NB: If you access any tutorials (and you definitely should), paste the link in the comments section below.  

STEP 4: CREATE A PAGE ON YOUR BLOG

In the Practice Briefs section of your blog, create a post titled:

"Brief Two: Web Design Brief (including Genre Research)"

The post should contain your two embedded PowerPoints - VERY CLEARLY LABELLED

Your Statement of Intent - VERY CLEARLY LABELLED

The address of your homepage - VERY CLEARLY LABELLED

The address of your hyperlinked page - VERY CLEARLY LABELLED

Finally, a brief set of instruction about how to navigate from the homepage to the hyperlinked page.

 

STEP 5: POST YOUR PAGE

Post the url of your  blog page in the comments section below. 

 

Deadline for completion: November 6th 2026

 

 

 

 

24/09/2026

Analyse the way that social representations and constructed in Source A and Source B. 

Refer to Van Zoonen's theories on Feminism and Gender Representation in your answer. 

Quick Reminder

1: ALWAYS start by establishing that you understand the theory.

2: Look at the image and anchoring text in both.

3: Look at the Headlines and Subheadlines in both.

 

CONTEXT

On 16 April 2025, the UK Supreme Court ruled that the terms “sex”, “man” and “woman” in the Equality Act 2010 refer to biological sex, in a case concerning whether a trans woman with a Gender Recognition Certificate could be legally regarded as a woman under the Act. The Court stressed that this interpretation does not remove legal protections for trans people, who remain protected against discrimination under the Equality Act. 

 

SOURCE A: THE GUARDIAN ONLINE

 

 

 SOURCE B: THE DAILY MAIL FRONT COVER

 

 

15/09/2026

Analyse the way that Media Language is used to present political context in Source A and Source B. 

Refer to Barthe's theories about semiotics in your answer. 

 

CONTEXT

May 3rd 2025 was a particularly significant moment for Reform UK and its leader, Nigel Farage. In local elections, Reform won hundreds of council seats, takiing control of 10 local authorities, and achieved a projected national vote share of around 30%. It was the first time in these measures that neither Labour nor the Conservatives had the highest projected national vote share. Reform UK candidate Sarah Pochin also defeated Labour by just six votes to win the Runcorn and Helsby by-election.

 

SOURCE A: THE GUARDIAN ONLINE

SOURCE B: FRONT COVER OF THE DAILY TELEGRAPH 

 

NEWSPAPERS REVISION TASK

 STEP 1: Make a list of stories that gained prominence in UK Newspaper in 2026. 

NB: They don't have to be major stories, but they do have to appear in more than one publication and they do have to fit into: Social, Cultural, Political or Historical Context.

 STEP 2: Find at least one newspaper cover that addresses the story. Find at least one online article (ideally from the same day) that covers the story in a different way. 

STEP 3: Create a question using the following format.

either:

Analyse the way that Media Language is used to present social/cultural/political/historical contexts in Source A  and Source B.​ 

Apply Barthes, Levi Strauss, Todorov, Neale, Baudrillard in your answer.  

or:  

Analyse the social/cultural/political/historical representation in Source A and Source B.

Apply Hall, Van Zoonen, Gauntlett, Gilroy, Hooks, Butler in your answer. 

 

Create a post in the practice tasks on your blog and post the link  in the comments section below. 

 

Lesson 1: Apply Theory - Newspaper Question One - Media Language Style Question

Typical Question Format:

 

Analyse the way that Media Language is used to present social contexts in Source A (The Daily Mail) and Source B (The Guardian Online).​ 

Apply Barthes Theories about Semiotics in your answer.

 

Context: You will be asked to write about social, cultural, political or historical context.

Theory: You will be asked to apply one of the following theorists

• Apply Barthes Theories about semiotics.
• Levi-Strauss theories about structuralism.
• Todorov's theories about narratology.
• Baudrillard's theories about Postmodernism.
• Neale's theories about genre.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CONTEXT?

 

SOCIAL CONTEXT

Social Context focuses on the different social groups being presented by the newspaper and what we are being encouraged to think about them. It will usually consider broad ideas such as gender, age and class, but may also consider ethnicity, race, disability, sexuality or other social groups. Think about which groups are being represented, how they are represented, and whether the newspaper presents them positively, negatively or neutrally.

Think about:

• Which social groups are being represented?
• What does the newspaper want us to think about that group?
• Is the representation positive, negative or mixed?
• Does the representation reflect wider social attitudes or tensions?

Simple question:

What is the newspaper saying about different groups of people?

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CULTURAL CONTEXT

Cultural Context focuses on the beliefs, values and attitudes that exist within society and how the newspaper reflects or challenges them. It can include ideas about British identity, religion, tradition, family, morality, patriotism, popular culture and changing attitudes. Think about what the newspaper appears to believe is important, acceptable, normal or threatening.

Think about:

• What values and beliefs does the newspaper appear to promote?
• What does it present as right or wrong, normal or abnormal?
• How does it represent ideas about British identity or national identity?
• Does it support traditional values or challenge them?
• Are there particular cultural attitudes or beliefs that its audience is expected to share?

Simple question:

What values does the newspaper suggest are important, right, wrong or normal?

---

POLITICAL CONTEXT

Political Context focuses on the political ideas, events and issues. It is particularly important to consider who has political power, what political decisions are being made and where the newspaper stands politically. Think about how the newspaper's political viewpoint or ideology might affect the stories it chooses and the way it presents them. It is supporting a political party/perspective or is it challenging that party/perspective? 

Think about:

• What political event or issue is the newspaper reporting?
• Who has power and who is being criticised or supported?
• What are the major political arguments or debates at the time?
• What is the newspaper's political viewpoint or agenda?
• How might the newspaper's political position influence its representation of the story?

Simple question:

What is happening politically, and whose side does the newspaper appear to be on?

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HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Historical Context focuses on the events, developments and changes from the past that help us understand the significance of a newspaper story. Think about whether the story is connected to a longer-running issue, previous event or historical relationship, and whether the newspaper is relying on its audience knowing about that past. Historical context can therefore help explain why this particular story matters at this particular time and why it may be represented in a particular way.

Think about:

• What is the historical significance of the story? Why does this event matter beyond what happened on that particular day?
• Is the story part of a longer-running issue? For example, immigration, the NHS, the economy, Britain's relationship with Europe, or tensions between countries.
• Are there important historical events or relationships behind the story? These may shape how readers understand the people or issues involved.
• Has the situation changed over time? Consider whether the newspaper is presenting the story as evidence of progress, decline, crisis or change.
• Does the newspaper use the past to influence how we judge the present? For example, by referring to previous governments, conflicts, scandals or historical events.

Simple question:

What does the past add to our understanding of this story?

QUESTION CONTEXT: 

On March 7th, 2021, Meghan Duchess of Sussex gave an Interview to Oprah Winfrey in which she accused the Royal Family of racism. This came just a few hours after the Queen's speech to the British Commonwealth in which she stressed the importance of duty.

 SOURCE A: DAILY MAILCOVER MARCH 8th 2021

SOURCE B: THE GUARDIAN ONLINE MARCH 8th 2021

 

YOU MAY FIND IT EASIER TO USE THIS...

 

So, start by asking yourself the following questions...

Context (Social)

1: What social groups are being presented?

2: What is the messaging about those social groups?

Theorist (Barthes)

1: What myths are being presented as natural?

2: What ideological position do those myths seem to suggest are just common sense? 

 

SO, HOW DO WE ANSWER THE QUESTION

MARK SCHEME - YOUR SCORE FOR THIS QUESTION IS OUT OF 10

1. Correctly characterise the theory [0,1,2]​ 

Use the theory correctly, the right words and the right ideas. 

2. Answer the question [0,1,2]​  

Refer to the right elements of context or representation. e.g. If you're writing about social context, use the phrase social context.  

3. Use specific and detailed examples [0,1,2]​ 

Carefully select examples from the text to write about. There may be times when you approach it slightly differently, but as a rule of thumbs approach in this order:

i) Look at the main image and anchoring text.

ii) Look at the main headline and sub headline - consider typography and language

iii) Look at anything else of interest on the page

4. Uses the theory to analyse the examples [0,1,2]​

After you have presented the example, apply the theory to analyse it.

5. Use Media Studies terminology [0,1,2]

Finally, and throughout, try to use as much terminology that is specific to Media Studies as you are able. (You'll get better at this as you progress).

1. THEORY [0,1,2]​   

2. QUESTION [0,1,2]​ 

3. EXAMPLE [0,1,2]​   

4. ANALYSIS  [0,1,2]​

5. TERMINOLOGY [0,1,2]

 WHEN APPROACHING THE ESSAY, START BY IDENTIFYING THE THEORY AND THE CONTEXT. FOR EXAMPLE...

Barthes argues that signs create connotations which can construct myths, that make ideologies appear natural or common sense.  This can link to social context by reinforcing our expectations about different social groups. 

 The image and anchoring text on the cover of the Daily Mail constructs connotations around the social contexts of age, ethnicity and social hierarchy that reinforce the myth that Britain is morally superior and that the Queen is the ultimate example of this.  The image of the Queen uses direct address and eyeline matching, to connote connection with the British audience and the anchoring text indicates that she is making a speech to her subjects. This reinforces the myth that she is both our leader, but also one of us, which naturalises the Daily Mail’s patriotic ideological position. By contrast, the image of Meghan is a high angle shot, which may connote the idea that we are meant to look down on her. Her facial expression is smug and she is looking off camera, instead of connecting to the audience. This is combined with the anchoring text, ‘speaking out’ which is constructing the idea of her being so self absorbed that she is willing to share private matters in public. All of these elements combine to construct the myth that young, American celebrities are uncouth and beneath the British class system. This naturalises the patriotic and ethnocentric values of the Daily Mail and its readers. 

 Look at this example of the the first two paragraphs and apply the mark scheme. In the contents below, give it a grade.