WE ARE GOING TO WORK ON THE FIRST OF THESE TOGETHER, BUT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO ANSWER ALL FIVE.
1. Explain how political contexts influence individual producers within the newspaper industry. Refer to The Guardian/Guardian Online and The Daily Mail/Mail Online to support your answer.
2. How do political contexts shape the way newspapers represent events, issues, and individuals? Refer to The Guardian/Guardian Online and The Daily Mail/Mail Online to support your answer.
3. In what ways does political context influence the editorial choices made by newspapers? Refer to The Guardian/Guardian Online and The Daily Mail/Mail Online to support your answer.
4. How does political context affect the relationship between newspapers and their audiences? Refer to The Guardian/Guardian Online and The Daily Mail/Mail Online to support your answer.
5. To what extent does political context shape the overall tone and approach of newspaper reporting? Refer to The Guardian/Guardian Online and The Daily Mail/Mail Online to support your answer.
AN INTRODUCTION ???
Here is a possible introduction. Read it carefully. What are the core ideas that it is introducing?
Individual newspapers may be influenced by a variety of
political contexts: from the political affiliation of individual publications,
to the ideology of the target audience, to the influence of ownership. The
Daily Mail’s messaging is right wing but seems to be most concerned with
audience engagement. The Guardian is perceived as left wing but seems to be
influenced more by journalistic integrity and an attempt to foster a reputation
for political neutrality.
According to a 2017 YouGov poll, The Daily Mail is seen as the most right-wing of mainstream newspapers. However, it’s writers likely see its political messaging as providing a hegemonic preferred reading for the political values of its mainstream middle-class readership. Many publications took an oppositional reading of The Mail’s infamous ‘ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE’ (November 4th 2016) cover, seeing it as stridently right wing, but the individual producers (writer James Slack and editor Paul Dacre) intended to be supportive of their readership’s pro-Brexit stance. The Guardian’s cover of the same day was more measured in its reporting, presenting a factual account of the judicial ruling. However, the cover did feature a call out to Polly Toynbe’s op-ed about Brexit wreaking ‘havoc.’ The Guardian is not averse to presenting left wing views, but the paper acknowledges that this is Toynbe’s opinion, not that of The Guardian, thereby defending its political neutrality and reputation for journalistic integrity. The contrasting coverage of the same event demonstrates how audience expectations, and ideological positioning of individual publication can shape editorial decisions within the newspaper industry.
Viscount Rothermere: The Lord of Middle England | The Independent | The Independent
Daily_Mail_5_1_2021_400.jpg (398×520) (thepaperboy.com)
EXAMPLE PARAGRAPH 2.
According to Curran and Seaton, the most important factor shaping the content of newspapers is ownership. If they are correct, the political bias of Viscount Rothermere will significantly effect the content of The Daily Mail. However, in a 2004 interview with the Independent Newspaper, Rothermere pointed out that the Conservative Party “do not have a God given right to expect the loyalty of the Daily Mail.” While this article is almost 20 years old, it was still demonstrably true in 2021, when the January 5th cover selected a foolish image of Conservative PM Boris Johnson and raised concerns that lockdown would impact middle class readers by removing their access to education for their children, to middle class leisure activities like golf and tennis. It seems clear from this cover that appealing to the cultural concerns of its audience are more significant that political affiliations or Rothermere's own viewpoints. In fact, Rothermere has stated that it would be “unfair” to put his “views into the public arena” and to risk unduly influencing his editor Paul Dacre. Instead Dacre is given the freedom to excite audience engagement, reinforcing the idea that the Daily Mail’s core principle is to appeal to the values of its readers rather than to adhere to any specific political agenda.
Stephen Lawrence's parents thank Daily Mail for 'going out on a limb' | Daily Mail | The Guardian
Corbyn sabotaged Labour’s remain campaign. He must resign | Phil Wilson | The Guardian
EXAMPLE PARAGRAPH 3
Paradoxically, The Guardian agrees with Curran and Seaton's analysis that billionaire owners unduly influence the political content of their publications but resists this process through its ownership by the Scott Trust. At one point, the Guardian website invited readers to donate, claiming: “With no billionaire owner, we are committed to journalism defined by truth, rigour, and integrity.” This statement implicitly critiques the idea that billionaire ownership constrains editorial independence, suggesting that it leads to a narrowing of political perspectives. While The Guardian is often associated with left-wing politics, its reporting is frequently more nuanced. For instance, on the same day that The Daily Mail vilified Johnson’s decision to enter a second lockdown, The Guardian framed him as a patriotic leader, using visual cues like British flags to encode a sense of national pride. This exemplifies how The Guardian’s ownership structure enables a more politically independent approach, allowing it to maintain its commitment to impartial, nuanced journalism.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE: How does this differ from the first example?
Individual newspapers may be influenced by a variety of
political contexts: from the political affiliation of individual publications,
to the ideology of the target audience, to the influence of ownership. The
Daily Mail’s messaging is right wing but seems to be most concerned with
audience engagement. The Guardian is perceived as left wing but seems to be
influenced more by journalistic integrity and an attempt to foster a reputation
for political neutrality.
According to a 2017 YouGov poll, The Daily Mail is seen as
the most right-wing of mainstream newspapers. However, it’s writers likely see
its political messaging as providing a hegemonic preferred reading for the political
values of its mainstream middle-class readership. Many publications took an
oppositional reading of The Mail’s infamous ‘ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE’ (November 4th
2016) cover, seeing it as stridently right wing, but the individual producers
(writer James Slack and editor Paul Dacre) intended to be supportive of their
readership’s pro-Brexit stance. The Guardian’s cover of the same day was more
measured in its reporting, presenting a factual account of the judicial ruling.
However, the cover did feature a call out to Polly Toynbe’s op-ed about Brexit
wreaking ‘havoc.’ The Guardian is not averse to presenting left wing views, but
the paper acknowledges that this is Toynbe’s opinion, not that of The Guardian,
thereby defending its political neutrality and reputation for journalistic
integrity.
While The Guardian remains somewhat politically neutral, both publications have strong ties to their support of Labour (The Guardian) and Conservatives (Daily Mail). However, this party-political context doesn’t override the core values of the papers. On January 5th 2021, the front cover of The Daily Mail selected an unflattering image of Boris Johnson, and complained about the loss of freedom for its middle class readers as Britain embarked on a second lockdown. Clearly, it was more committed to its support of the middle-class values of its reader than its party affiliation. Again, audience engagement seems to be the most significant of The Daily Mail’s values. On the same day, The Guardian was far more supportive of Johnson, framing him as a patriotic leader, using visual cues like British flags to encode a sense of national pride, and selecting an image that represented him as weighed down by responsibility and honest about the difficulties ahead. Yet again, The Guardian seemed to prioritise political neutrality and journalistic integrity as its core value.
Curran and Seaton would argue that ownership is the most significant factor influencing media industries. Rupert Murdoch, the billionaire owner of News Corps is infamous for his control of the political messaging of his publications; but what of The Guardian and The Mail? The Guardian is owned by The Scott Trust Ltd, a company created to ensure that The Guardian would have ‘No Billionaire Owner’ (a fact that they share on their homepage). They maintain that this gives them the freedom to prioritise journalistic integrity without the political influence of a powerful owner. Conversely, DMGT is owned by the 4th Viscount Rothermere, a billionaire owner. However, in a 2004 interview with the Independent, he asserted that he keeps his political opinions out of the ‘public arena’ in order to ensure that his editor (Paul Dacre) is not unduly influenced. Dacre is given the freedom to excite audience engagement, reinforcing the ideas that the Daily Mail’s core principal is to appeal to the ideology of its readers rather than reinforcing party political messaging.
The guardian cover aims to paint the woman pictured as a hero standing up for government and parliamentary policy. The guardian is viewed by many as the most left-wing publication there is. This supports the idea that the guardian is anti-Brexit and would therefore make sense that they would be happy to support the people that prevented action being taken.
ReplyDeleteThe daily mail, however, is deemed to be the most right- wing paper in the country. In their publication, they refer to the judges as, ‘Enemies of the people’. This shows their clear desire to paint these judges as malevolent villains. This is because they stood in the way of Brexit, a movement they support.
6/10
DeleteThe most significant political event in the last 25 years is probably the Brexit vote, which highlights how political contexts shape the way newspapers frame key issues. The Daily Mail’s infamous Enemies of the People front page (4 November 2016) is a clear example of agenda-setting, portraying the judges who ruled that Parliament must vote on triggering Article 50 as enemies of democracy. This reflects the paper’s right-wing ideological position, but it seems likely that the incendiary language is less in keeping with chief editor of DMGT, Paul Dacre’s, own views and more intended to provide passionate support for its pro-Brexit readership. In contrast, The Guardian presented the ruling in a more measured way, aligning with its reputation for journalistic integrity. However, its front page also featured the opening of an op. ed. by Polly Toynbee, in which she described Brexit as wreaking “havoc.” So, while The Guardian claims to uphold political neutrality in its reporting, this editorial choice reveals a left-wing bias in its commentary. The contrasting coverage of the same event demonstrates how audience expectations, and ideological positioning of individual publication can shape editorial decisions within the newspaper industry.
ReplyDelete10/10
DeleteAnswer 1 (2) answer 2 (2) example (2) analyse (2) terminology (2)
DeleteIn 4th November 2016 The Daily Mail and The guardian made front covers that are writing about one of the most significant news in UK for 25 years: Brexit.
ReplyDeleteThe Daily Mail front cover is very interesting, because the headline shouts to the reader, that judges of the High Court of England and Wales are “Enemies of the People”. This headline was written by James Slack and approved by editor Paul Dacre. According to 2017 ugove pole is one of the most right wing, Knowing this fact, readers can understand that editor of The Daily Mail is right wing.
While in The Guardian, which according to 2017 ugove pole is one of the most left wing, UK newspaper from the very same day showing articles, that aren't so left wing, as they expected to be. But in this case it is more complicated. Because the side column contains the text that is obviously right wing and written by the Polly Toynbee. The Guardian, unlike The Daily Mail, is supported by the special trust, that help this newspaper to be independent, and so part from the cover is the one of the examples, that The Guardian is independent.
It's assumed that Im using an existing introduction.
DeleteTASK ONE
ReplyDeleteThe most significant political event in the last 25 years is probably the Brexit vote as The Guardian’s headline states “turmoil for May as judges rule that parliament must decide on Brexit” which supports what is suggested in the introduction as there isn’t a clear political bias here, it is more informative which makes it journalistic integrity. There isn’t a political bias of what ‘side’ The Guardian are on even though they’re a left-wing newspaper and are mainly anti-Brexit. On the other hand, The Daily Mail has a clear political bias of being pro-Brexit as the newspaper calls “out of touch judges” the “enemies of the people”. This supports what is suggested in the introduction as it clearly highlights their political bias for being pro-Brexit and right wing as they call three humans “out of touch” and “enemies” for wanting to remain in the EU which singles them out to be villains and menaces to society. Due to this emotive language used in The Daily Mail, it clearly supports how Brexit us the most significant political event in the last 25 years as it has caused uproar in society due to political bias in individuals which is influenced by the political bias of the newspapers (The Guardian is anti-Brexit, which isn’t clear here as they’re more influenced by journalistic integrity, and The Daily Mail is pro-Brexit).
ReplyDeleteThe most significant political event in the last 25 years is probably the Brexit vote. Surrounding that The Daily Mail’s infamous headline on November 4, 2016 was – “ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE” –in response to the judicial ruling blocking Article 50, this shows how individual producers such as Paul Dacre use the paper to reflect and amplify there own right wing middle- class views to the audiences. The Daily Mail’s populist approach is not just reflective of a pro-Conservative stance but also exemplifies its broader commitment to appealing to its audiences popular views.
Conversely, The Guardian which hold liberal values, has maintained its editorial independence and its reputation for journalistic integrity and prides itself on providing balanced reporting, despite its ideological left leaning view. On the same day as the Mail’s controversial cover, The Guardian reported the matter in a more balanced tone" Turmoil for May as judges rule that parliment must decide on Brexit" presenting it as a matter of legal procedure and even sympathising with May as she has to face ' turmoil'. However, it also ran an open- ed piece by Polly Toynbee, which critiqued Brexit’s potential to cause “havoc.” Showing that while it is balanced and has journalistic objectivity, it does lean more towards the left wing view of staying in the EU.
Answer 1 [ 2 ], Answer 2 [ 2 ], Example [ 2 ], Analyse [ 2 ], Terminology [ 1 ] = Total [ 9 ]
Deleteanswer 1 (2) answer 2 (2) example (2) analyse (2) terminology (1) total (9)
DeleteTask One:
ReplyDeleteThe most significant political event in the last 25 years is probably the Brexit vote. In The Daily Mail newspaper, it refers to the judges who overruled the Brexit voting as ‘out of touch’ and ‘enemies of the people’. This is expected from them as their audience would mostly be Brexit supporters as it is a Right-Wing idea. Since The Daily Mail is influenced by audience engagement, it will reflect the audience's ideas. The term ‘enemies’ is quite emotionally charged and suggests that the judges do not want what's best for Britain which goes against the hegemonic belief in Law and Order. The Guardian’s newspaper is much more politically unbiased, with the headline being, ‘Turmoil for May as judges rule that parliament must decide on Brexit.’ This supports the claim that it is politically unbiased as by reading this, it is quite ambiguous on what its political ideas are. The side story is a quote from Polly Toynbee that says that Brexit has wreaked havoc already and that it needs to be stopped. Since this is a quote directly from her, it is more emotionally changed and therefore supports the claim that The Guardian is perceived as left wing but is also influenced by journalistic integrity. Above the quote, it shows a picture of her which shows the audience that what is being said is her personal views, not The Guardian’s. On the main story, it doesn’t show the faces of the editors, and the story was approved.
On the front page of the daily mail, are represented 3 judges and the headline say ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE. It certainty support what the introduction says as it’s criticizing 3 judges that are against Brexit while the daily mail is a right-leaning tabloid with a conservative and nationalist readership, framing the Brexit as necessary step to reclaim British sovereignty and control over immigration. Therefore, we don’t need to change anything.
ReplyDeleteIn contrast, The Guardian championed internationalism and multiculturalism, often highlighting misinformation in the Leave campaign and amplifying voices from the Remain movement. As the example of “Turmoil for May as judges rule that parliament must decide on Brexit” NOT FINISHED
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oops i mean 2 well done XDD
DeleteIn this Daily Mail Front page, we can clearly see that Brexit was one of the most significant political events that took place in the last 25 years. the headline reflects a strong political bias against the judge’s decisions. The word choice ‘enemies’ could reflect the right-wing pro-Brexit ideology which the daily mail is clearly trying to implicate on their readers. The words ‘enemy’ and ‘out of touch’ infer that the three judges voting to remain in the EU are monsters. However, in the Guardians front page, we don’t see a specific ideology being implicated on the audience.
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part-1 2 well done!!
DeleteJoe
ReplyDeleteThe most significant political event in the last 25 years is probably the Brexit vote. The Daily Mail front cover highlights the beliefs of the target audience, by saying the ‘‘out of touch’ judges’ had ‘defied 17.4 m Brexit voters’. According to a 2017 YouGov poll, British readers identify the Daily Mail as the most right wing mainstream newspaper. This means that the audience of the Daily Mail are right wing, and therefore will more likely vote for Brexit. This shows that the Daily Mail is writing their headlines to appeal to their target audience. The Guardian on the other hand has more of a statement as the headline. This portrays the Guardian as more of a centrist, unbiased paper. However, there is a quote from Polly Toynbee which subtly shows that the Guardian has a more left wing idea.
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The most significant political event in the last 25 years is probably the Brexit vote. Political contexts can influence producers within the newspaper industry. For example, The Guardian is known for its left-wing, liberal views we can see Gina Miller arguing against the government, which is showing the pro-remain ideology of The Guardian's readership, influencing the ownership to continue presenting this, or similar ideologies as their headlines for their newspapers. The Daily Mail identify as a Middle-Class newspaper, aiming to give their Middle-England readership what they want. An example of this is in the Daily Mail's "Enemies of the people" newspaper where they paint the people who "defied" the brexit vote as villains, showing their pro-brexit ideology.
ReplyDelete-asya
DeleteThe most significant political event in the last 25 years is probably the Brexit Vote. The contrasting coverage by The Daily Mail and The Guardian on November 4, 2016, highlights how media framing reflects political bias. The Daily Mail’s infamous “Enemies of the People” headline attacked High Court judges for ruling that Parliament must vote on triggering Article 50, using emotive language to reinforce its pro-Brexit stance. While approved by editor Paul Dacre, this was likely aimed to engage the paper’s right-wing readership rather than reflect personal views. In contrast, The Guardian’s headline “Turmoil for May as judges rule that parliament must decide on Brexit” took a more neutral tone, aligning with its reputation of journalistic intergrity.
ReplyDeleteThis contrast demonstrates how newspapers shape public perception based on audience expectations and ideological positions. The Daily Mail, identified as one of the UK’s most right-wing papers (YouGov, 2017), openly supported Brexit with provocative language, while The Guardian, one of the most left-wing, maintained balanced reporting but allowed editorial bias in its commentary. Ultimately, both papers reflect the political landscape they operate within, enforcing the idea that no publication is truly neutral.
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DeleteOn the front page of the Daily Mail, it’s clear that Brexit stands as one of the important political events to have happened in last 25 years. The headline reveals a strong political bias, with the term ‘enemies’ enforcing, pro-Brexit narrative that the Daily Mail seems intent on conveying to its readers. Phrases like ‘enemy’ and ‘out of touch’ cast the judges who voted to remain in the EU in an extremely negative light. In stark contrast, The Guardian is often seen as left-wing, but it is also guided by a strong sense of journalistic integrity. Above the quote, a photograph of the individual is included, signalling to the audience that the views being expressed are her personal opinions, not necessarily those of The Guardian itself. In contrast, the main story does not feature the faces of the editors, indicating that the story has gone through editorial approval without being personally attributed to any individual journalist
ReplyDeleteThe way newspapers frame political events is heavily influenced by their ideological audience expectations, as seen in their coverage of Brexit.
ReplyDeleteA example is The Daily Mail’s Enemies of the People headline (4 November 2016), . This reflected the paper’s strong right-wing leanings, though the phrasing likely link to its pro-Brexit outlook.
Meanwhile, The Guardian took a more composed approach in reporting the ruling, reinforcing its reputation for journalistic integrity. This
choice suggests a left wing approach despite the paper’s claim of neutrality.
These contrasting approaches demonstrate how newspapers’ political perceptions and readership influence their choices, shaping public perception of major political events like these
https://ccgrammarschool-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/19stronga_ccgrammarschool_co_uk/EXJnLJ0zScNGq1qR0mMSRoQBCpweeBBTxr2P1bQuEK3vQg?e=ilJvtR
ReplyDelete(I’m not sure if this will work but it said my comment was too long to post)
Paragraph 2: The importance of Ownership (Daily Mail)
ReplyDeleteIn 2004 interview with the Independent Viscount Rothermere sad "The Conservatives do not have a God-given right to expect the loyalty of the Daily Mail”. This quote can be used as the evidence of theory of the Curran and Seaton, which says the most important factor shaping the content of newspapers is ownership, that is not working. Because this interview maybe considered as outdated, we can apply another example. On 5th January 2021 The Daily Mail made a newspaper cover, that scolds the Prime Minister. The headline highlights sayings such “golf and tennis”, “No holidays in UK or abroad”, which encodes a incompetence. This creates an oppositional reading for conservative right wing audience. This way newspaper showing new restrictions as irrational to the readers of newspaper. Usually right wing, because of conservative ideas, are interested in law and order and supporting government, but no at this cover. This shows how editors may challenge political alignment to appeal to audience demands. Although, according to 2017 YouGov poll, The Daily Mail is right wing, this cover shows typical critiques of left wing society. This can be the evidence, that The Daily Mail writes news, according to needs of target audience of this paper.
Paragraph 3: The importance of Ownership (The Guardian)
Paradoxically, The Guardian supporting Curran and Seaton's theory about media being influenced by the political ideas of its owners. However, The Guardian is supported by the Scott Trust, which allows it to maintain independence and reflect the views of its readers, instead of single owner. According to YouGov poll, the target audience of this newspaper are people with left wing position. For example, the newspaper cover from 5th of January 2021. The headline says, “PM imposes new lockdown and warns worst yet to come” and shows picture of Prime Minister after saying the speech. The headline delivers only the news about new lockdown, and photo encodes idea, that Prime Minister doing his work, as it shows him at his cabinet with flags of UK at the background. Flags on the background can encode the idea of Prime Minister being patriotic. This cover can be used to prove the idea, that The Guardian newspaper balanced information source, which does not have political bias and describing news from covers the news from the most accurate perspective possible.
Maksim.
DeleteI beg your pardon, I forgot to sign.
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You are doing a lot of the right stuff, but you need just a little more attention to clarity. Keep it simple. Your control of English will keep getting better and better as time goes on, but even when it does, simple and precise language is always the best. Short sentences will help. I don't need to see a comma. Not ever. I mean it. Never!
According to Curran and Seaton, ownership plays a crucial role in shaping the content of newspapers, as it directly influences editorial decisions and political bias. In the case of The Daily Mail, the political views and financial interests of its owner, Viscount Rothermere and chief editor Paul Dacre, do slightly affect the newspaper’s editorial stance. There right-wing, conservative ideology is reflected in the Daily Mail’s populist and nationalist tone, particularly in its coverage of issues like the enforcement of lockdown with the splash containing an unflattering image of Boris Johnson and a long list of thing banned in the subheadline in the 1st January 2021 issue . This alignment between ownership and editorial direction illustrates Curran and Seaton's argument that the political bias of media owners shapes the political content of their publications.However with an interview with the Independent he stated "The Conservatives do not have a God-given right to expect the loyalty of the Daily Mail " and that the papers loyalty lies "In what is right for its readership and for the people of Middle Britain. Those middle-class values are the values of the Daily Mail." Meaning the paper will always conform the populist view than anything else, undermining Curran and Seatons theory.
ReplyDeleteIn contrast, The Guardian agrees with Curran and Seaton's assertion that ownership can influence the political content of a publication, particularly when it comes to billionaire owners. However, the newspaper resists this influence due to its unique ownership structure—the Scott Trust. The Scott Trust exists to protect The Guardian’s editorial independence by ensuring it remains free from the influence of wealthy individuals or corporate interests, we see this in the 'donation' section at the bottom of its articles claiming there is no ' billionaire owner'. This structure allows The Guardian to prioritize journalistic integrity and balanced reporting, even supporting the Conservative government. The Guardians coverage of lockdown featured a simple headline of Johnson announcing lockdown, the image of him was him looking professional, calm and focussed with his work, the British flags in the background symbolising his loyalty to the country. This presents him in a positive and neutral light working hard for the country unlike the daily mail which wines over the implications of his decision's.
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Your expression is a little bumpy in places and you need more Media Studies terminology but overall this is a really strong response. Well considered with really strong analysis.
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ReplyDeletecomment was too long to post
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ReplyDeleteThe most significant political event in the last 25 years is probably the Brexit vote, which highlights how political contexts can influence producers within the newspaper industry. The Royal Mail identifies as a Middle-Class newspaper. On the 4th of November 2016, they presented the “Enemies of the people” front page newspaper characterising the members of the parliament as enemies/villains because they defied 17.4 million Brexit voters. This shows their right-wing ideological thinking as they are Pro-Brexit. This may contrast the views of Paul Dacre (Chief Editor) and more tailors to the ideologies of their Middle-England readership. The Guardian Identify as a liberal newspaper. They presented the same story “Turmoil for May as judges rule that parliament must decide on Brexit.” This headline shows no political bias as The Guardian claims their purpose is to hold the powerful to account. However, in the top left, the op. Ed. Presents Polly Toynbee saying that Brexit is “wreaking havoc”, revealing a left-wing ideological stance as they are Pro-Remain, which also disproves The Guardians claims that they have no political bias.
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According to Curran and Seaton, the most important factor shaping the content of newspapers is ownership. This is because owners control the overall messaging of the newspapers, therefore, significantly reflecting the values, political bias and ideologies of the owner. Viscount Rothermere is the owner of The Daily Mail and the Daily Mail General Trust (DMGT) so if Curran and Seaton are correct, we can expect that Viscount Rothermere’s beliefs will align with the contents of the Daily mail. However, no one is aware of his political stance, including Paul Dacre (chief editor of The Daily Mail.) In an interview on the 27th of September 2004 posted on the Independant, we can read Rothermere talking about Dacre, exclaiming that Dacre has a “Strong sense” of what the paper is for, and who its core audience is. He continues to say that The Daily Mail “Supports what is right for its readership and for the people of Middle Britain.” This can disprove Curran and Seaton’s theory as it suggests that it is the audience’s values that shape the content of the paper, catering to their needs rather than the owner’s values. Rothermere also adds that “If the values of Middle England changed, the Daily Mail would follow the market and would have to change with them.” Further reinforcing the idea that the audience shape the socio-political content of the newspaper. This evidence may be outdated as it was over 20 years ago. More recent evidence (January 5th, 2021) Portrays an unappealing front cover of Boris Johnson, showing it was clearly against him and his views on the covid lockdown. This is surprising as he is the political leader of the party they are said to be following. But as the beliefs of the middle-class readership went against what Johnson was saying, The Daily Mail is once again catering for their readership, proving that ownership is a significantly less factor influencing the content of the paper than the ideology of their audience’s is.
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ReplyDeleteParadoxically, The Guardian agree with Curran and Seaton's analysis that Billionaire owners unduly influence the political content of their publications but resist this process by virtue of their 'ownership' by the Scott Trust. They believe that by having no billionaire owner, it allows them to have “Journalism defined by truth, rigour and integrity.” rather than an influence from an owner. In 2023, The Guardian website encouraged readers to donate £1 or a monthly contribution in order to do so. This implies they agree with Curran and Seaton’s concerns about the impacts of ownership on the quality and context of a viewpoint diversity, which is giving The Guardian journalistic integrity and unbiased political reporting. We know this because on the 5th of January 2021, The Guardian’s front cover was a formal picture of Boris Johnson (contrasting The Daily Mail’s front cover making him look like a fool) further proving that there is no political bias because despite the paper being seen as a left-wing paper, its sole purpose is to hold the powerful to account and to not portray left or right wing beliefs. This unbiased approach to reporting continues to emphasise that The Guardian are in support of Curran and Seaton’s theory that billionaire owners influence the political content of their publications, but as The Guardian are formed and structured as an organisation, it rules them out of this theory.
Curran and Seaton suggested that the content of newspapers is influenced by the ownership, suggesting that a traditionally Right-Wing newspaper, like The Daily Mail, is right wing because of its owner. However, in a 2004 interview with the independent, Viscount Rothermere, the Owner of The Daily Mail said that “The Conservatives do not have a God-given right to expect the loyalty of the Daily Mail. The Daily Mail supports the middle class of this country, and if the middle class of this country is better supported by another political party, and feels that way, then I am sure that Paul [Dacre, the editor-in-chief] would make the corresponding decision,", demonstrating that he believes his opinion should not interfere with the opinions of the newspaper but reflect the views of the readers. Rothermere discusses that he doesn’t want to voice his own opinions through the newspaper but intends to appeal to his Middle-Class readership. Despite this article being written 20 years ago, suggesting it may be outdated, in 2021 the Daily Mail released an article that painted Boris Johnson in a bad light. Even though Law and Order is a highly portrayed Right-Wing value, the article discussed how Boris Johnson intended to ban schools, clubs, leisurely activities, and shut bars and restaurants as he reintroduces his second lockdown. The fact that Johnson was painted in such a humiliating light with a humbling photo suggests that the article does not reflect the Right Wing ideas of respecting Law and Order, but actually supports the notion that The Daily Mail is a Middle Class newspaper, written to voice the views of its readership, contradicting Curran and Seaton and supporting Rothermere’s argument that his newspaper does not reflect his ideological position but represents a voice for the people.
ReplyDeleteParadoxically, The Guardian agree with Curran and Seaton’s analysis that Billionaire owners unduly influence the political content of their publications but resist this process by virtue of their ‘ownership’ by Scott Trust. The Guardian website in 2023, encouraged readers to make a monthly contribution because with no billionaire owner they were committed to journalism defined by truth, rigour and integrity, in keeping with their unbiased political reporting. The Guardian, Britain’s most voted Left Wing newspaper, published an article on 4th November 2016 with the headline “Turmoil for May as judges rule that parliament must decide on Brexit”, indicating that even though it is considered Left Wing by its readers and the British public, The Guardian aims to be liberal and keep an unbiased political message within their newspaper as shown in this Headline. However, it can be argued that the OpEd written by Polly Toynbee is very much against the idea of Brexit, quoting it to be wreaking “havoc”. The idea that Toynbee believes Brexit is doing no good would be considered left wing, following the pro remain values that a Left-Wing reader would follow. Some would argue that The Guardian is therefore placing an opinion upon its readership and isn’t keeping very unbiased in a political sense. Others, including The Guardian itself, would argue that the article is clearly presenting the ideas of Polly Toynbee as her name is highlighted and her face is above her comments. Furthermore, on the same day that The Daily Mail painted Boris in a bad light to its readership, The Guardian released an article that painted Boris in a more positive light. The cover was an image of Boris Johnson that made him appear as a proud and confident leader of the UK, with the United Kingdom flags behind him, after giving his speech within No 10 Downing Street. The headline stated, “PM imposes new lockdown and warns worse yet to come”, further demonstrating no political bias. This article does not demonstrate either Left-wing or Right-wing values but indicates that its liberal and written for the people of Britain. This elicits the idea that despite being considered a Left-Wing newspaper by the British public, The Guardian does tend to keep a very liberal and unbiased opinion within its headlines and further provides evidence for them being in support of Curran and Seaton’s ideals that Billionaire owners influence their opinions onto its readership, but because they have no billionaire ownership they do not align with the notion themselves.
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