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.