Timed Essay Question 5

 

Different newspapers in the UK will likely be either left wing or right wing and represent their ideologies in the way they choose to present each story. This means that the same story could be completely different in different newspapers.

The first newspaper cover represents right-wing ideologies which means that it will appeal to a right-wing audience as they will likely agree with what it is saying. This means that they are likely to have a preferred reading as they have the same views as what is being presented.

It’s main coverline says ‘HANDS OFF OUR ELECTION’ which shows possession over our country which could be seen as quite patriotic and traditional which is what corresponds with the right-wing beliefs. This creates a binary opposition of good and evil, portraying Britain as the good and the rest of Europe as bad. According to news values this story has both elite persons and nations involved which would interest its readers. It also would affect a lot of people in the UK which means that it would have a large threshold.

For this same story, the left-wing newspapers such as the daily mirror would have presented this story in the opposite way by mocking Theresa May and ridiculing her for not being able to carry out her job properly. This is so that it would appeal to their left-wing audiences as they are likely to have a preferred reading (reception theory) and a right-wing audience will have an opposed reading.

However, in the second newspaper cover from the mirror, it would likely appeal to both right-wing and left-wing audiences as it does not involve politics and more of a mutual threat to the country. This is suggested by saying they are a ‘new deadly enemy’ in one of the cover lines. This means that the whole of the country would be affected regardless of any politics involved as the terrorist attack was a result of religion. This means that the story would have been chosen due to threshold (as it involves a lot of countries that are potentially at threat), elite nations (involves USA) and elite person (George Bush). It would have also been chosen as it involves negativity and unexpectedness as no one predicted it was going to happen.

Overall, different newspapers interpret different information in different ways which leads to it appealing to their target audiences.