Download - narrative is given headline in 72 point serif typeface its ...€¦ · masthead ‘ For A Greater Britain’. It appeals to largely white, working class (C2D) mainstreamers and supports

TheSun’slead isaboutthemuggingofthecomicMichaelMcIntyre.Thenarrativeisgivendramaandexcitementbytheuseofthelargescreamingheadlinein72pointseriftypeface.Thehugewhitefontformsacontrastwiththeblackbackgroundwithitsconnotations ofgloomandtragedy.Thisbinaryopposition (Levi-Strauss) isalsoechoedbythevisualwhite-blackcontrastintheimages(whiteshirtvsblackmopedfiguresandtheblackRangeRover).Thevisuallayoutisratherclutteredandchaoticwithsuperimposedimagesandtext.Oneoftheimagesisslightlycanted,addingtothedisorientatingfeelofthefrontpage.Theframedphotoremindsusofanoldfashionedalbum,andthisformsacontrastwiththeadvertfortheroyalalbumatthetop.Therearestrongconnotations oftraditionandstabilitywhichcontrastwiththechaosofthecrimedepictedhere.TheSuncouldbemakingapointabouttheestablishmentanditspowerbeingthreatenedbyacriminalelementsinsociety.ThisreflectsStanleyCohen’sideasaboutMoralPanics.Thecriminalsaredescribedinthesub-headlineas‘thugs’creatingastrongsenseofthedivisionsinsociety.Wordsandimagescreateastrongsenseofanintendedhegemonicreading(Hall) – thereisnodoubtwhatthenewspaper’seditorswantustothink.

TheSunclearlyiscreatingan‘usandthem’narrative.Thisreinforcesdivisionbetweenmoreundesirableelementsinsocietyandthosewithmoney,statusandpower.Thisisclearlyshownbysomeofcontrastingsignifiers intheimages– thebigcar,themopedandthevulnerable-lookingvictimframedinatightcroppedclose-up.

Anotherinterestingaspectisthemasthead ofthiseditionwhich,unusually,onlycoverspartofthepage(3columns).Theotherpartiscoveredbyanadvertformorepicturesoftheroyalfamily,invitingthereaderstobuyandlookinsidethepaper.Thismeansthattheywillbeexposedtomoreadverts.Thisconfirmstheviewthatoneofthemainaimsofthemediaindustryistodeliveraudiencestoadvertisers.Inaway,thisisalsotheeffectofthecleverlyconstructednarrativeoftheSun’sleadstorywithitsjumpline whichinvitesreadersintothepaper.

TheSunhasaclearpatrioticagenda – thisisconfirmedbythestraplinebelowthemasthead‘ForAGreaterBritain’.Itappealstolargelywhite,workingclass(C2D)mainstreamersandsupportsConservativepolicies.TheconstructedrepresentationsofthefrontpageconfirmthevaluesoftheSunanditsownersMurdoch’sNewsCorporation.

Download - narrative is given headline in 72 point serif typeface its ...€¦ · masthead ‘ For A Greater Britain’. It appeals to largely white, working class (C2D) mainstreamers and supports

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