News Representations

Discuss the representations in sources A and B (unseen front covers of web pages) using a named theory. [10 marks]

Sources A and B both report on the same story of Harry and Meghan leaving their royal duties behind. However, both papers are of different genres, resulting in differences of opinion and way of reporting the story. The Sun is a red-top tabloid, publishing stories of less seriousness or reducing the seriousness of the story provided. They have an audience demographic of C2DE, resulting in basic language, more amusing spins and digestible content. They also have a right wing political leaning which means their stories will favour the conservative party, diminishing opposers. Like wise, The Telegraph also supports the conservative party, however they go about it in different ways. It is a broadsheet which results in content adapted for their more academically acclaimed ABC1 audience demographic. This means the language used is a lot more mature and broader, targeting those who understand it. Their stories are also more serious, with genuine and reports rather than ones with comedic value. Stuart Hall's reception theory can be used to analyse both of these front covers. This theory focuses on the fact audiences decode media language in different ways, resulting in different representations which are shaped but their own values. This can be applied to these covers because both papers provide for a right wing audience, allowing the publishers/owners true thoughts to be injected into the audience.
Source A uses a large and bold dramatic font for the headline, cover most of the page. The use of this draws the eye of the C2DE audience to the paper's point. 'One is not amused' is used to show how the Queen responded to Harry and Meghan's announcement. As the representation is portrays the ideology of Harry and Meghan being more naive and reckless, it presents the Queen as the one in charge, the one who needs to give approvals and the one supported by The Sun's target audience. In a playful way of ironically making a comedic statement, The Sun is again able to use their audiences dominant position to their advantage of accepting the message according to the readers values. This supports Hall's theory as the paper is able to manipulate the story based on how their audience will receive and digest their story. It is furthered by the snippet of text of the Queen's actual response which actually seems accepting of the couples choice. It is put in small text, with more than just a quick read headline, specifically to target their audiences values. Again the sub-heading portrays Harry and Meghan as children-like and naive to their own actions as it says: 'have got their way'. The preferred meaning of Rupert Murdoch, the owner, is easily pushed so that it can be accepted by his vulnerable audience.  As the couple is probably the most left wing of the royals and have resigned, Murdoch was able to create a target on their backs in order to attract readers - those with he same values. This can also be supported by Hall's theory as it shows how the changing people's representation can influence the received messages, allowing there to be such variety among those who oppose but similarity with those who agree.
Whereas, The Telegraph has been able to target their similarly valued audience in different ways. As it is again the main story, the paper overshadows a more taboo matter. Iran's recent plane crash is pushed to the bottom of the page, with a small title and no image. This instantly creates the representation of the couple being more important than the dangers of conflicts or rather the royal family in general. This results in the supporters of the royals, right wing audiences, being targeted first as they too overlook problems which a more left wing reader would value reading. As the paper is owned by the Barclay Brothers, they too can target their dominant readers with their preferred right wing messages. The image used covers most of the page, passing the fold. Immediately, this draws the attention to the royal family, intriguing their audience. However, much like The Sun, the targeted readers will almost certainly resent Harry and Meghan due to them being the more reckless of the group. Even so, the fact the readers are so invading and interested in the royal family, the couple will be presented as they are (well dressed, happy, waving - pleasant) just to please those of the ABC1 demographic that will read and submissively agree. The couple are made to seem happy and comfortable, even though despite everything published, they're unhappy with their royal status and are not as represented. The adapted presentations of them create a more 'real' version of them to entice audiences which value their royal family. Hall's theory is relevant here because the paper has twisted the representation of the couple in order to make their audience agree and receive the preferred meaning.
To conclude, the choices of media language like headline, image, subheading etc. link to the representation of Harry and Meghan as reckless but still valued as royal family, just for being royal. This ties in with Hall's theory because they allow the preferred message to be pushed at the target audience, resulting in the meanings being shaped with the same values. They target the more left wing of the royal family, pleasing the right wing audience. However, the royal family as a whole, including Harry and Meghan is a gold mine for journalism, meaning both papers are able to dig deep and release content for their audiences who similarly are invasive and interesting in the royal family, whatever the story.