The Impact of Technological Change

the guardian asks for the reader to support them 

the times' paywall

the telegraph's paywall

daily record - instead of a paywall they have asked a survey

Not all online newspapers put up a paywall. For example, the Daily Mail allow people to read as many articles as they want to without paying anything. This could be the reason why they are such a popular newspaper. The Guardian do not put a paywall up but they do reinforce the fact that they need donations for them to continue to provide interesting articles for free. they say they want to 'keep their journalism as open as we can'. The Times and The Telegraph both have strict paywalls on all articles that only allow you to read a small amount before you have to register or pay a subscription fee. instead pf putting a paywall up, the daily record ask the reader to complete a survey. they would generate money from completing this survey so in effect it does the same job as a paywall.



it is noticeable that most newspapers encourage the readers to share the article on social media. they include the social media icons down the side of the article or half way through reading the article. as seen on the daily mail and guardian site, they have put all the icons together so that they stand out more rather than just putting the Facebook icon there on it's own. people would be more encouraged to share the article on more than one social media. the guardian has included the number of shares the article has ha to prove to readers that lots of people have also shared it, therefore it will seem more acceptable to them. the guardian's icons are less bright and stand out less. it is noticeable that the icons reflect the colour theme of the guardian newspaper which is different coloured blues and greys. this suggests that social media is less important to them. the daily mail's readership would consist of more people that spend more time on social media. The times has no social media icons but may have some once the person has registered with them.

Daily Mail

Guardian

Advertising Question

Explain how representations in adverts are constructed to promote the product. Choose two of the adverts that you have studied.

In the shelter advert there are certain representations that are effective in promoting the product. The adverts represent a variety of races, genders and ages therefore a wider variety of people would be interested in the advert and are more likely to support the charity. The adverts are appealing to the target audience as they have used bright, contrasting colours to catch as many people as possible's attention. Considering the large red writing is all over their faces, it creates the impression that they are trapped behind these words. This is complimented by their faces being very close up to the camera and merged into the black border as it creates the impression that they cannot escape from the situation that they are in. this in effect makes the audience feel sorry for the people suffering and therefore promotes the product. the red writing may also have connotations of blood, suggesting that being homeless is dangerous and can result in violence from members of the public. this further encourages the audience to support the charity. The contact information is easy to read as it has been put in the colour white over a dark background, representing light among darkness. from this, the audience would believe that their donations will promise an improvement in the amount of homelessness there is.


Gareth bale has been represented as a serious, determined athlete which encourages other young people to be like him. his face is easily recognisable by the target audience because the image of his face is large and clear. It is noticeable that there is sweat on his forehead, making the audience assume that he is a hardworking individual and the Lucozade drink is aiding him to progress further by providing him the energy that he needs. this encourages the target audience to work hard like Gareth does, giving them inspiration to be as famous as he is. The use of sporting clothing on Gareth also suggests that he is passionate about sports and that it is a big part of his life. The blue background could connote water to quench thirst, giving the idea that Lucozade can be used for this purpose.

Old Spice advert annotation

Paradise Papers/Social Participatory Media

Write up a description of the main differences between the two front pages from The Guardian and the Daily Mail, looking at both conventions and how the stories have been presented to the reader.

Daily Mail makes out that the Queen is innocent by using the verb 'dragged' because it makes us think that it is not the queen's fault. In contrast, The Guardian are holding the queen more accountable to the matter as they state that it is her cash that is being invested therefore it is her fault. The Guardian have made this story the whole front cover therefore the issue would clearly interest their readership more than it would for the daily mail. this may be due to it being about money and investments therefore the less educated readership of the daily mail may be less interested in this topic area. the daily mail have included other plugs on the front page so that those who arent interested in the money issue can read about the 'schoolgirl' or the 'diet'. this is because their readers are typically more interested in social issues and celebs.

the font and size of the main headline on the daily mail's front page is much more in your face than the guardian's main headline. they used short, punchy words to dramatise the issue and have described it as a 'row'. it is clear from this that the daily mail are trying to describe the issue to the reader as simply as possible so that they understand what is going on. on the other hand, the guardian have used very highbrow language in their headline because the majority of it's readership would understand what they are addressing. the reason for the smaller, lower case headline on the front of the guardian would be because it doesn't need to be made exceedingly eye-catching as the story covers the whole page and have used the bright yellow theme which would instead catch the audience's eye.

Write a paragraph outlining why you think the Guardian created a series of news articles looking at the same issue and how that may reflect the newspapers political ideology and news values.

the reason behind the guardian producing more than one article on the matter is because it would interest their readership. they are providing interesting articles for more educated people therefore money and investments would be more relatable to them than the people who read the daily mail, typically speaking. it is common for the guardian to go into more detail about articles because the readers would be interested in the issue of money. their readership would want to continue to read about further news regarding the issue therefore the guardian do this by creating a series of news articles.

Look at the Mirror, The Daily Telegraph, Daily Express and the Independent online newspaper and consider what you learn about these two publications from their versions of the story and the front page conventions.

the daily express and daily mirror have adopted a similar approach to the daily mail on this matter as they have both used large, capital lettered main headlines to attract as much attention as possible. they have also included other plugs , like the daily mail, to interest the people that arent bothered by money investments into reading the paper. everything on the front cover of the daily express/daily mirror/daily mail is very in your face, unlike the independent. it is noticeable that the daily express have described the issue as a 'row', which is the same word as what the daily mail used. the independent have used a similar approach to the guardian with the lower case main headline and high level of vocabulary. this suggests that their readership is similar to the guardian's.

it is interesting to see that the daily telegraph has only included a small headline regarding the story. this suggests that there are more important issues that would interest their readership more than this would. it is as though they have only included it on the front because the issue has been on the news lately so they feel as though they have to include it.

Look at the online versions of these stories via Mail Online and The Guardian website. Compare and contrast their coverage. Use the sites to find out as much as you can about the story, so you fully understand it. What other media elements do the two websites provide readers (e.g.: audio or video clips, hyperlinks to other sites or connected stories)?

from looking online, i have noticed that the guardian have a page on their website dedicated to all the paradise papers stories. whereas, with the mail online i could only find paradise papers articles dotted about. as you scroll down the article on the daily mail, a video pops up of the article so that their readership can, instead of reading the information, watch a clip of it with someone explaining it. this adds to the sense that the daily mail is more in your face, as it doesn't give you a choice to watch the video or not. the guardian goes into a lot of detail about the story whereas the mail online include less copy and more visual images to please their less educated readership. as you scroll down the article on the mail online, they have included a 'related articles' box with four other articles featured. as you reach the bottom of the article, they tell the reader to 'share' the article and include many social media tabs for the reader to easily click on. this is less prominent on the guardian as they only include small social media icons and no text telling them to share the article. down the left side of the article the guardian have included a few related articles for the reader to click on. the guardian include many hyperlinks on words throughout their articles to encourage the reader to click on them which leads them to another article relating to that word.


The mail online have included subheadings on some of their paradise papers articles to simply educate the reader on what the issue is about. this clearly shows that their readership is less educated because the subtitles are questions that the readers may have about the issue.

Look at social media sites and explain how you think they encourage readers to interact with the story.

from looking at the guardian's twitter feed on the paradise papers, i have noticed that people can easily get involved with the stories by retweeting them and writing their own comments about them. by retweeting their posts, their friends may be more encouraged to get involved. a link that kept coming up was called 'the guardian opinions' which encourages people to get involved in the articles by giving their opinions. The Mail Online also have a twitter feed with posts related to the paradise papers. other pages have tagged them in their posts, increasing their publicity. Shirky's theory can be applied to this as it suggests that user-generated content creates emotional connection between people who care about something.

both newspapers include an easy-to click on link of their article and then caption it in simpler words to make it very easy for readers to understand what the post relates to. considering they both post so frequently, there are more and more things for people to get involved with. the link to the article always included a picture so attract the audience's attention, just like they do in their paper copies,.

Social and Participatory Media

How active are the social media feeds of The Daily Mail and The Guardian and what might this tell us about their readers and how involved they are with news products? Which articles are included and which generate the most social media activity and audience participation?

the guardian's twitter feed is very active, with just 5-10 minutes between each of their posts. the daily mail's twitter feed is just as active as the guardian's. both of their readerships are clearly very involved with social media, as otherwise the newspapers wouldn't be posting so much content online. 

the guardian's most popular posts are ones relating to DNA sampling, women's rights and supporting same-sex marriage. it is clear from this that the guardian's readership are interested in more educated matters. another popular post is about archaeology and birds suggesting that they care more for the environment than the daily mail's readership. 

i have noticed that the most popular posts on the daily mail's twitter feed are ones of dogs doing silly things. this shows that their readership are more interested in lighthearted issues. another one is meghan markle pictured outside Buckingham palace aged 15.

Annotation of Shelter Advert

Annotation of Lucozade Advert

Advert Research (Lucozade, Old Spice, Shelter)

Lucozade 

What is being sold? Research company background, type of product and price.

A sports energy drink is being sold in the advertisement. Lucozade is a soft drink manufactured by the Japanese company Suntory and marketed as a range of sports and energy drinks. In 1927 it was created as "Glucozade" by a Newcastle pharmacist William Walker Hunter. It was acquired by the British pharmaceutical company Beecham's in 1938 and sold as an energy drink for the sick as Lucozade. The company's advertising slogan was "Lucozade aids recovery". A glucose–water solution, the product was sold until 1983 as a carbonated, slightly orange-flavoured drink in a glass bottle wrapped in yellow cellophane. Pharmacists sold it, children were given it when ill, and hospital visitors would regularly arrive with a bottle. It was rebranded it as a "pick me up" in 1978 and as a sports drink in 1983 to associate it with health rather than sickness. The company switched to a plastic bottle and introduced a range of flavours in more recent times and it is sold at around £1.50 in most shops.

Who is the target audience? Explain.

Lucozade Energy has always seemed a brand obsessed with physicality, therefore the target audience for this product would typically be sports people and young people. By featuring the sportsman Gareth Bale on the front, people would be more encouraged to buy the product because they know that Gareth has something to do with it. The glucose drink focuses new ad energies on manual workers. an age range of 18-30 year olds would be the most accurate as a target audience because during these ages people are more likely to be engaged in sporting activities and would therefore want to drink lucozade to improve their performance.

What representations are evident in the advert? why have they been used? how does this appeal to the target audience?

Gareth bale has been represented as a serious, determined athlete which encourages other young people to be like him. his face is easily recognisable by the target audience because the image of his face is large and clear. It is noticeable that there is sweat on his forehead, making the audience assume that he is a hardworking individual and the lucozade drink is aiding him to progress further by providing him the energy that he needs. this encourages the target audience to work hard like gareth does, giving them inspiration to be as famous as he is. The use of sporting clothing on Gareth also suggests that he is passionate about sports and that it is a big part of his life.

Is the advert successful? Explain your answer

I think that the advert is successful as many sportsman aspire for their performance to be as good as Bales, so therefore by him advertising the drink it therefore suggests that he has the drink to gain energy before the fame, so this will encourage others to buy the drink. the white square that outlines the advert is clearly recognisable as a football pitch, associating the advert immediately with popular sports and therefore attracting a large amount of people. this is complimented by the blue and yellow colour theme that is typical of sports clothing and equipment.

Shelter 

What is being sold? Research company background, type of product and price.

 Shelter is a registered charity that campaigns to end homelessness and bad housing in England and Scotland. It gives advice, information and advocacy to people in need, and tackles the root causes of bad housing by lobbying government and local authorities for new laws and policies to improve the lives of homeless and badly housed people. It works in partnership with Shelter Cymru in Wales and the Housing Rights Service in Northern Ireland. Shelter helps people in housing need by providing advice and practical assistance, and fights for better investment in housing and for laws and policies to improve the lives of homeless and badly housed people. Shelter was launched on 1 December 1966, evolving out of the work on behalf of homeless people then being carried on in Notting Hill in London.

Nothing is being sold in the advertisement; it's purpose is to encourage people to support the charity by giving donations. All donations are accepted and there aren't any price limits.

Who is the target audience? Explain.

There is not a specific target audience, however, if there was one it would be middle aged adults. they would be the most well-off people in society because they are working so can afford to donate to charities typically speaking. These specific adverts display young adults to middle aged adults which encourage these sort of ages to donate as they would be able to relate to the people shown in the adverts that are homeless as they are of a similar age. In this sense, the adverts are not very effective as it excludes the fact that there are younger and older people who are in need of help and support. they have clearly just included young/midde aged adults on the advert so that the target audience is more encouraged to donate money.

What representations are evident in the advert? Why have such representations been employed? In what ways do the adverts appeal to the target audience?

the advert represents a variety of races, genders and ages. the adverts are appealing to the target audience as they have used bright, contrasting colours to catch the audiences eye. the three people featured on the advert have been represented as sufferers due to the red and black colour theme. considering the large red writing is all over their faces, it creates the impression that they are trapped behind these words. this is complimented by their faces being very close up to the camera and merged into the black border as it creates the impression that they cannot escape from the situation that they are in. the red writing may also have connotations of blood, suggesting that being homeless is dangerous and can result in violence from members of the public. the line 'loosing a job' is effective because we live in a capitalist society so most people need a job to survive, meaning this issue will effect most people and be relatable to the target audience.

The advert presents people of different races which is positive as it shows that it isn't a racial issue, different ages and genders to emphasise that homelessness can effect anyone. however, none of the people featured are white british which could be suggesting that those people are not usually affected by homelessness which of course is untrue. The contact information is easy to read as it has been put in the colour white over a dark background, representing light amongst darkness.

Is the advert successful? Explain your answer

i believe that this advert is successful because it clearly represents the pain and suffering that homeless people have to face on an everyday basis. the transparent font covering the faces is effective because not only does it draw attention to the people's facial expressions, it also shows powerful, rhetorical questions that forces the audience to consider difficult issues that these people have to face everyday which persuades them to want to make a change, that can potentially change their lives for the better. the colours in the advert have been used well, for example, the dark facial expressions of each person on the advert have been blended with the black border, creating the impression that these people just blend in with everyone else. however, because their faces and facial expression are so clearly presented on the advert, it gives us the idea that they shouldnt just blend in with everyone else; these people are desperate individuals that need to be helped. People can easily read the contact information due to it being put on a dark background.

One the contrary, I think these adverts would be a lot more effective if they presented a wider spectrum of people so it could appeal to a broader audience and represent the true variety of people that are homeless in the UK.

Old Spice

What is being sold? Research company background, type of product and price.

Old Spice products were manufactured by the Shulton Company that was founded in 1934 by William Lightfoot Schultz. Schultz was inspired by his mother’s potpourri and as a result, the first Old Spice product in 1937 was a woman’s scent called Early American Old Spice. The product was received well, and therefore followed with Old Spice for men in 1938. Old Spice's buoy-shaped bottle cologne has been its staple product, available in its original scent as well as newer Pure Sport. In 2006, Old Spice introduced a fragrance, OS Signature, which won the magazine FHM 's 2006 Grooming Award for Best Sporty Fragrance. Old Spice Red Zone products include a "Scratch-and-sniff" version of the Signature fragrance. Old Spice launched the Hardest Working Collection in 2016 with antiperspirants and body washes, offering the best protection and performance yet from the company. In 2014, Old Spice expanded its product line-up to men’s hair care with the introduction of shampoos, conditioners and styling products. These products included: gel, putty, pomade, paste and wax. As of 2016, Old Spice has six main lines of grooming products and each line features a variety of products and scents. nowadays, old spice is sold for around £3 and gift sets are available for around £10.

Who is the target audience? Explain.

the target audience for this product would be typical be men of all ages, but it would also attract females to buy the product as it features a young, muscly and attractive man. Because young men would be amused by the young man on the horse.

What representations are evident in the advert? Why have such representations been employed? In what ways do the adverts appeal to the target audience?

Is the advert successful? Explain your answer

Ownership and Regulation

Companies that own more than one newspaper title:

The Barclay Brothers Press Holdings own The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph;

News Corporation own The Times and The Sunday Times;

Scott Trust Limited own The Guardian and The Observer;

Lord Rothermere's Daily Mail and General Trust PLC own the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday;

Richard Despond's Northern and Shell own Daily Express and Sunday Express;

Trinity Mirror own Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People.

From the list we can see that 6 owners publish more than one national newspaper. It is noticeable that they link the titles together to make it known that they are owned by the same company. This results in the company holding a higher profile as people would recognise the similarity in the names of the newspapers and presume that they're owned by the same company. 

Ownership of the Trinity Mirror

The Trinity Mirror group went on to buy Scottish & Universal Newspapers in 1992, and in 1997 it acquired the Birmingham Post and Mail. Trinity was a company which evolved from the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo which owned newspaper titles in Canada and the US at the time, as well as interests in paper mills in Canada. The company then bought the paper mills in Canada, owned it's own newspaper distribution company and even went as far as buying up newsagents across Merseyside. In February 2010, Trinity Mirror acquired the regional M.E.N. Media and S&B Media divisions of the Guardian Media Group, containing 22 local titles across Northern England and in Surrey and Berkshire; this includes the Manchester Evening News and Reading Evening Post. In January 2012 it was announced Trinity Mirror acquired Communicator Corp, a digital communications company specialising in email and mobile communications for £8m. In November 2015, Trinity Mirror purchased Local World for £220 million, a major stakeholder in local news titles, from DMGT. Since purchasing Local World it has gained 83 print publications.

The Trinity Mirror group owns The Leicester Mercury as well as 154 other regional titles, mostly in Scotland and Wales, and in the North of England. Johnston Press are rivals of Trinity Mirror because they have 160 titles. Newsquest owns 300+ newspapers and has a network of 160 local Web sites, which includes Glasgow's The Herald, The Northern Echo (Darlington) and Telegraph Argus (Bradford), together attracting more than 5 million unique users and over 50 million page impressions per month.

It is clear from the Trinity Mirror's history of acquiring many media outlets for lots of money they follow the normal capitalist pattern of increasing concentration and integration. they are supporting the idea that cultural production is owned and controlled by a few conglomerates who vertically integrate across a range of media to reduce risk. the company clearly want to reduce the risk of going bust or being overtaken by other companies by buying out other media outlets which as a result, increases their power and popularity.

Why is ownership a concern in the UK?

Considering more and more media industries are following the normal capitalist pattern of increasing concentration of ownership in fewer and fewer hands, it is leading to a smaller variety of opinions represented and a pursuit of profit at the expense of quality or creativity. According to Curran and Seaton, the internet does not represent a rupture with the past in that it does not offer a level playing field for diverse voices to be heard. It is constrained by nationalism and state censorship. However, news is still controlled by powerful news organisations, who have successfully defended their control over the country as a whole.

Research some of the ideas about regulation and the importance of a free press which regulates itself. Why is regulation important? Include some of your ideas from Wednesday's lesson on your blog. Consider why this may be significant, using the academic ideas from Livingstone and Lunt.

Media regulation is the control or guidance of mass media by governments and other bodies. This regulation, via law, rules or procedures, can have various goals, for example intervention to protect a stated "public interest", or encouraging competition and an effective media market, or establishing common technical standards. the reason why we do this is not down to just one reason, it is down to many. For example:

• The management of what is arguably the key economic resource in the emerging `information society', with a very high dependence on all forms of communication.

• The protection of public order and support for instruments of government and justice.

• The protection of individual and sectional rights and interests that might be harmed by unrestricted use of public means of communication.

• The promotion of the efficiency and development of the communication system, by way of technical standardization, innovation, connectivity and universal provision.

• The promotion of access, freedom to communicate, diversity and universal provision as well as securing communicative and cultural ends chosen by the people for themselves.

• Maintaining conditions for effective operation of free markets in media services, especially competition and access, protection of consumers, stimulating innovation and expansion.

Comparing Editorial Comment

The Guardian's editorial comment from Mon 11th October

From reading the editorial comment from each newspaper, there are some clear similarities and differences between the two. The most prominent difference would be that The Guardian has included an editors comment about more than one topic whereas the Daily Mail has kept the focus on just one issue (Brexit). Both newspapers have used a text-based column style editorial comment, though The Guardian's editor has written it in two columns whereas The Daily Mail's editor has written it in just one long column. As a result, The Guardian has made it easier to read and have made it look more detailed. This suggests that the guardian are more passionate about getting readers to agree with their opinions. It also suggests that their readership are more able and willing to read more detailed pieces of information.

Both the newspapers have a relatively small masthead at the top of the comment and both subheading's outline the opinion of the editor. This is done to attract the audience to read about their certain opinion on the matter, whether they agree with them or not. 

After taking a closer look into the language of the two comments, there are clear similarities and differences. Both newspapers have used an authoritative and persuasive tone to show that they feel strongly about their opinions. However, the Daily Mail uses more word play amongst their opinions. It is noticeable that The Guardian has a higher level of vocabulary compared to the Daily Mail, including figures of speech such as metaphors, lists of three and emotive language.

The Daily Mail's editorial comment from 

The Guardian references climate change as a 'crime', which portrays themselves as people who care for the environment. This encourages the audience to also consider and care for the environment in the same way as they do. For those who are unaware of all the events that have happened due to climate change, this comment would be an eye-opener, allowing people to reflect on what they have just read. The tone that they have used throughout their comment makes them seem influential and sensible as they reference climate change as a 'wake-up call' to society.

Many lists of three have been used to emphasise the amount of natural disasters caused by climate change, adding to the The Guardian's factual and objective approach to news stories. This approach suits their well-educated readership who may already have strong opinions on world issues due to their creditable knowledge. In this comment, they make it clear that they are against big corporations with their sarcastic attitude towards the 'handsome profits' that corporations make which is at the cause of the earth becoming 'a degree warmer than it should be'. The Guardian then express that these companies 'privatised their profits' and 'socialised the cost to the poor people, taxpayers and future generations', putting a bad name on corporations and influencing their readership to believe the same. many of the readers would be unaware that this was taking place, therefore they would enjoy reading about the underlying effects that big corporations have on society. Climate change has been described as a 'human rights emergency' which emphasises the extremity of the problem.

It is worth noting that in 2008, 2/3 of Tory MP's didn’t think climate change was a priority, but their leadership says it’s important. They are more likely to focus on energy security (oil and gas are set to run out very soon, and they won’t want to rely on other countries).

From reading the Daily Mail's editorial comment, we can see that they are guilty of bias. This suits their less-educated readership as they would need a stronger influence to guide them to what they want to believe. They have described protectionism as 'petty' giving it a pathetic sense and discouraging people to like the idea of staying in the EU. It is clear that the Daily Mail dislike Brussels' co-operation with the matter as they mention the country's 'intransigence'. This makes the audience think badly of the members of the EU and makes them believe we are better off cutting ties with countries like Brussels. The Daily Mail then emphasise their authority with the line 'how dare he lecture us!' in response to Michel Barnier's refusal to discuss trade or 'anything else'. Again, the Daily Mail are influencing their readership to dislike other members of the EU. This is effective in entertaining the Daily Mail's readership because they have made their opinions so clear that people would enjoy reading them as they show passion and sometimes fury. 

The Daily Mail's comment touches upon the surmountable 'hurdles' that we will face if/when we leave the EU, giving the reader the idea that leaving will not be difficult. We can 'take back control' if we are no longer part of the EU, which sounds admirable to the reader. The Daily Mail then criticise the labour party by mentioning that they are 'betraying' millions of their own voters'. For those who are unsure of which party to like, this comment is very interesting for them as it feeds them ideas of who to support. Furthermore, The Daily Mail have created a positive vibe around Theresa May as they mention that she 'welcomes' her 'ambitious...plans'. The reader would get the sense that the conservatives are people who promise security and happiness for our future, giving those who are in the middle wing a strong opinion of who they think is best at running the country.

Referendum Analysis

How does intertextuality create meaning in this source?

The Big Issue has referenced The EU referendum that happened on 23rd June 2016 in their June 13-19 2016 edition. They have made an intertextual reference to the Swedish pop group ABBA to create a comedy effect. ABBA is a very well-known pop group who were popular in the 70's and 80's therefore the big issue's target audience would recognise who they have mocked and as a result, find it more amusing. The lyrics of ABBA's songs have been referenced in the speech bubbles next to each of the politicians, all of which are relevant to the decisions of Brexit. Nicola Sturgeon's face has purposely been edited onto a male's body to make her seem less feminine, creating the impression that she has a personality like other male politicians. The colour of Nicola's hair co-ordinates well with the brown outfit that she is wearing. Considering she has short hair, she looks more stereotypically masculine so The Big Issue are playing off of this to create a comedy effect.

Boris Johnson and David Cameron have been made to look like the two female vocalists in ABBA. The audience would find this amusing as The Big Issue have emasculated the two men, which is ironic because they're meant to be stereotypically powerful and strong leaders. However, we do not see this through the facial expressions that the big issue have used for them; they have been made to look like young girls with attitudes who are fooling around. This creates a mocking effect towards the two of them, suggesting that they do not take their job seriously. Boris' sarcastically-shocked facial expression compliments the lyrics in the speech bubble next to him as it creates the sense that Boris is laughing at Nicola and David who want to remain in the EU.

Nigel Farage is known for his racist and offensive views, therefore when the audience see his laughing and overjoyed facial expression because he wants to leave, it may seem like he is doing it towards the migrants who would no longer be allowed to enter the country. The Big Issue have purposely chosen these four particular politicians because two of them want to leave and two of them want to remain. This creates an even argument, suggesting that the chance of us leaving or remaining is 50/50. It is noticeable that Nicola and David have quite serous expressions compared to Boris and Farage who look like they're fooling around. By doing this, The Big Issue have made it seem like leaving the EU is an exciting thing to do.

The Big Issue have made the world into a disco ball, showing all the politicians 'performing' underneath it. This adds to the pop group effect. It also creates a sense that those four politicians are in their own world, making their own individual decisions that will have a huge impact on the residents of the world. Considering on the image the world is much smaller than the four politicians themselves, it suggests that their actions are more important than those living in the world. They have purposely made the background blue and sparkly to make it look like the ocean, with the yellow/brown strip being land that they are all standing on. The bright, vibrant colours would effectively attract the audience's attention. A ballot paper and box have been placed on the front cover to give the audience a clear insight into the image that they are creating.

The main headline is in black and white to co-ordinate well with the masthead. The line 'decision time' has been written in the colour red to draw attention to it and to emphasise the importance of this article. All the speech bubbles are black and white to add to the masthead and headline theme. The lyrics that are in the speech bubble next to Nicola reflect the fact that she is a female because it mentions the difficulty of relationship break-ups. This creates the impression that she is stereotypically feminine, which contrasts with the fact that she is dressed like a man. Farage has been made to look like he is not taking it serious because the lyrics in the speech bubble next to him say 'take a chance'. This suggests that he does not have valid reasons for wanting to leave, hinting at his underlying controversial reasons that shouldn't be known. 'The winner takes it all' as a main headline is amusing because people would know that it is from an ABBA song, therefore they would think it is clever how most of the text used on the cover references ABBA. From this headline, The Big Issue have created the impression that the referendum is a big competition between the politicians.

Advantages of this approach would be that the audience would find it amusing that the politicians are dressed up as the opposite sex, with silly facial expressions. As a result, the audience would believe that the article would also be amusing to read, encouraging them to buy the magazine. It is a unique and effective approach to the referendum. Most other articles that discuss the referendum would be fairly serious and therefore less fun to read. The Big Issue have subverted this stereotype by turning it into a comedy. The bright clothing and sparkly disco background that people were familiar with in the 1970's would be an advantage to the magazine as it would catch the target audience's eye. 

The Big Issue Magazine Analyses

Music Video Question

Explain how representations in music videos are chosen to promote the artist(s)

Refer to both of the music videos you have studied to support your answer.

Yxng Bane showing off his wealth

Nowadays, it is common for artists to effectively promote themselves by using representations in their music videos. The majority of pop artists feature their expensive possessions in their videos to show off their wealth. Often, artists will include attractive women/men to represent themselves as fortunate to be around these people. It is common amongst female artists to wear little clothing in their music videos to show off their bodies so that people envy them, which in turn promotes them. However, Massive Attack in their 'Unfinished Sympathy' video and David Guetta/Sia in their 'Titanium' video both do not follow this stereotypical approach in order to promote themselves.

In the Unfinished Sympathy music video, the artists represent themselves as down to earth people who are close to street life. They do this by showing themselves walking through busy streets and integrating with members of the public. For example, we see Daddy G taking a leaflet from a woman in the street. It also gives us the impression that the artists want to help the community, encouraging people to appreciate them. The artists are seen walking alongside all types of people, no matter whether they have a disability, they involve themselves in crime or they're poor. To the audience, this would make the band members seem accepting and nondiscriminatory members of society, which would promote the artists.

Runners featured in Titanium video

Similarly, in the music video for the song 'Titanium', it is noticeable that there are no negative stereotypes. For example, the camera rolls past two overweight people jogging in the streets that appear to be sweating. Instead, the artists could have shown two stereotypically skinny, attractive girls. This represents Guetta and Sia as non-discriminatory as they are going against the stereotype that joggers should be attractive and look good when they're running.

At the moment that we see Daddy G and his son holding hands together in the Unfinished Sympathy video, the audience would feel as though the band members are loving people who are close to their family. About a quarter of the way into the video, we see someone from the streets taking a leaflet from a woman advertising something and then we see Daddy G take one. This represents the band members as people that generally care about each and every person; they are not inconsiderate like some famous people therefore they are promoting themselves to the audience.

The vocalist for Massive Attack, Shara Nelson, provides a very strong performance throughout the music video. She uses powerful facial expressions when singing the lyrics of the song, giving us the impression that the band members are passionate and serious about making music. This would appear attractive to the audience. It also creates a sense that there is a meaning to their music, making the band more admirable. Shara is represented as a desperate individual due to her intense and passionate facial expressions when she sings the lyrics of the song. This reflects the streets that they're walking through, creating a powerful message to the audience.

Furthermore, Shara is represented as a dominant, powerful woman who is always leading in the music video. Women in the audience would see her as an inspiration and this would lead to them admiring the band members for using a woman as the main view in the video. The band members shown in the music video are always a far distance in the background, therefore some women would see this as empowering.

Bullied boy featured in Titanium video

Even though the music video for the song 'Titanium' does not feature any of the artists, they have still found ways to effectively promote themselves through other characters. Considering the song is named after a strong, almost impenetrable metal, the artists are representing themselves as strong figures who want to help the boy find the strength to overcome the bullying. As a result, the artists would be seen as caring individuals that want to speak out about issues such as these. Sia's vocals reflect the vulnerable boy's thoughts, representing her as voice of someone who is being bullied and needs help. The audience would appreciate the effort that the artists have put in to make people aware of bullying and the consequences that come with it, therefore they are promoting themselves as likeable people.

Considering the David Guetta's and Sia's music video does not show any signs of money or  possessions that the artists have, they are representing themselves as down to earth people who are serious about their career, they are not just seeking popularity by showing off their wealth. This promotes themselves in a different way to how other artists would, as it makes them seem less arrogant, so a lot of people would admire that. It is also worth noting that their song and video is not about themselves, it is based around someone else which represents them as selfless people.

Music Video Analyses

UNFINISHED SYMPATHY

The song 'unfinished sympathy' is trying to tell the audience that anyone from the streets can become successful. They portray this through their band members being featured in the video who are seen doing everyday activities on the street. Daddy G and his son are seen walking down the street, 3D is shown at the phone box and then Mushroom is seen pushing a trolley. The song lyrics mention curiosity which could reflect the curiosity that the public had about their music because the band were fairly new to the public. The band members seem down to earth because they're integrating with everyday people on the streets, making them more likeable by the public. 

The filmmaker has used a tracking shot on Shara Nelson walking through the streets, singing towards the camera as though we are in a conversation with her. This style of filming provides a more personal approach to the song, emphasising the fact that the band members are closely connected to their audience. This is also reflected in the song lyrics as they mention wanting to get close with someone and learn about them. There is a sense of desperation coming from the band members as most elements in the video are fast paced.The camera is constantly moving, as well as the people therefore nothing comes to a halt until the end of the video. Shara uses powerful facial expressions when singing the lyrics of the song, giving us the impression that the band members are passionate and serious about making music. This would appear attractive to the audience. It also creates a sense that there is a meaning to their music, making the band more admirable. Shara is represented as a desperate individual which reflects the streets that they're walking through, creating a powerful message to the audience. This is also shown through her walking supposedly towards something, as though she is wanting to get to where she wants to be in life.

The fast paced, lively instruments that play in the song link well with the lively atmosphere on the street as a lot is going on. The audience would get the pleasure of watching all the action that takes place in the video. this would keep them hooked and not bored. Fans of the artists would enjoy watching the band members feature in the video as ordinary people on the streets because it would make them feel as though they can closely relate to them. The street has been used in the video to reflect street culture. The artists are attempting to celebrate the diversity and difference of people in society.

TITANIUM

The name of the song is called 'Titanium,' which is a very strong metal that takes a lot of force and effort to penetrate. This song is using titanium as a metaphor to describe how mentally strong the boy is. The reason for using a young boy is because he looks vulnerable compared to the adults, and to raise issues on bullying, which is the reason for the school location at the beginning of the video. The lyrics are sending us a message to be strong and not let anyone bring us down. Therefore the song is generally about finding strength within yourself. 

The boy is represented as a vulnerable child, but proves to be more powerful than expected to connote the message that appearance doesn't matter. The police on the other hand are stereotypically thought of as a good part of society and having a strong position, but they are represented as the antagonists in this video and lose to the boy's powers in the end. This is a metaphor to suggest that even the most powerful forces cannot bring you down. The high pitched vocals by Sia works well with he visuals of the young boy because it reflects innocence and youth. This contrasts with Sia's and David Guetta's ages because they are both middle-aged adults.

The artists themselves have not been featured in the videos therefore they have been represented differently to most other pop stars' music videos. Considering the song is about bullying and gaining the power to overcome it, they have been represented as caring and empowering people who want to help those going through difficult times. The artists are speaking out to bullies through their song lyrics. 

Rapid editing and handheld and fast camera movement suit the tempo and the genre, where a variety of camera shots are also used to make the video interesting. The video uses modern techniques like these compared to little movement, simple shots and slower editing used in old music videos, which suits pop as it is a fresh, punchy and a popular genre. Music's main target group is young people, so a lot of energy and pace is created in music today to compliment youthful energy. Lastly, just like pop, the music builds up in the chorus to make it the most memorable part of the song.

Despite being part of a dance genre, there is no dancing in the video. Instead, the editing and movement of actors in the video fit with the rhythm and tempo. For example, when the boy is in the woods, the beat comes in when he starts running to express his heartbeat going fast as the police have found him. Near the beginning, the boy walks slowly when the music is at it's calmest. However, when the boy sees a teacher calling the police on him, he realises he is in trouble, so he starts to move fast where the music builds to match his movement and anxiety. As well as the actor's movement, editing matches the pace of the music.

Some elements of the music video reflect the 80's as there is an old police car used and the television that is featured closely resembles one that people would have been familiar with in the 1980's. The music video also has similarities to some of Steven Spielberg's films. In the 1980s Spielberg returned to the science fiction genre with his film 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'. It was the story of a young boy and the alien he befriends, who was accidentally left behind by his companions and is attempting to return home. This clearly links with the boy that is featured in David Guetta's music video, as he is seen as different by bully and also is familiar with the supernatural. 

David Guetta - Titanium Research

Research

David Guetta

Pierre David Guetta a French DJ, songwriter, record producer and remixer who was born on 7 November 1967. He co-founded Gum Productions with Jean-Charles Carré and Joachim Garraud, and released his first album, Just a Little More Love, in 2002. Later, in 2004, he released Guetta Blaster and then Pop Life in 2007. Guetta has sold over nine million albums and 30 million singles worldwide. In 2011 Guetta was voted as the number one DJ in the 'DJ Mag Top 100 DJs' fan poll.

His 2009 album One Love caused him to achieve mainstream success, as it included some of his best hits such as "When Love Takes Over", "Gettin' Over You", "Sexy Bitch", and "Memories", the first three of which reached number one in the United Kingdom. The 2011 follow-up album, Nothing but the Beat, continued this success, containing the hit singles "Where Them Girls At", "Little Bad Girl", "Without You", "Titanium", and "Turn Me On". He is among the first DJs to get into the EDM scene and is known as the "Grandfather of EDM".

Sia

Sia Kate Isobelle Furler, born 18 December 1975, is an Australian singer-songwriter, record producer and music video director. She started her career as a singer in the local Adelaide acid jazz band Crisp in the mid-1990s. In 1997, when Crisp disbanded, she released her debut studio album titled OnlySee in Australia. She then moved to London, England, and provided lead vocals for the British duo Zero 7.

In 2000, Sia signed to Sony Music's sub-label Dance Pool and released her second studio album, Healing Is Difficult, the following year. Displeased with the promotion of the record, she signed to Go! Beat and released her third studio album, Colour the Small One, in 2004. The project struggled to connect with a mainstream audience, and so Sia relocated to New York City in 2005 and began touring across the United States. She released her fourth and fifth studio releases, Some People Have Real Problems and We Are Born, in 2008 and 2010, respectively. She then took a hiatus from performing, during which she focused on songwriting for other artists. Her catalogue includes the successful collaborations "Titanium" (with David Guetta), "Diamonds" (with Rihanna) and "Wild Ones" (with Flo Rida).

In 2014, Sia released her sixth studio album 1000 Forms of Fear, which debuted at No 1 in the U.S. Billboard 200 and generated the top-ten breakthrough single "Chandelier" and a trilogy of music videos starring child dancer Maddie Ziegler. In 2016, she released her seventh studio album This Is Acting, which spawned her first Hot 100 number one single, "Cheap Thrills". The same year, Sia gave her Nostalgic for the Present Tour, which incorporated performance art elements. Sia has received an array of accolades, including ARIA Awards and an MTV Video Music Award.

Nothing but the Beat

Nothing but the Beat is David Guetta's fifth studio album, released on 26 August 2011. Released as a double album, the first disc features collaborations with artists from the R&B, hip hop and pop worlds such as Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, Afrojack, Chris Brown and Sia. In comparison, the second disc features purely instrumental tracks. The album is also Guetta's first album not to feature long-time collaborator Chris Willis on vocals. Critical reviews of the album were mixed.

The album spawned four singles that attained success on the US Billboard Hot 100 – "Where Them Girls At", "Without You", "Turn Me On" and "Titanium" – becoming his third, fourth, fifth and sixth top 20 singles, respectively. On 30 November 2011, the album received a nomination for Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronica Album at the 54th Grammy Awards. As of October 2012, the album has sold 407,000 copies in the US, and has received platinum certification by the IFPI for sales exceeding 1,000,000 copies throughout Europe. On 26 March 2012, the album was released as a standalone package, via the iTunes Store. This version was previously released through Beatport.

The album was then re-released on 7 September 2012 under the name Nothing but the Beat 2.0. It includes six new tracks including lead single "She Wolf (Falling to Pieces)", which features Sia, who previously collaborated with Guetta on "Titanium". The remixes of this single were released exclusively through Beatport on 7 August 2012. Several tracks from the original album have been removed from the re-release, however all the singles have been retained. A final edition of the album dubbed Nothing but the Beat Ultimate, was released on 10 December 2012 featuring the original album plus all of the new songs from the 2.0 edition – though contained the full-length edits of "Sunshine", "Lunar" and "Metropolis", as opposed to the shorter edits on 2.0 – and a 16-second shorter version of "Where Them Girls At". It is noteworthy that all ten main singles from Nothing but the Beat, including the Guetta version of "Sweat", have peaked within the top-twenty of the UK Singles Chart and as of January 2015 have all together gone on to sell in excess of 4 million copies in the UK.

Titanium - the song and video

"Titanium" is a song by David Guetta which features vocals by Sia. Taken from Guetta's fifth studio album, Nothing but the Beat, the song was written by Sia, David Guetta, Giorgio Tuinfort and Afrojack. "Titanium" was initially released for digital download on August 8, 2011, as the first of four promotional singles from the album. It was later released as the album's fourth single in December 2011. The song originally featured the vocals of American recording artist Mary J. Blige, whose version of the song leaked online in July 2011. The genre of David Guetta's music video 'Titanium' is mainstream pop, house and urban dance. The song uses the techniques of these genres with a fast and regular rhythm to suit the urban dance genre; this will be suitable for dancing as the steady beat will give timing and pace for dance movement.

"Titanium" is a ballad which draws from the genres of house and urban-dance. The song's lyrics are about inner strength. Sia's vocals on "Titanium" received comparisons to those by Fergie and the song was also musically compared to Coldplay's work. Critics were positive towards the song and noted it as one of the standout tracks from Nothing but the Beat. "Titanium" attained top 10 positions in several major music markets, including Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number one, becoming Guetta's fifth number-one single on the chart and Sia's first.

David Wilson - the director

David Wilson is an English music video director and animator from Wells, Somerset, currently living in London. Wilson studied Illustration at Brighton University and did a foundation course in Art and Design at St. Martin's. He is represented by the production company Colonel Blimp. He has directed music videos for Arcade Fire, The Maccabees, David Guetta, Arctic Monkeys and Tame Impala.

Big Issue Research

Radiohead - Burn the Witch Research

Radiohead

The five band members

The Band

Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire. Formed in 1985, the band have been together 32 years. The band consists of Thom Yorke (lead vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards), Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments), Ed O'Brien (guitar, backing vocals), Colin Greenwood (bass), and Phil Selway (drums, percussion, backing vocals). They have worked with producer Nigel Godrich and cover artist Stanley Donwood since 1994.

After signing to EMI in 1991, Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992. The song became a worldwide hit after the release of their debut album, Pablo Honey (1993). Their popularity rose in the United Kingdom with the release of their second album called The Bends (1995). Radiohead's third album, OK Computer (1997), caused them to become famous worldwide. It is noted for its complex production and themes of modern alienation, acclaiming it as a landmark record of the 1990's and one of the best albums in popular music. Their music may be considered as alternative.

"Out of Control" music video

In their promotional material such as their music videos, the band represent themselves as very different and unique. The band members often adopt a persona and act in strange ways. For example, in their music video for the song 'Out of Control' we see Thom Yorke's face close up to the camera whilst nearly drowning in water, as seen in the image below.

Another strange music video that Radiohead have produced is the one that accompanies the song 'Paranoid Android'.

Moon shaped pool

Album artwork

A Moon Shaped Pool is Radiohead's ninth studio album, released digitally on 8 May 2016. Radiohead recorded A Moon Shaped Pool in southern France with their producer Nigel Godrich. Many of the songs featured on the album were written years earlier, for example "True Love Waits" dates to at least 1995, "Burn the Witch" to 2000 and "Present Tense" to 2008. The album features strings and choral vocals arranged by Jonny Greenwood and performed by the London Contemporary Orchestra. Radiohead promoted A Moon Shaped Pool a week before its release with the singles "Burn the Witch" and "Daydreaming", both accompanied by music videos. A Moon Shaped Pool has been described as an art rock album. It combines electronic elements such as drum machines and synthesisers with acoustic timbres such as guitar, piano, and Greenwood's string and choral arrangements.

Burn the Witch

The song "Burn the Witch" was released on 3 May 2016 as the lead single from the album A Moon Shaped Pool. Radiohead developed the song for over a decade, first working on it during the sessions for their fourth album, Kid A (2000). It features a string section playing col legno battuto, producing a percussive sound, arranged by the guitarist Jonny Greenwood.

"Burn the Witch" was accompanied by a stop-motion animated music video that pays respect to the 1960s British children's television programme Camberwick Green and the 1973 British horror film The Wicker Man. Some critics interpreted the lyrics and video as a warning against groupthink and authoritarianism. The song received positive reviews and was nominated for Best Rock Song at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards.

"Burn the Witch" was described by The Atlantic as an orchestral pop song. However, The Guardian calls it an art rock song. The music video was directed by Chris Hopewell, who previously directed the animated video for Radiohead's 2003 single "There There". The video was conceived and finished in 14 days and released on YouTube one week later on 3 May 2016. According to the son-in-law of Trumpton creator Gordon Murray, the family was not asked permission to use the style for the video and saw it as a "tarnishing of the brand."

Clips from the music video

The video depicts mob rule in a rural community. During the video, an inspector is greeted by a town mayor and invited to see a series of unsettling sights, culminating in the unveiling of a wicker man. The mayor urges the inspector to climb into the wicker man, whereupon he is locked inside as a human sacrifice and the wicker man is set on fire. As the flames gather, the townspeople turn their backs and wave goodbye to the camera. After the song ends, the inspector escapes among the trees.

Pitchfork interpreted "Burn the Witch" as a criticism of authority and a warning against groupthink, expressing a "deep sense of dread and skepticism". The Guardian felt it addressed mass surveillance or the threat to open discussion posed by the self-policing users of social media. Pitchfork writer Marc Hogan suggested that the use of the Trumpton Trilogy style in the video, which portrays an idyllic, crime-free rural Britain, reflects the rhetoric of family values used by right-wing politicians such as Donald Trump, Marine Le Pen, and members of the UK Independence Party. Animator Virpi Kettu, who worked on the music video, interpreted the song as a comment on the European migrant crisis and scapegoating of Muslims. The visual style of the video was deliberately lighter in tone than the song, as Radiohead "wanted the video to contrast with what they're playing and to wake people up a bit." After the election of US President Donald Trump on 8 November 2016, Yorke tweeted lyrics from the song and linked to its music video, interpreted as a criticism of Trump's rightwing policies.

Chris Hopewell - the video director

Chris Hopewell

Chris Hopewell is an English music video director. He has directed videos for Radiohead, Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, Scissor Sisters, Louis XIV, The Knife, The Offspring and several other bands. His video for Radiohead's "There There" received an award for art direction at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. He also co-directed with Crispian Mills on the film 'A Fantastic Fear of Everything' starring Simon Pegg. His most recent work is directing the music video for Avenged Sevenfold's 2016 single, "The Stage".

The Wicker Man

The Wicker Man (1973)

The Wicker Man is a 1973 British mystery horror film directed by Robin Hardy. It stars Edward Woodward, Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento, Ingrid Pitt, and Christopher Lee. The screenplay by Anthony Shaffer, inspired by David Pinner's 1967 novel Ritual, centres on the visit of Police Sergeant Neil Howie to the isolated island of Summerisle, in search of a missing girl. Howie, a devout Christian, is appalled to find that the inhabitants of the island have abandoned Christianity and now practise a form of Celtic paganism. Paul Giovannicomposed the film score.

The Trumptonshire Trilogy (1966 - 1969)

Trumpton is a stop-motion children's television series from the producer Gordon Murray. First shown on the BBC from January to March 1967, it was the second series in the Trumptonshire trilogy, which comprised Camberwick Green, Trumpton and Chigley. Trumptonshire was created using stop motion animation and actual 3D scaled down models. The entire trilogy consisted of 39 x 15-minute episodes. All 39 episodes were first broadcast on BBC1, airing before the midday news. The original footage had to be located – some footage was found in the family's attic and some deep in the archives of BBC Worldwide in Perivale. It was originally released 3 January – 28 March 1967. The puppets are designed to be around 20 cm high. BBC Studios and Post Production's Digital Media Services team remastered all 39 episodes of the Trumptonshire Trilogy in 2011 for DVD release, cleaning, scanning and digitally restoring the film footage frame by frame.