The Sun
A headline from The Sun, 17th June 2020 states London is 'marred by violence as yobs hurl fireworks.' This article was released amid protests for the BLM movement that sparked after George Floyd's death. The sun is infamously known for it's clear expression of ideologies towards controversial subject matters. In the past, they have been accused many times of 'fuelling prejudice.' The sun's take on the protests channels it's focus towards the idea that instantly the police are good and the protesters are bad. This is evident through the use of the word 'yobs.' Richard Dyer would suggest that the word 'yobs' could have been chosen as an ordering process. The sun's use of the oversimplified term suggests this, however not everyone in the crowds might have shared the same ideologies. Therefore, the situation is much more complex than the article presents it as. Dyer would also suggest that it is perhaps used as a shortcut to meaning. This is through using already established stereotypes in society and implementing them into a media text in order for information to be understood quickly and easily. In this instance, the word 'yobs' is a word used to describe a group of people who display anti-social and ruthless behaviour. Therefore, this word is already prominent in society and will be quickly understood by many as a lot of people reading the article will know what behaviours they can now associate with the protesters being talked about. The sun aims to express their own ideologies through their use of language. They present themselves as bias towards law enforcement. This is further exemplified through an alternate cover of this article featuring a photograph of a bloody police officer's face. This is part of their agenda in the sense of provoking sympathy for the police only and further demonstrating a bias towards one group as opposed to the other. This is an example of a hegemonic representation as it reinforces the dominant ideologies in society surrounding protests and anti-social behaviour. There is a clear exclusion of the protestors from the police within the article. This aligns with Stuart Hall's representation theory that stereotyping tends to only occur where there are inequalities of power or excluded groups are constructed as different or 'other.' Here, they are presented as different or 'other.'
The Guardian
This is a headline from an article published on the 7th June 2020 reporting and discussing the same London protests surrounding BLM movement and the demand for racial justice. However, this article presents no bias, especially not in the headline to start. There is no shortcut to meaning, as Dyer would suggest, or any indicators of uses of ordering processes. It seems more formal and factual than anything. It presents the ideologies of the protesters that were disregarded by The Sun's article. It states ' demands for racial justice now have a new and unstoppable urgency.' The significant difference between the two article is that The Guardian features accounts from different protesters, shining on a light on their perspectives of the protests. On the other hand, it can also be seen as a potential bias towards the protesters in this case as there is minimal to no mention of the Polices' perspective at all. This is an example of a pluralistic representation; it is shaped by the protestors.
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