18/01/24

Benjamin Zaphaniah- Was a black, working class poet who had dyslexia. He couldn't read until he was 22.

The Sun- Dec 7th 2023

• The lexis 'crippling dyslexia' makes the audience feel sympathetic for him.
• The use of the lexis 'gentle ben' is a shortened nickname mode of address to make a casual mode of address for the audience.
• The use of the image as a child constructs a nostalgic and innocent mode of address to the audience.
• The image of him holding his hands out to the audience being in black and white makes the audience feel sympathetic for him. 

 

The Sun- Apr 27th 1987

• The lexis in the headline shows that the Sun wants the audience to think that he is dangerous and a threat. Inferring he would do something inappropriate. 
•  The choice of the photograph is very unflattering showing that the Sun is judging him 
• The use of the lexis calling him by his full name to mock him and  make it clear to the audience that he is black.
• The use of the lexis in the poem ' would not f..t near royalty ' shows that the Sun is trying to make him out to be anti-monarchy so the audience dislike him.
• The Sun is also straight up racist at the end of it when they say he needs a shampoo just because of his dreads.
• He is a binary opposite to the target audience.

  

Compare how these pages from the The Sun and the Daily Mirror construct versions of reality. In your answer you must: 

• consider the choices media producers make when constructing versions of reality 
• consider the similarities and differences in the representations 
• make judgements and draw conclusions about how far the representations relate to relevant media contexts. [30]

The Mirror presents a more brutal representation of Johnsons failings, while the Sun represents him as a harmless clown. 

Plan-

Stuart Hall- Representation theory

Unflattering images

Close up 

Short and clipped Lexis 

Mode of address (funny)

Blue suit- sadness, conservative party

Yellow throughout Daily Mirror

Font

Lexis 'disaster' 

Lack of representation of Liz Truss 

Intertextuality

Colour red text

Layout- Bold and striking

Ideology 

'Zero shame' 

Binary opposites

White 

Codes (hermeneutic, symbolic etc)

Stereotypes

• Boris Johnson is constructed as a stereotypical representation of a white middle class, middle aged male politician. This stereotypical representation is primarily constructed to present Johnson as a harmless (but annoying) clown.
• Sunak is represented as the 'hot favourite' to replace Truss. The lexis here makes intertextual reference to horse racing, which may appeal to the working class audience. Furthermore the bias selection of image of Sunak constructs the binary opposition with the main image of Johnson. The unflattering image of Johnson speaking connotes a lack of seriousness and suggests that Johnson is not the right choice. By explicitly supporting Sunak, the Sun construct a version of reality where Sunak is clearly the better choice, and the audience are expected to agree with this preferred reading. 
• A binary opposition is constructed through the lexis of two conflicting headlines. While Johnson shouts 'I'll be back', footballer Ronaldo exclaims in a headline 'I'll be gone' The connotation of this binary opposition , while funny and harmless, is clearly not fit to be PM, and is highly unreliable.