Essay
The Times - Capitol Hill Riot and Media Language
- Institution
- WJEC
Question: Explore how media language is used to report a hard news story in the newspaper front page you have studied.
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Explore how media language is used to report a hard news story in the newspaperfront page you have studied. [20]
When reporting the events of the Capitol Hill Riot, The Times makes use of a variety of
media language that are conventional for the type of newspaper The Times is and to target
its audience.
To begin, it is important to know that The Times is a broadsheet. The media language used
is therefore specifically chosen so that audiences can clearly differentiate it from other
newspapers. Conventions of broadsheets often include formal language since they are
considered high-brow, as well as more text than images since it is intended to be
informational. Typically, it is also more expensive as evident by the '£2.20' seen beneath the
masthead.
The design of the masthead is in a bolded serif font. The bolded effect adds an emphasis
that makes the masthead striking to the eye, so that it easily catches the attention of
audiences. The serif font is considered very traditional, due to its history, and communicates
formality and sophistication to the audience. It may be worthy to mention that the target
audience consists of people with higher professions. This could possibly mean that they are
older in age where they are in the senior stages of their career or they are retired. Their age
suggests that they are used to the serif font, since they likely grew up with it, and explains
why The Times continues to use it instead of adapting it for the newer generations. Serif
fonts are also popular for its easy readability, and so older audiences may find that they
prefer broadsheets like The Times due to their struggling eyesight. The use of serif font in
not just the masthead but also in the texts makes the report of this story a more pleasant
experience for the audience when reading. The masthead is positioned at the very top so
that it can be immediately noticed by audiences. It is also easier for producers to arrange the
images and text beneath the masthead. This makes the report of the Capitol Hill Riot look
neat and well-ordered. Although, in terms of context, it is usually at the top because it is
influenced by the original meaning of masthead: top of a ship. In the middle of the masthead
is a coat of arms. The crest within adds an elegant sense to the report.
In the banner is a French slogan, which is also the motto of the British monarch, that states:
'DIEU ET MON DROIT'. To use a French slogan provides the newspaper and every story it
reports a much more formal appearance, as the French language has always been
associated as appealing and aesthetic. Additionally, French people are also stereotypically
connotated as sophisticated because of their culture and attitudes. This association
therefore provides credibility to The Times, presenting the hard news story reported as
reliable, as The Times would be seen as sophisticated with a great deal of knowledge. To
use the British monarch's motto provides a feeling of power in relation to the newspaper,
since it represents the whole of the British Kingdom. It also has a history since it has been
the motto for more than eight hundred years. Since The Times is centre-right in terms of
politics, its audience would also be centre-right and would therefore be likely to support the
royal family. This then makes the report of the Capitol Hill Riot appeal more to the audience,
even if it is not related to Britain or the royal family.
The headline ‘US Capitol under siege’ is also in a bolded, serif font. Similarly to the
masthead, it is intended to provide a professional feel to the newspaper. To have it bolded
will add weight to the words used to summarise the event, which may make the audience
feel anticipation before reading the story. The headline itself is short yet factual, there is no
exaggeration as the newspaper’s intentions is to mostly inform the audience. It may then be
said that the report of this hard news story is also very factual, with plenty of information and
a lack of fabricated statements. To use the word ‘siege’ may suggest to the audience the
extent of violence in the event, as military operations were required along with normal police
forces. This indicates that the report will have a heavy, serious tone to it.
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