are slightly right-of-centre newspaper. etc., all contribute to the are hard-pressed (forgive through the language of
in their political views. The now painfully iconic rather murky appeal of the pun!) to sell copies print matter.
Between them, the Mail picture of Madeleine this story: that a man so and that they are in a Inside, on page 4 and 5,
and the Express circulate accompanies the ‘copy’; it sane, so rational, so well- competitive market, there is extensive copy; this
around three million has been cropped such that respected in his given which is increasingly being signifies to the reader just
newspapers per day and her eyes become angelic field of medicine, is not squeezed by dwindling how important and intense
have a readership of and she personifies the completely believed by profit margins. They must this story is. Readers who
possibly double that. concept of innocence. On readers, or the newspaper also offer something ‘new’ are interested will need
The Daily Express of pages 4 and 5, the banner itself. Interesting, too, is and in greater depth than to read the whole article
September 22nd, 2007 is that overarches the whole the way that the Daily that of the rolling 24-hour in order to understand
interesting to analyse in piece is ‘WHERE WERE Express has a ‘calendar’ icon TV news. The Mirror’s front it. This raises interesting
terms of its features and YOU...WHAT DID YOU DO?’ stating THE HUNT FOR page proffers a ‘reward’ questions about just how
reporting. The front-page The piece focuses on the MADELEINE – DAY 142, for the reader in that much readers actually
headline in bold capitals parents and raises suspicion reminiscent of a stand-off, they have the definitive, consume in our modern
reads: MADELEINE – THE about their part in the a siege, a hijack or even exclusive, all-believable, ‘soundbite’ culture.
MISSING SEVEN HOURS. disappearance. A sub- connotations of previous accept no other... ‘THE Interestingly, newspapers
There is a suggestion headline reads ‘Kidnapper war campaigns. It could be McCANNS’ STORY’. They seem to be at odds with
of incompetence on was ‘hiding in apartment’’, argued that this ‘gives’ the accompany the iconic this contemporary thinking;
someone’s part. The suggesting that the father, readership a viewpoint as image of Madeleine with we have become grazers
newspaper seems to be Gerry McCann, suspected that of the established and three bubbles that draw in the way that we ‘feed’
highly suspicious of the that someone was waiting accepted one. You might the reader towards the from different parts of the
parents’ negligence and/or to pounce on his little girl. like to look at theories of newspaper. These splashes media. The Daily Mirror has
the fact that the police The lexis of the article is the Dominant/Negotiated/ include ‘Stolen to order a different audience-text
were unable to track the worthy of note; phrases Oppositional audience after being spied on for relationship compared to
movements of the family such as ‘he claimed last readings here; this may be days’ and ‘Abductor hid the Daily Express; they use
between 1.29pm and night’ and ‘he believes’ provide you with a critical in flat as Gerry looked the same picture of Gerry
8.30pm that evening, and ‘Gerry is convinced’, framework acknowledging in on kids’, etc. This style McCann and his children,
when the ‘Tapas Nine’ (the that audiences may wholly of reporting may lead but here there is greater
McCann parents and their accept, or partly accept, or, the reader to believe emphasis on the parents’
friends, named almost indeed, totally reject media conclusively that these are despair. For instance, in
conspiratorially in the viewpoints given to them. facts and that the use of the the second paragraph of
mode of union activists or word ‘Gerry’ gives it a more the copy, the phrase ‘...The
terrorist cells) sat down to
The red-top
personalised and intimate heart specialist believes...’ is
the ill-fated meal. There approach angle. It is acceptable used; in direct contrast to
are a number of negatives The Daily Mirror on the standard practice to do the Daily Express, there is
(negativity is a News same day seems to adopt this; but Media Studies clearly more empathy with
Value) in the two-and- a more sensationalist students need to illuminate and sympathy for the father.
a-half pages of coverage approach. We must this issue and reflect on Also, there is a greater use
at the beginning of the remember that newspapers how ideologies are formed of personalised narrative
english and media centre | February 2008 | MediaMagazine 37
MM23S&G13.02.08.indd 37 14/2/08 12:32:44
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