Newspaper Bias

"Complaints that the British press has a right-wing bias have long been made by left-wingers – but is this a state of affairs the public recognizes?" 

This statement was part of an article originally published by the times. They reported that Owen Jones, a British columnist, political commentator, and left-wing political activist described UK press as “largely run by a very small group of very right-wing media moguls who defend the status quo of which they are part. If you are on the Left and want to change society, the media will always come and get you”. The following table from YouGov shows that out of the eight newspapers shown, five of them are predominantly right wing which further suggests that Jones's description is correct.

Although not all bias is deliberate, the following features of media are features that journalists may use to create a bias view. 

 –Bias through selection and omission

 –Bias through placement

 –Bias by headline

 –Bias by photos, captions and camera angles

 –Bias through use of names and titles

 –Bias through statistics and crowd counts

 –Bias by source control

 –Word choice and tone

Bias Through selection and omission

Editors and journalists can create a bias by choosing to ignore certain bits of information (omission) or by selecting certain bits to be shown. This crafted bit of story crafts the audience's view of the story which creates bias in the reader as well

Bias Through Placement

Editors and journalists may further select certain stories to be shown in different places of the newspaper. Radio and Television do this so that stories lead in order of significance (more important first) The order may be led by the political leading of the company which will influence what the audience believes is more significant too. 

Bias Through Headline

Audiences will often let the headline take priority (like the front cover) so editors will summarize views as well as presenting hidden bias and prejudice. 

Bias by Photos, captions and camera angles

Some photos are specifically chosen to flatter people or to make someone look unpleasant. This can influence the audiences opinion of the person to lean towards the media's view creating bias.

Bias by through names and titles

News media often uses labels and titles to describe people, places and events. Labels such as 'ex-con', 'freedom fighter' and 'terrorists' create a personality bias for the person -like selection and omission there are aspects being left out.

Bias through statistics and crowd counts

Sources can often omit certain statistics or often exaggerate others. Sources may also somewhat create false information e.g 'experts' say...

Betty Frieden -The Women's Liberation, 1950s

Betty Friedan is considered to be one of the most important feminists throughout history, she sparked the second wave of feminism activists in the 1950s. Previously i have shown how society during the 1950s forced women into a demeaning lifestyle that had no end and no inspiration. Attitudes created by the patriarchal society of the 1950s mean't that women's lives were dedicated to marriage, raising a family and keeping there house clean and should set aside education and job ambitions. They were objectified and seen as an image. Betty Frieden questions this attitude in her book 'The Feminine Mystique', she presents the 'problem that has no name'. This problem is simple, the lives women were leading were unfulfilling and left much to be desired in the eyes of all women of the time. Although the media and attitudes showed women being content and happy with their lives, this was merely to keep women like Betty Frieden from speaking out.

George Gerbner - Cultivation Theory

The research for the Cultivation theory, theorises by George Gerbner, began in the mid 1960s and it's aim was to specifically look at how television and media effect and influence the audience' ideas and perceptions of everyday life.

-The main findings were that high frequency viewers (those who experience a lot of media and TV) are more susceptible to media messages and the beliefs that the messages are real and valid. These high frequency therefore have a 'model' created by the media of things such as violence in the world. Findings also suggested that the media's cultivated constructs are present in todays society and are re-presented but within different packaging e.g violence depicted by social media is also depicted by radio.

Some of attitudes studied included violence, gender, demographic, cultural representation and political attitudes. Low frequency viewers have less stereotypes and attitudes than high frequency viewers who's stereotypes and attitudes are all based on their experience of media. High frequency viewers are also more exposed to more violence and are then affected by the 'Mean World Syndrome' which is the belief cultivated by media that the world is a far worse place than it is in reality.

Limitations:
-One of the main principles of the theory is that television and media cultivate the status quo, they do not challenge it. This is no longer true as some media now try to challenge the status quo to promote equality.
-It focuses on TV and not other forms of media.

Kiss of a Vampire

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'Hammer Film Productions in 1963. It was directed by Don Sharp and was written by producer Anthony hinds. 'The Kiss of a Vampire' is part of a long line of horror films in the Hammer Film Productions' repertoire which were produced during the 1950s-1970s. These Gothic horror productions had it's large audience as a result of the baby boom that occurred after WWII, the babies born were now in their teenage years which was a large audience that enjoyed this Gothic horror style.


The poster has very typical language, representation and attitudes for the time period and the film genre that contrast to today's attitudes. Firstly the women in the poster are wearing very little clothing, furthermore the first woman (left) looks somewhat helpless and the man drawn on the left is possessively holding the first woman. This representation of women being 'damsels in distress' who can only be saved by a men is very typical 1950s-60s attitude as men were seen to be superior and women helpless and submissive. This can link to the target audience as these women are dressed and sexualised this way for the pleasure of men rather than for any other function. It could also be pointed out that only one of the women are credited in the poster -the male cast takes the majority of the cast list.

However, although the first woman enforces the 1950s attitude, the second woman (right) is seen to be much more aggressive. She bares her teeth and her right hand is in a fist. The beginning of the 1960s was often seen as the beginning of the women's sexual liberation as it was the introduction to the contraceptive pill and there were now more women in the workforce than ever before. David Gauntlet's identity theory could be applied to this as she could be seen as a role-model for women who struggle with male oppression or who would like to be seen as equals to men of the time, whatever the narrative environment. Liebst van Zoonen's feminist theories could be applied as by assuming the 'co-antagonist' role, the female vampire contributes social change in a non-traditional role.

Bell Hooks, a feminist and activist for black peoples rights, talks about how the media effects peoples perception of class. In her book 'Reel to Reel' she talks about how people of color are lowest in social class during the 1950s. This poster supports her theory.

The poster shows very typical attributes of the Gothic horror genre. The use of a cloudy background with a full moon is use of pathetic fallacy, it creates the idea of something supernatural. The choice of font in Hammer production posters are usually original font texts that have an art style that has relevance to the film's story line. For example the 'V' of vampire has blood dripping from it like a vampire's fang.

Roland Barthes's five codes can be applied to the poster. Firstly the hermneutic code is used through the enigma of a "kiss" in the title, this puts emphasis on the relationship between male and female vampires. There is further use of this through the enigma of the fate of the two victims. Barthes's semantic code can be applied to the images that link to vampire-ism e.g: bats, the castle and the exposure of peoples necks. The symbolic code can be applied to signifies of the supernatural and horror e.g: darkness and the full moon.

Uses and Gratification Theory

The Uses and Gratifications Theory is an approach to understanding why and how people actively seek out specific media to satisfy their specific needs. The following people are the theorists who helped create the modern day theory:

Herzog – 1944 – First started the theory based on previous research​

Jay Blulmer – 1969 – Built on Herzog's research

Michael Gurevitch - 1973-1974 – Built on Herzog's research​

Elihu Katz – 1973 -1974 – Built on Herzog's resear

There are 5 key points/reasons why people have a psychological need for the media: ​

-To be informed or educated​

-Identify with characters of the situation in the media environment​

-Simple entertainment​

-Enhance social interaction​

-Escape from the stresses of daily life​

Tide

The ad educates the audience on the product​

The woman on the ad looks to be the typical 1950’s housewife, this allows housewives to identify with the ad​

The ad provides a comic strip for simple entertainment which the audience could further identify with​

The comic strip provides interaction with the product​

It suggest unrealistic cleaning standards of perfect whitening 

News

Companies that disperse news to the audience such as newspapers, news websites, magazines and TV programmes are successful because of the audience's need for information. This is part of the Uses and Gratification theory. ​

News companies will pick out certain stories that come across as 'extreme' or unusual. This is the producer playing on uses and gratification theory by creating 'click bate' ​

Reality TV

Another example of uses and gratification theory is reality TV. Reality TV provides the audience with a way of escaping the real world and immersing themselves in an idealized world which is staged by producers*. It is usually simple entertainment that the audience can identify.

* "All representation of people and places in any media product are constructions of reality, not reality itself." - Stuart Hall

Limitations of the Uses and Gratification Theory

Research implications are that Uses and Gratifications theory only has specific relevance to social media. Uses and gratifications theory helps explain the many and varied reasons why consumers use social media.

Tide Print Advert 1950s

This advertisement advertises Tide - a laundry powder launched in 1946 - it was used throughout the 1950s and the advert has typical attributes of behavior of the time. Before WWII it was frowned upon for women to have jobs, however once WWII took place women alike were encouraged to work in factories that created rivets, bombs and other weapons. Rosie the Riveter contrasted with the post-war representation of women.

Once the war was over there was slit leeway for women to be employed, however, only "women's" jobs. Although it was still frowned upon  at this time; women could work as teachers, receptionists and assistants but still attitudes withheld them from being successful. Also during this time, when soldiers returned, there was an instant baby boom. The combination of this and the "white flight" created the suburbs, a network of houses where families would live. Instead of employing women into jobs, society dictated that women should become housewives spending all day cleaning their house, looking after children and making sure they looked visually pretty for husbands and fathers. Tide's advert reflects these attitudes in this consumer culture. The women advertising the product creates unrealistic representations of women with perfect skin, make-up, hair and figure which has been created by society's attitudes.

Liesbet Van Zoonen was a feminist who fought against these attitudes and stereotypes. She pointed out that although women could eventually have the 'perfect' family and the 'perfect' house, there is still a 'hole' in there lives which isn't filled. The film 'Mona Lisa Smile' looks at this issue. It shows how these women in this society enjoyed an education and how they would like to go out into the world and have the same opportunities as men. Van Zoonen fought for a non-sexist society and for media to contribute to social change by representing women in non-traditional roles and using non-sexist language. She talks about this in her book "The Feminine Mystique" which has inspired many feminists thought it's publication.

Bell Hooks is another feminist who talks about how lighter skinned women were considered more desirable and fit better in western ideology of beauty. This is supported by the 'white flight' and is reinforced by the advert for Tide. It shows how the modern woman of the time was depicted as.

The target audience could be housewives and husbands. The advert appeals to housewives as it applies with the idea of 'Keeping up with the Joneses' as it is supposedly 'the next best thing' that the perfect woman that is depicted has it too. Husbands would also pick up that it is 'what women want' suggesting that it is the 'perfect' gift.

Uses and Gratification theory can be applied to the advert. The audience demographic demographic is constructed through the woman drawn. Women of the time are supposed to personally identify with her as future or current housewives who can identify the connotations given by the advert which will create the feeling that they have to buy the next best thing.

Stuart hall's reception theory can also be applied to Tide. The use of the woman being indirect to the audience connotes that he relationship with the Tide powder is of upmost importance further creating the sense of 'keeping up with the Jonses'. The dominant or hegemonic encoding of the advert's primary message and expectations is to be received by housewives.

This is idea can also be reflected in Cultivation theory- George Gerbner. Advertising developed significantly during the 1950s, in the late 1970s Gerbner commented on how these media texts affected audiences. Tide cultivates the idea that it is the best brand and that nothing cleans better or more is more desirable than Tide. Levi Strauss's Binary Opposites theory can be applied to the selling points on the page- 'cleanest' and 'whitest' instantly dissociates dirtiest and darkest to the cultivated audience.

Ronald Barthes's 5 Codes

Ronald Bathes's five codes are five ways of describing the meaning of a text in the media. He suggested that texts are either 'open' or 'closed'. If they are 'open it means that the meaning of the text is open to the audience and it can be interpreted in different ways, if it's closed then there is one clear meaning created by the producer.

Hermeneutic/Enigma code

The Hermeneutic code refers to mystery in the text, things such as clues and hints but the meaning isn't directly given. These enigmas in the narrative draw the audience into wanting to learn more about the product or the story. An example of this is at the end of 'Now you see me'; at the very end a stair case is shown through which forms the shape of an eye, this is located in the house that the organisation 'the eye' works under, this symbolizes said organisation.

Proairetic/Action code

The proairetic/action code refers to the building of interest and suspense on the part of the reader or viewer. It is created by having a narrative that could have a number of different outcomes. An example of this could be in Netflix's 'Stranger Things', in the very first episode of the series we see the character of Will taken by an alien-like creature. As the audience we have a need to see the outcome which influences us to watch until we are aware of the outcome of this.

Semantic code 

The semantic code refers to meaning being conveyed through connotations of words and semantics. An example of this could be in trilogy of Star Wars, the antagonist is part of  'dark side' and as 'dark' has connotations of evil we as an audience can identify this with villainy and as being antagonistic.

Symbolic code

Symbolic language is very similar to Semantic code but overall is a "deeper" structural principle that organizes semantic meanings. An example of this is in Pulp Fiction; Samuel L Jackson's character Jules has memorized a quote from the Bible- Ezekiel 25:17, throughout the film he debates it's meaning and this changes his behavior, this symbolizes his conscience throughout the film.

Referential code

Referential code refers to to anything in the text which refers to an external body of knowledge such as scientific, historical and cultural knowledge. An example of this is in the last episode of Netflix's 'Breaking Bad'; the last episode's title is 'Felina' which when separated gives the chemical symbols for Iron (Fe),  Lithium (Li) and Sodium (Na). These three elements are part of the chemicals that  separately make up blood, meth and tears (refers to blood, sweat and tears however is appropriate for the program's genre and story line).