the time analysis

The times analysis

Point of view and ideology 

Composition – positioning of headlines, images, columns, combination of stories

Images/photographs - camera shot type, angle, focus

Font size, type of font (e.g. serif/sans serif)

Mise-en-scène – colour, lighting, location, costume/dress, hair/make-up

Graphics, logos 

Lexis

Copy 

Anchorage (images)

Anchorage (captions)

Narrative

Target audience and audience positioning

Proairetic codes

Hermeneutic codes

Symbolic codes

Referential codes/intertextuality

- The main image is a close up of Theresa May, it's an unflattering picture in which she looks pained and upset. This portrays an emotionally stereotypical representation of women and suggests the paper is anti-conservative. However, the ‘candid’ (almost invasive) framing of the photo also suggests she is allowing her feelings to show in private, whereas in public she is more controlled.

-The close up allows the reader to see she is clearly wearing make-up, this is a reminder of her feminity, this offers a more personal side to her, something which is reinforced by, the headline which anchors her pained expression and dark circled eyes by making the defeat of her Brexit proposals into something more personal and emotional than political and factual. This is an attempt to narrate what is a quite ‘dry’ story. It fulfils the news value of ‘personalisation’ where politicians become characters we may empathise with (even if we don’t agree with their politics). • Though the smaller headlines above the main offer a bigger picture, the last still focuses on May as an individual. • The ‘In the news’ stories at the bottom. Adding these layers represent her positively.

-The headline anchors the photo and the lexis suggests that May's emotions are justified, the alliteration emphasises that she was pushed to this state by others. Having a headline which focuses on May's emotions reinforces the vulnerable representation of women, but the paper subverts Van Zoonen's male gaze theory.

- the puff '8 best styling tips', the colour connotes that the topic is feminine and an example of soft news in comparison to the black and white used for the Brexit topic, showing that the paper takes it very seriously. This is reinforced by the serif font used and large amounts of copy, elements which also suggest the paper is aimed at middle-upper class Brits- not conforming to Van Zoonen's theory shows it is aimed at both genders. 

-There is another example of soft news in the lower corner of the paper, 'Cheltnam Festival', the lighter colour functions as a symbolic code for lighter news and care-free elements. The binary opposition set up by the colour between the two types of stories emphasises how bad brexit is- as the majority of the page is in the black and white colour scheme. This represents Britain's situation as dire- suggesting the paper is frustrated with brexit negotiations.

- The picture of the horse against the ground acts a hermeneutic code, it is anchored by the words 'cheltnam festival' but the reader still does not know what the horse is doing. It is also a proairetic code.

-The main image is placed in the centre of the page, framing May's face with copy, headlines and puffs. This acts as a symbolic code for May being in the centre of the Brexit negotiations, and establishes her as the face of politics at that time. The headline 'driven to despair' is placed directly below the masthead meaning the reader will read the words, 'the times, driven to despair.' this use of layout suggests that the times are also in despair, reinforcing the negative representation of Britains political happenings.

-The Brexit story takes up the majority of the page, indicating it's importance and relevance.

-The strapline ‘Britain’s Most Trusted Newspaper’ draws on the Times’ long history and reputation as a quality brand that will give readers a range of viewpoints on serious issues. The heraldic style logo reinforces this.

-The ‘In the news’ stories at the bottom of the page also supply some global context for the main story: financial, environmental and travel news are topics The Times’ audience is interested in. However they're extremely small below the brexit story, setting up a binary opposition in their size. The layout makes it look as though brexit is crushing other topics and downsizing them.

- The Times’ target audience, according to NRS and ABC data is predominantly ABC1, over 35 and has a liberal/right wing political stance. This well-educated and middle class audience take an interest in global affairs and can understand detailed political reporting

-The Brexit chaos edition will target this group as it takes a fairly neutral approach which will allow readers to construct their own opinion and negotiate their own response to the Outcome of the Commons vote. The close-up photo of May’s despairing face may build empathy and a sense of identification: the audience feels similar to May about the tedious Brexit process.

-The Cheltenham festival feature shows that the times' audience enjoy higher class leisure.

-The varied news bulletins show that the audience has a wide range of interests and are knowledgeable on many subjects.

-Reception theory ‐ Stuart Hall The Times has portrayed May and the vote in a way that encourages a negotiated reading. By focusing on the emotional state of May and the general despair at the progress of negotiations, it is asking readers to reflect on their own emotional response to the situation.

-Semiotics – Saussure The photograph appears to be taken through a car window (there is a shadow of a rearview mirror in the foreground and the ‘Driven To Despair’ is a pun). The connotation of this kind of shot is that they are un-posed and often private situations that the photographer has managed to capture. The framing suggests a candor to the photo. This emphasises the emotional and personalised framing for the story.

- Words such as 'driven' and 'crushed' come from a powerful, active semantic field- make subject feel more newsworthy

-The headline 'driven to despair' functions as a hermeneutic code

-don't know where May's gaze lies- h code

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