Ideology can be defined as a collection of values and beliefs. To what extent do media products target audiences by constructing an ideological view of the world? You should refer to your newspaper Close Study Products, The i and The Daily Mail.
Media products target audiences by constructing an ideological view of the world. Media products such as newspapers create a view or opinion which transfers to the variety of audiences. For example, popular newspapers such as The Daily Mail and ‘The I’ feed audiences with opinions and critical views on subject matters to almost control the belief of each individual reading, potentially leading to a right- or left-wing audience. Left-wing is a political belief of social equality and egalitarianism. Those who follow left-wing politics are often in opposition to the social hierarchy and are seen as a libertarian. Libertarians seek to maximise autonomy and political freedom and minimise the state’s violation of individual liberties. Whereas right-wing politics support of the view that certain social orders and hierarchies are inevitable, desirable and regular. Right-wing typically supports this position on the basis of natural law, economics, authority, and tradition. Ordinarily, the supporters are authoritarians, meaning the strict rules and laws put into force by those of hierarchy and power to eliminate personal freedom of those with less freedom of speech.
The Daily Mail is a British newspaper, owned by the DMGT with the current chairmen and controlling shareholder Jonathan Harmsworth, 4th Viscount Rothermere. The Daily Mail presents itself as a neutral supporter of all political parties however, this is not shown through textual evidence. For example, on page 18 of the newspaper, the paper mentions, ‘The Truth is that Boris Johnson is by a country mile the best person to lead the Tory government’, this links to the theorist Noam Chomsky, also known as ‘The father of modern linguistics’. Chomsky claimed that the media is hand in hand with the government and supports the association that the government dominants the media, giving the media what the government wants the audiences to read. The five filters of mass media relate to Noam Chomsky’s claim and the quote through the first mass media filter known as ‘Structures of Ownership’, meaning media conglomerates are mostly owned by bigger companies with the same end goal such as profit. Profit controls and misleads companies into pushing anything that provides them with this resource. The Daily Mail and the prime minister, Boris Johnson may have a mutual agreement and could be the reasoning to why the newspaper speaks highly of the government.
‘The I’ is a British national morning paper which was originally owned by the JPIMedia, but since 29th November 2019, the JPIMedia sold the newspaper to The Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) and ‘The I’ is now published in London by the DMGT. ‘The i’ could be represented as the opposition to The Daily Mail and can be seen as a technique used to please those in belief of left-wing politics. In relation to The Daily Mail, on page 20 of ‘The I’, ‘The thought of Boris Johnson or someone equally embarrassing representing us as head of state’ suggests that the editors of ‘The I” may believe in the freedom from hierarchy’s and do not allow themselves to be controlled through government sources. On top of that, in the 2017 and 2019 UK general elections, ‘The I’ chose not to endorse a political party, showing audiences that the newspaper does not have a political view. Further to this, on page 20, ‘Thank you to Michael Day for saying what needed to be said about the oppressive Israeli state’, advocates that newspapers don’t mention critical and own views on subject matters, as well as speaking the voice of the readers. This shows, theorist, Jurgen Habermas, work on the public sphere, through the spread of communication. The German philosopher and sociologist work introduces communicative rationality and the public sphere. He argued that the growth in newspapers, journals, reading clubs, Masonic lodges and coffeehouses in 18th century Europe marked the gradual replacement of “representational” culture. In conclusion, both newspapers, ‘The I’ and The Daily Mail construct ideas and views upon the target audiences through the language and techniques used, specifically regarding political views.