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Newspapers: The Times (exams from 2024) GapFill
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The Times is one of the longest-running newspapers in the UK, with a history stemming all the way back to 1785. As a brand, the paper has established itself as an intellectual source of news and current affairs, with language focused more on factual information over .
This approach can be seen in the front page of the 1st February 2022 edition of The Times. Whereas tabloid newspapers such as chose to report the ‘Partygate’ investigation story using highly language to evoke strong feelings in their readership, the editors of The Times have chosen to focus on the facts of the matter. A notable choice is to avoid the use of Boris Johnson’s name in the main headline, instead opting for the acronym ‘PM’, and using the voice when referring to the police investigation. As a historically paper, these linguistic decisions could be seen as a way to distance The Times from Johnson’s many controversies and his notoriety.
The main image of Johnson giving an uncomfortable half-smile somewhere off-camera combined with the ‘Police investigate PM’s four lockdown parties’ makes him appear nervous and possibly guilty. This combination of text and imagery resulting in meaning being altered is known as and is a very common technique used by newspaper editors on front pages in order to a representation of a person, a place or an event.
The Times has long endorsed the Conservative Party, which presents itself as being about Britain. This attitude is reflected in The Times’ logo and motto ‘Dieu et mon Droit’, which translates as 'God and My Right, and which is also the official motto of the British . Consider how this attitude of patriotism and support of the Conservative Party might influence the editorial choices made when reporting on ‘Partygate’.