The Sun newspaper's coverage of the London riots increasingly targets individuals rather than generalizing. Initially articles generalize about "rioters" and youths but coverage soon moves to naming specific people accused of crimes. One article profiles an 18-year-old jailed for 7 years for mugging and assaulting a Good Samaritan during the riots. Another details a teenager sentenced to 2 years in prison for attempting to steal cigarettes from a looted store even though he did not take anything. A third outlines a 19-month sentence for a teenage boy who set up a Facebook page encouraging Scots to riot in response to events in England.
1. London Riots case study: The Sun
How does the newspaper coverage
change as the riots progress?
2. • At the start of the riots the front cover
already starts targeting the younger
population with the masthead 6th
“Rioters aged 7” and “Kids took
on cops” this shows that youths are
fearless and out of control regardless of
the age.
• ―Anarchy” makes the article seem
as though they are generalising the
rioters and not targeting a specific
group. By using a picture of a
potential male figure on the front
cover with a hoody and his face
hidden behind a mask shows that the
one responsible a kept faceless and
unknown. This builds a moral panic
to every one as the start to build
they're own interpretations.
• “Olympics Girl…” shows that they are
slowly starting to identify who is responsible
and are putting a name to the crime. This
wipes out the generalisation and brings
focus to the individual or the category they
fall under.
• “Meet the accused” a carry on of the ‗name and
shame‘ theme. This brings to light that the ones
that should be responsible should not only be
10th
associated with one stereotype or class. That all
classes are as equally likely to be involved and that
the accusations should target the individual and
not the social group.
4. FRONT PAGE: August 8th 2011
The main concept of this front page is to
instil shock into the consumer. This is
achieved by the juxtaposition between the
title and the main image which combine to
suggest that children as young as seven are
involved in such violence. The fact that no
other age group is mentioned seems to
imply to readers that the incident in the
main image was triggered by young
children. Despite its seemingly ridiculous
claim, it combines with the statistics
stating the extent of the riots‘ cost, and that
the police are too incompetent to deal with
these ‗kids‘.
5. ARTICLE: August 8th 2011
An article from the same newspaper, The Sun proceeds to distort the readers
perception of the rioters immediately with capitalising the words ‗children‘ and
‗seven‘ while suggesting that they were involved in an ‗orgy of mob violence and
destruction‘. Use of the term ‗orgy‘ while referring to their actions during the riots
suggests to readers that these individuals actually enjoy what they‘re doing to an
extent where its almost ecstatic and blissful for them. All this does is generate an
illusion around the subject and create a barrier between them and the reader by
suggesting that they‘re more primitive than them – hence the use of the word
‗savagery‘. There is also an indication of homologous grouping and collectivism
done by the paper, as they refer to them as a ‗mob‘ and ‗gang of youths‘
6. FRONT PAGE: August 11th 2011
The main image combines with the title to embolden the
presentation of anarchy. The latest sub-culture to be
demonised by mass media is here once again presented to
consumers as the embodiment of anti-hegemonic values.
His confrontational approach combines with his
stereotypical clothing to provide readers with a subject they
can associate their preconceived perceptions with; this
instigates a moral panic as it presents a realisation of their
irrational fears.
The fire in the background helps to connote a sense of
barbarianism and violence, which combines with the plugs
on the left to add create a dauntingly large distribution of
violence.
7. Mugger jailed for 7 years over
'Good Samaritan' attack
A TEENAGE thug who mugged a Malaysian student in one of the most notorious
incidents of last year‘s London riots has been jailed for seven years.
Beau Isagba, 18, was filmed opening defenceless Ashraf Rossli‘s backpack and stealing
his belongings after pretending to help him.
The incident was filmed and put on YouTube, shocking Britain and prompting
widespread condemnation.
He was handed a prison sentence at Wood Green Crown Court today.
The accountancy student had been cycling to help a scared female friend when his jaw
was broken in two places as he was punched in the face.
Isagba was found guilty of grievous bodily harm and robbery following a trial last
month.
He had admitted a charge of violent disorder and two counts of burglary, all committed
the same day.
8. 2yrs for nicking nothing in riots
A TEENAGER collared by cops BEFORE he could
swipe cigarettes from a ransacked shop was locked
up for two years yesterday.
The tough sentence handed to 18-year-old Michael
Gillespie-Doyle came as David Cameron backed
the continuing court crackdown on rioting thugs.
The PM stood firm against a backlash from human
rights campaigners, liberal MPs and even a police
chief who believe judges may be going too far.
Orphan Gillespie-Doyle was sent to a young
offenders institution by Manchester Crown Court
Recorder Andrew Gilbart. The teenager was
among a group who swept into a badly damaged
Sainsbury‘s store abandoned by a first wave of
looters last week.
9. ‘Let’s riot’ thug is caged for 19
months
A TEENAGE yob who set up a Facebook page inciting Scots to riot as
mayhem gripped England was locked up for 19 months yesterday.
Liam Allan, 19, started a page on the social networking site titled
City Centre Riot as violence and looting spread across cities down
south last year.
He encouraged people in Dundee to ―get suited and
booted, crowbars, baseball bats, the lot ... show the English t***s
that we are better rioters than them tea sippers‖.
Allan told cops — who traced him after setting up a major incident
room to respond to the threat — he set up the page ―for a laugh‖.
Defence solicitor Doug McConnell told Dundee Sheriff Court Allan
―didn‘t realise what he was doing was a crime‖.
The lawyer added his client‘s case was different to those of two other
thugs from the city, Jordan McGinley, 18, and Shawn Divin, 16 —
who were jailed in December for using Facebook in a bid to stir up
disorder.
He added: ―You did it against a background of real riots in London
and elsewhere and must have been aware property and lives were at
risk.
