Daily Mirror

• history:

  
  

  -The Daily Mirror was first published in 1903 as a newspaper for women 'to act as a mirror on feminine life.' BUT quickly redesigned to appeal to a broader middle class audience.

  
• history:

  
  

  It was founded by Alfred Harmsworth, who sold it to his brother Harold. Later became apart of International Publishing Corporation.
• history:

  
  

  -During the mid 1960s, daily sales exceeded 5 million copies, a feat never repeated by it or any other daily (non-sunday) British newspaper since.
• history:

  
  

  -It is now owned by Reach PLC (rebranded from the Trinity Mirror group in 2018). The Daily Mirror was one of the most popular tabloids in the UK.
• history:

  
  

  -However, it has had the largest year on year fall in sales of any national print newspaper in recent years with current daily sales of just 716,000 copies.
• history:

  
  

  -The Daily Mirror Masthead has changed significantly since it began, reflecting its editorial evolution

  From a plain black and white title to a 'red block' around the name (with the cheaper advent of colour printing) - more confident striking and bold look in more recent years.

  
• The Mirror 'online':

  
  

  -online media has largely been responsible for the downturn in print sales and the daily mirror has responded to this by launching 'Mirror Online' and having a presence on social media sites.

  
• The Mirror 'online':

  
  

  -The website offers interactive opportunities for its readers with competitions, polls and a 'Got a story?' feature which invites readers to submit their own stories. After the Trump victory, online users were able to express their views on an online forum

  
• The Mirror 'online':

  
  

  -This method of news gathering involves the reader- further encouraging readers to become prosumers, contributing via citizen journalism (through the technologically convergent advent of devices such as smartphones, etc)

  
• The Mirror 'online':

  
  

  -Online readers are exposed to multiple #hashtag links to breaking or trending stories (including #madeyouthink- the newspapers new 'mantra') and this further adds another dimension to breaking live news, giving the reader another avenue to follow the events. These links also facilitate the online newspapers presence on social media through their accounts as created on multiple apps and platforms.

  
• Ownership:

  
  

  -Reach PLC (previously Trinity Mirror Group) is the largest national and regional multimedia content publisher in the Uk, comprising national and regional newsbrands across the country

  
• Ownership:

  
  

  -Reach PLC publish more than 150 newspaper titles across the UK and Ireland, from the national presence of the Daily Mirror, The Daily Record, The Sunday Mirror to local newspapers such as the Liverpool Echo and Nottingham Post.

  
• Ownership:

  
  

  -The newspaper conglomerate regularly uses the opportunity to market across platforms, use synergy and publicise other media products which promote values and political agendas close to those of the organisation/nespaper. See their promotion of the film I,Daniel Blake (when it was still the Trinity Mirror group) for more information of their marketing techniques.
• Newspaper regulation:

  
  

  -The Daily Mirror is part of Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO)- an independent body which is not backed by the government and is fully funded by the industry itself. This is a regulatory body that maintains press standards but is anti-leveson in its approach

  
• Newspaper regulation:

  
  

  -The mirror has found itself chastised by IPSO on multiple occasions however, including:

  
  

  -Labelling Frankie Boyle by calling him a racist

  
  

  -defamation of airline Ryanair's safety procedures

  
  

  -a (false) claim of drunken behaviour of Cristiano Ronaldo in a nightclub

  
  

  -a label case claiming Kate Garraway was having an affair, etc.

  
• Power & Media- Curran and Seaton:

  
  

  
  

  -Reach PLC have maintained their position in the UK market despite falling sales of the Daily Mirror and other mainstream titles by diversifying into regional news

  
  

  . This diverse pattern of ownership has allowed them to create the conditions for more varied and adventurous media products, as highlighted in Curran and Seaton's theory.

  
• Regulation- Sonia Livingstone and Peter Lunt:

  
  

  -Reach PLC is facing increasing pressure alongside the rest of the UK press industry to adhere to strict rules and guidelines on industry practice. This has arisen after the phone hacking scandal and subsequent Leveson enquiry into the industry. There is an underlying issue of protecting citizens from harmful material while ensuring choice and freedom. The very nature of claims made during the Leveson enquiry (and the significant changes made to the UK newspaper industry) highlight this.

  
• Cultural industries- David Hesmondhalgh:

  
  

  -Reach PLC has become a horizontally integrated company with a wide range of titles in order to maximise audiences and minimise risks.

  
  

  Rather than seeing digital media as a threat, the company has embraced its digital expansion and now offers digital marketing as well as digital classifieds to generate additional income.

  
• Industry context:

  
  

  -The Daily mirror often employs intertextuality and popular cultural images/references to better establish. connection to its largely 'mainstream' working class readership, often repackaged as parody or pastiche.

  
  

  It assumes that its audience are media 'savvy' and are well versed in aspects of popular culture enough to recognise the irony and sarcasm and often uses references to these other texts to exploit its own political and social agenda.

  
• Industry context:

  
  

  -For example, regarding the specific US Presidential election edition examined as part of the analysis of newspapers through Media Language and Representation (Section A): The striking images of the weeping Statue of Liberty was created in 1989 by British artist Gee Voucher and was chosen by the newspaper to represent their viewpoint on the election outcome. The newspaper had found the image amongst hundreds of social media memes and contacted the artist for permission to use it. Her painting had originally been used as a homage to punk art of the 1970s, known for its anti-establishment messages. The image is an incredibly powerful tool for the newspaper as it takes an iconographic symbol of American idealism and opportunity and subverts it, challenging established beliefs to suit their political agenda.

  
• Industry Context:

  
  

  -Throughout its history, the Daily Mirror has often employed Television and radio adverts to further boost sales of their publication, consistently branding itself as the 'fun and youth orientated' alternative to the sad and stuffy news dissemination of it broadsheet competitors.

  
• Industry context:

  
  

  -The Daily Mirror has employed a series of promotions and competitions within its pages to offer the readership a more inclusive and appreciable relationship with its writers, editors and owners. For example; free scratch cards, Bingo, Reader Voucher discounts, etc.

  
• Product context:

  
  

  The Daily Mirror is a British National mid market 'Red Top' daily Tabloid Newspaper established in 1903 and aimed at predominately working class readership, it follows a traditionally left wing political stance.

  
• -Many stories are often written in a subjective manner promoting left wing values and strong associations to the British Labour Party, especially during general elections.
• The Daily mirror strongly support unionised rights for workers, are anti austerity and pro public funded service systems (such as the NHS, etc)
• Website:

  
  

  -The newspaper's online counterpart 'The mirror online' is a free and live website- digital convergence.

  'News, Politics, Football, Celebs, TV, Shopping, Royals'- as the main topics

  'In your area' -reflects widespread nature of company

  Freemium- free to use but paid features
• Left-wing stance
• C2, D, E demographic
• Tabloid newspaper- reading age of 6 (redtop)