Daily Mirror (Media A-Level Eduqas)

• Set edition

  Released 1st February 2022
• British Daily National Tabloid

  • Established in 1903
  • Targeted towards a working-class readership
  • Adopts traditionally left-wing ideologies
• Main competitor


  • The Sun, which targets the same demographic but with a right-wing stance
• Mirror is one of the only papers that consistently support the Labour party
• Slogan


  'The Heart of Britain' suggests they stand up for the ordinary person and is a key part to life in the UK
• Set edition discuss' the controversy that was 'Partygate'
• Illegal parties during lockdown were originally reported on in November 2021 but the set edition was published after the inquiry and Sue Gray report was complete
• Sue Gray also revealed that the Metropolitan Police were investigating several other lockdown breaches made by prime minister Boris Johnson
• Targets a lower middle class/ working class readership


  • News values of the paper, the selection of stories and how particular social groups are represented
  • Creates an us vs. them ideology
  • Mirror assets itself as the voice of the british people - using personal pronoun 'us'
  • Cultural context of the platinum jubilee reinforces the heritage of the uk
• Masthead


  Red block 'daily mirror'
• Strapline


  'Gray report fallout'
• Puff


  Story about royals in top right corner
• Headline


  'ZERO SHAME'
• Subheads


  The block of text
• Main copy


  White block with Keir Starmer
• Main image/Splash


  Boris Johnson
• Caption


  'I'M NOT GOING' // 'Crushing Mr. Starmer'
• Advert = N/A
• Front page analysis


  • Layout and design are conventional
  • Image led
  • Red top is bold and recognisable as a tabloid
  • Strong typography
  • Slogan 'Heart of Britain' suggests newspaper has a role to care about the people of the UK
  • Name suggests it 'holds a mirror' up to what is taking place in society
  • Headline = brief and dramatic
  • Emotive language 'zero shame'
  • Sums up context of story with negative connotations 'Gray Report Fallout'
  • Semantic field of lack of responsibility
  • Left-wing stance → calling Keir Starmer 'crushing' and Johnson 'shameless'
• Main image


  • Black background makes it difficult to know where he is making him the focus (assume outside no.10)
  • Indirect mode of address connotes lack of responsibility
  • Mid shot / slightly high shot making audience look down at him
  • Facial expression denote slight smirk showing smugness and lack of remorse
  • Blue power suit connotes formality, uniform, blue for conservatives?
  • Messy hair and wrinkled shirt portray him as dishevelled and unfit to represent country → could argue this makes him more relatable
  • Overall represents Johnson as smug and proud of his action, lacking empathy
• Double page spread analysis

  • Busy and eye-catching
  • Includes an editorial, a letter, personal direct quotations, a cartoon, and large images, as well as the central story
  • Unusual to have all this on the same page so it suggests the stories importance
  • Branding of the paper continues with theme of red colour palette
  • Headline is large and emotive
  • Repetition of the word 'shame' conveys the paper's opinion of what happened
  • Central images are emotive and dramatic
  • Hospital image juxtaposes the one of the prime minister smirking and drinking
  • Selection of these images reinforces the paper's stance, proving the government broke the rules
  • Language vilifies the government
  • Binary oppositions established with 'quiet dignity' against 'lying bombast'
  • Editorial is very much opinion led
  • Tone is supported through quotations from ordinary people
  • Pull quotes support paper's opinion
  • 'A mockery'
  • 'Continues to lie'
  • Use of direct quotes personifies the stories and give a name and face to those affected instead of the political drama
  • Emotional engagement
  • Open letter from Keir Starmer 'Dear Mirror Readers' strikes a personal tone and shows left wing stance
  • The choice of the image of Boris Johnson, accompanied by the anchor 'Rule Breaker', directly contrasts with the image from the hospital and that of the 'voice of reason' Keir Starmer with the anchor: 'he should do the decent thing and resign.'
  • The use of 'our' encourages the audience to join with the newspaper in condemning these actions.
• Audience


  • Predominantly C2DE, over 35 and are working class Labour supporters
• Hall theoretical approach


  • Mirror uses stereotypical representations of the prime minister to convey its left-wing agenda and raise awareness of the inequalities in society
  • Shows the inequalities in power - those with power flout the rules they themselves set whilst the 'ordinary' person confirmed to restrictions and suffered
  • Representation of the event is communicated through recognisable signs - codes of clothing show social standing, prop of champagne connotes a party juxtaposed against a 'critical care' ward leaving the audience to draw negative conclusions about his behaviour
• Industry context


  • The Daily Mirror was first published in 1903 as a newspaper for women 'to act as a mirror on feminine life' however, has been redesigned to appeal to a broader audience
  • Owned by Reach plc, the Daily Mirror was once the most popular tabloid in the UK
  • However, as is the case with other daily newspapers, the sales have been falling year on year
  • The average daily sales in February 2022 were 329,485, down 9%
  • Consider the fact that the most circulated newspaper is the Metro free paper at 1,066,327, almost double its circulation in 2021
  • Reach PLC is the largest commercial, regional and national publisher in the UK
  • Publishes more than 130 national and local media brands
  • Reach PLC state they have a purpose in 'speaking up and shining a light on the truth'
  • Regulated by IPSO → independent body not backed by the government and funded by the industry itself, IPSO maintains press standards in an anti-Leveson approach
  • So many variations of newspapers that report the same stories
  • Too many platforms
  • Questions over authenticity → risk of fake news
  • Can create moral panics
  • Difficult to fake check in time
  • Updated every minute online
  • Harder to control and distribute
  • Reach PLC facts and stats
  • Have more than 2,500 journalists
  • 58 locations
  • Reach printing service operates 24 full colour presses → internal use as well as third party rent out
  • Make money from paid for publications (circulation), advertising, contract printing and events
  • 9 national newspapers and 2 national magazines
  • Over 50 websites offering 24 hour coverage
  • 40 million monthly users on platforms
  • Curran and Seaton, one person owning all regional and national papers means no range and diversity of content
  • Prioritise saving money by reusing stories in every newspaper
• Website


  • Online media has the main cause for prints downfall → mirror responded by launching 'Mirror Online'
  • Able to produce up to the minute national and global news
  • Accessible content that breaks down stories into bite size chunks (e.g. 6 key details in new Torys schools plan')
  • Reinforced the mirror's claim to be the 'intelligent tabloid'
  • Also opinion pieces by journalists and freelance commentators (e.g. Kevin Maguire: Squeezing Everybody and plunging 1.3 million into absolute poverty, is a political choice)