Summary of Case Study: The Sun and NOTW
Perspectives on Content and Conduct
Perspective
Content for
audience
needs
Content
influence
Free market (neoliberal)
Commercial media
corporations give
audiences what they
want in a language they
understand
Content fearless,
outspoken and fun
Purpose of
content
Content should aim at
profit maximisation
Regulation
Unregulated free market
with minimal regulation
Freedom of
the press
Investigative
journalism
Traditional
Giving audiences mere
entertainment rather than
accurate information and
education in a vulgar
common language
Content dumbs down
audience, threatens family
values and can be
dangerous to individuals
and society
Content is vulgar and does
not uphold law and order
and traditional values
Public service media is
needed to balance
negative effects of
commercial media
Freedom of the press
Press needs to be free but
means freedom from any there is a need to censor
form of state control
or limit harmful or
sensitive content
Media serve public
interest probing into
actions and lives of
powerful, rich and
famous
Journalists need minimal
controls to investigate
Media should serve public
interest to probe criminal
and corrupt practices
rather than private lives of
the famous
Journalists should obey
the law
Separation
of powers
Journalists need to be
close to the powerful to
serve the public interest
to obtain good stories
Public
service
broadcasting
BBC universal license fee
protects it from the
commercial pressures of
the market and should
be replaced by a
subscription service
Journalists need to be
close to the powerful to
serve the public interest
but need to maintain
professional distance
BBC required to ensure
that media as a whole
provide entertainment,
information and
education; should be
monitored to ensure it
meets standards
Journalistic
ethics
Public service
Media as a whole should
provide entertainment,
information and education
Content threatens the aim of
well-informed, educated
citizens by being biased and
using stereotypes
Content is based on selfinterest (e.g. supporting
politicians and policies that
serve large corporations)
Strong independent regulation
should limit market shares of
large corporations
Media need independent
regulation to behave ethically
and legally; comparison of Fox
News and Sky News shows
that regulation promotes
public service aims
Media as a whole should serve
public interest by strong local
and national investigative
journalism
Journalists should adhere to
ethical and legal methods in
investigations in the public
interest
Journalism and democracy are
threatened by close personal
links to politicians, police and
corporate power
BBC should be a well-funded
independent universal public
service with a remit and
budget to ensure diversity of
provision and investigative
journalism at both local and
national levels
Perspectives on actual stories/images
Stories/images
News International,
News Corp perspective
Harmless bit of fun
Traditional perspective
FAT JEALOUS CLARE
BRANDS PAGE 3 PORN
BOY, 4 HAS MARK OF
DEVIL
FREDDIE STARR ATE MY
HAMSTER
UP YOURS DELORS
The Sun (us) v. feminists
Cruel response to valid
viewpoint
Trivial nonsense
GOTCHA!
Great headline
Page 3 model
IF KINNOCK WINS WILL
THE LAST PERSON TO
LEAVE BRITAIN PLEASE
PUT OUT THE LIGHT
HARRY THE NAZI
TOE JOB TO NO JOB
(David Mellor)
SAVILE: BBC’S ABUSE OF
YOUR LICENCE FEE
CABINET MINISTER:
POLICE ARE PLEBS
ONLY HERE FOR THE
SNEERS
BECKHAM’S SECRET
AFFAIR
Fake Sheikh stories
SUPER CALEY GO
BALLISTIC CELTIC ARE
ATROCIOUS
Great headline to
attract readers
Fun headline to attract
reader
The Sun (us) v. France/
Europe
Sensational headline to
attract readers
Great fun headline
Vulgar and offensive
Trivial nonsense
Vulgar and rude
No way to treat our
Royal Family
Vulgar and rude
Headlines as clever
marketing device
Attack on critics of The
Sun
Anti-BBC propaganda
Intrusion into private
life
Journalists exploiting
people’s weaknesses
How does this serve the
public interest?
Entrapment rather than
ethical investigative
journalism
The Sun & Sky
subscribers (us) v. BBC
The Sun (us) v. snobs
Great redtop story
(celebrity + sex)
NOTW investigative
journalism in public
interest
Very clever headline
Public service
perspective
Stereotyping of women
as sex objects;
Attack on critics of The
Sun
Breaks IPSO’s own code
on coverage of children
Headlines as clever
marketing device
Political propaganda to
serve Murdoch’s selfinterest
Political propaganda to
serve Murdoch’s selfinterest