Broadsheet articles

Student tells court of 'Good Samaritans' who robbed him during UK riots

A Malaysian student who was allegedly robbed by bogus Good Samaritans during the summer riots knew what was happening but was powerless to stop it, a court has heard. The language in this article is much less bias than the tabloid and use much less sensationalist language giving a much more balanced view. The broadsheet article gives a much more factual representation of the incident "He had been in Britain for a month when he was set upon as looting swept the UK."

Newspaper research

 Thursday, February 16, 2012 by Jack Doyle
Victim wins her nine-year battle to have sex attacker deportedThe language used views the defendant in a very negative light and the victim in a very positive light. The sensationalist language used against the defendant are words such as the "torture" he has caused to his victim and how he launched a "vicious" attack towards his victim giving him an almost animal persona as if he is uncontrollable and the journalist is all for him being deported back to his country. The journalist continues with language such as "appalling" when referring to the assault and when discussing the point that he has previously affended several times in the past the journalist explains it to be "astonishing" that he had not already been deported. The images used are of both the defendant and the victim, the victim having a much larger and brighter photo showing her in a garden with her looking distraught and damaged. The defendant has a much smaller and darker photo of a head shot of himself to give the impression that he is in fact a criminal. The facial expression gives a very negative image of the defendant which teamed with the negative language used portray him in a bad light. The language and images suggest youths are out of control and almost animal like, particularly those from a different culture and race.

  Daily Express- Saturday 25th February 2012 

Baying 'racist' mob attacks takeaway in child sex case trail

The language is making the story sound a lot worse than it would have been because of the number of people supposed to be part of the racist mob which was a crowd of 150. This makes the situation worse because they don't have names to those who were involved also the numbers show that a lot of people think the same about the situation hence the large group demonstrating their views. The report explains the story of the crowd rampaging through the town centre of Heywood then confronting riot squad officers.  Many of members of the mob were chanting racist abuse and others "EDL"- a reference to the English Defence League. The restaurant, now under new management and with no connection to any of the accused, was targeted by the crowd. The image with the article is a photograph of three police vans in the street in a line down a street with lots of shops around. The picture is black and white I think this is because it makes the picture more negative and relates to the negative story. The report and photograph next to it suggests that youth are unruly and needs a large force to control the situation such as the crowd "confronting riot squad offers" and the picture of the three police vans.

A/SGT (SCC) C.L.Armitage

Hartlepool Royal Marine Cadets

3 Troop Yankee Company

Assistant Quarter Master  

FEBRUARY 12th 2012 by Vikki White
The sensationalist language that they use is the words Berserk and Thug. They use words such as boozed-up maniac to show emphasis on the story. The words that they use show the youths today in a bad light, this person is shown as he causes "amok" in the pub that he has ran back in. The language that they use is completely bias meaning what he done is wrong and showing that it is horrendous just like one person quotes. The words describe the man Slicing through an arm and Chopping through a door. The male is shown in a negative light as it is not what people would normally do if getting kicked out of a pub and shows that he is malicious.
The images that accompany the article are images taken from a CCTV camera, therefore showing exactly what the thug has done. There is an image of the male with a black eye at the bottom of the article where he has claimed to be beaten up then went back for revenge. The representation of youths in media shows through this article as one male being thuggish and vicious, but does not say anything about being in a group or subculture.

Historical Case Study

According to Stanley Cohen, author of Folk Devils and Moral Panics (1972) and credited as creator of the term, a moral panic occurs when "condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests." Those who start the panic when they fear a threat to prevailing social or cultural values are known by researchers as "moral entrepreneurs," while people who supposedly threaten the social order have been described as "folk devils."

Moral panic links in with the film "clockwork orange" which caused a stir among the public once released for its graphic and violent behavior. Originally a novel written by "Anthony Burgess" the story was natorious for its contraversial content. Involving the conspiracy between the main characters "alex and his droogs" antics and how their actions effected and where mirrored by the public, in particular the younger generation the film was eventually band. The debate still stands today as to whether our society can be influenced by such unappropriate behaviour or if the devients who commit the crimes will regardless of what they have viewed.

1.How was the film reported by the press and how did the youths of the time relate to the film? Though the film was praised many medias and critics criticised the films content and how it may be perceived by the public. A critic Pauline Kael called the film pornographic, because of how it dehumanised Alex's victims, while highlighting the sufferings of the protagonist Alex himself. Also showing Alex enjoying the running over small animals or raping underaged girls, and argued that violent scenes — the Billyboy's gang extended stripping of the very buxom woman they intend to rape — were offensive. This content which was seen to shock the viewers at the time began the medias and newspapers to begin a moral panic in which sensationalist headlines about antics similar to those of the film where seen to be influenced by it, them stating "the clockwork orange theory" has taken place. The youths related to the film in a way as similar to Alex and his droogs they wore similar clothing to each other and stuck together in gangs however when talking about the behaviour viewed youths stated that it was nothing in which they had not seen before. This brings in the debate again as to whether the film does need a concern or this type of behaviour will take place regardless if like the droogs they have no prospects within society.

2.How can Stan Cohens theory be related to this film?
This relates to Stan Cohens theory as it represents youths in a bad light and indicates to the viewers that gangs such as Alex and his droogs all act a certain way as devients against society which is not always the case. The fact the film was so contraversial did cause an almost moral panic similar to Cohens theory as to whether this was the future behaviour of the young deliquents and if they would be affected and mirror those actions similar to the characters as a way of acting out towards society.

Quandrophinia 1979
1.Discuss the representation and ideological values of Jimmy, Steph and Kevin. Use textual examples to back up your point made:
The main point in which Jimmy is represented is that he tries to be out of the ordinary and the big I am which could be due to the lack of excitement within the other aspects of his life (family, work.)The fact that Jimmy wants to be out of the ordinary is shown through dialog when stating to Kevin "I don't want to be the same as everyone else, thats why I'm a mod see" which is slightly ironic as though he is a mod they all show similar behaviour and wear similar clothing making them the same as each other rather than unique. This ideologie of wanting to be different but actually all being similar to each other could be done in order to the impression which the young generation think they have by being different and the view of which the older generation have of them by all being the same. This is shown further by him and his dad being binary opposites and him stating Jimmy to be a "freak" asking "haven't you got a mind of your own." The mob mentality and sticking together is also an ideology in which is shown by them trashing the house and the streets of Brighton basically because they can and are in such a large crowd that they are not fearful of the consequences. Jimmy is shown to be centrally framed between the two older men at his work and is throwing up whilst they ignore him and chat amongst themselves which could be to show the intollerance the older generation hasto the younger generation and the antics they get up to.
Steph is indicated to be the typical teenage girl of that period by being flirtatious and fun as at the time the contraceptive pill had just been created allowing women to be much more sexually active than they previously could be.

2.What examples of mise en scene reinforce the idea of youth culture? There is various forms of mise en scene used in order to establish the youth culture such as the dark rock music, motorbikes, drugs, smoking, parka, gambling, bars parties and riots. These are all things which show the young generation in a bad light and indicate that they are very image consious. The mise en scene is important in order to indicate the lifestyle of the mods and the outlets they use in order to supress their bordom and go against society.
4.How can Stan Cohens theory be related to this?
The mods are almost seen to take over society by their antics and are devients which rebel against the normal and try to almost destroy it. This rule breaking and conflicts between the younger and older generation may cause a moral panic within the media as its something which is generally feared by the older generation. Those who then see a mod in the street maythen be fearful that they will get into antics similar to those in the film purely because of the way they dress. The mod mentality is something of a moral panic as if big enough and wanting to rebel against society it is possible that the culture we live in could change, a fearful thought for the society at that time.
moral panic today be reinforced by these films?
moral panic and deviance amplification

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