Perspective Sky News.

Throughout the Breaking News coverage the journalists referred to

the rioters as ‘people’, rather than using specific examples as they

do within the second third and last report where they’re now named

as ‘young youths’.

As the riots progress, its no longer viewed as ‘Breaking News’ as the

audiences start to get ‘used’ to the news 4 days in.

Where the violence was first taking place there were no first hand

reporters in front of the camera, however as soon as the situation

was being manned by more police, they came forward to report.

This displays the news teams are intimidated and threatened by the

rioters and need protection… this is ironic as where there’s news

coverage in Iraq with first hand reporters, and that’s a war.

The first clips were seen to ne about the violence and what the people

have done to the objects and material things, where as Monday and

Tuesday are seen to be about naming the people and showing who’s

exactly doing the damage – and the last about regaining justice and a

balance of social status’ where the people at the bottom and the law

system and the police are at the top trying to regain control.

It goes from the police helping the damage to not being able to

control, naming specific places that are known to be ‘rough’ where

this behaviour is stereotypical eg. Croyden, Hackney, Tottenham and

Enfeild

Sky News:

Sky News Coverage

• The perspective of the news report is told though he presenters, who are being fed information from reporters either at the scene or watching it. Information is given to the presenters from the police, fire services etc.

• Interviews with reporters and their camera men are heard. All that is explained is the disruption and the high jacking, setting alight and violence that is occurring.

Q2

Mediation

• Stories of the death of a policemen are told. This sorry is then mediated across to an audience, the man who was shot by the police Michael… story has been forgotten. The way this report is told and from this perspective puts he police as victims, not the people fighting back for the man that was shot- if this is the reason for rioting. The reporters explain people are asking advantage of the situation, not rioting to protest against the shooting.

• Petrol bombs are being set off, the reporters explain how this is hard for the fire department, mediating them as victims again.

• The expression ‘On the line’ has been used. This emphasises the extent of the attack, as if it were a war, which then mediates across to the audience.

• The presenters speaks of everything the police and fire department are doing to try and control he attacks. This is mediated to the audience and gives them the impression the police are doing all they can to control.

• The crowds safety is questioned also. This will make the audience fear the events to see normal citizens are being targeted also.

‘They’ve smashed the wall’The use of ‘They’ve’ gives they audience the impression that all the rioters are but into one category, it mediates an idea that this is all their fault, under no retaliation from previous events.

‘The public are being threatened’The audience will be in fear from the idea that they could be targeted. For people watching the news and being told about the dangers and to stay indoors, this idea will be mediated across to them. Another reason to listen to this advice is because they are being told by an influential news programme, watched by many.

‘Another petrol bomb has been thrown’This quote shows the violence acts that are happening on e streets and mediating a sense of fear across to the audience. This is the only side of the riot hey see.

Imagery

The language used is very descriptive and keeps the viewers of the news updated fast and clearly.

When listening they really try there hardest to connect the imagery to what they are saying for example when the police car set fire they made sure you could see what was going on.

They made sure there was only a 60 second break as this is breaking news and they did need to show it.

They try really hard to explain what is happening such as when the helicopter came over the top of them they analysed where theywere going and what they were doing.

The questionnaire sort of format is going on is allowing us as an audience to really engage in the conversation and feel part of it.

When the presenters are interviewing the people on the streets you can hear a complete divide from the fear of the people on thestreet to the presenters who have to present the clips to the best and most calmest of there ability.

The use the line 'the police are very powerless at the minute' which obviously will cause fear for viewers who are watching.

He goes on to say we have dogs horses police officers in large numbers but in the end of the day we can predict what group ofyoungsters will arupt. They will try to cause as much damage as they can.

Watching the riots you can really see that it wasn't exaggerated having it live on the day it happened. The petrol bombs are being thrown in the image which we are all available to watch making it so much more surreal for us. They keep using words such as drastic and horrendous etc.

Having Breaking news written across the bottom of the screen shows that it is important and how that mediates to the audience.

Q3 What identity is being constructed for the British youths

shown in these reports?

Reports Show

• The Sky News documents the Youths behaviour and disturbances of the city throughout the London riots.

• Reports focusing on the fires and the vandalism towards shops and community whilst being violent towards the police. Representing the youth as out of control.

• Whilst the report constantly refers back to the ‘youth’ looting the streets of London, it allows the public to automatically create a stereotype of the youth of today which is a large group of the nation yet it is only a very small group involved in the looting.

• Also in the report the ‘youths’ are referred to as “pure evil”.

This screenshot shows the Tottenham riots of a double decker bus being set on fire with petrol bombs being thrown at it and a shop to the right also been set on fire by the ‘youths’, the youths also standing close to the fire standing there ground illustrating to the audience they’re not finished yet.

This image shows a pharmacy that windows have been completely smashed by the youth’s and broken into trashing the shop and stealing the till taking the money and then dumping it in the river. Representing to the audience that they are ruthless.

Here shows the sheer violence of the youths, not only do they destroy shops, vandalise and set things on fire they have now taken to violence towards the police. This image shows an injured policeman just after a missile had been thrown at him.

Identity Formed…• The identity formed of the youths from these reports represents

them as violent, disrespectful, uncontrollable, unruly and many other things.

• It’s created a stereotype for the public to label every youth of today as, for example is someone now wears a hoody it carries connotations of violent, disrespectful and many people become scared of them.

• The reports represent the youths as the antagonists and the police the protagonists by trying to keep the streets as safe as possible.

• By also showing scenes of police going into homes arresting youths it reassures the public that these people are kept off the streets and that the police are doing there jobs properly and seeing the job through to the end.

• To the youth by the police breaking in and arresting people it represents to them that they can’t get away with looting and not face the consequences, these scenes are also used to scare the youths not to do it and that they will get caught.

Q4 Moral Panic

Quotes that create moral panic from

the news reports:

• „It‟s not a protest or March, just plain violence‟

• „London‟s burning, and no one seems able to bring it under control‟

• „The police are literally trying to keep up with the violence and the crowd as they are spread so thin‟

• “It‟s like a war zone.”

• “Shops in Tottenham looted by rioters after store windows were smashed.”

• “The police cannot keep track of everywhere”

In this shot that is used throughout the first clip, you can see a heavy police force but they can

only watch as the rioters stand in-between them and the ablaze bus. This is reinforced by the

static camera which is behind with the other policemen, as though the viewer is also helpless.

This makes the public feel scared as the law (police) are helpless and cant do anything about the

destruction.

Mass destruction has been formed on the streets by the form of the following: • Looting • Fires• Police • Damages to building, buses etc…• Riots • A killing of a local man in Tottenham • Two police cars, a double decker bus and a shop caught on fire • “Shops in Tottenham looted by rioters after store windows were smashed.” It is estimated that crowd of 300 people gather at scene of disorder in North London.Fire Brigade and Police running around creates a sense of moral panic

The troublesome youths have destroyed society; for example Concrete slabs have been bashed up. This shows the capability of violence in which the rioters in London hold.

A Pharmacy smashed in, with alarms going off- The reason for this outcome is because the looters destroyed the pharmacy, took money out of the till and then threw the till into a nearby river, connoting that there are some disrespectful people in society in whom happily go around disrupting people’s lives. This would create a sense of moral panic, because it would make people feel unsafe, and fearful for their own homes and businesses.

The fact that the police are using the operation of Stop and Search in the streets near them creates a greater sense of moral panic, because it shows that a criminal could be right by them.

Police are having to carry on these operation in which are part of The Police and Criminal Evidence Act because violence had spread around the town and the police were having to keep up with the violence, however this makes society aggravated as a lot of stop and search operations were put in place even towards innocent onlookers.

The police advised people to lock their doors and stay inside, but Sky reported a business man who still had his door kicked in and his house ransacked, resorting into bodily injuries on himself. This creates a sense of moral panic, because it shows that despite advice from the police, nobody is safe. This makes the Rioters appear almost invincible.

• The youngsters appear to go wherever the police are not. This creates a panicking atmosphere because they could be attacking near you and the police wouldn’t know, therefore you would feel threatened and unsafe without the protection of the police, creating a greater sense of moral panic.

• “The police cannot keep track of everywhere”

• “There’s a sense that people are here to cause trouble for the long term.”

Everywhere you appear to look in London there are fires spreading, and a brigade of Fireman and Policeman running around in a frantic state, this creates a sense of moral panic because London’s burning and no one can seem to keep it under control, creating a sense of fear amongst innocent people/victims in society. “It’s like a war zone.”

People are left in a state of shock, as many of the thugs in whom are committing burglary are barely into their teens. This shows a down pour within society and a sense of disgust.

• Cops Raid into house of suspects in an attempt to provide some sort of justice.

• Most cases are being remanded to the Crown Court and very little to the Magistrates.

• Some real life antagonists such as Natasha Reed handed herself into the police after stealing a wide screen television, stating that she couldn’t sleep at night as she felt ridden with guilt.

Justice will be anything but swift

Quotes not creating Moral panic in news clips

“Now it’s the Police’s turn to do some smash and grab.”

“Queues of vans deliver more than 100 suspects to West Minster Magistrates Court in London.”