THE GUARDIAN

Q1What identity is being constructed for the British youths shown in this coverage?

‘Many rioters conceded that their involvement in looting was simply down to opportunism, saying that a perceived suspension of normal rules presented them with an opportunity to acquire goods and luxury items they could not ordinarily afford. They often described the riots as a chance to obtain "free stuff" or sought to justify the theft.’

"Gangs of masked kids popping up everywhere,"

‘I leaned against a wall to tweet and was suddenly almost knocked over by three youths riding the pavement on their bikes, their faces concealed by scarves.’

"These kids should be back in their yards,"

‘A teenage girl was giving them verbal abuse, and then a crowd had gathered round and an officer bellowed to a colleague by the vans to "Get the NATOs out" - riot helmets. "You should tear gas their asses," my friend advised a nearby group of constables. They grinned, noncommittally.’

‘smashed shops, blazing cars, kids hurling things at cops.’

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/davehillblog/2011/aug/09/at-home-with-the-london-riots?INTCMP=SRCH

How is the newspaper coverage being mediated?

Q2

The perspective To begin with The Guardian was covering current storied that had

happened the previous night. The views and concerns expressed from this we5re then mediated to the world and those reading the paper.

The first article explains an event, showing images of The Carpetright shop on Tottenham High Road, north London, in the early hours of Sunday morning. ‘The 1930s building was gutted by the blaze.’

From this image the idea of a loss it portrayed, the extent of the fires and riots has been mediated to an audience reading this paper. This emphasises the extend of fires during the rioting period.

The text provides the audience to empathise with the owner of the Carpetright Store as he explains his trauma of loosing this store which has been standing for many many years.

To an audience, they are only seeing the perspective of the victim here. A middle class working man, who has lost a great deal. This enables them to empathise with the victim through the mediation of his distress.

‘Night. The smell of smoke, and angry young men moving with makeshift weapons. There are cars and buildings ablaze and the threat of violence. I've been here before, so many times. But not like this. For years, I have been confronted by such scenes like this abroad: Africa, the Middle East and the Balkans. But last week it was on my own high street in Tottenham, a seven-minute walk from where I live.’

The opening statement given in the article acts as a story, providing a view point from a person who had a first hand experience of the London Riots

This statement would be seen as factual from an audience perspective and therefore believed as the actual truth. is them mediated across to readers who would view the events from the same perspective.

From this mediation, the London riots are portrayed only from those who were effected and took no part in the disruption. The writer is a victim and mediates a fear from walking down the street.

It is then mediated across to readers who would view the events from the same perspective.

The article is seen to be written from the view point of a well spoken middle class man. This also mediates across to a reader.

The class who are looting are seen to be unrepresented, they do not have a voice, therefore cannot defend themselves or provide a reason for their actions.

As an audience, we are forced to believe all we are told by this middle class man, wither the story be factual or fabricated.

The levels of mediation

DURING THE RIOTS…The information was mediated in a more so

negative way…much like all newspapers…only showing the face value effects…BUT the guardian wasn’t negative as most newspapers…

ALTHOUGH…

The Daily Express went for a more personalised line: "Flaming morons". And The Guardian was altogether more pedestrian, but less slanted than its rivals, with "The battle for London".

AFTER THE RIOTS…

Unlike other newspapers the Guardian studied WHY people took part in the riots…instead of just labelling them as animalistic thugs…

On the website you can access “READING INTO THE RIOTS” which provides users with information with the background into the riots not just the face value effects…

Look at both sides….

Q3.

What identity is being constructed for the

British youth shown in this coverage/

The front cover has the biggest impact as it’s the first we see about the article and gives the reader their first impressions.The image shows British youth stereotypically as they have chosen someone who is wearing a hoodie, tracksuit and a mask over their face. The picture makes us link the youth to the burning car in the background, which implies the newspaper is blaming the youth. It also shows that the youth are violent and dangerous which can create moral panic.

The Front Cover

London Riots As we know the riots started because of the

death of a 26 year old shot by police. In the articles by the Guardian, they explain

why the riots started and how it was a peaceful protest, until the youth became involved. Although the protest started with people aged 26 onward (the victims family and family friends all joined the peaceful protest) the focus of the newspaper was on the youth and their connection with the riots.

Key points from article

Eyewitness reports suggested some of the youths involved- who numbered between 150 and 300- were as young as 10.” -From this quote we can see from the start of the incident the youth were being targeted and blamed for the violence.“Large groups of youth congregated in the surrounding streets, armed with sticks, bottles and hammers. Some wore balaclavas and prevented cars from accessing streets as buildings were broken into. Other used large rubbish bins to create barricades across the road.”Now the article gives more description of the events which makes the audience more shocked about the youth as to why/how they could do all these violent things. This quote also says the youth wore balaclavas which helps us build up the identity of the youth.

Q4

How did The Guardian reports progress through the riots?

6th August

A bus, a shop and two patrol cars have been set on fire in Tottenham. An estimated crowd of around 300 have gathered and there have been reports of looting and shop windows being smashed.

An IPCC spokesman said that at around 6.15pm on Thursday, officers from Trident, accompanied by officers from the Specialist Firearms Command (CO19), stopped a minicab to carry out an arrest."Shots were fired and a 29-year-old man, who was a passenger in the cab, died at the scene," he said.It is believed that two shots were fired by a firearms officer, equipped with a Heckler & Koch MP5 carbine.A non-police issue handgun was recovered at the scene as well as the police radio.

7th August

Tottenham riot: 'very volatile' situation contained, for nowScale of rioting much smaller than in 1985, but for two to three hours it looked like the police might lose controlTwenty six years on from the Broadwater Farm riots Tottenham burned in fury again on Saturday night – 48 hours after the police had shot dead a man on the streets in an apparent exchange of fire.

Tottenham in flames as riot follows protest

London disturbances - Sunday 7 August 2011• 55 people arrested after violence in Tottenham• Disturbances spread to Enfield and Brixton• 26 police officers injured, Met warn of social media speculation• Duggan family condemn violence

8th AugustSecond night of violence in London – and this time it was organisedThere was mounting evidence on Sunday night that some of the second night of rioting in London was part of an orchestrated plan, as violent disturbances broke out sporadically across parts of the capital.

Shortly after 8.30pm, a crowd of about 100 mainly teenage boys broke into a jewellery store. When police arrived less than a minute later, there were chaotic scenes, with a number of people struck with batons and attacked by dogs.

Doubts emerge over Duggan shooting as London burnsInitial ballistics tests suggest bullet lodged in officer's radio during incident in Tottenham was police issue

Looting 'fuelled by social exclusion'

9th AugustHackney rioters directly target policeMasked men and women barricade Pembury estate in largest confrontation of London riots yet

In one of the most shocking incidents, a police officer in a solitary parked vehicle was attacked shortly before 9pm.His windscreen was entirely smashed as a young man scaled the roof and pounded down with a brick. Others attacked from the sides with sticks and bottles.

London fire fighters stretched to breaking point by riot blazes

The resources of London's fire fighters were stretched to breaking point on Monday night by a series of large blazes causing tens of millions of pounds worth of damage. Rioters attacked at least three fire engine crews trying to tackle some of the incidents.Peckham riots: Looted fireworks hurled at police

Shops were looted and stolen fireworks thrown at lines of riot police. A bus was set alight near Peckham fire station, as the area's main shopping area descended into what locals described as a 'war zone'

10th AugustWho are the rioters? Young men from poor areas ... but that's not the full story

In the broadest sense, most of those involved have been young men from poor areas. But the generalisation cannot go much further than that. It can't be said that they are largely from one racial group. Both young men and women have joined in.

UK riots: London in lockdown, but violence flares across UK

Riots and looting spread widely across England on Tuesday, with police waging running battles with gangs in Greater Manchester, the West Midlands and Nottingham, even as the biggest police deployment in UK history appeared to have at least temporarily quelled further significant trouble in London.