Semiotic Analysis of the News
Semiotic analysis of the news
Television news has been around for nearly as long as television itself. Millions watch it every day and it is often the first programme someone will switch to after work. News broadcast are governed by many codes and conventions. These are not always obvious to the viewer but if they are not respected, the programme might feel uncomfortable to watch. Bignell (2002), p110, explains “The discourse of television news is composed of language and visual images, organised by codes and conventions which the news viewer has to perceive and recognise in order for the viewer to construct sense”. News bulletin are therefore constructed in a careful manner, carrying many signs. I will look at some of these in this essay. The news bulletin also needs to remain impartial in order to be trusted and respected by the audience.
Whilst analyzing the BBC News at 10 aired on Monday 5th of March, I will try and demonstrate this web of codes and convention. I will also look at the signs present in the news and their meanings. Finally, I will explore the relationship between objectivity and subjectivity. I will concentrate on the first two stories of the bulletin. The first report is about the ongoing uprising in Syria and takes a deeper look at the families fleeing the war zone and the developing humanitarian crisis. The second package is about the government proposals to remove child benefits from anyone earning over £40.000.
I will start by exploring the codes of the news bulletin, highlighting the items that make a news programme instantly recognizable from any other shows. Fiske (1987), p4, defines a code as “a rule-governed system of signs, whose rules and conventions are shared amongst members of culture, and which is used to generate and circulate meanings in and for that culture”.
The first visual code is the news presenter Huw Edwards, smartly dressed, he gives a sense of knowledge, seriousness and authority to the news. He is the
Television news has been around for nearly as long as television itself. Millions watch it every day and it is often the first programme someone will switch to after work. News broadcast are governed by many codes and conventions. These are not always obvious to the viewer but if they are not respected, the programme might feel uncomfortable to watch. Bignell (2002), p110, explains “The discourse of television news is composed of language and visual images, organised by codes and conventions which the news viewer has to perceive and recognise in order for the viewer to construct sense”. News bulletin are therefore constructed in a careful manner, carrying many signs. I will look at some of these in this essay. The news bulletin also needs to remain impartial in order to be trusted and respected by the audience.
Whilst analyzing the BBC News at 10 aired on Monday 5th of March, I will try and demonstrate this web of codes and convention. I will also look at the signs present in the news and their meanings. Finally, I will explore the relationship between objectivity and subjectivity. I will concentrate on the first two stories of the bulletin. The first report is about the ongoing uprising in Syria and takes a deeper look at the families fleeing the war zone and the developing humanitarian crisis. The second package is about the government proposals to remove child benefits from anyone earning over £40.000.
I will start by exploring the codes of the news bulletin, highlighting the items that make a news programme instantly recognizable from any other shows. Fiske (1987), p4, defines a code as “a rule-governed system of signs, whose rules and conventions are shared amongst members of culture, and which is used to generate and circulate meanings in and for that culture”.
The first visual code is the news presenter Huw Edwards, smartly dressed, he gives a sense of knowledge, seriousness and authority to the news. He is the
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