Semiotics and analysis of newspaper cartoons and their media content.
Semiotic Analysis of Media Content
Part A
Political cartoons, unlike written words can express a biased political opinion from the author to the reader. Because all opinions are implied rather than stated, the author cannot be quoted for a stance on political objectives. It is up to the reader to define their own individual attitude to the political topic at hand from their prior knowledge of the discourse surrounding the content as displayed by the cartoon. Political cartoons satire government and celebrities by use of caricatures and exaggerations, whilst stereotyping the general public, usually drawing on dress, gender, sex and race to make their point clear. These cartoons are intended for intelligent individuals that are well immersed in the current discourses and events. They can provide new point of view, reinforce a pre-existing one and even change an opinion of the reader, making these simple cartoons very powerful.
CARTOON ONE
On May the 6th, the Courier Mail displayed this cartoon amidst its pages. It contains within it what looks like to be six interlocked targets, surrounding them are three smoking holes in the wall that are obviously mean to represent newly fired gunshots. The targets are interlocked in the same way the Olympic games logo is displayed, symbolizing the union of countries.
The myth behind the Olympic games is that the games are a time of unity, peace and harmony for the world. The simplistic symbol of the target is represented here as three concentric circles. Ironically many people have never seen a gun fired into a wall or hard surface and would not have the prior knowledge to know that smoke would leak from the holes, but the media relies on the fact that their readers have seen a Hollywood movie where a gun is fired to know that these were a product of some kind of explosive device, and the cartoon is simplified further by not even having to show the origin of these shots to understand the implied narrative.
Recent discourses
Part A
Political cartoons, unlike written words can express a biased political opinion from the author to the reader. Because all opinions are implied rather than stated, the author cannot be quoted for a stance on political objectives. It is up to the reader to define their own individual attitude to the political topic at hand from their prior knowledge of the discourse surrounding the content as displayed by the cartoon. Political cartoons satire government and celebrities by use of caricatures and exaggerations, whilst stereotyping the general public, usually drawing on dress, gender, sex and race to make their point clear. These cartoons are intended for intelligent individuals that are well immersed in the current discourses and events. They can provide new point of view, reinforce a pre-existing one and even change an opinion of the reader, making these simple cartoons very powerful.
CARTOON ONE
On May the 6th, the Courier Mail displayed this cartoon amidst its pages. It contains within it what looks like to be six interlocked targets, surrounding them are three smoking holes in the wall that are obviously mean to represent newly fired gunshots. The targets are interlocked in the same way the Olympic games logo is displayed, symbolizing the union of countries.
The myth behind the Olympic games is that the games are a time of unity, peace and harmony for the world. The simplistic symbol of the target is represented here as three concentric circles. Ironically many people have never seen a gun fired into a wall or hard surface and would not have the prior knowledge to know that smoke would leak from the holes, but the media relies on the fact that their readers have seen a Hollywood movie where a gun is fired to know that these were a product of some kind of explosive device, and the cartoon is simplified further by not even having to show the origin of these shots to understand the implied narrative.
Recent discourses