iLL Manors Trailer & Summary

iLL Manors Summary from Sophie Arnison

Plan B - ill Manors

Overview of Contemporary Case Study

Metro Article

This article is very similar to the article I have previously analysed by The Sun. It shows similar visuals of a youth passing a burning car although this time he is less covered up, which makes him easier to recognise despite the fact that his face is obscured. This image wavers from the general stereotype of the hooded, tracksuit wearing yobs as this time the image captured shows a boy wearing shorts, a t-shirt and a hat which is more common with other stereotypes rather than the 'chav' identity that the rioters were labelled with by the media. The image itself is just as shocking as some of the others shown although it is an ambiguous image - is this youth actually taking part in the riots or is he covering his face simply because of the smoke originating from the burning car? We cannot clearly see what is in his hand and the way in which his other hand is positioned looks as if he is adjusting the scarf around his face so is he being falsely condemned for being in the wrong place at the wrong time? All of these things could be taken into consideration, as the photo presented in The Sun shows a youth fully obscuring his face and body with only his eyes showing a threatening stare; quite a contrast to the image we see here.

The headline itself reads 'Riots: The madness spreads' which implies that the actions taken by the rioters is 'madness' and it is spreading like a disease across the country. 'Madness' itself can be seen as a casual term for a mental disease which holds very negative connotations and suggests that the rioters must have some sort of mental affliction that they are passing on to others around the country.

One of the subheadings states 'Tweeters warned they face arrest'. This links social media websites such as Twitter directly with the riots, which could in turn scare the public - particularly the older generation who are not familiar with social networking - into believing that Twitter is the cause for these riots and therefore should be blacklisted. Much like a lot of the other articles, this one also makes reference to the fact that politicians have cancelled their holidays to come back to Britain and resolve the problems caused by the rioters. This is an example of the media helping the politicians into regaining hegemonic control as they are giving the public a positive representation of the politicians, making it seem as though they are giving up their own time in order to help.

The Sun Article

This article from The Sun shows almost an entire front page dedicated to reporting the London riots. The Sun itself is a tabloid newspaper, which has a main audience of working to middle class people, although other classes have been known to read it and also appeals to both genders. Although the readers may not necessarily hold a biased opinion, the headlines and subheadings on the page are somewhat sensationalist and could be liable to start a 'moral panic'.

The main headline on the front page reads 'Anarchy'. The word anarchy can be defined as chaos and disorder caused by a lack of regard for authority. The police found it difficult to control the rioters, as we can see from other reports and so 'anarchy' is an appropriate term to describe what was happening in London at the time - the people involved showed little to no regard for the authority around them; looting, stealing and destroying the things around them. The small heading at the top of the article reads '3rd Day of Mindless Violence' which ties in with the main heading of the article as it suggest that the 'anarchic' actions taken by the rioters was 'mindless'.

The subheadings on this article read 'Riots spread across London', 'Birmingham hit by looting' and '215 arrests, PM jets back'. These headings tell us that the riots are spreading not only 'across London' but also to other cities such as Birmingham. This would make the public nervous and fearful as they are unsure of where the rioters will strike next. The fact that the article states that '215 arrests' have been made adds to this as it gives a rough idea of just how serious the situation is, as a large number of people have been arrested. There is also a mention of David Cameron which is an element that makes the article appear more biased; the fact that the primeminister has returned home from his holidays is supposed to show that he cares about his people and will give up his holidays to return home and help them - a common tactic within the media to regain hegemonic control.

The photograph on the page shows a stereotypical 'yob', wearing a full tracksuit and obscuring his face with a hood and a scarf. The image is iconic because it shows one of the rioters - a youth - acting deviously and walking casually past a burning car. This gives a negative impression on youths to the public as it suggests that they are all out to destroy and are indifferent to the damage that they are causing.

The Daily Telegraph Article

This article shows a negative representation of youths and is very biased against them. It is taken from 'The Daily Telegraph', which would generally attract a middle aged, middle class audience. This somewhat backs up the biased take on the situation and people from the middle class would find it harder to relate to the lower class and would have a harder time seeing their side of things.

The headline itself reads 'Rule of the Mob', which holds negative connotations as the word 'mob' is often associated with anti-social behaviour and crime. A 'mob' is generally described as a group of people who behave in an inappropriate, unrestrained way which could definitely be applied to the behaviour of the people who took part in the London riots - although the points that they originally wished to put forward were reasonable, they acted in a very anti-social manner and created disorder rather than helping to solve the original problems.

The subheadings in the article read things like 'Gangs run riot from East to West' and 'Other cities hit by trouble' which suggest that the gangs are taking over and ruining Britain from every angle. Further subheadings such as 'Police lose control of Capital' and 'Cameron ends holiday early' suggest that the 'good guys' are trying their best to calm the situation although they are overwhelmed by the 'violence and disorder' they are working in the public's best interest. This portrays the government and the police in a positive light as it shows the police as good people who are overwhelmed by the horrible 'mob' and also tries to present David Cameron in a positive light as it states that he is ending his holiday early to come home, help and attempt to try and restore order.

The photograph depicts a woman jumping from a burning building which is very iconic as it displays to the reader the fact that innocent people were caught up in the violence of the riots. This adds further fuel to the negative stereotype of youths as it suggests that they have no conscience or regard for anyone who gets in their way, giving them a very apathetic appearance. It also points out that the original intention of the rioting has spiralled way out of control as it focuses no longer on informing the police of intention but rather drags innocent, irrelevant people into the chaos.

Sky News Report

BBC News Report Croydon

In this report the newsreader interviews an Irishman who feels very strongly and negatively about the riots. He seems to have a very negative view towards the people who are taking part in the anarchy and denounces them throughout the entire report. The report itself focuses only on a burning building in the middle of a street, which gives the report more impact because they are hearing the voice of the man being interviewed whilst viewing the devastation caused by the youths - this gives the man's words more effect. The report itself is somewhat biased - the news studio is unbiased but the man who is being interviewed is very much opposed to what is happening around him which makes the report appear more geared away from the youths. The report does not give the youths a fair voice and only really focuses on one man as the voice of the general public. The report has a big impact because the man is speaking as a member of a public and appears to be broadcasting the majority of the public's views.

BBC News Report Tottenham

This 2 and a half minute BBC news report begins by showing a London street. We can see many people running around in the streets and the road whilst the newsreader in the studio talks to a resident of Tottenham and a reporter who is present at the scene. We also see many older men in suits, watching what is going on without acting in any way. Although nothing is happening at first the atmosphere seems tense and then several youths run into shot and begin to throw objects at a police car. Following this one of the youths picks up a large traffic cone and begins to smash the back of the police car with it. Other youths then join in and begin to throw anything they can find at the car, with some of them actually hitting it with their hands and feet and some filming it. The camera then swings round somewhat wildly as if the cameraman is attempting to leave the scene or hide, the reporter also comments that some of the youths have attacked his camera. Then we see youths with covered faces advancing on the camera and blocking the view before pushing the reporter and the camera man away. The most ominous scene is at the end of the report when we see the camera crew walking away and the youths following them.

The reporters spend most of this report interviewing a local man named Sam, who talks about how long he had been in the area and what the area was like prior to the riots. He describes the area as peaceful and happy. They also talk to a reporter named Andy Moore who describes what is happening on the scene. The way in which the reporter describes the scene suggests general chaos although it is not particularly accusatory or defensive; he merely describes the scene that is happening before him and does not verbally attack the youths even when they push him and attack his camera. The report itself is not particularly biased as it does not condemn the youths and slam their opinions nor does it promote or encourage their views.

Timeline of the London Riots

Historical Case Study Notes