The Sun - Context

The Sun (22 March 2025)

The Sun is a tabloid known for sensationalism, populism, and right-wing tone. The 22 March 2025 cover focuses on travel disruption, national embarrassment, and infrastructure failure.

Historical context

The Sun is owned by News UK, which is part of News Corp, a global media conglomerate controlled by the Murdoch family.
It became a tabloid in 1969 under Rupert Murdoch.
It is regulated by IPSO (Independent Press Standards Organisation).
The Sun has an average daily print circulation of around 1.3 million copies in the UK and a daily readership of around 2.3 million.
- The majority of its print audience is male and aged between 35-64 years old.

Political context

The Sun is famously a right-wing/conservative tabloid.
They are critical of:
- Government inefficiency
- Public sector failures
- Infrastructure problems are presented as “embarrassing for Britain.”
The use of words like "Britain humiliated" and "fiasco" aligns with a political agenda of criticising the UK's infrastructure and public service management.

Economic context

The Sun operates within the UK's tabloid tradition (often called "red tops" due to the masthead colour).
The Sun’s history of controversial headlines means its reporting style often pushes the boundaries of ethical journalism for dramatic effect.
- The usage of clickbait-style headlines and eye-catching layouts drives sales and online engagement.
- This allows it to compete with other media outlets.

1Overview

1.1Media Language

1.1.1Media Language

1.1.2Media Language 2

1.2Audience

1.2.1Audiences

1.2.2Audiences 2

1.2.3End of Topic Test - Media Language & Audience

1.3Representation

1.3.1Stereotypes

1.3.2Gender

1.3.3Audiences

1.4The Media Industry

1.4.1Media Industries

1.4.2Ownership

1.4.3Funding & Regulation

1.4.4End of Topic Test - Representation/Media Industry

2Component 1: Section A

2.1Magazines - Vogue

2.1.1Magazines

2.1.2Vogue - Context

2.1.3Vogue - Narrative

2.1.4Vogue - Representation

2.2Magazines - GQ

2.2.1GQ - Context

2.2.2GQ - Narrative

2.2.3GQ - Representation

2.3Advertising & Marketing

2.3.1Advertising & Marketing

2.3.2Analysing Adverts

2.3.3Analysing Adverts 2

2.3.4Theories & Principles

2.3.5End of Topic Test - Magazines & Advertising

2.4Print Advertisements - Quality Street

2.4.1Quality Street - Context

2.4.2Quality Street - Narrative

2.4.3Quality Street - Representation

2.5Print Advertisements - (2026 Exams) This Girl Can

2.5.1This Girl Can - Context

2.5.2This Girl Can - Narrative

2.5.3This Girl Can - Representation

2.6Print Advertisements - (2027 Exams) NHS 111

2.6.1NHS 111 - Context

2.6.2NHS 111 - Narrative

2.6.3NHS 111 - Representation

2.7Film Posters (Marketing)

2.7.1The Man with The Golden Gun

2.7.2The Man with The Golden Gun 2

2.8Film - No Time To Die

2.8.1Context

2.8.2Narrative

2.8.3Representation

2.9Newspapers

2.9.1Ownership & Regulation

2.9.2News Selection

2.9.3Media Language

2.9.4Genres

2.9.5Newspaper Conventions

2.9.6Representation

2.9.7Audience

2.9.8Theories

2.9.9End of Topic Test - Newspapers

2.10The Sun

2.10.1Context

2.10.2Narrative

2.10.3Language & Images

2.11The Guardian

2.11.1The Guardian

2.11.2Narrative

2.11.3Language & Images

2.12(2028 Exams) The Sun

2.12.1The Sun - Context

2.12.2The Sun - Narrative

2.12.3The Sun - Representation

2.13(2028 Exams) The Guardian

2.13.1The Guardian - Context

2.13.2The Guardian - Narrative

2.13.3The Guardian - Representation

3Component 1: Section B

3.1Video Games

3.1.1Video Games

3.2Video Games - Fortnite

3.2.1Fortnite (2017) - Media Industries

3.2.2Fornite (2017) - Audience

3.3Film

3.3.1The Big Six

3.3.2Technology

3.3.3End of Topic Test - Video Games & Films

3.4Radio

3.4.1The Radio Industry

3.4.2Categories of Radio Station

3.4.3Technology & Radio Audiences

3.4.4Theories

3.4.5End of Topic Test - Radio

3.5Radio - The Archers

3.5.1Production

3.5.2Media Industries

3.5.3Media Contexts

3.5.4Audiences 1

3.5.5Audiences 2

3.6(2027 Exams) Radio - Desert Island Discs

3.6.1Media Industries

3.6.2Audiences

3.6.3Media Contexts

4Component 2: Section A

4.1Television

4.1.1The Television Industry

4.1.2Types of Broadcasting

4.1.3Media Language & TV

4.1.4Representation & Audiences

4.1.5Theories

4.2Sitcom

4.2.1Sitcoms

4.2.2Friends

4.2.3Friends 2

4.2.4End of Topic Test - Sitcoms & Friends

4.3Sitcom - Modern Family

4.3.1Media Language

4.3.2Representation

4.3.3Media Industries

4.3.4Audiences

4.3.5Media Contexts

4.4Sitcom - Man Like Mobeen

4.4.1Media Language

4.4.2Representations

4.4.3Media Industries

4.5(2026 Exams) Luther

4.5.1Context

4.5.2Media Language

4.5.3Representation

4.5.4Audience

4.5.5Industry

4.6The Sweeney

4.6.1Context

4.6.2Media Language

4.6.3Representation

4.6.4Audience

4.6.5Industry

5Component 2: Section B

5.1Music Video

5.1.1Music Videos

5.1.2The Music Industry

5.2Lizzo - 'Good as Hell'

5.2.1Context

5.2.2'Good as Hell'

5.2.3Media Language

5.2.4Representation

5.2.5Audience

5.2.6Industry

5.3Taylor Swift - 'The Man'

5.3.1Taylor Swift

5.3.2Media Language

5.3.3Representation

5.3.4Audiences

5.3.5Media Industries

5.3.6Media Contexts

5.4Stormzy - 'Superheroes'

5.4.1Stormzy

5.4.2Media Language

5.4.3Representation

5.4.4Audiences

5.4.5Media Industries

5.4.6Media Contexts

5.5Justin Bieber - 'Intentions'

5.5.1Justin Bieber

5.5.2Media Language

5.5.3Representation

5.5.4Audiences

5.5.5Media Industries

5.5.6Media Contexts

5.6TLC - 'Waterfalls'

5.6.1TLC

5.6.2Media Language

5.6.3Representation

5.6.4Media Contexts

5.7Duran Duran - 'Rio'

5.7.1Duran Duran

5.7.2Media Language

5.7.3Representation

5.7.4Media Contexts

5.8Online Media - Lizzo

5.8.1Media Language

5.8.2Representation

5.8.3Audiences

5.8.4Media Contexts & Industries

5.9Online Media - Taylor Swift

5.9.1Media Language

5.9.2Representation

5.9.3Audiences

5.9.4Media Contexts & Industries

5.10Online Media - Stormzy

5.10.1Media Language

5.10.2Representation

5.10.3Audience

5.10.4Media Context & Industries

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