2.12.3

The Sun - Representation

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The Sun (22 March 2025) - Representation

The Sun uses language and images to connect with the readers and create a symbolic portrayal of national decline and government inefficiency.

Representing perspective

Representing perspective

  • The front page is a highly mediated construction.
  • The image:
    • A dramatic photo of fire is chosen over a photo of a technical diagram to symbolise danger and instability.
    • “HEATHROW CLOSED” sign shows emotionless machine versus human need
  • The language:
    • "Humiliated Britain" is chosen over "Major Power Outage"
  • These choices altogether construct a version of reality that provokes an immediate and outraged response from its audience.
Representing national identity

Representing national identity

  • The disaster is framed as a national embarrassment, not just a local incident.
  • It suggests the UK’s infrastructure is failing, linking to wider anxieties about national pride and global status.
  • “Britain humiliated by airport fiasco” → exaggerates to evoke shared shame and anger.
  • This aligns with The Sun's frequent narrative of perceived failure by the British establishment.
Representing authority and power

Representing authority and power

  • The front page implies the existence of a faceless, incompetent 'authority' (e.g. airport bosses, government departments) who failed the public.
  • The headline FAULTY POWERS doubles as a pun:
    • Literal: the power failure.
    • Metaphorical: those in power failed
  • Constructed as incompetent elites disconnected from ordinary people.
  • It reflects the Sun’s right-wing populist ideology:
    • Criticising authority, while claiming to speak for the “common Brit”
Representation of ordinary people

Representation of ordinary people

  • Travellers described as “thousands stranded” → passive victims.
  • Their suffering is used to make the story emotionally relatable.
  • Readers, who are also ordinary travellers, are invited to imagine themselves trapped, frustrated, and powerless.
  • The paper acts as the champion of these ordinary people, giving them a voice and demanding justice.
    • Typical tabloid narrative: “They fail; we suffer.”
Representation of class & celebrity

Representation of class & celebrity

  • Kym Marsh's feature on the left provides a contrast to the main story.
    • This represents celebrity and glamour roles, typical of tabloid content.
    • "Kym & The Fab at 50" right next to a burning airport depicts how chaos does not relate to or bother the "elites".
  • The Sun’s working-class audience sees Heathrow disaster as proof that the system does not care about ordinary people.
Ideological representation

Ideological representation

  • Underlying ideology:
    • Distrust in public institutions.
    • Sympathy for “the people”.
    • National pride wounded by incompetence.
  • The Sun positions itself as a watchdog for ordinary citizens.
  • It reinforces its brand identity as a protector of the public, though framed through sensationalism and outrage.
Jump to other topics
1

Overview

1.1

Media Language

1.1.1Media Language1.1.2Media Language 2
1.2

Audience

1.2.1Audiences1.2.2Audiences 21.2.3End of Topic Test - Media Language & Audience
1.3

Representation

1.3.1Stereotypes1.3.2Gender1.3.3Audiences
1.4

The Media Industry

1.4.1Media Industries1.4.2Ownership1.4.3Funding & Regulation1.4.4End of Topic Test - Representation/Media Industry
2

Component 1: Section A

2.1

Magazines - Vogue

2.1.1Magazines2.1.2Vogue - Context2.1.3Vogue - Narrative2.1.4Vogue - Representation
2.2

Magazines - GQ

2.2.1GQ - Context2.2.2GQ - Narrative2.2.3GQ - Representation
2.3

Advertising & Marketing

2.3.1Advertising & Marketing2.3.2Analysing Adverts2.3.3Analysing Adverts 22.3.4Theories & Principles2.3.5End of Topic Test - Magazines & Advertising
2.4

Print Advertisements - Quality Street

2.4.1Quality Street - Context2.4.2Quality Street - Narrative2.4.3Quality Street - Representation
2.5

Print Advertisements - (2026 Exams) This Girl Can

2.5.1This Girl Can - Context2.5.2This Girl Can - Narrative2.5.3This Girl Can - Representation
2.6

Print Advertisements - (2027 Exams) NHS 111

2.6.1NHS 111 - Context2.6.2NHS 111 - Narrative2.6.3NHS 111 - Representation
2.7

Film Posters (Marketing)

2.7.1The Man with The Golden Gun2.7.2The Man with The Golden Gun 2
2.8

Film - No Time To Die

2.8.1Context2.8.2Narrative2.8.3Representation
2.9

Newspapers

2.9.1Ownership & Regulation2.9.2News Selection2.9.3Media Language2.9.4Genres2.9.5Newspaper Conventions2.9.6Representation2.9.7Audience2.9.8Theories2.9.9End of Topic Test - Newspapers
2.10

The Sun

2.10.1Context2.10.2Narrative2.10.3Language & Images
2.11

The Guardian

2.11.1The Guardian2.11.2Narrative2.11.3Language & Images
2.12

(2028 Exams) The Sun

2.12.1The Sun - Context2.12.2The Sun - Narrative2.12.3The Sun - Representation
2.13

(2028 Exams) The Guardian

2.13.1The Guardian - Context2.13.2The Guardian - Narrative2.13.3The Guardian - Representation
3

Component 1: Section B

3.1

Video Games

3.1.1Video Games
3.2

Video Games - Fortnite

3.2.1Fortnite (2017) - Media Industries3.2.2Fornite (2017) - Audience
3.3

Film

3.3.1The Big Six3.3.2Technology3.3.3End of Topic Test - Video Games & Films
3.4

Radio

3.4.1The Radio Industry3.4.2Categories of Radio Station3.4.3Technology & Radio Audiences3.4.4Theories3.4.5End of Topic Test - Radio
3.5

Radio - The Archers

3.5.1Production3.5.2Media Industries3.5.3Media Contexts3.5.4Audiences 13.5.5Audiences 2
3.6

(2027 Exams) Radio - Desert Island Discs

3.6.1Media Industries3.6.2Audiences3.6.3Media Contexts
4

Component 2: Section A

4.1

Television

4.1.1The Television Industry4.1.2Types of Broadcasting4.1.3Media Language & TV4.1.4Representation & Audiences4.1.5Theories
4.2

Sitcom

4.2.1Sitcoms4.2.2Friends4.2.3Friends 24.2.4End of Topic Test - Sitcoms & Friends
4.3

Sitcom - Modern Family

4.3.1Media Language4.3.2Representation4.3.3Media Industries4.3.4Audiences4.3.5Media Contexts
4.4

Sitcom - Man Like Mobeen

4.4.1Media Language4.4.2Representations4.4.3Media Industries
4.5

(2026 Exams) Luther

4.5.1Context4.5.2Media Language4.5.3Representation4.5.4Audience4.5.5Industry
4.6

The Sweeney

4.6.1Context4.6.2Media Language4.6.3Representation4.6.4Audience4.6.5Industry
5

Component 2: Section B

5.1

Music Video

5.1.1Music Videos5.1.2The Music Industry
5.2

Lizzo - 'Good as Hell'

5.2.1Context5.2.2'Good as Hell'5.2.3Media Language5.2.4Representation5.2.5Audience5.2.6Industry
5.3

Taylor Swift - 'The Man'

5.3.1Taylor Swift5.3.2Media Language5.3.3Representation5.3.4Audiences5.3.5Media Industries5.3.6Media Contexts
5.4

Stormzy - 'Superheroes'

5.4.1Stormzy5.4.2Media Language5.4.3Representation5.4.4Audiences5.4.5Media Industries5.4.6Media Contexts
5.5

Justin Bieber - 'Intentions'

5.5.1Justin Bieber5.5.2Media Language5.5.3Representation5.5.4Audiences5.5.5Media Industries5.5.6Media Contexts
5.6

TLC - 'Waterfalls'

5.6.1TLC5.6.2Media Language5.6.3Representation5.6.4Media Contexts
5.7

Duran Duran - 'Rio'

5.7.1Duran Duran5.7.2Media Language5.7.3Representation5.7.4Media Contexts
5.8

Online Media - Lizzo

5.8.1Media Language5.8.2Representation5.8.3Audiences5.8.4Media Contexts & Industries
5.9

Online Media - Taylor Swift

5.9.1Media Language5.9.2Representation5.9.3Audiences5.9.4Media Contexts & Industries
5.10

Online Media - Stormzy

5.10.1Media Language5.10.2Representation5.10.3Audience5.10.4Media Context & Industries

Practice questions on The Sun - Representation

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    What does the inclusion of Kym Marsh’s story beside the crisis serve to?Multiple choice
  2. 2
    Which phrase best reflects The Sun’s representation of ordinary people?Multiple choice
  3. 3
    Select all the correct statements below:True / false
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The Sun - Narrative

The Guardian - Context