Gutters

Journalism "The ongoing Diana saga provides a particularly clear illustration of the way in which the Daily Express constructs it's narratives. The text of the news item describes fairly un-sensational events which, so far as I can tell, really happened in the real world. But this text is surrounded by headlines, sub-headlines, cartoons, captions, phone-in polls, readers letters, and op-ed columns -- all of which tell a completely different, and much more dramatic story." -- Andrew Rilstone

I remember when we started buying the Sunday newspapers -- yes, in the eighties -- I used to love the Express because of the Funday Express comic strip section with Rupert The Bear. Although I didn't ever look at the rest of it, even my young brain liked the identity of the paper with the little red knight. Then it went tabloid and now it seems to have become a parody, not just of itself, but the business of news. I always imagine that Rupert is still in there looking about outside the four corners of his panel and trying to work out his 'Great Escape' style climb up the gutters [via].