From beginning to end
the article, written by an official writer of the independent, is angled very
much towards the cut off point costs per megawatt hour (the most we will have
to pay for energy produced at this plant). The writer draws attention to the
fact that this price will be frozen for the entirety of the 35 year period this
deal covers, when other forms of energy will become cheaper. This focus on the
economic over the eco friendly fits with the identity that the independent has
created for its self over the years. The hint is in the name. “The Independent”
tells us that it has no devotion or alignment with political parties and
therefore it will supply its readers with honest hard hitting news; the facts
open and objective. Whether this is actually the case is open to debate (can
any individual writing to an audience ever manage to truly conceal their
opinion?) but the economic focus of this article shows a dedication to
maintaining this image, attempting to convey the facts that will affect,
interest and inform the reader.
The use of speech
marks on the title subtly conveys a dubiousness of the opinion being expressed
or rather a wish to distance themselves from it, instantly attacking the person
who said this, making the authors opinion that the governments arrangements
regarding Hinckley point are somewhat farcical and without real reason.
The colour scheme that
covers the page is dominantly read black and yellow, these colours have strong
connotations of danger and specifically that of nuclear danger.
The article creates
quite an explanatory and neutral tone, seemingly just providing the reader with
the facts. However, the facts that are provided gently nudge the reader in the
direction of an opinion, more effectively than overt indoctrination. For
example, it explains that these higher price costs are incentives for companies
to use low carbon emission methods to create electricity and in comparison to
the prices of wind power and solar panels, the price of these recent subsidies
seems quite descent, as can be seen in the table above. However, the quotes
from various politicians placed throughout the article make it clear that they
have gone back on their word, according to the independent anyway. The general
impression given by the article is that the government have tied themselves in
knots trying to ensure future energy for the country and generally made slight
fools of them-selves. But as mentioned before this is s gently suggested the
reader should not be fully aware.
In comparison the
authorial voice of the article to the far right of the page, by Donald
Macintyre, is punchy strong and immediate. To start with the strong sarcasm
that saturates the article from the headline onwards not only invites the
reader to laugh at what a mess the whole affair appears to be but creates an
impression of the condescending position of the author on the subject giving
his opinions a certain subconscious tint of gravitas and an erudite tone. This
certainly fits with the knowledgeable and well-informed identity the
independent is trying to maintain but lacks objectivity. Arguably, they have
circled around this by naming and providing an image of the author, separating
them-selves from the opinion expressed.
The choice of advert
at the centre of the page must not have been coincidental. When reading the
report the eye is constantly bombarded by the colours red and yellow,
connecting negative connotations with the subject of the article. The fact that
there are no outlines around the article that is supposedly from the
perspective of the newspaper its self, suggests it is objective and information
that is open and universally applicable. The article to the far right, however,
has a thick and quite heavy grey outline around it distinctly separating it from
the independent main article.
The tight text wrap
around the image of the lib-dem politician who seems to have gone back on his
word conveys the linguistic bombardment he is receiving in this article. Where
as once again the square images in the independent article are given much more
space conveying a certain desire of objectivity.
Throughout the paper
there are more opinionated articles on this subject, which seem to be intended
as catalysts for thought rather than the simple conveyance of information. The
main independent article acts as in informer, brining the reader up to date
with all the information and the other articles act as stimulants, getting the
readers thinking about their own stance on the matter, in a way attempting to
encourage independence. As part of my research I will go on to analyse these
other articles and how they affect the reader and shed light on the subject of
the Hinckley point nuclear power plant plans.
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