MASARYK UNIVERSITY BRNO FACULTY OF EDUCATION
Department of English Language and Literature LEXICAL MEANS OF CATEGORIZATION AND DISCRIMINATION: DEPICTION OF WOMEN IN NEWSPAPERS
DIPLOMA THESIS BRNO 2006
Supervisor: Written by:
Mgr. Olga Dontcheva Navrátilová, Ph.D. Dana Mazalová
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Poděkování Především děkuji Mgr. Olze Dontcheva Návrátilové, Ph.D. za cenné rady a přípomínky, které přispěly k vypracování této diplomové práce. Acknowledgements I would like to express my greatful thanks to my supervisor Mgr. Olga Dontcheva Navrátilová, Ph.D. for her valuable advice and comments that helped compile the diploma thesis.
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Prohlašuji, že jsem svou diplomovou práci vypracovala samostatně a použila jen prameny uvedené v seznamu literatury. Souhlasím, aby moje práce byla uložena v knihovně Pedagogické fakulty Masarykovy univerzity v Brně a zpřístupněna pro studijní účely. I proclaim that my diploma thesis is a piece of individual writing and I used only the literature listed in the Bibliography to compile it. I agree with my thesis being stored in the Library of the Faculty of Education at Masaryk University and with its being available for academic purposes. Brno 7 August 2006 ………………………………..
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………...……….6 2. THE NEWSPAPERS…………………………………………………………...8 2.1. THE SUN…………………………………………….………8 2.1.1. THE SUN AND ITS CONTROVERSY……………..…9 2.1.2. THE SUN´ S SPHERE OF INTEREST………………...9 2.2. THE DAILY TELEGRAPH………………………………..10 3. FUNCTIONS OF NEWS ITEMS…………………………………………..…11 4. CATEGORIZATION………………………………………………………....13 5. DISCRIMINATION AND NEGATIVE STEREOTYPES………………..….15 6. FREQUENCY OF OCCURENCE OF WOMEN IN NEWS……...……….....17 6.1. THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, JULY 7, 2005………….……18 6.2. THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, FEBRUARY 21, 2004……...20 6.3. THE SUN, JULY 7, 2005…………………..………………25 6.4. THE SUN, JULY 18, 2005…………………..……………..27 7. HARD AND SOFT NEWS……………………………….……….…………..31 8. SEXIST LANGUAGE VERSUS GENDER –NEUTRAL LANGUAGE…….34 8.1. GENDER NEUTRAL WORDS……………………………34 8.2. LANGUAGE AND THOUGHT……………………………37 8.3. CONNOTATION AND DENOTATION…………………..38 8.4. PERSONAL TITLES……………………………….………39 8.5. POLITICAL CORRECTNESS……………………..……...40 9. COMPARATIVE ANALYSES ………………………………………………43 9.1. POLITICS NEWS………………………………………….43 9.2. COURT REPORT………………………………………….47 9.3. ROYAL FAMILY NEWS....………………………………50 9.4. TV SHOW NEWS…………………………………………51 9.5. CRIME REPORT…………………………………………..54 10. THE SUN AND CATEGORIZATION……………………………………...56 11. CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………62 BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………..65 SUMMARY (ENGLISH)...………………………………………………….…..68
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RESUME (CZECH)……………………………………………………………..69 APPENDIX 1/13, 2/13, 3/13…………..…………………………………….…..70 APPENDIX 4/13………………………………………………………………...71 APPENDIX 5/13………………………………………………………………...73 APPENDIX 6/13………………………………………………………………...74 APPENDIX 7/13, 8/13…………………………………………………………..76 APPENDIX 9/13………………………………………………………………...77 APPENDIX 10/13...……………………………………………………………..78 APPENDIX 11/13...……………………………………………………………..79 APPENDIX 12/13, 13/13………………………………………………...…….. 81
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1. Introduction Newspapers are powerful tools that profoundly influence the reader´s mind. They are one of the main sources from which we learn about the latest events. The newspapers we choose show our interests and also the politics we believe in. They purvey the news and events through their point of view and their point of view through words, phrases and expressions. The same news and events can be depicted in a substantially different way. Thus, I decided to base my thesis on a comparison of two different kinds of newspapers and that is the tabloid and quality newspaper. The main aim of tabloids is to entertain, shock and amuse their readers. The quality newspapers, or broadsheets, on the other hand, provide the readers with in depth information and background reports. The central core of this analysis is the lexical means of categorization and discrimination employed in news. It is intriguing to look not only at the lexical items the newspapers use, but also attempt to reveal their opinions and ideology that might be concealed in the word choice. My main interest is to draw the attention to the news where a woman is the main feature. I am going to analyse the news with regard to the lexical components describing females and try to disclose gender stereotypes if they are present in the newspapers. I would like to prove or deprove the views of some linguists who suggest that women are still described with certain sterotypes. The idea to research this area originated from my reading Roger Fowler´s work, Language in the News . Thus, I provide a quotation of Fowler´s opinion on the matter concerned. ´Even a small sample, collected routinely without hunting for particularly dramatic examples, suggests that women are constituted in discourse as a special group with its own peculiar characteristics, set out from the population as a whole for exceptional evaluation. Irrationality, familial dependence, powerlessness and sexual and physical excesss are some of the attributes predicated of women, these aspects of the paradigm for this ´group´which have been found also by other writers on sexism in languge. ´ (Fowler : 1993 : 95)
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My other concern is to compare the tabloid newspaper The Sun and the quality newspaper The Daily Telegraph with a particular focus on the lexical components used to depict women, their conduct and behaviour. I would like to investigate whether and to what extent the news media differ in their attitude to women and how the stance is communicated to the readers. I am going to focus mainly on: • The frequency of appearance of news featuring women • Naming forms, direct naming, especially: o the use of male expressions generically to include reference to females, o the use of diminutive and juvenile forms to refer to or address women, o offensive terms to refer to females • Titles and address forms • Adjectival description, with a major focus on qualities which are typically associated with males and females • Choice of verbs to describe actions and processes attributed to women
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2. The newspapers The primary reason why I chose The Sun and The Daily Telegraph for the comparison is their high number of circulation in Britain. The Sun is a tabloid daily newspaper published in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It has the highest circulation of any daily English language newspaper in the world. The circulation is approximately 3,154,881 copies a day (in early 2006). The daily readership is estimated at just under 8,500,000. The Daily Telegraph is considered to be one of the quality newspapers and the highest selling British broadsheet. Its average daily circulation is approximately 904,955 (November 2005). Another quality newspaper, The Times , enjoys the circulation of 692,581. It is important for the analysis to mention several facts about their attitudes towards female, political and other social issues. The main source of the information is the website www.wikipedia.com. The reason why I provide more information about The Sun is that it has always aroused a storm of controversy in comparison with The Daily Telegraph . Therefore, there are more data available about the tabloid.
2.1. The Sun It is claimed that the introduction of the page three girl resulted in a decline of the content of the newspaper. The picture, page three girl, used to be a photograph of a naked girl but it changed into top half nude in 1970, one year since its launch. The page three girl was not a daily feature of The Sun at first. The Sun is owned by Rupert Murdoch, a rich businessman, who holds News International, a newspaper group which includes The Sun. The newspaper used to support the Labour Party. But it is claimed that its attitude towards Labour was hostile in 1974 when the election took place. Maragaret Thatcher became a leader of The Conservative Party in 1975 and the newspaper changed its political persuasion. It urged its readers to vote for her in the next General Election. Then,
8 in 1996, The Sun started to favour the Labour Party again as they correctly predicted that Tony Blair and his political party is going to win the General Election. Tony Blair emerged as the winner and became the Prime Minister. Since then it has, despite strong criticism of some of the Labour Party´s policies, supported them in elections. It has been suggested by some critics that a deal between Tony Blair and Rupert Murdoch was negotiated. Others say that Murdoch has followed his usual opportunist policy of backing winners. Nowdays The Sun is considered to express right wing opinions and to support Tony Blair and his political party. Forty one percent of its readers are said to be supporters of the Labour Party. 2.1.1 The Sun´s sphere of interest The Sun provides extensive coverage on human interest stories, particulary the entertainment world, the Royal Family, national and international celebrities and also sport. The paper is always eager to spot celebrities in trouble. The Sun enjoys displaying striking pictures and photographs which are often taken by paparazzi. Apart from articles on celebrities and stars, there are common story topics that include politics, immigration, security and corruption scandals and so called ´destruction of the British way of life´ by Europe. 2.1.2 The Sun and its controversy The Sun has always been surrounded by controversy. From the early 1970s, feminists and many conservatives objected to the page three girls, which they considered pornographic and discriminating against women. These critics were joined by left wingers after The Sun dismissed the Labour Party in favour of Margaret Thatcher's Conservatives. They objected to the paper's right wing populist political line, which they claimed was chauvinistic and hostile. On the whole, the Murdoch Sun has been criticised since its launch for its sensationalism and for its focus on celebrities for its news and feature coverage. The Sun ´s attempts for sensations have occasionaly led it to publish stories on false evidence. It has regularly been accused of deliberate attempts to shock the British public by its news.
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It is argued that the inclusion of light pornography on page three of the paper, although it was criticised by others as offensive, has helped attract a large male readership during the 1970s. It was unusual for any form of pornography to be included in a national newspaper at that time. Nowdays there is a large choice of such reading. Nevertheless, it is estimated that male readers of The Sun prevail All the points that have been mentioned could have led to the following view : ´The phrase Sun readers is sometimes used to refer to British people with little education who hold right wing opinions and prejudices about women and people from other countries.´ ( Oxford Guide to British and American Culture )
2.2. The Daily Telegraph The Daily Telegraph has established a reputation of a quality newspaper and it seems to pursue this line. It has avoided to express controversial attitudes or to hold conflicting opinions with the exception of its political persuasion. The paper has traditionally been supporting the Conservative Party and thus, it is seen as right wing in its views and attitudes to social issues. It is claimed to reflect pro Israel views. The newspaper is often jokingly referred to as the ´Torygraph´ because of personal links between the newspaper's editorial team and the leadership of the Conservative Party. Moreover, its influence over Conservative activists is well known. Sixty one percent of the readers are said to be supporters of the party. The newspaper is owned by Sir David and Sir Frederic Barclay. The new owners suggested (they took over the paper in 2004) that The Daily Telegraph might in future no longer be the ´house newspaper´ of the Conservative Party. Sir David Barclay promised in this interview with The Guardian that the paper will only endorse the opinions ´where the government is right´. The editorial board supported the Conservatives in the 2005 General Election. The Daily Telegraph is also famous for its in depth coverage of financial and sports news.
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3. Functions of news items First, I would like to state that the content of any news items can be assessed from different angles. It will be explained later in the thesis that language, particulary words, and thoughts are enormously interconnected. Therefore, I am going to focus on the lexical level. Information used is passed from various sources and journalists can modify it. Their points of view, opinions and assumptions always appear in the choice of words. What is more, the message in news can be, to a great extent, determined by the readership as well as by the ideological stance of newspapers. Some of the points can be summarized by three functions of language proposed by Halliday (1978). Let me assume that a news item can serve as an example of language in the sense that Halliday (1978) and later Fowler (1991) uses the term. All language performs simultaneously three functions: • Ideational • Interpersonal • Textual ´Ideational function : it is through this function that the speaker or writer embodies in language his experience of the phenomena of the real world; and this includes his experience of the internal world of his own consciousness: his reactions, cognitions, and perceptions, and also his linguistic acts of speaking and understanding. Interpersonal function : (…)the speaker is using language as the means of his own intrusion into the speech event: the expression of his comments, his attitudes, and evaluations, and also of the relationship that he sets up between himself and his listener – in particular, the communication role that he adopts, of informing, questioning, greeting, persuading, and the like.
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Textual function (which is concerned with the creation of text): (….) it is through this function that language makes links with itself and with the situation; and discourse becomes possible, because speaker or writer can produce a text and the listener or reader can recognize one.´ (Fowler : 1991 : 69) It is notable that Halliday himself in his explanations of the functions used the masculine pronoun ´he´ in a generic context (cf. Halliday : 1982 : 112) and Fowler did not adjust the definitions. The lexical level of a text that is the focus of the study is an important factor mainly of the ideational function. It will be evident how much the choice of words that a newswriter, intentionally or unintentinally, performers, is powerful in regards to establishing categories that may evolve into negative stereotypes. Now I have mentioned terms that need to be discussed in a greater detail. In connection with my thesis it is necessary to provide their definitions. The terms are: categorization, discrimination and stereotypes . As the meanings of the terms are closely connected, sometimes the explanations overlap.
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4. Categorization Categorization seems to be a natural process in human minds as it enables us to alleviate the perceving and understanding of the entities around us. We put people and things into groups according to what type they are by categorizing. ´If we imagined the world as a vast collection of individual things and people, we would be overwhelmed by detail. We manage the world, make sense of it, by categorizing phenomena, including people.´ (Fowler: 1991: 92). Consequently, certain qualities are ascribed to certain groups of people. The danger of categories lies in the fact that once a negative quality is imputed to a group (and this negative quality is based on an individual occurance), the group is subsequently judged according to such misconceptions. It follows that categories can become the basis of stereotyping. As Fowler states: ´the category may harden into a stereotype, an extremely simplified mental model which fails to see individual features, only the values that are believed to be appropriate to the type. This is, of course, a basic ideological process at work. A socially constructed model of the world is projected on to the objects of perception and cognition, so that essentially the things we see and think about are constructed according to a scheme of values, not entities directly percieved .´( Fowler : 1991 : 92 ) Establishing categories Social categories exist mainly because they are regarded as significant for our society and culture. Categories would not exist, if there were not a contrast between entities in the world. So if there were only one gender, there would not exist a category of gender. Cross cultural studies provided evidence that categories reflect culture rather than the real ´physical´ world. It was also proved that if a category is not socially important then it is employed neither in depiction of people nor in stating differences between people. It folows that any category can become significant if new beliefs develop in culture. Thus, the categories frequently mentioned in newspapers can expose the course in which opinions and beliefs of the culture concerned evolve. There is, however, another important issue to be mentioned in
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Goddard´s words: ´But the categories which are used in a society are a reflection of what the society believes to be important about people; beliefs which are based upon its political and social order – its ideology.´ (Goddard & Patterson : 2000 : 54) My supposition, already mentioned in the introduction, is that women are put into the categories that signal lower status than those of men. Hence, if this proves to be the case, part of current ideology of the society would be revealed by an insight into the language of newspapers. I have outlined a linkage between categorization and ideology and the issue will be discussed later in the study.
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5. Discrimination and stereotypes It has already been suggested that ´a category may harden into a stereotype´. Stereotypes are fixed images or ideas that people have about a person or thing. They are based on characteristics assigned to a particular group which usually bear little resemblance to reality. Gender stereotypes, one of my concerns, are based on the existance of two ´groups´ of human beings, distinguished according to the sex, each being assigned with different characteristics. These different aspects are frequently presented as salient and produce stereotypes of men being independent, logical, rational and strong. On the other hand, women are characterized in terms of emotional, emphatic, compassionate, submissive and co operative. In my view, negative stereotypes can lead to discrimination. Discrimination is the practice of treating people differently from each other in an unfair way. This might be too general an approach towards this notion so I introduce other definitions of the term. ´To discriminate is to set up, or observe, a difference between, distinguish from another, make a distinction ( ate against, distinguish unfavourably) observe distinctions carefully. The process of discrimination is therefore fundamental to human and social life, since all acts involving selection or choice involve discrimination on the part of the actor.´ ( In Dijk : 1985 : 83 ) ´Discrimination is a practice which affects individual subjects, providing unequal chances of jobs, higher education, money, attention by the police and punishment by the courts, bestowing esteem unequally. But although it is the individual person who is at the sharp end of discriminatory practices, ´justification´ for such practices, where offered, is given not in terms of the individual, but in terms of some assumed group to which the person allegedly belongs; and a stereotype which the culture has conventionally assigned to the ´group´ is applied prejudicially to the individual. The stereotype might be expressed as a set of ´common sense´ propositions which the culture possesses but rarely expresses.´ ( Fowler : 1991 : 93 )
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An illustrative example of disrimination is the following piece of conversation: ´We can´t appoint Mrs X to this position because Mrs X, although qualified, is a young married woman and we all know that they leave to have children after a year or two when the furniture is paid for.´ Mrs X is discriminated against, the job unfairly withheld because she is perceived not as her own person with her own experience and qualifications, but as the carrier of attributes which the employer has stereotypically assigned to the ´group´to which she supposedly belongs. ( Fowler : 1991 : 94 ) Applying these definitions to my analysis, it means that if women ( in this case women are the group) are treated differently in the news in comparison with men, supposedly unfavourably, for instance described in terms of negative stereotypes of being irrational, too emotional and dependant, the gender bias is reinforced with the result of refraining women from obtaining equal chances of jobs or higher education and consequently it can lead to their disadvantaged positions in society. As such an influence is not seen immediately, possible negative stereotypes perpetuated in the news might often be underestimated. The consequences of such treatment are summarized in the following quotation: ´Studies of gender differences have shown the power of stereotyping. A poet is taken more seriously than a poetess, women´s status is lowered by references to the girls . In Hebrew, only the lower ranks in the army ( up to the rank of lieutenant) have feminine forms. The use of generic masculine (´Everyone should bring his lunch, we need to hire the best man available´), however well meaning and neutral the speaker´s intention may be, reinforces the secondary status of women in many social groups.´ (Spolsky : 1998: 38 )
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6. Frequency of occurence of women in news The first area I have decided to analyse is the frequency of occurence of women and men in the news of The Daily Telegraph and The Sun (its frequency counts are included later in the chapter). I have written down all people that were mentioned in the news either as iniciators of actions or their opinions were quoted or they participated in actions or events described. The naming units will also be used for futher analyses. Roger Fowler in his book Language in the News carried out an experiment with the number of noun phrase expressions in the Honours List in a newspaper that refer to women and men. He surveyed the quality newspaper The Guardian of the year 1985. Since Fowler found that there are many more expressions concerning men, he concluded: ´Striking is the quantitative disproportion between men and women.´ ( Fowler: 1993 : 104 ) I conducted a similar experiment with both quality and popular press yet approximately twenty years later. I wrote down all the noun phrase expressions in the home news, first fifteen pages of The Daily Telegraph for July 7, 2005 and February 21, 2004. It is neccessary to mention that the issue of July 7, 2005 was celebrating the victory for the sport campaign as London won the opportunity to host the Olympic Games in 2012 and there were many politicians who took part in lobbying and persuading the committee that was in charge of making the decision. The issue of February 21, 2004 does not seem to be influenced by one general theme or event. Four columns of frequency counts of The Daily Telegraph follow.
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6. 1. The Daily Telegraph, Thursday, July 7, 2005 Naming units referring to women, first 15 pages of the newspaper ______ 1. Tessa Jowells, the Culture Secretary; chief executive Keith Mills 2. Heather Small; Dame Kelly Holmes; Angela Hillier; Eva Beauvillain 3. Joanna Donger, the managing director of Tennis London 4. Cherie Blair; the American born businesswoman Barbara Cassani; 5. Mr.Blair´s wife Cherie 6. Rosemary Clark, the head of Balksbury junior school 7. Singer Christina Aguilera; actors: Drew Berrymore, Charlie Theron; Linda Evangelista; Shalom Harlow, Naomi Campbell, Nadja Auerman, Eva Herzigova; Lily Cole and Erin O´Connor 8. Chanel Taylor, a hairdresser, 23 9. Kate Hoey, the former Labour minister 10. The Queen 11. Barbara Bush, the third woman of the First Family; Jenna 12. THREE women: Beryl Stewart, 73, Betty Crisp, 75, Sheila Lucas, 56; Barbara Thompson, the council´s strategic director for economy, culture and community safety 13. A mother, Mrs Johnson, 36; her 11 year old daughter 14. Senior adviser, Louise Casey, 38, director of the Home Office anti social behaviour unit 15. A sister of Robert McCartney, Mr. McCartney´s fiancée Noun phrase expresssions referring to women appeared in 15 out of 28 analysed news items. A number of naming units in each news item should also be noted. Men appeared in all of the news items as the next frequency count shows.
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Naming units referring to men, first 15 pages of the newspaper ______ 1. Marc Roche, London correspondent of Le Monde and a long time observer of Les Rosbifs; the Prime Mininster 2. A former chancellor; The Tory deputy leader 3. Athletes David Beckham and Sir Matthew Pinset; the Prime Mininster; Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary 4. Hugh Summer, the director of Olympic Transport 5. Ken Livingstone, the mayor of London; Gordon Brown 6. Sir Digby Jones, the director general of the CBI; Tim Salisbury, a consultant specialising in logistics 7. Lance Forman, of H Forman and Sons 8. A partner in Albany Estates in Stratford 9. Sebastian Coe, an Olympic double gold medal winner in the 1500 metres; the Prime Minister; Ken Livingstone, the mayor of London; Juan Antonio Samaranch, the former president 10. Tony Blair; President Chirac; Jonathan Powell, his chief of staff; Tom Kelly, official spokesman; David Hill, the director of communications; Sir Nigel Sheinwald, the Prime Minister´s foreign affairs adviser; Jo Gibbons 11. The French President 12. Jacques Chirac; Bertrand Delonoe, the mayor of Paris; Michel Peytour, 66 13. The british designer John Galliano; The president of the British Board of Trade, Sir Stafford Cripps 14. The enforcement officer 15. David Allen, the chairman of the governors 16. Prof Sir Liam Donaldson, the chief medical officer for England 17. Dr John Moore Gillon, the chairman of the British Thoracic Society 18. A father, Terry Rodgers, 56; Jonathan Spicer; Steven Ferguson, QC 19. Charles Clarke, the home Secretary; Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Mr Justice Colins 20. President George Bush; President Jacques Chirac; Mr Blair, Gordon Brown; Jacques Chirac, Vladimir Putin and Gerhard Schröder; Andrew Fairlie, the Michelin starred chef; Michel and Albert Roux 21. President George W Bush 22. Peter Wilson, Chief Constable of Fife 23. A spokesman for Portsmouth city council 24. The coroner, William Morris 25. The First Sea Lord, Adml Sir Alan West 26. Sir John Gieve, Home Office pernament secretary; David Davis, Conservative home affairs spokesman; Mr Blair 27. Jo Bloxham, the manager; Chris MacLean, the landlord of the Plough 28. Mark Reavell, the head of the college´s faculty
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6.2. The Daily Telegraph, Saturday, February 21, 2004 Naming units referring to women, first 15 pages of the newspaper ______ 1. Margaret Murray, the head of learning and skills at the Confederation of British Industry 2. Mrs Tucker, 53, a teacher; our translator, Andia Morales, 32 3. His wife, Barbara Amiel; Marilyn Stitt, a senior auditor with KPMG 4. A 15 year old girl 5. Barbara Roche, the Labour MP for Horsney and Wood Green and former Home Office minister 6. His wife Marilyn; his second wife Melinda 7. The actress Joan Plowright; her contamporariers Judi Dench and Maggie Smith; Dame Joan, the widow of Lord Olivier, 74; Carol Sarler 8. The singer Charlotte Church, 18; her mother, Maria, 38 9. His wife, Iyican; daughter, Lisa, 21; the family´s 22 year old Turkish au pair 10. Elizabeth Winkfield; Christine Melson 11. Julie Reynolds, 30, a curator 12. Monica Jefferies 13. His wife, Deepita 14. Estelle Moris (Ms Moris) Noun phrase expresssions referring to women appeared in 14 out of 25 analysed news items. A number of naming units in each news item is also to be noticed. Men appeared in 23 out of the news items as the next frequency count shows.
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Naming units referring to men, first 15 pages of the newspaper ______ 1. Mike Tomlinson, a former chief inspector of schools; Charles Clarke, the Education Secretary; John Bangs, the head of education for the National Union of Teachers; Chris Woodhead 2. Neil Tucker, 24, an experienced climber; her 59 yer old husband, a lecturer 3. The Prince of Wales´s new Communications Secretary Patric Harverson, the former PR for Six Alex Ferguson; Prince Harry 4. John Reid, the Health Secretary 5. LORD Black of Crossharbour, the newspaper proprietor…; his counsel, David Braff; Martin Flumenbaum; his associate Daniel Colsen, Mr Barcley; Michael Meacher 6. A FORMER minister in Tony Blair´s Government; Mr Blair 7. Mick Cash, the union´s deputy general secretary; Gary Tindall, 46, a father of one 8. Delbo King, 33, a former paratrooper; Anthony O´Donnell, his solicitor 9. Duran Duran – the original members: Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, Roger Taylor, Andy Taylor; David Bailey, 10. Brian Wilson; a 22 year old self styled poet named Van Dyke Parks; Paul McCartney, the Hollywood psyhoterapist Dr Eugene Landy 11. Lord Warner, the health minister 12. Justin Few, 23; judge Derek Inman 13. David Triesman, the former general secretary of the Labour Party 14. David Gritten, The Daily Telegraph´s critic; Robert Johnes, head of the Film Council´s lottery, Johny Vegas and Mackenzie Crook 15. Jonathan Shalit, manager 16. A wealthy businessman, John Luper, 57, a non executive director of The Sport Entertainment and Media Group; Det Supt Bill Shackleton 17. Greg Powel, a solicitor for the detainees: Shafiq Rasul, 26, Asif Iqbal, 22, Ruhal Ahmen, 23, Tarek Dergoul, 24, Jamal Udeen, 37; Habib Rasul, the brother of Shafiq Rasul; Moazzem Begg, 35; Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary; Attorney General, Lord Coldsmith; Lord Falconer, the Lord Chancellor; Tony Blair; Richard Belmar, 24 and Martin Mubanga, 29 18. Sheikh Abu Hamza al Masri, the extremist Muslim cleric; Abbasi, 23, a former worshipper; James Ujaama – Hamza´s former website designer; John Ashcroft, the US attorney general; Ahmed Ressam, an Algerian terrorist in prison in the US 19. David Randall, 66, a retired delivery driver; Roger Edwards, 61, the secretary of his local United Reform Church 20. Paul Cooper, the head of mortages at Alliance & Leicester 21. Mark Hessel, 32, a solicitor 22. A young infantryman; a young squaddie; a taxi driver 23. Mr Makwana, an award winning radio DJ
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My survey produced direct result and that is a higher number of noun phrase expressions concerning men in both issues of the newspapers. I have intentionally excluded a number of news items where women or men are the main theme or iniciators of the actions as the interpretation of the data would differ from person to person as the themes are often too general. However, the news items contain a large number of references to men. Their opinions to the matters concerned are quoted and their actions are described more frequently than those of women. Suprisingly for some, the result was almost the same as of the similar experiment done twenty years ago. At that time Fowler wrote: ´One would, of course, expect such a disproportion, in a society in which it is predominantly men who receive the top jobs and honours: there are few women professors, managing directors or millionaires, so few women appear in this Hounours List.´ (Fowler : 1993:104) Yet, in the present era one would probably expect different findings. More women are professors, managing directors or millionairess in comparison with the situation twenty years ago. As the experiment revealed men holding these positions are still in prevalence in the news. This fact implies that the inequality between women and men in the labour market proves to be difficult to be changed in spite of the efforts of various organisations and feminist movements. Moreover, it becomes clear that women have their paid employments but highly paid and high powered jobs, jobs where key decisions are made, are still mostly kept by men. A similar idea has been suggested by Fowler as he has concluded: ´The discourse of the media in general is an instrument of cultural reproduction, highly implicated within power structures and reflecting values about the world. One of them is male supremacy. Writers in quality papers seem to abide by and to be dominated by this ideology. News is not a value free reflection of fact but construction and representation of the world through language. ( Fowler :1991: 4) The quality newspapers are interested in politics and the number of women holding functions in politics is even nowdays very small. Women make up approximately a fifth of Members of Parliament and a quarter of the Cabinet in the United Kingdom (the data are for the year 2005 and from website www.eoc.org.uk). Then I could argue that the high number of male politicians appearing in newspapers only points to a logical conclusion that language only reflects the fact that there are a lot of men working in politics. Yet, there are covert aspects behind this statement as it was suggested in the previous quotation,
22 i.e. ´news is not value free reflection of fact (…)´ One of the covert aspect is the abundant reference to men´s positions and power. Drawing on Fowler: ´(…) appearance in discourse of a large number of expressions mentioning powerful social categories and referring to men as incumbents of those categories implicitly suggests that this is the natural order of things , and so strengthens resistance to women actually being admitted to the positions concerned.´ (Fowler : 1991 : 104). The other aspect that might have influenced my findings is the point whether references to women can be intentionally excluded and whether men are more likely to be given voice in quotations. Examinations of this area is outside the scope of this thesis, but this aspect should be taken into consideration and will be partially attended to in the following chapter. All these aspects might lead to a condition when gendered assumptions are reinforced, generally, in the society and it is more difficult for women to hold positions of authority, influence or power in the labour market. Naming units Although there is a striking difference in the number of references to men and to women, no evaluative adjectives designating women as hysteric and weak or irrational have been found in these issues of the newpaper. Neither have I found cases of designating women in terms of their appearance or sexual attraction. On the other hand, there is a case that might prove that stereoptypes still exist. Women are more likely to be characterized in terms of their marital status, considering how frequently the word ´wife´ appeared (five times in the issue of February 21 and the word ´husband´ appeared only once). A concrete example is the the naming unit ´Mr.Blair´s wife´. Cherie Blair is a famous figure in Britain not only becuase of Tony Blair but because of her success in her career. Therefore, she does not need to be referred to as ´Tony Blair´s wife´. The difference would be especially notable, have I constructed a naming unit Ms Blair´s husband and referred to Tony Blair. I predict that this would sound peculiar to many readers. Therefore, it can be confirmed that in this case marital and family relationship is foregrounded in the represenation of the woman.
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Noun phrase expression where women are described in terms of their professional status seem to be shorter in comparison with those referring to men. The naming units concerning men frequently contain the title ´Sir´. It is to be noted that the title ´Lady´ has not occured in the frequency counts. The fact signals unequal status of women. Moreover, the word ´lady´ has obtained mostly negative meanings as it will be discussed later in the study. Going through the naming units in the first column of the frequency counts, the word ´actors´ designating Drew Berrymore and Charlie Theron can be easily noticed. This example illustrates the effort of journalists (and in this case it was a woman) to avoid the term actress and replace it with nouns unmarked for gender. Oxford Advanced Learner´s Dictionary (2000) suggests, in the note to the usage of the word actress (pp.18), that: ´Many women prefer to be called actors, although when the context is not clear, an actor is usually understood to refer to men.´ There is a tendency not to use gender descriptions in job titles in order to remove the impressions that some jobs are usually undertaken by women or by men. Non gender specific terms are applied more frequently these days. As Spolsky (1998) summarizes: ´(…) with the growth of social awareness in this area over the past decades, there have been many attempts to overcome this prejudicial use of language.´ (Spolsky : 1998: 38). Not only newswriters of tabloids or broadsheet newspapers but also other writers are supposed to use gender neutral words.
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In the same way, I performed an experiment with the tabloid The Sun and its issues of July 7, 2005 and July 18, 2005. I recorded all the naming units that appeared in the home news and I would like to emphasize that in this test it is not necessary to compare the number of referring expressions in newspapers issues of the same day. The aim is to find the extent of occurance of naming units that refer to women and men and to provide us with a result in which newspapers references to women are more likely to occur. Four frequency counts follow. 6. 3. The Sun, Thursday, July 7, 2005 Naming units referring to women, first 20 pages of the newspaper ______ 1. The Queen; Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell; Princess Anne; spring limbed heptathlete; javelin ace Tessa Sanderson 2. Double Olympic gold medalist Dame Kelly Holmes; pop princess Rachel Stevens; M People´s Heather Small 3. Sweetheart Vera Lynn; FA sex scandal secretary Faria Alam; Dutch housewife Fanny Blankers Coen – a mum of two; Sporty Spice 4. Student Madeileine Latour, 19, weeping press officer Anne Sylvia Schneider 5. New Olympics Secretary 6. East London councillor Denise Jones 7. Mrs Clarke, 40 8. Hotel heiress Paris Hilton, 24 9. Shop assistant Jenny Nicholl, 19; her frantic mum (mum of three), 50 10. PM aide, senior advisor, Louise Casey, 38, director of the Home Office anti social behaviour unit BIZZARE: • Top girl Charlotte, the Cardiff girl • The singers • Princess of Pop, Britney Spears, the pregnant singer • Angelina Jolie • Kate Moss Noun phrase expresssions referring to women appeared in 10 out of 12 analysed news items. A number of naming units in each news item should also be noted. Men appeared in 9 news items as the next frequency count shows.
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Naming units referring to men, first 20 pages of the newspaper ______ 1. Tony Blair, Mr Blair; heroic team leader Lord Coe – an emotional Lord Coe, International Olympic Commitee president Jacques Rogge; Prince Charles; Prince William; London´s mayor Ken Livingstone, chancellor Gordon Brown, hurdler Colin Jackson; esstatic soccer idol Becks; Soccer legend Sir Bobby Charleton 2. The IOC President, Belgian Jacques Rogge; Lord Seb Coe; Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver 3. Bullying French President Jacque Chirac; chancellor Gordon Brown; Mr Blair; German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder; Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin 4. Smug French President Jacques Chirac – cocky Chirac; postal worker Pierre Lapous, 42; Jarome Avel, 33, a banker; Cafe worker Olivier Daleo, 29 5. Seb Coe, the never say die hero, now Lord Coe, 48, a father of four – a multi millionaire; ex Tory leader and close pal William Hague 6. Michael Casidy, president of London Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Councillor Conor McAuley, head of regeneration in Newham; John Biggs, vice chair of London Development Agency 7. Tory David Davies; the PM´s spokesman 8. Child abuse expert Prof Sir Roy Meadow, 72 9. Cook Martin Dewey; English chef Andrew Fairlie
BIZZARE: • The star´s boyfriend Brad Pitt • Boyfriend Pete Doherty; Elton John´s partner David Furnish • Lee Sharpe
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6. 4. The Sun, Monday, July 18, 2005 Naming units referring to women, first 20 pages of the newspaper ______ 1. Ex nanny Daisy Wright (pretty), 26; Jude´s fiancée Sienna Miller, 22 (devasteted); Jude´s ex wife, Sadie, 38 2. A former education Secretary 3. His mother Marim McLoud; Germaine´s wife Samantha Lewthwite, 22 (ex prom queen) 4. The mum of a brave British soldier, Bridie, 61; daughter Nina, 27; mum Sue, 41 5. Factory worker Helen, 21; Tara Whelan, 17 6. Charlotte Church; her mum Maria 7. Wayne Rooney´s fiancée Collen McLoughin, 19 8. JK Rowling (JK), the author; THE SUN´s cub reporter Zoe Brennan, 14; 4 other fans 9. A furious mum, Chloe Jonas, 22 10. MUMS and babies; health supremo Patricia Hewitt 11. Children´s minister Beverley Hughes 12. Midwives BIZZARE: • Kelly Brook • Geri Halliwell • Liz Hurley • Liam´s girlfriend Nicole Appleton • stunners Noun phrase expresssions referring to women appeared in 12 out of 19 analysed news items. A number of naming units in each news item should also be noted. Men appeared in 18 news items as the next frequency count shows.
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Naming units referring to men, first 20 pages of the newspaper ______ 1. THREE of the London suicide bombers: Shehzad Tanweer, 22, Mohammad Sidique, 30, Hasib Hussain, 18; Mohammad Tafazil, 38 2. Two timing star Jude Law (the Alfie star, the Hollywood actor, a masterful loverthe cheating actor, panicked Jude), 32 3. The former Tory Prime Minister, Sir Edward Heath, 89; Tony Blair; Tory leader Michael Howard; former Tory Prime Minister John Major; Lib Dem leader Chales Kennedy; Former Tory Chancellor Kenneth Clarke (the commentary is omitted) 4. US installation artist Spencer Tunic 5. Musician, Supergrass drummer 6. The Egyptian bio chemist, Muslim Magdy el Nashar, 33; a priest Mankarious Massif Ghattas, 91 7. A bussinessman 8. Home Secretary Charles Clarke; Tory and Lib Dem counterparts: David Davis, Mark Oaten; the Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer; Home Office Minister 9. Amir Khan, the 18 year old fighter; David Bailey; Khan´s promoter Frank Warren 10. The devastated dad of suicide bomber Germaine Lindsay, Jamaican carpenter Nigel Lindsy, 45; Germaine; Germaine´s grandad Austin McLeod; Sun security adviser Andy McNab 11. The Defence Minister, John Reid 12. Private Leon Spicer, 26; Dad Chris, 56; son Gerard, 24; Second Lieutenant Richard Shearer, 26; private Philip Hewett; major Tom Sager of the regiment; Prime Minister Tony Blair; Defence Secretary John Reid 13. Her fiance Stephen Stables, 23; his father Michael, builder 44,Helen´s brother Adam Megoran, 16; governor Mustafa Malay; a spokesman; the British ambassador to Turkey, Sir Peter Westmacott 14. Rugby hunk boyfriend Gavin Henson 15. Heartbroken Bob and Mary Powell; local vicar the Rev Dr Peter Bement, the wealthy´s couple son; Detective Inspector, Adrian Evans 16. Chief Sir Ian Kennedy 17. Shadow Home Secretary David Davis 18. A shameless thief; astonished shop owner Tom Hayes Bizzare: • Robbie Williams • Billy Zane • SteveMcFadden – EastEnder Phil Mitch • Former busted star James Bourne • Willy Wonka star John Depp • James Blunt
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Although the layout of news in The Sun is different from that of The Daily Telegraph, I have gone through the first twenty pages (taking the format of tabloid and quality newspapers into consideration) and I have concentrated on naming units in the home news. The Sun omitted the page three girl mainly because of the fact the issue of July 7, 2005 was depicted as glorification of the success of the Olympic bid. The content of the issue of July 18, 2005 was influenced by, at that time, recent terrorist attacks in London. I would like to comment on features that I have found interesting in the tabloid newpaper. There is a higher number of naming units that refer to men in comparison with women but the difference is not so significant in the issue of July 7, 2005 and generally women appear more frequently in the news in comparison with The Daily Telegraph . There are several aspects that might not allow to draw a completely fair comparison in regard to the newspapers, i.e. the different layout of The Sun and The Daily Telegraph and also the difference in their news coverage which will be discussed in the next chapter on ´hard´ and ´soft´ news. Considering these aspects, I would like to focus more on the depiction of women. I am going to attend to the section Bizzare as a separate matter as it contains articles that are not very serious in tone and the section does not specifically relate to home news. Bizzare focuses on sensational news from the world of film production, televison and catwalks, it is not wholly surprising that there is approximately the same number of women and men that make the news. Short personal commentaries are not included in the frequency counts. Naming units Women and men are referred to by their full names. Noun phrase expressions where women are described in terms of their professional status do not seem to be shorter in comparison with those referring to men. On the other hand, men are denoted more favourably than women, e.g. ´ecstatic idol´, ´hero´ and ´heroic team leader´. Naming units where men are depicted in their relationship to women appeared in the news, e.g. ´the star´s boyfriend Brad Pit´ and ´Rugby hunk boyfriend Gavin Henson´. An opposite manner of presentation usually occurs.
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Evaluative adjectives, e.g. ´weeping´ and ´frantic´, are notable. They both refer to women and the depiction is clearly perpetuating the stereotypes of irrationality and weakness of women. The French president is depicted as ´smug´, and ´cockey´, which only reinforces the implicit assumption of the president´s conceit but not of his irrationality. It also reflects The Sun ´s notorious hostility against him. Going through the section Bizzare, I found a very clear example of reinforcing negative stereotypes in the representation of a woman and that is the article about Britney Spears (see App. 1/13). As it draw my attention, I would like to highlight some interesting points. The singer is referred to as ´the pregnant singer´ in the second paragraph, evidently her pregnancy and appearance are foregrounded here. Her look is vividly depicted, quotiong: ´Here´s Britney Spears showing off her fizzique (…)´ (the word ´fizzique´ refers to Britney Spears´ liking for fizzy drinks and her body).´The pregnant singer was snapped looking swell (…)´ and ´Dressed in a summery green top and jeans ( …)´ In similar cases of such usage of lexis about women, Hartley (1982) refers to various myths, for example myths of glamour and celebrity. He explains that myths signify conceptual or ´objective´values. ´The news as a whole is structured around the ´newsworthiness´ of ´élite personalities´, who are available to signify other myths.´ The others myths that seem to be always present in the tabloid include myths of female sexuality and are also present in the frequency counts, e.g. ´sex scandal secretary´, ´sweetheart´, ´stunners´ Moreover, the foregrunding of female pregnancy and look in the previous news item confirms such myths. Hartley adds: ´they are a product of the active generative process of language, formed and reformed according to the relations between social groups and forces. Thus one of the primary functions of the news in any medium is continuously to signify myths throught the everyday detail of ´newsworthy´ events.´ (Hartley : 1982 : 28) To sum up, I conclude that in the popular press the newswriters frequently cast women and their word choice visibly shows the difference in the manner of representation of women and men.
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7. Hard and soft news One of the problems I have come across when I decided to compare broadsheet and tabloid news was lack of material to analyse. There are not many same news items, where a woman is the central figure or the iniciator of action, available in both newspapers. On the other hand, it is not so suprising considering the different approach to the news coverage. I argue that there is a general tendency of quality newspapers towards a focus on ´hard´ news. They report news from the sphere of : • politics • foreign affairs • relations, disputes and issues between governments • proposals for new laws • report of wars • tragedies and accidents • crime • court reports And they provide us with ´soft´ news to lesser extend. The ´soft´ news is concerned with: • personal and interpersonal relations • family relations and problems • professions and work, working environment (cf. In Mills : 1995 on soft and hard news : 232) There is, again, a different picture with tabloid news as the tabloid writers are more interested in the private life of elite persons and famous people. Thus, they are more likely to bring news from the area of the ´soft´ news. Some journalists see this kind of news as focusing on women.
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Some writers, concerned with the issue of representation of women in news, consider the prevelance of hard news a sign that news where men are more likely to appear is given priority. Caldas Coulthard points out the focus of quality newspapers on hard news: ´Decisions about the economy, politics and working relations are given priority while topics such as personal relations, sexuality, family and working conditions are invisible in the news.´ ( In Mills : 1995 : 232) Yet, I maintain that political and economical situation is more likely to influence all of us in comparison with the extent to which famous people and their personal relations affect our lives. The analyses mentioned before showed that women are less likely to appear in the newspapers than men with the exception of some issues and sections of The Sun . Its number of naming units referring to men and women was not so disproportionate. Its news is occupied with models, actors and people involved in show business and it presents ´soft´ news to a greater extent than the quality newspapers. Now I would like to return to the suggestion as to ´language simply reflects the facts´. Although I have already explained that such an argument lacks some important points and can be considered too simplistic, I would like to evaluate it in regard to the society. Let me consider these facts: Women do not participate in politics as much as men do. (www.eoc.org.uk) Women do not hold so many government posts and that is why they do not engage in decision making to such an extend men do. (www.eoc.org.uk) Women do not commit as many violent crimes as men do. ´Men commit more crimes than women. In 2002 male offenders in England and Wales outnumbered female offenders by more than four to one.´ (www.statistics.org.co.uk) I expect there would not be much of dispute about the previous statements and my suggestion that these factors influence the coverage of news featuring women. I have mentioned the last point intentionally because of the fact that the first pages of newspapers have recently been pre occupied with acts of terrorists and criminals. These news items are newsworthy and also fulfil many values of news, e.g. reference to something negative, unexpectedness. (cf. Fowler : 1991 on news values)
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Although Caldas Coulthard agrees with ´language reflecting the facts´, she mentions the aspect that women are not given as much space as men in the newspapers and women are seen as a minority group in quality newspapers. She supports this view by her research where she analysed press texts for the number of occurances when women and men were given voice. She concluded that out of 527 instances, 451 men were given voice. She points out that by ignoring the asymmetries concerning the ways society in general treats the genders we only perpetuate the stereotypes. In spite of my agreement with this view, I have reached a conclusion that dicrimination of women in the news is significantly grounded in the way women are depicted more than in the frequency of appearance. Considering the large number of aspects that influence the frequency of news items referring to women, it is almost impossible to attend to all of them. I understand that Caldas Coulthard also acknowledges importance to the manner of presentation of women as she adds: ´The linguistic differences in the way women are represented in hard news are a reflection of women´s lack of access to power, since language is located in a power structure which is, in its turn, relected in the linguistic production. And women, according to the research, are far from being in powerful positions. The striking disproportion in the way men and women are represented in the news makes clear a more general disproportion which most people do not reflect upon.´ ( In Mills : 1995 : 239 ) To sum up, my intention in this chapter was to show the complexity of the issue relating to the frequency of occurence of women in news.
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8. Sexist language versus gender neutral language As my objective is to examine ways of discrimination connected with lexical components in the news, let me now explore whether the ways the English language is used to refer to women and men promotes discrimination against females with a particular focus on naming units with widespread occurence in news. 8.1. Gender neutral words
Firstly, let me discuss an important fact about the English language. The point is that there exists only one word form for doctors, lawyers or ministers in English in comparison with my mother tongue, the Czech language, where there are two forms, feminine and masculine, denoting a person doing the job, e.g. ´doktor´ and ´doktorka´; ´právník´ and ´právnička´ (again, the masculine form is the base from which the feminine form is derived). Anyone can put their assumptions to a test and they would mostly realise that if we are talking about a lawyer without mentioning he or she most of us would expect that the lawyer is a man. If we randomly take words that appear in the previous analysis in The Daily Telegraph : adviser, officer, leader and prime minister into consideration, I suppose that many of us would think that they primarly refer to men. I believe that this is caused by the fact that in earlier times only men used to enter these professions. This is naturally encoded in our minds because of the fact that language and culture are linked together closely and firmly. On the other hand, this fact might be strenghened by the existence of word forms that are differenciated by gender; for instance actor and actress . The word denoting men is unmarked in its form and the word denoting women is derived from it so that the male form functions as a base and probably as a norm. Poynton agrees with this suggestion: ´Many of these, particularly occupational and professional labels, are commonly said to be unmarked for gender or of common gender. In fact they are covertly male: the pervasive habit of indicating by some linguistic marker when a woman is being referred to is so pervasive that the absence of such an indicator is taken to mean that the referent is a man.´ ( Poynton : 1989 : 58 )
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Techniques for marking female gender There are two primary ways how to mark female gender and these are: 1. to use suffixes that clearly denote female gender 2. to use words that explicitely mark the referent as female ( woman, female ) The suffixes include –ess with such words like actress, hostess, stewardess, waiteress, mayoress, mistress, goddess, princess . The Oxford Advanced Learner´s Dictionary states: ´the sufix –ess in names of occupations such as actress, hostess and waitress shows that the person doing the job is a woman. Many people now avoid these. Instead you can use actor or host, (although actress and hostess are still very common) or a neutral word, such as server for waiter and waiteress .´ The other suffix much less commonly used is –ette . There exist only few instances of forms using this suffix that have passed into general use. They are: usherette, majorette and suffragette. This suffix is originally French where it is used as diminutive suffix –et . The English language uses it also in a diminutive way and has formed nouns like kitchenette . The use of the word sufragette is particulary arguable as the word is considered ironic and insulting by some. According to Miller& Swift (1981) the women who fought for the suffrage in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries referred to themselves as suffragists . The word suffragette was first used in 1906 by The Daily Mail to intentionally belittle these women and their aims. ( In Poynton: 1989 : 107) It can be summarized that ´ ette ´carries with it the additional insult of being at heart a diminutive and therefore may be viewed as patronizing and belittling.´(www. bartleby.com) The second method for indicating that a human referent is female is by using a word that explicitely shows this, for instance woman, lady, female and girl when combined with the agent word, producing such forms as woman doctor, lady lawyer and female advisor. Oxford Advanced Learner´s Dictionary suggests: ´when talking about jobs that are traditionally done by the other sex, some people
35 say : a male secretary/nurse/model or a woman/female doctor/barrister/driver . However this is now not usually used unless you need to emphasize which sex the person is, or it is still unusual for the job to be done by a man /woman.´ Let me offer another explanation why the use of such words is considered inappropriate. Again, it is proposed from the linguistic point of view : ´Female words used in this way, as classifiers, perform a particular kind of modification of the head word of the nominal group indicating a sub class of the group referred to. Identifying a sub class of a group as female of course carries the implication that the group itself is basically male.´ (Poynton : 1989 : 59) ´A little thought shows that the prototype doctor must be male – when the doctor´s sex is not directly relevant we are much more likely to specify it for a female than for a male. The same seems to be true of most names for professions, with a few obvious exceptins like nurse . It is true that this bias against females is in the concepts that the words express, and not in the words themselves; but this conceptual inequality reinforces itself by its effect on our speech. Every time we refer to a female as a woman doctor we reinforce the bias, as we do every time we refer to a male simply as a doctor.´ (Hudson : 2001 : 103) Later in his work, Hudson explains ´that concepts are prototypes, i.e. clear typical cases´, which allow exceptions. Then it implies that a male doctor is a typical example and a female doctor is an exception. The point Hudson probably wish to express is that the concepts might, in some cases, be false; However, I claim, that even if words are understood under an influence of the concepts , it is not the only matter that has an impact on human minds. If words that are marked for gender did not exist in English, I maintain, the suggested influence would not be so considerable. And to conclude, I believe that employing only nouns with dual gender (such as author, supervisor or lawyer) in the language can be beneficial because the concepts might evolve to be more truthful. Thus, people would perceive these words equally in regards to gender concealed in them. These opinions suggest that the omission of the linguistic markers discussed above can contribute to the change of our perceiving of words denoting professions. I would like to draw the attention to a more sophisticated issue and
36 that is a connection between language and socialization, which is, in my opinion, linked to the matter of the concepts discussed above. Drawing on Poynton´s point: ´The problem is that to simply delete the feminine markers (stereotypic or not) would effectively identify these individuals as male, not simply because more economists and real estate personnel are male than female but because gender is built into the heart of the English classification of the things of the world in terms of its nouns.´ I would like to comment the idea ´that gender is built into the heart of the English classification´. As mentioned before, the fact that occupations like doctors, lawyers and political advisers used to be undertaken mostly by men is deeply set in our minds. Moreover, this assumption is taught through socialisation from the early age of the child. Hence I refer to the influence of socialisation on a concept of language and thought. 8.2. Language and thought Socialisation is the process by which a human being learns to behave in a way that is acceptable in their society. It means that everything that a human being perceives, learns and remembers in the world helps to create our ideas, assumptions and thoughts. Goddard claims: ´This process is extensive and includes all the things we see and hear from society around us – the people we meet, the things we´re told, the images we see, the books we read, and so on. These sources also give us information about identitiy – who we are, and what being a man or woman means – because we learn about ourselves from the society around us.´ (Goddard & Patterson : 2000 : 34) Socialisation starts at the moment a person is born and continues till the end. The important thing when talking about gender is the fact that learning about gender starts at a very early age. Childern are taught the appropriate behaviour, the way to speak, to be dressed in order to fit the expectations the society have. They learn words denoting professions and activities that are typically associated with each gender. As it is true that the language we speak influences, to a great deal, the way we perceive the world, our language is gendered. It means that we share a system of references to what is feminine and masculine and so common knowledge guides that pretty, beauties, nurses are women; and handsome , hunks, presidents are men.
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There are also words that change their meaning according to whether they refer to women or men. Unfortunately, again, when it is a woman who is being described in terms of ´well built´, she is supposed to be fat. Conversely, a ´well built´ man is probably muscular with no negative reference. Thus, I wish to underscore my assumption that some words denominating both women and men, if they receive negative undertone, than predominantly in case of women. It follows that all these aspects of language are part of our social knowledge that is used to interpret the world. Another aspect of linkage between language and thought to be covered is the term connotation .. 8.3. Connotation and denotation Connotations are the associations the words themselves create in readers´ or listeners´ minds and therefore are very important concerning the word choice, not only in the press. Denotations can be explained as straightforward dictionary definitions fo words. The denotation of the word cat is ´a small animal with four legs that is often kept as a pet´. But the word also carries personal and emotional meaning, that is connotations. The connotation of the word ´cat´varries from person to person. On one hand, it may connote pride or individuality and on the other hand, it may connote alergy, filth or fight. Concerning how strong connotations are, I mention ´that some words carry strong connotations, and those connotations are generally agreed on by users of the language. Such words are often described as ´loaded´. Loaded words have strong negative or positive connotations, and can have a powerful emotional impact. ´ (Carter et al. : 1997: 99) It follows that distinct impressions can be formed in readers´ minds based on the associations connected with lexical components included in a report. Therefore, words with everyday occurance in tabloids, for instance ´babes´, ´beauties´ might create sexual undertone with some readers. Likewise, words
38 with gender neutral denotation like ´officer´ or ´lawyer´ are sometimes attached with connotations which are not gender neutral. In connection with words denoting females, I am going to explain two other terms pejoration and amelioration. ´Groups that have a lower status in society are frequently subjected to derogaroty or demeaning terms. Words relating to women often undergo a process by which the original meaning is lost, and a new, derogatory meaning is acquired, or the original meaning is retainded, but the new meaning becomes the more central one. This press is known as pejoration . Words relating to men, on the other hand, frequently retain their original meaning, or even undergo a process whereby the original meaning acquires extra status. This process is known as amelioration .´ (Carter et al. : 1997: 105) The word taken into consideration is ´a hostess´ as I have quite thoroughly explained the reasons to substitute the words ending in -ess with gender neutral words, let me mention one more. This word seems to have undergone the process of pejoration as some dictionary entries confirmed it has, apart from its original meaning, connotoations of prostitution. Another example is the word ´lady´ that collocates with ´cleaning´, ´dinner´, ´tea´ to form words with mainly non prestigious meanings. Another domain of language where unequal treatment concerning women is evident is a range of personal titles in English. 8.4. Personal titles The English system of personal titles consists of four terms. These are Mr for men, with no reference to marital status, Miss, Mrs and the term Ms, almost new for some, for women. It follows that there are three terms of address for women and only one term for men. The important point to make is that in case of men their marital status in not revealed. Conversely, Miss is generally used for single and Mrs for married women. Then the question ´why is the marital status of women important to that extend that it is embodied in the system of personal
39 titles´ arises. The explanation is usually very simple and it is the foregrounding of an importance of women being connected with men and worse still dependant on men. In spite of such an unequal treatment that exists and is also present in other languages, it is necessary to appreciate the effort to employ the Ms into the ordinary usage of language. The use or rather a failure of the use of Ms is discussed by Poynton who remarks that: ´The lack of parallelism is noteworthy, though not at all uncharacteristic of systems involiving gender. The basis of the asymmetry is that while males are identified purely in terms of gender, females are distinguished in terms of their relationship to a male: either as daughter of one – since children usually (and in some places compulsorily) take their father´s surname – or as wife of another. Hence the proposal to introduce a new term Ms , which would parallel Mr in simply identifying the referent as female without reference to marital status (…)´. Poynton futher mentions that: ´There have been suggestions to do away with even that distinction, e.g. a universal M whenever a title is required for the sake of politeness or formality, but distinguishing people on the basis of sex/gender is so fundamental in this culture that it is doubtful that such a change would ever occur. Ms is a somewhat diferent matter, however, though the current situation regarding its use is not quite what was envisaged (…).´ (Poynton : 1990 : 42) Investigations into the origin of the term Ms show that: (…) it has been the misconception (fuelled, not surprisingly, by the tabloid press) that some women have used the term Ms because they were ´anti men´, but this ignores the fact that the word has a historical background, dating back to the 17th century. It has been used by women as a title, which protects and retains their privacy and makes no statement about their marital status, which, of course Mrs and Miss do very clearly. The term Mr is used for all men, whether married or not, and Ms is seen as an equivalent, universal title for women.´ ( www.lbp.police.uk) 8.5. Political correctness Language that is politically correct is such a use of languge that is regarded as right and acceptable because it avoids terms which suggest prejudice and offence of particular groups of people. In my opininon, its core is seen in an effort to
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encourage users of language to think about the effect their language can exert as well as to represent , as my concern is, women and men more equally. Now let me explain the controversy this term might provoke as it carries some pejorative or satirical connotations. The reasons are summarized in the following points: • Several language items have been produced in the name of political correctness may sound unnatural and clumsy to some and will probably not pass into general usage; for instance substituting ´short´ by ´vertically challenged´
• There have been various examples of false political correctness when words like ´blackboard´ or ´black coffee´ were banned (Lodnon councils in 1980s)
• Many people dout that changing words will remove prejudices in people´s minds and society. • It is sometimes claimed that politically correct speech constitutes an excessive indulgence of some particular minority group. • Political correctness urges people to realise their use of language is not universally accepted, which means others do not share our understanding of terms. • ´Politically correct language causes anxiety because it is a challenge to the whole idea of a universal and neutral language.´ (Goddard & Patterson : 2000 : 80) In spite of the controversy of political correctness, I would like to emphasize its importance in the suggested change of the lanaguage and point out that: ´Calls for language reforms have been made by many different groups, not just by feminists. Groups calling for language reforms in order to work towards more equal opportunities for the sexes have often differed in their strategies and in the degree of
41 reform they have thought necessary. A very moderate, liberal approach can be seen in the work of Casey Miller and Kate Swift, who wrote the Handbook of Non Sexist Writing, a book which has served as a guide for serious journalists for many years. The rationale for this liberal tradition is that it is possible for languge to be made more representative of different groups and, in order to bring about fairer representation, language practices need to be changed in various ways.´ (Goddard: 2000 : 74) New terms are presented to substitute those expressions the form of which is generically male although they can refer to women. Gender descriptions are supposed to disappear form job titles, removing the idea that some professions are only performed either by men or women. Generally, it has been suggested to use words that have gender neutral denotation; that is the new expressions. Yet, it seems that some of them are too peculiar to become a commonplace in everyday language, e. g. house manager instead of housewife.
Original terms New , politically correct terms ______ camera man camera operator chairman chairperson, chair draftsman drafter fireman firefighter foreman supervisor (manager) housewife house manager office girl, boy office helper policeman police officer repairman repairer salesman salesperson signalman signaller spokesman spokesperson sportsman player watchman guard ______ The Compilation of this list of politically correct terms is based on information in Language and Gender by Goddard & Petterson and dictionaries Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English and Oxford New Advanced Learner´s Dictionary
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9. Comparative analyses Analyses of six news items that appeared both in The Sun and The Daily Telegraph are provided in the following text . Women are the main iniciators of the action and men also appear in these news items. Thus, a comparison between the manner of presentation of women and men is easier to be drawn. At the beginning of each analysis, there is a chart with the naming units taken from each news item. The headline is provided next to the name of the newspapers. 9. 1. Politics News (see App. 2/13; 3/13) The first news item to be analysed concerns a politician and her conduct. She was subjected to criticism after telling jokes about ministers working while drunk and ridiculing Tony Blair´s campaign against drinking. The Sun, PM aide yob rant Naming units PM aide A senior advisor Louise Casey, director of the Home Office anti social behaviour unit Ms Casey,38 Tory David Davies The PM´s spokesman The Daily Telegraph, Binge-drink outburst backfires on Blair aide Naming units Blair aide Louise Casey, The Government´s Senior advisor on anti social behaviour Miss Casey, 38 Sir John Gieve, Home Office permanent secretary David Davis, Conservative home affairs spokesman The Prime Minister´s official spokesman
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The two news items are at the first sight very different in spite of the fact they both are supposed to convey the same information. On the other hand, taking into consideration the fact that they are taken from different newspapers that differ not only in their style of writing but also in their choice of news, it is not so unusual. Tabloid newspapers generally focus on : • sensations, • famous people – pop, TV, sports and movie stars and members of the Royal family, • national news, • human interest strories, • games and sport. (cf. Fowler :1991 on news values) The news items are generally short as well as the sentences. The result is a dramatic presentation of news. They use puns, quotes and jokes. There are not many long and difficult words present in tabloids. Quality newspapers focus on: • national and world news, • background information and opinions on important news, • in depth features on business, science, sport, the arts and the environment etc. They tend to use long sentences and difficult words. The quality newspapers seem to be formal and their articles complex.. The news in the newspaper The Sun is extremely shorter in comparison with The Daily Telegraph . This is an obvious fact considering that tabloid newspapers are not as interested in politics as quality newspapers and a woman working in politics features in the news. This makes the analysis and comparison slightly more difficult. Concentrating on the lexical level, it must be stressed that the news from the quality newspaper offer broader spectrum of words to
44 analyse. It can be underscored that the popular newspaper did not consider this news important not so interesting and that is why it did not devote much attention and space to it. The woman and her conduct is a central figure in the news. Both newspapers use the words ´aide´ and ´senior adviser´ to describe her profession. They both state her full name and age. It can be seen in the table the lexical choice is very similar in the newspapers. She is addressed by her whole name in both newspapers which suggests equal status and there are no short forms and nicknames. The manner the men are referred to is, on the other hand, different. The Sun mentions ´the PM´s spokesman´ and ´Tory´ but The Daily Telegraph uses longer and more complex expressions: ´the Prime Minister´s official spokesman´ and ´David Davis, Conservative home affairs spokesman´. This reflects its tendency towards more structurally complex words. Their age is not stated in either examples. In the case of The Sun, we learn that the report is about a woman only in the second paragraph. Focusing on the titles and address forms, it is clearly seen that in The Daily Telegraph her marital status is declared. She is referred to as ´Miss Casey´ and in the case of The Sun the report uses ´Ms.´ I find this fact peculiar as, in my opinion, especially writers of quality newspapers are expected to be aware of the current tendency towards using ´Ms´ instead of ´Miss´ or ´Mrs´. It is interesting that in this case it was the popular press that used the word ´Ms´ to omit a reference to her marital status. Considering the usage of Ms in the articles examined so far I must agree that the use of it in language is almost rare. It is difficult to discover the reason for the failure. The problem may ground in the fact that Ms is sometimes interpreted as referring to a divorced woman or a lesbian or a feminist. Yet, Hudson sees the problem in the word Ms itself :´This implies (unfairly) that it is more important for a woman than for a man to show whether they are married, but it is fairly easily remedied by the introduction of a new word, Ms , whose success is unexpected considering how odd a word it is in both spelling and pronunciation.´ (Hudson : 2001: 102) I would like to mention another example of usage of the word Miss that might be found inaccurate. The same newswriter, as of this analysed news item in The Daily Telegraph, refers to a married woman, a politician, who has separeted from her husband as ´Miss Jowel´ (see App. 4/13,´ The long weekend´ ). I would not like
45 to speculate about the meaning of it as it may insinuate various things. Nevertheless, this example shows that such a choice to use the word ´Miss´ in this case can make the reader confused. Both newspapers state the woman´s, but not the men´s age. Generally, the reference to age is used inconsistently in the news. It is either included or omitted without following a certain pattern. Yet, it seems that women´s age is more likely to be mentioned in comparison with men. I have also investigated a concept suggested in the following paragraph and mainly the idea of women being at the receiving end of actions. ´A random selection of stories suggest that certain stereotypes are operating in the press in relation to women. There is a tendency to depict them as existing primarily in relation to their families – their children, their husbands or partners rather than as individuals in their own right. Younger women are frequently described in relation to their physical appearance. Women are often depicted as weaker – they are victims, they are on the receiving end of action rather than the performers of it (…)´ (Reah : 1997 : 65) First of all, I have applied the concept and tried to find mainly the stereotype of men being the iniciators of actions, but the result was different from my predictions. However, the suggested concept can also relate to the frequency of occurence of women in the news which was, in my experiment, lower. Neither of the news items tends to describe the woman in relation to her family or to her husband. Although it must be admitted that it would be difficult to mention the woman´s family matters in this kind of news. On a closer examination of adjectives used there, it must be noted that, in the first place, there is a small number of them and in the second place, no adjectives that would depict the woman and her behaviour or her appearance have been found. I would not be able to confirm that women are mostly only on the receiving end of action. In this event, the woman is obviously the performer of the action that aroused interest. Yet, a careful examination of the sentence structures in The Sun shows a different result. It has reported the news as follows: ´Tony Blair was last night urged to sack a senior adviser.´ It is evident that it is Tony Blair that is called to
46 take an action and the senior adviser is dependant on his decision. On the whole, the woman is the performer of the action but at the same time she is, from the syntactic point of view, at the receiving end of action as someone is expected to decide over her future. I would like to make a comparison and draw the attention, again, to the article ´The long weekend´ in The Daily Telegraph about Tessa Jowel, the Culture Secretary (see App. 4/13). It is important to notice the evaluative adjectives even in the lead. She is depicted as ´red eyed´ and ´exhausted´ and later in the text as again ´red eyed´, ´exhausted´, ´distressed´, ´ill prepared´, ´tired´ and ´strained.´ Futhermore, her family and marriage problems are foregrounded there. Again she is portrayed as if her future was at the mercy of her colleagues in politics. I would like to point out the words ´sympathy´, ´solidarity´ and phrases ´to face uncertain future´ and ´doubts whether she can survive (…)´ All these expressions seem to bring an idea of her weakness and doubts of her abilities to the reader´s mind. I am going to refer to Fowler: ´It seems very likely that discrimination in discourse helps maintain intellectual habits that promote discrimination in practice: by constantly articulating a link between a type of expression and a category of referent, discourse makes these socially constructed categories seem to be natural common sense.´ (Fowler : 1991 : 105) The comparison of these two different news items shows that the results are contradictory in some aspects. In the first news, there are no references to the woman´s appearance and she was depicted as an individual without references to her family or children, (let me omit the fact that she was referred to as Miss Casey). Yet, taking the second news item about Tessa Jowell into consideration, one can easily find various forms of perpetuating stereotypes about women. 9. 2. Court report (see App. 5/13; 6/13) The report concerns a woman who is taking a legal action against her former boyfriend. The woman was treated for cancer, which resulted in her infertility. Before the medical treatment he donated his sperm to create embryos which have been frozen and stored since then. But as they split, he withdrew the consent to use the embryos. He explains that he does not want his child to be raised in an
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environment he would not be able to influence. Therefore, she is left without much hope of having a child. The Sun, Who has the final say? Naming units Cancer survivor Natalie Evans Natalie, 34 Natalie Heartbroken Natalie Her then fiance, Howard Johnston, 29 Howard, an IT worker form Gloucester Howard The computer expert
The Daily Telegraph, , Don´t stop me becoming mother Naming units A woman Natalie Evans, 34 Miss Evans Her former fiancé Howard Johnston Mr Howard As a matter of fact The Sun enjoys the emotional impact its news has on readers. The more emotional and affective its articles are, the more appropriate they seem to be in the news. Therefore, the woman in this article is referred to as ´cancer survivor´, ´devastated´ and ´heartbroken woman´ and the situation is described as ´the tragic court battle´ which obviously draws readers´ eyes and encourages them to read on. The Sun embarks on calling her ´Natalie´ and the man who is also involved in the story ´Howard´. Such a manner of reference to woman and men by their first names is manifested more and more frequently in the tabloid and probably does not suggest impertinence but casualness that the popular press usually establishes in its news . On the other hand, The Sun does
48 not adapt such a tendency in case of both female and male politicians as it was seen in the previous politics news The woman and her former partner are given voice and we hear about each side of the argument in their own words. They are given approximately the same amount of space to express their views on the issue concerned. The woman is the initiator of the action as she decided to take her case to court so the man is at the receiving end of the action although his conduct and his persuasion caused the problem the woman is determined to solve. The naming units used in the article reveal nothing about the woman´s profession, but the man is characterized by reference to his occupational success in the case of The Sun . He is referred to as ´IT worker, computer expert´. Nothing is said about Natalie Evan´s work and work position. The fact that he is a computer expert does not relate to the matter tackled in the news. As a result , it can be announced that in this particular case the man´s professional success was foregrounded in the text and it must be said that a common reader is very likely to fail to note this fact. Fowler made the same point: ´The point is that such categorizations habitually saturate discourse, common sense makes us fail to notice this saturation. But it is always present and in the case of newspapers, can be readily detected in a critical reading of any newspaper one picks up.´ (Fowler : 1991 : 105) In spite of this we find that in both cases The Sun and The Daily Telegraph , the man is characterized in the terms of the woman´s relationship with him - her then fiancé, her former fiancé. On the other hand, if all the facts are to be stated, it must be underscored that the core of the news is the woman ´s situation caused by the man´s behaviour. Both newspapers state the woman´s age. Yet, while The Sun mentions the age of the man, The Daily Telegraph does not. The Sun treated them, in this case, equally and they stated the age of both of them. On the whole, there is a disproportion, yet not so obvious, in the way the newspapers, mainly the tabloid, refer to the man and the woman. As I have mentioned earlier there is no evident tendency displayed in the quality newspaper The Daily Telegraph to substitute the term Miss by Ms although this might be considered by many as non parallel treatment of people ( Mr x Miss, Mrs).
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9.3. Royal family news (see App. 7/13; 8/13) The news refers to The Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker Bowls, who has joined an organization of women who posed nude for a charity calendar for charity. She is not supposed to participate in similar activities apart from fund raising. The Sun, Camilla´s joined strippers Naming units The Dutchess of Cornwall Camilla,58 Camilla and Prince Charles The Rylstone WI ladies
The Daily Telegraph, Calendar Girls inspire Camilla to join Women´s Institute Naming units Camilla headline The Duchess of Cornwall The duchess Barba Gill, the former WI national chairman Judi Mason Smith, the president of the 32 member Tetbury WI A spokesman (she) The naming units refer to the dutchess of Cornwall, Camila Parker Bowls. The Sun does not hesitate to call her by her first name only. It is very difficult to claim that this case suggests disrespect or discourtesy. Fowler mentions: ´There is no invariant relatioship between form and meaning, a linguistic form does not have a single, constant meaning, but rather a range of potential significances in context.´ (Fowler : 1991 : 99). It implies that the context should be carefully examined. It is speculative to say to what extent is the duchess favoured in Britain and consequently in the press. The news continues as follows: ´She fed a carrot to a
50 donkey – which then keeled over for a roll in the dust. It was fine – probably just ass tuned to meet royalty.´ This may suggest irony and impertinence and it can also mean that to call the duchess merely by her first name is a sign of dissociation. On the other hand, Fowler (1991) points out that the first name indicates friendship and support and referring by the last name alone indicates dissociation in certain context. To evaluate it from another perspective, I would like to mention the naming unit ´Camilla and Prince Charles´ in which the duchess is referred to only by her first name and Prince Charles is given his title in front of his name. The writer does not venture to use only his first name. While it is true that it is not difficult to apply first names to women and men in the news of the tabloid, it is difficult even for The Sun ´s writers to refer to a male member of the Royal Family just by his first name. The Sun also denotes the other women in the news item ´strippers´ in the headline and ´ladies´ later in the text. I have already mentioned that the word ´lady´ has acquired mainly negative connotations. Now I am going to centre on an apparent example of political incorrectness that I have discovered in this article in The Daily Telegraph and that are the naming units ´Barbara Gill, the former WI national chairman´ and ´a spokesman´, later referred as she. In the previous chapter I have mentioned that to use the word chairma n to refer to a woman is clearly inappropriate. Moreover, the use of male expressions generically to include reference to females is considered by most linguists and feminists as a sexist usage of language. 9. 4. TV Show News (see App. 9/13; 10/13) The news tells about the winner of a reality television show who is to be offered £100,000 job. The founder of the company Amstrad, Alan Sugar, was in charge of choosing the winner and he was also starring in the programme. Suprisingly, he opted for a woman who did not appear to be the front runner.
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The Sun, Michelle is Sugar Babe Naming units Shy former checkout girl Michelle Dewberry Ice cool Michelle Michelle, 26 . A natural grafter Hull born beauty
Michelle
Mum Glynis Davies Brummie Ruth, 28, the beaten finalist T Last year´s runner up Saira Khan h The Amstrad boss e Tycoon Sir Alan Sugar Multi millionaire Sir Alan S Sir Alan U Tough talking Sir Alan
The Daily Telegraph, You´re hired Naming units The former Kwik Save checkout girl One of the 14 hopefuls 26 year old Miss Dewberry Miss Dewberry Her 28 year old rival Miss Badger Formidable saleswoman A former Wolverhampton Wanderers football steward Sir Alan Sugar Sir Alan
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The Sun denotes the women concerned ´ice cool´, ´shy checkout girl´ and ´Hull born beauty´. The man who was in charge of choosing the winner of the competition is called ´tycoon´ and ´multimilionaire´ and denoted as ´tough talking ´. Comparing these two groups of naming units, a simplistic idea is conveyed to the readers that there is a shy and pretty girl who worked as a checkout girl and a rich man, whose age we do not learn in either newspapers, decides over her career. The Daily Telegraph avoids such a categorization by refraining from such a detailed personal reference. The women´s age is given in both newspapers and the man´s age is not revealed in either of the cases. Fowler came to the same point: ´The concreteness of individual reference is heightened, especially in the tabloids, by supplying personal details such as age, residence, job and personal appearance – with a liberal use of photographs.´ There is all such information given in the tabloid news: ´Hull born beauty´, ´Michelle, 26, checkout girl´. ´But this specificity on the surface is something of an illusion. The world presented by the popular Press, like the world we feel we live in, is a culturally organized set of categories, rather than a collection of unique individuals.´ (Fowler : 1991: 92) The Daily Telegraph engages in forming long and more complex naming units, e.g. a former Wolverhampton Wanderers football steward but as I have already concluded in the sixth chapter, they are usually shorter than those of men. The Daily Telegraph presented us with the information, quoting: ´Since the show she has split from her husband and embarked on a lesbian relationship .´ . This kind of information is not relevant to the whole theme of the text and it is probably used just to make the news still more interesting. The Sun has created a clever pun in the headline ´Michelle is Sugar Babe´; The tabloid is well known for its use of puns. Yet, is should be noted that the woman is denoted as being in possession of the man.
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9. 5. Crime report (see App. 11/13; 12/13) The reports concerns a woman who is suspected of murdering her husband. His body was found a few days after she reported the police he was missing. The police are now investigating the case. The Sun, Wife ´burnt tycoon alive´ Naming units The 26 year old African wife of a missing British pensioner wife Kate Mrs West tycoon William West, 76 Mr West Irish born Mr West The Daily Telegraph, Wife, 26, held over death of pensioner Naming units The wife of a wealthy pensioner his wife, Kate Mrs West 76 year old William West her husband, a retired businessman Mr West The Sun found the crime report more sensational and therefore devoted more space to it. It used a lot of quotations to illustrate the matter described. The age difference of the people concerned as well as the man´s wealthiness was emphasized in both of the newspapers as the difference may insinuate the motive. The woman is the prime suspect and despite this fact neither of the reports judged her on the murder or used any pejorative words to denote her. The quotations provided in The Sun depicted the woman as being a very dominant partner in their marriage. The tabloid again established different categories, i.e. the man being a tycoon and the woman being his wife. The categories are also highlighted in the
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headline; ´wife´ versus ´tycoon´. In the case of The Sun , their nationality is revealed in the report, which can demonstrate cultural difference between the people concerned and sets distinct categories. Both newspapers characterised the woman in terms of her relationship with a man; ´the wife of …´, which seems to be almost commonplace in both newspapers. An opposite example like ´the husband of a young woman´ rarely occurs. Verbs describing actions and processes attributed to women One of the lexical field I have intended to analyse was a choice of verbs describing actions and processes attributed to women. This idea was suggested by Reah (1997) as she expresses the following view: ´Some of the actions attributed to women in the articles have connotations of child like behaviour.´ She mentions following examples ´show off´ and ´upstage´, and continues ´(…) where women are seen to act more positively, it is often against their own bodies and emotions. Tracey Shaw ´fights´anorexia, Victoria Spencer ´battles´ eating disorder (…)´ (Reah : 1997: 65) I have not found any evident cases of verbs that imply ´child like´ behaviour with the exception of the article (App.1/13) where the verb ´show off´ appeared. My findings can be influenced by the restricted amount of the material analysed. Nevertheless, the number of examples by which Reah has supported her assumption is also limited.
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10. The Sun and categorization At the beginning of my thesis I defined the terms discrimination, stereotypes and categorization. As it was noted in the previous analyses, categories are mainly evident in the tabloids. It is interesting to look what categories the tabloid establishes. So far I have conducted analyses of five pieces of tabloid news where women and men appeared in the same story. Such a sample might be considered random and not representing the real situation. Therefore, I am going to analyse four issues of The Sun to provide us with a more representative sample. I am going to study the terms referring to women and also the information that is provided about women, e.g. age, residence and marital status. Equally important are labels that occur and do not occur. It has already been noted that men are more likely to be discribed in terms of their professions. I am going to draw my attention mainly to categories that occur and notice how they are mentioned. Personal commentaries and advertisements are not included. Naming units referring to all women that appeared in the news of: • The Sun , August 11, 2005 ______ Beauty Makosi, Big Brother housemate, 24, the Zimbabwean, a wannabe celebrity Page three babes, our girls Corrrie star, 32 Telly star Miss Ellie, Dallas star Barbara B. Geddes, the most famous mum, twice married Barbara, 82 The former Friends beauty, Jennifer Aniston The mother Teresa figure, ´superfan´ Brainy Pip, stunning Pip Stewart, Britain´s braniest beauty, blonde Pip, 20 Page three Nicola Three British school girls, the teenagers, 15,16,17 Ukraian blonde Anya Iniskiya, 20 Fergie, The Duchess of York, 43
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• The Sun , August 18, 2005 ______ Smiling Sienna Miller, blond Sienna, 23 Busty Kel, 25 The Tomb Raider actress, 30 The Pop Princess, 23 Star, pop superstar, the star, Madonna, the Material Girl, animal lover, 47 A bride, teacher Clare Molyneux, 30 A British teenager, the 18 year old Pub mum, a mum, the woman 29, the mum of three Bride Lisa, blonde Lisa, 22, a play school assistant Pregnant Hayley, girlfriend Hayley, 23 Footie superstar Steven Gerrard´s girlfriend Tennis babe Maria Sharapova, 19, the stunning blonde, Russian Maria Bin girl, a homeless girl, 28 Nadine, 33, mum of one, a property manager • The Sun , May 5, 2006 ______ Mr Blair and wife Cherie, Mrs Blair Teen star Lindsay Lohan, the actress, 19, £4 million a film star Girlfriend Chelsey Davy, stunning Chelsey, curvy girl Chelsy, 20 Seven months pregnant Patricia Rashbrook, the consultant child psychiatrist, Patricia, Britain´s oldest mum, Dr. Rashbrook Adriana, 66, world´s oldest mum, the oldest mum on Earth, university professor John Prescott and wife Pauline, Mr and Mrs Prescott, loyal Pauline, Pauline, her horrified mum Linda, 43 Nutty Roz Gordon, Roz, 35 BB host Darina McCall Celebrity BB winner Chantalle Houghton, 22, the dizzy blonde On/off girlfriend, girlfriend Joanne Baldwin, smilling mum of two, 44 Two shags´ ex lover Tracey Temple Gorgeous Holly Thousand of Eastern Europe prostitutes, sex workers 36 year old Alitt, Beverly Alitt he and his wife, TV beauty, Jane Goldman, 35 former Corrie star Joanne Frogatt, 25 Paris Hilton, the heiress, 25 Girl, a budding actress, Alexandra Mills, 20 The ice cool blonde, Michelle Dewberry, the former checkout girl, Michelle, 26, pretty Michelle, teenage checkout girl Sexy East Enders star Kara, the 22 year old saucy wannabe model, Kara
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• The Sun , May 6, 2006 ______ Magnificent Michelle Heaten, the Liberty X babe, 25 Model, Kate, 32 Poor Katie Holmes, the actress, 27 The Pop Princess Pop Princess Shakira Skinny Victoria Beckham, Posh Spice Tragic Samaira Nazir, 25, recruitment consultant A woman, Anita Debnath, of Hinckley, 37 Pregnant Patricia of 63, Britain´s oldest mum, the ageing mum to be, child psychologist Pat Katie´s fuming mum Ex ABBA singer, Agnetha Faltskog, the 56 year old, the band´s blonde bombshell Players´partners, the England ladies, the girls Rosanella, the Italian farmer´s wife There is an overt and strong tendency of the tabloid to refer to women, usually those who are young or famous, in terms of their appearance. The spectrum of words used to describe women is narrow, considering how often evaluative adjectives like ´gorgeous´ and ´stunnig´ have appeared. Other naming units include informal words, e.g. ´bombshell´, ´saucy´. Women are mostly referred to as ´babes ´ and ´girls ´. There is a considerably high number of women who are singers, actors or models appearing in the articles in comparison with ordinary women. In every issue of The Sun , there is a news item with a naming unit containg a word ´blonde ´. Women are also named according to the parts they play or songs they sing, e.g. calling the singer Madonna ´the Material Girl´. But this tendency is not confined only to women. The tabloid have also displayed a marked tendency towards emphasizing women´s motherhood and relationship to men. Therefore, I assume, that by such a frame of reference that The Sun adopts, women´s prestige is being constantly damaged. I find such a treatment of women is discriminating as I find no logical reason why women´s look is so unduly foregrounded. To readers, it may connote that the only important thing about women is their appearance. Moreover, such a foregrounding of look connected with men is not found in The Sun (cf. pp. 26, 28). The naming units also contain explicit references to women being irrational,
58 e.g. ´nutty´, ´dizzy´. The expression ´two shags´ex lover´ reflects The Sun ´s interest in describing women as sex symbols, in this case in a pejorative manner. All the same, some readers might not consider such a designation sexist and they could maintain it is favourable for women concerned. It should be noted that what one person finds discriminating can be thought otherwise by another person because of the simple fact that particular treatment can be perceived in a different way. Thus, what some of us consider favourable can be found absolutely unfavourable by others. The way we perceive things around us is influnced by our system of values. For instance, a man for whom being handsome is the most crucial thing, then I suppose, would not feel offended but pleased if he is referred to as ´a hunk´. Yet, I do not find any reason for foregrounding female appearance in the news and I claim that this only reinforces the stereotype of women being just a sex symbol without reason. I believe that many negative stereotypes presented in the newspapers can often remain unrevealed and unnoticed. While it is true that: ´A more common way in which papers may identify and address their implied readership is by reporting stories in a way that is designed to evoke one particular response, thus establishing a set of shared values, usually in opposition to another group who do not share, or who attack these values.´ (Reah : 1997 : 40), it is difficult to say to what extent readers realise the message in the news that is not explicitely expressed. The set of values is the crucial thing that influences the readers and it was already mentioned at the beginning that newspapers, people choose to read, show their interests and values. Yet, my point is that a common reader is not very likely to look at news item critically and search for any signs of, for instance, reinforcement of existing stereotypes or bias. It appears that categorization the newspapers use is not always overt and perceptible immediately by the readers. Reah introduces this view ´Language always occurs within a context, and as social users of language individuals know how to respond to linguistic triggers relating to the context of the language situation, the intended message, the feedback and input from others.´ (Reah : 1997 : 40) Although it is true that language always occurs within a context, I do not completely agree with the suggestion that ´users of language know how to
59 respond to linguistic triggers´. Let me return to the analysed news items and discuss the overuse of references to women´s appearance. It is peculiar how often the only interesting thing found about women is their look. I maintain that this category is equally important and unimportant both in women and men. Yet, by such a frequent use, The Sun implicitly persuades its readers of the opposite. The value attached to the women´s appearance is unreasonably high with no justification from the newspapers. The same situation arises with the use of reference to age. Unless the reader searches for the evidence that it is more likely to be used in reference to women, it passes unnoticed. I have already commented on The Sun ´s interest in an individual person as such a news item is found newsworthy mostly by the tabloid. It relates to one of the news value mentioned by Fowler and that is ´reference to persons´. ´Presumably, its functions are to promote straightforward feelings of identification, empathy or disapproval.´ (Fowler : 1991 : 15) In order to support my views of categorization of women, I decided to analyse a news item that aroused my interest only by skimming the newspapers. Miss England News (see App. 13/13) The news concerns a young woman who studies at Oxford University and has entered the beauty contest Miss England. She has proceeded to the final together with 39 other contestants.
The Sun , ´Brainy Pip in Miss England ´¹
Naming Units Stunning Pip Stewart Blonde Pip, 20 her parents: Jane, 50, dad Ian, 60, a retired RAF Harrier pilot sister Jo, 17 This article did not appear in The Daily Telegraph which might show either a lack of interest in ´soft´ news or, as I assume, its refraining from such news
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items where gender bias is quite clearly expressed is more than understandable. The woman is referred to as ´Britain´s brainiest beauty´ and ´brainy´, ´stunning´and ´blonde´ Again , The Sun created categories of prettiness and inteligence, but what it seems it wants to imply is that these two categories are not likely to be present in one person, a woman. The message concentrates on The Sun ´s amazament of the woman being pretty and at the same time clever.. The bias is also reinforced by a quotation of the woman herself as she says: ´Hopefully, being brainy will give an edge´. Later in the text, her father´s occupational success is mentioned and there is no reference to her mother´s or sister´s job although they are referred to in the text. In my view, all these lexical and conceptual features give evidence about T he Sun´ s interest in creating distinct categories towards women and men. ______ ¹A pun ´Brainy Pip´ appears in the headline. Jan Chovanec engages in the study of puns in tabloids: Czeching out puns and clichés in football reporting, Theory and Practice in English Studies, Proceedings from the 8thConference of English, American and Canadian Studies, Masaryk University, Brno, 2005
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11. Conclusion My thesis deals with analyses of lexical items which can reflect ideology and points of view that might be concealed for the reader. It has been already suggested that language in the press is, to a certain extent, influenced not only by ideology of each newpapers but also general ideology of the culture concerned. These two concepts of ideology are reciprocally affected. It is essential to explain what I mean by the term ideology as its meaning can range form relatively positive to largely negative, i.e. ideology as a set of ideas and attitudes not necessarily harmful to some, to ideology which represents false intentions of a particular class. In my thesis I have tried to explore ideology of newspapers in an unbiased sense of set of beliefs. What needs to be said is that ´the Press is an example of process found in all discourse, the structured mediation of the world´ (Fowler: 1991: 120). The language of newspapers relates to their economic purposes, target readership as well as to their own status in the sphere of newspapers, e. g. tabloid or quality newspapers. Selling advertising space seems to be the chief economic purpose. Thus, it follows that the products advertised need to be more or less compatible with the content of the papers. Moreover, the content is also influenced by the owners with their own interests. Again, these aspects urge journalist to express ideas and points of view from particular perspectives. It is therefore probable that a newspaper is likely to project attitudes contributing to its commercial success. Now I would like to emphasize the importance of newspapers in conveying their ideology to people. The scale of publication is one of the important aspects. At the beginning of this study I have mentioned that I have chosen The Sun and The Daily Telegraph for my analyses because of their high circulation, which is the highest for tabloids and for the quality newspapers in Britain respectively. Considering the fact they can mediate their message to millions of people, the impact achieved must be tremendous. I have put forward the hypothesis that newspapers, mostly tabloids, adopt an ideology that views women as ´the weaker sex´. Having analysed in detail news items of the tabloid, I have concluded that a prejudical categorization is
62 manifested in a widespread manner. Women are frequently presented as sexual icons and therefore negative ideology towards women is created or rather reinforced which can be, subsequently, regarded as a view of the culture. Kress (1985) expresses a similar view: ´As has been poined out frequently, the language used about women differs from that used about men. In other words, there exists a sexist discourse, both sexes have been assigned conventionalized, stereotyped sex roles that have certain language used associated with them (…)´(In Dijk : 1985 : 39). He also refers to two roles frequently ascribed to women, i.e. ´women as sex objects´ and ´reproductive labor force´. The first role proved to be often presented in the tabloid. Different depiction of women has also been found in the broadsheet, yet, in my opinion, not so sexist and negative. Although the high occurance of references to men and their occupational success and foregrounding of marital status of women; e.g. ´Mr. Blair´s wife´, can also contribute to the false ideology of women being ´the weaker sex´. Yet, it is not evident whether it is a deliberate intention of the paper or just a reflection of cultural stereotypes. The results of my study suggest that the ideology in the newspapers fulfil a function of reproduction of opinions and attitudes of the culture concerned. My objective in this thesis was to examine the depiction of women in the newspapers with a particular focus on how the lexical level of newspaper language reflects descrimination and categorization of women. My first conclusion, already drawn in the seventh chapter, is that news featuring women is less likely to appear in the press. I have already attempted to explain the reasons, yet, I am going to compare the present situation to a so called ´vicious circle´: At the beginning of this circle women are not granted positions of power. This fact is reflected in newspapers and consequently, by frequent articulation of men´s achievements in their professions, reinforced on daily basis in the newspapers. It results in the same condition described at the beginning. My conclusions about The Daily Telegraph are quite contradictory. On one hand, discriminating categories do not appear so frequently as in The Sun . Yet, on the other hand, several cases of failure to use gender neutral and politically correct language in references to women occured.
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The Sun assigns women to categories that are of lower status than those of men. I find this tendency deliberate. The use of juvenile forms occur frequently in its articles. I have not found any offensive terms referring to women in either newspapers. Considering the fact that The Sun has a circulation of more than three million copies daily (2006), it can be predicted that the situation in which women are perceived as ´beauties´ whose fates are at the mercy of men and men as determined and successful individuals is not likely to change very soon. Reflection of newswriter´s gender in the choice of words in newspapers is another aspect that influences depiction of women and men in the news. As this area is complex and is not included in my study, I would like to suggest to make it a subject of a futher research. The next point that I have reached through my insight into the sphere of the lexical level of language is the enormous interconnection between language and culture. Similarly, I underscore that language participates in shaping our thinking. On the whole, the newspapers analysed in this thesis reflect the value system of a still male orientated establishment. It was my intention to raise awareness in this area as it is easier to reject ideology that people know about than ideology that is entirelly concealed.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Caldas Coulthard, Carmen Rosa. Man in the news: the misrepresentation of women speaking in news as narrative discourse, pp. 226 39 in S. Mills (ed.) Language & gender : Interdisciplinary perspectives . England: Longman Group Limited, 1995. ISBN 0 528 226317. Cameron, Debora. Rethinking language and gender studies: some issues for the 1990s, pp. 31 44 in S. Mills (ed.) Language & gender : Interdisciplinary perspectives . England: Longman Group Limited, 1995. ISBN 0 528 226317. Carter, Ronald, Goddard, Angella, Reah, Danuta, Sanger, Keith, Bowring, Maggie. Working with Texts : A core book for language analysis. London: Routledge, 1997. ISBN 0 415 14597 X. Coates, Jennifer. Language, gender and career, pp. 13 30 in S. Mills (ed.) Language & gender : Interdisciplinary perspectives . England: Longman Group Limited, 1995. ISBN 0 528 226317. Fowler, Roger. Language in the News: Discourse and Ideology in the Press. London: Routledge, 1991. ISBN 0 415 01419 0. Goddard, Angela, Lindsey Mean Patterson. Language and Gender . London: Routledge, 2000. ISBN 0 415 20177 2. Halliday, M. A. K. Language as social semiotic : The social interpretation of language and meaning . Great Britain: Open University Set Book, 1978. ISBN 0 7131 6259 7. Hartley, John. Understanding News . London: Routledge, 1982. ISBN 0 415 03933 9. Hudson, R. A. Sociolinguistics . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996. 2nd edition. ISBN 0 521 29668 4. Kress, Gunther. Ideological Structures in Discourse, pp.27 42, in Dijk, Teun Adrianus van.(ed.) Handbook of Discourse Analysis: Discourse Analysis in Society. Volume 4. London: Academic Press, 1985. ISBN 0 12 712004 1 McLoughlin, Linda. The Language of Magazines . London: Routledge, 2000. ISBN 0 415 21424 6. Oxford Guide to British and American Culture. Oxford University Press, 1999. ISBN 0 19 431332 8.
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Oxford Advanced Learner´s Dictionary of Current English. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. ISBN 0 19 431550 9. Poynton, Cate. Language and gender: making the difference. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989. ISBN 0 19 437 160 3. Reah, Danuta. The Language of Newspapers. London: Routledge, 1997. ISBN 0 415 27805 8. Spolsky, Bernard. Sociolinguistics . Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998. ISBN 0 19 4372111. Sykes, Mary. Disrimination in Discourse, pp. 83 100 in Dijk, Teun Adrianus van.(ed.) Handbook of Discourse Analysis: Discourse Analysis in Society. Volume 4. London: Academic Press, 1985. ISBN 0 12 712004 1. ONLINE SOURCES Andrew Moore's teaching resource site. Gender and Language .
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Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Tabloid.
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SUMMARY In my diploma thesis I have attempted to reveal stereotypes by which women are depicted in the news and also the impact of the female stereotypes on discrimination of women in the society. I have focused on two different kinds of newspapers, i.e. the quality newspaper, The Daily Telegraph , and the tabloid newspaper, The Sun. My primary aim was to examine the language in news, relating to and depicting women, on the lexical level. I have also tried to investigate the extent to which these media differ in their attitude to women. Futhermore, the influence of ideological stance and target readership on the word choice was studied. I have exemplified the interconnection between language and culture as well as their reciprocal influence. The diploma thesis is not strictly divided into theoretical and practical parts as they overlap.
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RESUME Ve své diplomové práci jsem se pokusila odhalit stereotypy, jejichž pomocí jsou ženy popisovány v novinových zprávách a dále jsem se soustředila na vliv těchto stereotypů na diskriminaci žen ve společnosti. Ke své práci jsem zvolila dva různé druhy novin a to kvalitní novivny, The Daily Telegraph , a bulvární noviny, The Sun. Mým cílem bylo prozkoumat jazyk používaný v novinových zprávách, ve kterých je žena popisována či se k ženě určitým způsobem vztahuje. Nejvíce jsem se soustředila na lexické komponenty. Dále jsem se snažila o poznání vlivu ideologického postoje novin na výběr slov. Také jsem nastínila obrovské propojení mezi jazykem a kulturou či společností a jejich vzájemné ovlivňování. Diplomová práce není rozdělena na teoretickou a praktickou část.
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Appendix 1/13, The Sun July 7, 2005 PRINCESS OF POP
Here´s Britney Spears showing off her fizzique in the Hollywood sun yesterday. The pregnant singer was snapped looking swell while guzzling yet ANOTHER soft drink. I reckon Britney has developed pregnant cravings for the fizzy stuff. I´ve not seen her without a can of pop since she announced she is expecting her first baby. Dressed in a summery green top and jeans, the singer drank up while waiting for hubby KEVIN FEDERLINE to come back from a photoshoot. Appendix 2/13, The Sun July 7, 2005
PM aide yob rant
TONY Blair was las night urged to sack a senior adviser over a foulmouthed rant aginst his war on yobs. Louise Casey, director of the Home Office anitsocial behaviour unit, boasted about binge-drinking. And she said some ministers would work better ´p****d´. Some top cops at the dinner in Stratford-upon-Avon walked out. Tory David Davies said: ´Maybe this explains why Labour is so keen to unleash 24-hour drinking.´ The PM´s spokesman said he still had ´high regard´ for Ms Casey, 38. Appendix 3/13, The Daily Telegraph July 7, 2005
Binge-drink outburst backfires on Blair aide By George Jones and Brendan Karlin
(Filed: 07/07/2005)
The future of Louise Casey, the Government's senior adviser on anti-social behaviour, was in doubt last night after she faced widespread criticism for joking about working while drunk and mocking Tony Blair's campaign against binge drinking. Although Downing Street defended Miss Casey, saying the Prime Minister still had a "high regard" for her achievements in public service, MPs and senior civil servants said her authority had been seriously compromised. Sir John Gieve, Home Office permanent secretary, has begun an investigation into her remarks at a private event attended by civil servants, chief constables and criminal justice practitioners in Stratford-upon-Avon last month. Miss Casey, 38, was appointed by Mr Blair to head the Home Office's anti- social behaviour unit, with a leading role in delivering his agenda of restoring "respect" on Britain's streets.
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A guest recorded the speech in which she poked fun at Charles Clarke, Home Secretary. "I suppose you can't binge drink any more because lots of people have said you can't do it," she said. "I don't know who bloody made that up, it's nonsense." On the tape, obtained by the BBC, she said some ministers might perform better if they "turn up in the morning pissed". "Doing things sober is no way to get things done," she added. Her strongest criticism was reserved for Downing Street, which she suggested was "obsessed" with conducting extensive research before formulating policies. She apparently joked that she would "deck" Downing Street policy advisers if they kept spouting jargon at her and claimed the tea lady was more powerful than ministers. A number of people in the audience were reported to have walked out during her speech. The leaking of the tape was seen in Whitehall as an attempt to damage the standing of Miss Casey by hostile officials within the Home Office. At the weekend it was reported that Mr Blair had criticised Mr Clarke over a lack of action on the "respect agenda" and had asked Miss Casey to report direct to him. With Mr Blair preoccupied with London's successful Olympic bid and the G8 Summit in Gleneagles, Downing Street sought to hold the line. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said Mr Blair still had "full confidence" in her and had a high regard for her achievements in government. The remarks were made after dinner and should be put in perspective. "Lets face it, a lot of people have said things after dinner that, once they have seen them in the cold light of day, they may well regret," the spokesman added. David Davis, Conservative home affairs spokesman, described Miss Casey's comments as "very alarming" and challenged Downing Street to confirm whether they reflected the views of Mr Blair or those of the Home Secretary.
Appendix 4/13, The Daily Telegraph March 6, 2006
The long weekend
By George Jones, Hilary Clarke and Neil Tweedie in Rome (Filed: 06/03/2006) Tessa Jowell arrived back at her London home yesterday looking exhausted, distressed and ill-prepared for another week under the media spotlight that could determine whether her ministerial career is over. A weekend away at the country cottage of the Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer, clearly failed to lift her spirits after her separation from her husband, the in ternational lawyer David Mills. Her political future came under renewed pressure last night as Labour MPs urged her to quit as head of the party's local elections campaign in London. Despite expressions of sympathy for Miss Jowell's personal plight, there were growing doubts at Westminster over whether she could survive more media scrutiny. Labour MPs said the disclosures about multiple mortgages and the use of offshore accounts to shield money from tax were deeply damaging to the party. Miss Jowell arrive d back at her home yesterday afternoon for the first time since the announcement on Saturday morning that she and her husband had agreed on "a period of separation" after 27 years of marriage. Appearing red-eyed, tired and strained, she brushed past waiting reporters. Meanwhile Mr Mills, who is thought to have left the country, is expected to learn this week whether Italian prosecutors intend to charge him over the alleged bribe from Silvio Berlusconi - a claim he denies. His defence team is reported to be preparing to ask for Mr Mills to be heard again in a move that could be interpreted either as a delaying tactic or a sign that the British lawyer who worked for the Italian prime minister's media companies has more
71 information. Miss Jowell's first politic al test will come in the Commons this afternoon when she faces MPs for a question time session on her Culture, Media and Sport Department. While Labour MPs will be out in force in a public show of solidarity, Tory MPs warned that they would continue to press for answers over whether she broke ministerial and parliamentary rules by failing to declare details of her husband's financial dealings. Cabinet allies rall ied behind Miss Jowell yesterday and launched a concerted effort to counter speculation that the "separation" was a public relations ploy to distance her from her husband, possibly days before he faced charges from Italian prosecutors. David Miliband, the local government minister, said it was "grotesque" to suggest that Alastair Campbell, the former Downing Street communications chief, was behind the announcement that the couple were separating. Labour sources conceded that Mr Campbell was a friend of the couple and had spoken to them. But they denied that he had advised them to separate - as he was reported in 1997 to have told the late Robin Cook to decide whether to stay with his wife or leave her for his mistress, Gaynor Regan. Mr Miliband told BBC Tele vision's Sunday AM that the "anguish" Miss Jowell and Mr Mills had been going through was "dreadful". Hilary Benn, the International Development Secretary, told ITV1's Jonathan Dimbleby that it was "beneath contempt" to suggest that the separation was an a ttempt to save her career. "I don't believe that for a second," he said. "This is absolutely for real." He said he believed that she would hold on to her Cabinet job because she was "a very, very honest woman and I have confidence in her". Lady Jay, a clo se friend of Miss Jowell, told Sky News that the couple were both "miserable" about the separation. But they felt that they must give each other the "emotional and physical space to try to resolve these problems separately". However, there was little other visible support for her. Tony Blair conspicuously avoided questions on the issue on Saturday. Many Labour MPs still have a deep sense of unease about the world of secretive payments through complex networks of offshore companies that the affair has exposed. Frank Dobson, the former Labour health secretary, told GMTV there was a feeling that Miss Jowell's lifestyle was "so utterly at variance with [that of] most MPs, never mind voters" that it made it more difficult for the Labour Party to connect with the electorate. He said the party should review whether she should lead the party's campaign in London for the May local elections - where Labour fears big losses. Asked if he would prefer someone else to run it, he said: "Yes." Kate Hoey, the Labour MP for Va uxhall, said: "It might be in the best interests of the London election campaign for Tessa, who is under such strain at the moment, not to take charge." Miss Jowell faced fresh questions yesterday over a report that Mr Mills made a £67,000 profit on shares he bought in the Old Monk Company pub chain in 1998 when Miss Jowell was a public health minister. Government officials said all the issues concerning her duty of disclosure under the Ministerial Code had been fully dealt with in statements last week by M r Blair and Cabinet Secretary, Sir Gus O'Donnell. However, Nigel Evans, a Conservative member of the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee, said he would be writing to Miss Jowell this week over whether she had properly declared all her and her husband's interests. He said he was prepared to refer her to the Commons Standards and Privileges Committee if he failed to get a satisfactory response. The latest revelations "add fuel to the fire", he said. Appendix 5/13, The Sun
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March 7, 2006
Who has the final say ?
By JACQUI THORTON Health Editor
CANCER survivor Natalie Evans was devastated yesterday after losing her fight to use her frozen embryos to have a baby. The European Court of Human Fights rejected her apppeal following earlier court cases, denying her the only chance she has of becoming a mum. Natalie, 34, was offered a course of IVF in 2001 before she had to have her ovaries removed as part of her cancer treatment. Her then fiancé, Howard Johnston, 29, donated his sperm to created fertilised embryos which were then frozen and stored. But Howard, an IT worker from Gloucester, changed his mind about becoming a father after the couple split in 2002 and withdrew consent for their use. The tragic court battle between natalie, of melksham, Wilts, and Howard has divided the nation. Some say Natalie has an exceptional case and the law should be altered to allow her to become a mother. Others agree the decision to use stored embryos HAS to come from both parties. Here, we hear each side of the argument – in Natalie´s and Howard´s own words.
NATALIE´ S STORY Heartbroken Natalie said she was determined to fight on in her bed to be a mum. She said: ´I was very disappointed to learn of the judgement. I´d hoped that today would be a day for me to celebrate. ´I had really hoped that the Strasbourg decision would be an end to what I have gone through over the past four years. However, I am still as determined as ever to do everything possible to be allowed to try for a child of my own using my stored embryos.´ ´I have been advised I can ask for the Grand Chamber of the European Court to consider my case. I intend to do that. She added: ´Howard may think it´s asking a lot to change his mind but it´s not.´ Howard, please think what you´re doing to me, I ´m not going to give up.´ ´Natalie believes Howard is being allowed to make the decsion as to whether or not she can become a mum. ´ ´Of course I ´m not saying he doesn´t have rights,´she said. ´But he chose to become a father the day we created the embryos.´ Natalie entered the IVF programme just after she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and didn´t realise that Howard could later withdraw his consent. She admitted: ´I didn´t look at the small print at all.´ Asked what it was like to know that the embryos are still available, she said: ´It´s really difficult because they are stored about twenty miles from where I live and there is a law stopping me from having them and becoming the mother I so want to be.´ ´If this emryo had been in my womb when we broke up, no one would have a problem with it.´
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Natallie went on: "I'm now in a relationship with a man who is very supportive of me. If I had a child, he would become the legal father. But we don't want to adopt. I want my own children." FOR Howard, the matter was simple: If he was going to be a father, he wanted to be a good father in a strong relationship. Once he split with Natallie, he knew he did not have the solid base for fatherhood that he felt was important. Welcoming the court's decision last night, the computer expert said: "We would have been good parents if we had stayed together, but I did not want a child of mine growing up not knowing who I was and in an environment I have no control over." Howard denied his opposition to the use of the embryos was based on fears of taking on financial responsibility for any resulting children. He explained: "Even if I could have had legal assurance that I wouldn't have to pay anything towards the child's upkeep, I still would not have gone ahead with it." "The key thing for me was just to be able to decide when to start a family." Howard, who has had no contact with Natallie for several years, said the case has made him realise how important it is to be completely ready for parenthood. He said: "I don't know if I want to be a father in the future - everyone has to consider that decision carefully. I have to see how my life pans out." But speaking at his solicitor's office in Cheltenham, Gloucs, Howard said he did not regret agreeing to fertilise the embryos with Natallie. "It was something we agreed at the time," he explained. "We found out she had cancer and agreed that the best thing to do would be to fertilise the eggs. "I don't regret it, it's just that the situation changed. "The relationship broke down and it has always been my principle that I wanted to decide when to start a family." Howard warned other couples planning to start IVF treatment to check the small print first. He said: "You need to know everything and the ramifications around the idea of consent."
Appendix 6/13, The Daily Telegraph March 8, 2006
Don't stop me becoming a mother
By Joshua Rozenberg and Sarah Womack (Filed: 08/03/2006)
A woman who lost a landmark legal battle to be allowed to use her frozen IVF embryos yesterday pleaded with her former fiancé to give her the chance of motherhood. Natallie Evans, 34, who split up with Howard Johnston in 2002 and is infertile after cancer treatment, said the six embryos represented her last hope of having children that are genetically hers. When the relationship ended, Mr Johnston withdrew his consent for the embryos to be used. Miss Evans responded by taking her case to the British courts before going to the European Court of Human Rights and arguing that her rights had been breached. But judges at the Strasbourg court ruled against her by five to two and at a
74 tearful press conference Miss Evans urged Mr Howard to reconsider his position. "Howard may think it's a lot to change his mind but it's not," she said. "Howard, please think about it." She added: "I have tried every avenue with him to try and speak to his better nature and nothing has helped. He is being so mean. He is stopping me from becoming a mother. "I haven't spoken to him in years. I don't know where he is. I would just say, 'Please think what you are doing to me'." At a separate press conference, Mr Johnston said he would like a baby one day "if I met the right person". He said: "We woul d have been good parents if we had stayed together but I did not want a child of mine growing up not knowing who I was and in an environment I have no control over." Miss Evans, from Trowbridge, Wilts, has said she and her new boyfriend would raise the chi ld created with Mr Johnston. Her lawyers said they would apply for her case to be heard by the European Court's Grand Chamber, a full court of 17 judges. She had a "realistic chance" of success, buttressed by the fact that one of her arguments had gained s upport from two of the seven judges who heard her case. But other lawyers said there was no reason to suppose that a Grand Chamber would be any more likely to find in favour of Miss Evans than the majority who ruled yesterday. Second hearings are allowed only in "exceptional" circumstances, in any case. Miss Evans had IVF treatment in 2001, before her ovaries were removed. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 says the consent of both parties is required at every stage of proceedings. "I'm still a s determined as ever to do anything possible to have a child of my own using my stored embryos," Miss Evans said. "I would still prefer not to use the courts." Asked to consider Mr Johnston's position, Miss Evans said he knew what he had been going into. "He chose to become a father the day we created the embryos. That was his choice to be a father." When the couple began IVF they were told it would be possible for either of them to withdraw their consent at any time before an embryo was implanted. But this was just after Miss Evans found out about her cancer and she said nobody warned her about what she was signing. Mr Johnston, speaking near his home in Cheltenham, said he was relieved by the European Court judgment and felt that common sense had prevailed . He wanted to decide when to start a family. He also wanted to be involved in the upbringing of any children he may have. "I felt very strongly that I should be able to make that decision myself. When two people embark on something, it should be completed with the two people still involved." Having IVF treatment should be "something you undertake as a couple in a stable relationship where the key consideration is the welfare for any offspring". He "could not countenance" having nothing to do with his child despite knowing he or she was somewhere in the world. "It was something we embarked on together, to have a child, and unfortunately that can't happen because we are no longer together. That really is where it ends." The Strasbourg judges said there was no international consensus on the use of fertility treatment. That meant Britain should have a wide discretion, or "margin of appreciation" as it is called. While expressing "great sympathy" for Miss Evans's plight, the court did not accept that the male don or's rights were any less worthy of protection than
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those of the female partner. Nor was it obvious that the balance of interests "would always tip decisively in favour of the female party". While dismissing Miss Evans's claims, the Strasbourg court asked the Government to arrange for the embryos to remain in storage pending a decision at a further hearing before 17 judges. The five years' storage permitted under the 1990 Act expires in October. The Department of Health welcomed the judgment. A spokesman sa id it recognised the distress caused to Miss Evans and said a review of the Act, including the storage of embryos, had started. Appendix 7/13, The Sun March 23, 2006 Camilla´s joined strippers
By JOHN COLES THE Duchess of Cornwall has joined the Women´s Institute – famed for their NUDE calendars. Camilla, 58, signed up with her local branch after being inspired by the Rylstone WI ladies who stripped for a charity calendar. She met the six Yorkshire women in June afte their story was made into hit film Calendar Girls, starring Julie Walters and Helen Mirren. But Camilla will stick to traditional activites like cake sales at her branch in Tetbury, Gloucs. Local WI president Judi Mason-Smith said: ´The Duchess was very impressed with the real Calendar Girls but I don´t think she will follow in their footsteps.´ Camilla can now attend monthly meetings at Tetbury Village Hall, near her Highgrove home. Upcoming discussions there include ´the Sari: an Indian Tradition´and ´Promblems of Intensive Farming.´ Yesterday Camilla and Prince Charles visited an animal hospital during their Cairo tour. She fed a carrot to a donkey – which then keeled over for a roll in the dust. It was fine – probable just ass-tuned to meet royalty.
Appendix 8/13, The Daily Telgraph March 3, 2006
Calendar Girls inspire Camilla to join Women's Institute By Richard Savill (Filed: 23/03/2006)
Their decision to appear topless for a charity calendar has been immortalised in a film and prompted thousands of others to disrobe for good causes. Now the Women's Institute Calendar Girls have scored another success by inspiring the Duchess of Cornwall to join her local branch at Tetbury, Glos, near her home at Highgrove. Barbara Gill, the former WI national chairman, who died in November, took some of the original Calendar Girls to visit the duchess and the Prince of Wales at Clarence House last June. The 2003 box office hit Calendar Girls inspired middle-aged women and others
76 to bare all for charity. Starring Julie Walters and Helen Mirren, it was based on Rylstone WI in Yorkshire whose members stripped off, but kept their modesty intact with strategically placed kitchen objects. Judi Mason-Smith, the president of the 32-member Tetbury WI, said: "The duchess was so impressed with the real Calendar Girls and the money they had raised for charity that she decided to join. She loved the film too." Mrs Mason-Smith said, however, that it was unlikely that the duchess herself would be removing her clothes for a calendar. "Even though the duchess was very impressed with the real Calendar Girls, I don't think she will be following in their footsteps." She added: "It would be great if she came to our meetings. I am sure the duchess would enjoy our activities." Buckingham Palace said the duchess was "delighted" to become a member of the WI. A spokesman added that she had found the original Calendar Girls "very entertaining". She said: "The duchess had a good chat with them and was very impressed by what they had achieved. She has always been interested in the Women's Institute and after meeting the ladies thought it a good idea to join. "Obviously she has a hectic schedule and won't be able to attend all the meetings but she will be kept informed of the activities of the Tetbury branch each month." Linda Stokes, 58, who has been with the Tetbury group for 36 years, said: "Everyone is excited that she has joined. We are a little bit more conservative than the girls up in Yorkshire so she won't have to worry about starring in any calendars." Other royal WI members have included Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary and the Queen Mother. The Queen is the current president of Sandringham WI, and the Princess Royal is an associate member in Gloucestershire. Appendix 9/13, The Sun May 11, 2006 Michelle is Sugar Babe
By COLIN ROBERTSON SHY former checkout girl Michelle Dewberry was the surprise winner of TV’s The Apprentice last night — and said: “It just shows, you don’t have to be cocky.”
Viewers were stunned as tycoon Sir Alan Sugar hired ice-cool Michelle to work for him instead of the pushy favourite Ruth Badger.
After landing her £100,000 job with the Amstrad boss, Michelle, 26, said: “For someone like Sir Alan to recognise my ability is unbelievable. It shows you don’t need to be loud and cocky and bolshie — just work as hard as you can and you’ll get on in life.”
Multi-millionaire Sir Alan described his decision as “a terrible dilemma”.
But he said he picked Michelle out of all the contestants on the hit BBC2 reality show because she was a natural grafter.
He told the Hull-born beauty: “All you have ever done in your life is work hard
77 and you have become a great achiever.” Michelle slaved away in low-paid jobs after leaving school with only two GCSEs — but set up her own freelance consultancy business.
She faced tragedy at 19, when her sister fell eight floors to her death.
Now she will launch a new business for Sir Alan called Xenon Green, disposing of unwanted computer equipment for companies.
Mum Glynis Davies said: “The whole family is so proud of her.”
Tough-talking Sir Alan said of Michelle: “She’s young and willing to learn. I think I’ve got the right girl.
“It’s down to the job I have in mind that did it for Michelle.”
But he admitted: “Last year was much easier, there was no contest. Those close to me know I was struggling this last couple of days.”
Fourteen original contestants were whittled down in business tasks — and each week Sir Alan told one: “You’re fired.”
Brummie Ruth, 28, the beaten finalist, said: “I’m happy for Michelle but absolutely gutted I’m not working for Sir Alan.
“I’ve never fought for something so much.
“There’s nobody in this country inspires me more than Sir Alan. Even though I’ve come second, I absolutely worship the man.”
Last year’s runner-up Saira Khan was amazed Michelle won. She said: “She’s lovely but not assertive. Michelle doesn’t do it for me.”
The BBC is planning a special celebrity version of The Apprentice — fronted by Sir Alan — for next year’s Comic Relief Appendix 10/13, The Daily Telgraph May 11, 2006
You're hired!
By Sally Pook (Filed: 11/05/2006) For the former Kwik Save checkout girl, failure was never an option. Last night, Michelle Dewberry's thirst for success was rewarded when she was named winner of The Apprentice, the reality television show starring Sir Alan Sugar. Although she failed to stand out in the early episodes of the series, in which one of 14 hopefuls attempts to win a £100,000 apprenticeship with Sir Alan, she was described by the founder of Amstrad last night as "the right girl". "I found her very focused, very determined, very organised, and this particular job I have in mind requires all of those skills," he said. "She is young and willing to learn." In the all-female final screened on BBC 2 last night, 26-year-old Miss Dewberry, who had to lie about her GCSEs to get her first job, beat Ruth Badger, a sales manager from Wolverhampton.
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She left school with only two GCSEs and a year later her older sister, Fiona, 19, fell to her death from an eighth-floor window. The tragedy spurred Miss Dewberry on and by 24 she was running her own telecoms business. Yesterday she was stunned to learn she had won. "For someone like Sir Alan to recognise my ability is unbelievable," she said. "It wasn't until right at the very end when he said I had won that I believed it. It shows you don't need to be loud and cocky and bolshie, just work as hard as you can and hopefully you will get on in life." Her 28-year-old rival in the final, known as The Badger, said: "I am genuinely, genuinely happy for Michelle but I am absolutely gutted that I am not working for Sir Alan." Miss Badger added: "I have never in my career or my life fought for something so much. There is nobody in this country that inspires me more than Sir Alan. Even though I have come second I absolutely worship the man." Sir Alan said he had agonised over which woman to choose. "I was in a terrible dilemma this year," he said. "It was very, very tough. Last year was much easier, there was no contest. Those who are close to me know I was struggling this last couple of days." Miss Dewberry's new job will see her masterminding the launch of Xenon Green. Sir Alan said: "With all these new European rules, huge companies and organisations like schools, universities and Government bodies can't just chuck out old computers. They have to be disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner. "We will charge the customer for taking them away, then disassemble them. It is going to be a kind of greenfield business and Michelle is going to mastermind the thing. We are going to turn it into a very, very big business." In last night's episode, the finalists competed to stage an event at Tower Bridge in London. Although the task helped Sir Alan make his decision, it was not the only factor. Both women have spent the past six months secretly working in his companies. Throughout the series, Miss Badger proved herself to be a formidable saleswoman but her domineering personality upset some. A former Wolverhampton Wanderers football steward, she left school at 16 for a YTS civil service scheme. She joined a financial services company and claims to have helped increase turnover from £3 million to £13 million. Since the show began she has split from her husband and embarked on a lesbian relationship. Appendix 11/13, The Sun June 22, 2006
Wife 'burnt tycoon alive'
By KATHERINE LISTER and CHARLES RAE
THE 26-year-old African wife of a missing British pensioner is to be charged with murdering him after he was found to have been burned alive. Cops said the charred remains of tycoon William West, 76, were close to the couple’s luxury holiday beach home in Gambia. He vanished on July 3 while on a vacation with wife Kate. She claimed he disappeared after popping into a cigar store on a day trip to neighbouring Senegal.
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Mrs West was originally from Ghana but lived in Gambia with her Nigerian parents. She married Mr West six years ago — when she was 20 — after they met while he was on holiday in Gambia. Police are holding her in custody, along with a West African man. Mrs West had flown back to the couple’s plush, £750,000 home, in Hastings, East Sussex, the day after her husband went missing. But she returned to Gambia three days ago to help with the search and to officially register him missing. His body was found on Thursday. Assistant Police Supt Aziz Bojang said: “As a result of an interview with the wife, detectives found Mr West’s body at the home they shared. “She has confessed, and she is the prime suspect. “She has named a West African man as an accomplice but he is denying any involvement. “Kate is currently in police custody and will be charged with murder. “If convicted she could be jailed for life.” Mr Bojang said officers had gone through private documents belonging to Mr West and discovered a will in which his wife is the main beneficiary. He added: “We are still trying to determine the motive for the killing and there is every reason to believe his wife would clearly benefit through his death. “This is an unprecedented incident here. “Because Mr West’s property is situated in a remote area near the beach not many people in the community are aware of what has happened. “Investigations are continuing into what has happened but we are still at an early stage in our inquiries.” Mrs West had flown back to Gambia with two British men — one of them family friend David Jenkins. Both men were questioned by police but Mr Bojang said they were not arrested or involved with the murder. Irish-born Mr West, who made a fortune from running his own computer business, was a widower when he met his second wife on holiday in Gambia in 2000. His first wife, Doris, died in 1994. He has a niece living in Hastings and a brother in Ireland. Neighbours in Hastings said he was “jovial” before flying out for what turned out to be his final trip to Gambia. But they revealed he was hen-pecked by his young wife. Locals at Churchill’s Hotel and Bar said she was the dominant partner in the marriage. He added: “Whenever they came in here he would bring her drink over to the table. You got the impression he was hen-pecked. He always seemed to be following her orders. “If you saw them shopping he was always carrying the bags.” The bar boss last saw Mrs West at Hastings station a week ago. He said he was concerned because she ignored him and rushed past. He added: “I smiled and said hello but she just blanked me. I thought she was just being rude and obnoxious. But there was clearly something worrying her. I would usually say hello and she would reply. She must have had a lot on her mind. She is not very talkative though anyway. “I don’t think her English is very good because she never stops to say very much.” He said: “She was definitely in charge of her marriage. Everyone knew that. Although they didn’t say much, whenever they were out walking their dog Shep she was always a few yards ahead of him. “When most people walk dogs together they walk side by side. “But she was always out in front leading the way while he shuffled behind. She is a very dominant lady.”
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Appendix 12/13, The Daily Telegraph
June 6, 2006
Wife, 26, held over death of pensioner
By David Sapsted (Filed: 22/06/2006) The wife of a wealthy pensioner who had been missing in Africa for more than a fortnight was arrested yesterday after his body was found. The badly burnt remains of 76-year-old William West were discovered close to the Gambian holiday home that he shared with his wife, Kate, who is 50 years his junior. Mrs West, who was born in Ghana, had returned to the couple's home in Hastings, East Sussex, this month. She told police that her husband, a retired businessman, had disappeared in Senegal after going shopping for cigars. She went back to Gambia on Tuesday at the request of local police, accompanied by two male friends. All three, plus a West African man, were arrested and questioned in Banjul after the discovery of Mr West's body on Thursday. The two British men were later released. Asst Supt Aziz Bojang said: "Kate West is under investigation." Mr West, whose first wife, Doris, died in 1994, met his second wife while on holiday in Gambia in 2000 and married her within months. Appendix 13/13, The Sun August 11, 2005 BRAINY PIP IN MISS ENGLAND
By Alex PEAKE STUNNING Pip Stewart is Britain´s brainiest beauty after becoming the first ever Oxford University student to reach the Miss Engladn finals . Blonde Pip, 20, is bidding to beat 39 other hopefuls to win the crown next month. Pip,right, who has finished the second year of her history and politics degree at Queen´s College, only entered for a dare. She said: ´I just did it for a laugh. Hopefully, being brainy will give me an edge. I´d love to win Miss World.´ Pip lives with her parents Jane, 50, dan Ian, 60, a retired RAF Harrier pilot, and sister Jo, 17, in Cheltenham, Gloucs. She won a regional heat last month. At the final in Liverpol she will have to play the saxophone in a talent contest and parade in lingerie and evening wear. Miss World is held in December. An Oxford University spokeswoman said: ´We´re not aware of any student entering before. We wish Pip all the best. Everybody hire is proud of her.
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