What is The Big Issue?
The Big Issue is a street newspaper founded by John Bird and Gordon Roddick in September 1991 and published in four continents. It is written by professional journalists and sold by homeless individuals.
The Sun Newspaper is a right wing newspaper, with right wing opinions on immigration and unemployment. This image is an example of a headline from The Sun that suggests their views on immigration is that it is wrong and Britain should be doing something about it, which is the typical right wing view on immigration.
This is an example of a headline from The Sun that suggests that they believe that giving people benefits is wrong, and that they should get a job to pay for themselves. This is evident through the use of the phrase: "Warning: this story will make your blood boil". This view on unemployment and benefits id the typical right wing view on unemployment and benefits.
This poster is using a direct mode of address, as the picture of the soldier is directly facing the audience, he is looking straight at the audience and his finger is pointed at the audience. The use of the word 'YOU' is also a direct mode of address because it creates a connection with the audience, and make them believe that the subject of the image is talking to them directly. It also makes the audience feel as though they are wanted, which would encourage them to join the army, which is what the main aim of the poster is. The red colour within the poster stands out, and also gives connotations of anger and passion, but because this is a war propaganda poster, it could insinuate connotations of violence and war. The masthead is the biggest part of the poster, it is at the very top and it is in bold. This immediately captures the attention of the audience and allows them to follow the rest of the poster. The image is at the centre of the composition, making this the main focus of the propaganda poster. The contrast between the black and white, and the red colour makes it stand out and makes the propaganda more effective, as more people are likely to pay attention to this poster. The soldier in the image has a serious face, which could give the poster serious connotations, and could suggest to the audience that the war is being serious. The coverline "Join your country's army!" is slightly smaller than the masthead, but is still in capitals to emphasise it's importance, as this is what the main aim of the poster is. The coverline 'God Save The King' is smaller than the rest of the text but is in bold, and is written using serif font. The use of the serif font gives it a more traditional and formal feel, which could present to the audience that this is a formal matter.
The film characters on the front cover of this magazine are using an indirect mode of address, as they are looking away from the audience and into the distance. The superman costume that the character is wearing are the colours of the american flag, which could connote that this character is patriotic and has love for his country. Additionally to this, the way in which the characters are standing could suggest that they are strong and powerful, and could also connote that they are of more significance that other people. The font that they have used in the main coverline 'Man of Steel' is written in sans serif, which gives it a more modern feel. However, it also appears to be made out of 'steel', emphasising the meaning of the image and the film title. It is a formal mode of address due to the fact that the magazine is using a formal approach on the front cover (the grammar is correct and there is no slang) and the way that they are standing denotes formality. The fact that the male character is taller than the female character could suggest that he is of more importance, or that she is a 'damsel in distress' character, who requires protecting and saving within the film. The masthead has been put behind the image to make the sole focus of the magazine cover the characters and the main coverline.
Underclass: People who are at the bottom of a society having become victims of poverty trap. This class is largely composed of the young unemployed, long-unemployed, chronically-sick, disabled, old, or single-parent (usually the mother) families. It also includes those who are systematically excluded from participation in legitimate economic activities, such as cultural, ethnic, or religious minorities or illegal immigrants. Children of the underclass (specially those from single-parent families) often lack educational qualifications and social and other skills and are, therefore, unable to rise out of it.
Born in Surrey in 1979, James Bowen had a rootless childhood in Australia. He detested his stepfather and was bullied at school, sniffed glue, and was diagnosed with ADHD and manic depression. He returned to England in 1997 to live with his half-sister from his father’s previous marriage but her boyfriend did not take kindly to the volatile teenager. Soon he was leading a nomadic existence at various flats and squats around London. When he ran out of floors to sleep on he moved to the streets. It was a desperate decade in which he was robbed by other users and dealers, and beaten by drunks while sleeping rough. James admits his life only changed in 2007 when he found a dishevelled cat curled up in the hallway of his sheltered accommodation while he was a participant on a drug rehabilitation programme. Living hand to mouth on the streets the last thing he needed was a pet. Yet something drew James to the strikingly intelligent cat and he spent the last of his savings taking him to the vet to treat an injury to Bob’s leg. From that day onward the cat would not leave James’ side. Concluding he was a stray, he named him Bob. (Daily Express)
The Sun Newspaper is a right wing newspaper, with right wing opinions on immigration and unemployment. This image is an example of a headline from The Sun that suggests their views on immigration is that it is wrong and Britain should be doing something about it, which is the typical right wing view on immigration.
This is an example of a headline from The Sun that suggests that they believe that giving people benefits is wrong, and that they should get a job to pay for themselves. This is evident through the use of the phrase: "Warning: this story will make your blood boil". This view on unemployment and benefits id the typical right wing view on unemployment and benefits.
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The Big Issue is ethically different to the typical newspapers and magazines as it is a charity that aims to help people who are homeless to create a better life for themselves. The money that they make from selling The Big Issue helps them to get them started and gives them a job to get them started in employment. However, some politicians are suggesting that gradually, more and more immigrants are travelling to the UK to become Big Issue vendors, and then claiming tax credits for self employment. The Big Issue's political orientation is left wing.
Task 1
This poster is using a direct mode of address, as the picture of the soldier is directly facing the audience, he is looking straight at the audience and his finger is pointed at the audience. The use of the word 'YOU' is also a direct mode of address because it creates a connection with the audience, and make them believe that the subject of the image is talking to them directly. It also makes the audience feel as though they are wanted, which would encourage them to join the army, which is what the main aim of the poster is. The red colour within the poster stands out, and also gives connotations of anger and passion, but because this is a war propaganda poster, it could insinuate connotations of violence and war. The masthead is the biggest part of the poster, it is at the very top and it is in bold. This immediately captures the attention of the audience and allows them to follow the rest of the poster. The image is at the centre of the composition, making this the main focus of the propaganda poster. The contrast between the black and white, and the red colour makes it stand out and makes the propaganda more effective, as more people are likely to pay attention to this poster. The soldier in the image has a serious face, which could give the poster serious connotations, and could suggest to the audience that the war is being serious. The coverline "Join your country's army!" is slightly smaller than the masthead, but is still in capitals to emphasise it's importance, as this is what the main aim of the poster is. The coverline 'God Save The King' is smaller than the rest of the text but is in bold, and is written using serif font. The use of the serif font gives it a more traditional and formal feel, which could present to the audience that this is a formal matter.
Task 2
The film characters on the front cover of this magazine are using an indirect mode of address, as they are looking away from the audience and into the distance. The superman costume that the character is wearing are the colours of the american flag, which could connote that this character is patriotic and has love for his country. Additionally to this, the way in which the characters are standing could suggest that they are strong and powerful, and could also connote that they are of more significance that other people. The font that they have used in the main coverline 'Man of Steel' is written in sans serif, which gives it a more modern feel. However, it also appears to be made out of 'steel', emphasising the meaning of the image and the film title. It is a formal mode of address due to the fact that the magazine is using a formal approach on the front cover (the grammar is correct and there is no slang) and the way that they are standing denotes formality. The fact that the male character is taller than the female character could suggest that he is of more importance, or that she is a 'damsel in distress' character, who requires protecting and saving within the film. The masthead has been put behind the image to make the sole focus of the magazine cover the characters and the main coverline.
Task 3
Big Issue Objectives:
‘Vendor-centric’ – our charity work is led by the hopes and aspirations of Big Issue vendors
‘Inclusive’ – social and financial inclusion at the heart of our philosophy
‘Non-judgmental’ – we work with anyone who is prepared to engage with self-help.
Through this approach we seek to ensure that our vendors have the following:
- somewhere meaningful to call home
- access to a doctor and equality of access to health care opportunities
- the essential support that is needed to overcome addictions
- direct help with business skills to maximize independent earnings
- the crucial personal identification that opens so many doors
- access to additional financial support and secure saving opportunities
- the opportunity to re-connect with family members and loved ones.
The Big Issue Foundation seeks to deliver social & financial inclusion by supporting Big Issue vendors in the self-help process of buying & selling the Big Issue Magazine. Our services are ‘vendor centric’ meaning that we favour a holistic approach on a journey to a better future that is led by the vendor.
Social exclusion is a short-hand term for the way that problems such as unemployment, poor skills, poverty, bad housing, living in a high-crime area, bad health & family breakdown can link together to make it tough for people to get what they need to improve their situation.
Our support focuses on cultivating strong working relationships with Big Issue vendors and connects them to services and the vital bespoke support that is needed. We do this by maintaining a wide range of working relationships with local service providers. Please click here for more basic facts about us.
A key part of the way that we work with Big Issue vendors is by identifying and motivating individuals to engage with the services that will help them move forward and deal with their homelessness, health issues and achieve their own goals.
About The Big Issue:
The Big Issue Foundation is a financially independent charity. We believe in a ‘hand up and not a hand out’ and recognise that earning an income is a key step in a person’s journey towards stability and a better life. Achieving something for yourself is 100% more empowering than having it done for you. The Big Issue offers the incentive of earning an income; it means that we engage with a number of individuals who are not seen by other services or projects. We work exclusively with Big Issue vendors, people who are excluded from mainstream society, financially impoverished and disadvantaged in multiple ways. We seek to address the fundamental issues attached to social and financial exclusion through the provision of concrete support to change lives for good.
They operate an open door policy and work with individuals who have made the first step to try and work themselves out of the poverty of their situation. Their charity work focuses on delivering brighter futures, boosting self esteem and helping vendors to reclaim their citizenship.
Their service teams support vendors to determine their own paths towards a better future and then connects them with local services to achieve it. They provide vendors with bespoke support to help them address the issues that may have contributed to their housing insecurity, or the issues that have arisen as a result. We enable vendors to: open bank accounts, access health services, find accommodation, meet their aspirations and reconnect with families and friends, volunteer, train, learn and start their own enterprises and find paid work.
Task 4
How does the Big Issues beliefs reflect
the type of stories covered in the magazine content opposite?
Note: you will need to research around
the coverlines,
imagery and celebrities
What is the social, cultural and
political context linked to the strap line “libraries are so vital”
Big Issue's beliefs reflect the type of stories covered in the magazine content in many different ways. One of the big issues beliefs is that they should be able to support people to meet their aspirations and to learn, and this is reflected in the 'better literacy, better future' coverline. Recently, however, there have been a number of libraries forced into closure due to 'drastic funding cuts'. libraries had lost £25m in their budgets in just one year. someone who is homeless, a library is a place they are able to access information in the best way possible, as they will not have access to their own computer so may rely solely on the library to find employment or to study to get their life back on track. If libraries are closing, it prevents homeless people being able to study and learn, which stops them from achieving a brighter future for themselves. The Big Issue has launched a campaign called WhyBooksMatter, which is a campaign that emphasises the importance of books for people who might not be able to afford books of their own. They mention that books and libraries are vital for poorer students that do not have access to books of their own. Libraries are also a place of community where people meet and can study together, and it is also a place where children can find quiet outside of the chaos of their own homes if needed.
03/11/17
Recent media interest in the labelling of
the poor such as “chavs”
which according to Shildrick and
MacDonald (2007) suggest that the poor are undeserving of sympathy, • Hayward
and Yar
(2006) – the term chav is
used as an amusing term of abuse for young poor people.
Representations of the working class
Newman (2006) argues that there are very few situation comedies, television or
drama which focuses on the everyday lives of working class who constitute a
significant section of society. Newman argues that when in the media
working class are often depicted in a very non positive light dumb buffoons
(Homer Simpson) and immature machos (Phil Mitchell),
Butsch (1992) – working class portrayed as
flawed individuals (benefit cheats, etc).
Lawler (2005)
• Chav is used as a term of disgust and
contempt.
• Argues that the media use the
discriminatory and offensive language to vilify what they depict as a peasant
underclass symbolised by
stereotypical forms of appearance.
• Swale (2006) – usage of the term NEET
(Not in Employment Education or Training).
• Newspapers suggest that those from the
underclass are responsible for their own poverty.
The Big Issue was important for James as it allowed him to make part of his money and get back onto his feet, which he would then have to use to provide money for the cat, which would stop him using the money earned on drugs and alcohol. The Big Issue use James Bowen as it is one of very few success stories that they are able to use to give hope to other Big Issue vendors that they are able to get back onto their feet and off of the streets.
- For former Big Issue vendor James Bowen that someone was a cat… a cat he named Bob: "The day I met Bob my life changed forever. I was no longer invisible. People not only stopped and bought a copy of The Big Issue from me but often stopped to talk to me," says James.
- It makes me proud that the book has opened people’s eyes to how The Big Issue works. That selling The Big Issue is an actual job! The work that The Big Issue Foundation does in supporting Big Issue vendors is so vital.”
- Bob became an attraction and was good for business, whether it was busking or selling The Big Issue.
- James’s inspiring story of how this unlikely friendship helped him get over his addictions to heroin and methadone is recounted in his book A Street Cat Named Bob. With this book, James has joined an elite club of writers with more than three million copies sold, and the book has been translated into over 35 languages. He has also published a follow-up and a children's book, as well as a Christmas book coming out this year. There is talk of a film, and with the money from his books James has been able to pay off his debts and fly to see his mum in Australia.
Discuss
whether in your view the representation of the homeless (social group) is stereotypical or counter stereotypical. Link
this to references of how the homeless/unemployed/underclass are portrayed by
the mainstream media.
In my view, the representation of the homeless (as a social group) within The Big Issue is counter stereotypical. Usually, newspapers and magazines portray the unemployed or the homeless population as addicts to either drugs or alcohol, lazy, or treat them as invisible within society. The Big Issue, in this particular article, are representing homeless individuals as people who do not get the help and support that they need to stay off the streets, so will end up sleeping rough and turning to drugs in times of need, rather than turning to a support system. The Big Issue listen to homeless people as individuals, as well as treating them as individuals rather than a stereotypical groups. Newspapers such as The Sun and the Daily Mail represent homeless people as stereotypical addicts or as underclass individuals that are all the same, which is typical of right wing press. Within The Big Issue, they refer to homeless people as part of society, rather than excluding them from it.
This particular issue of The Big Issue uses a direct mode of address as 'Bob', the cat in the centre of the magazine cover, is looking directly into the camera, giving the effect that he is directly looking towards the audience. This creates a connection with the audience and also makes Bob the main focus of the cover, insinuating that this particular issue is mainly about Bob. The main coverline text that accompanies the image is "BOB: BIG IN JAPAN", which gives context to the image and gives an insight that the feature article may be about Bob's success in Japan, and how he came to be so successful in Japan. The colours used within this article are saturated, with the uses of neon pinks and blues to capture the attention of the reader. Additionally to this, the saturated colours hint to the audience that the article is a positive one and rather than being about James Bowen's struggles on the street, it is about his and Bob's success both in the UK and internationally. The use of the background being a city in Japan also gives context to the article, and sets in place what the content of the article is going to include. As well as the mode of address being direct, The Big Issue have decided to go with an informal mode of address. This is shown through the use of the pun in the bottom left corner of the magazine, which reads "Look, Bobzilla!" This pun may have been used to fit with the article, and to suggest the popularity of Bob in both the UK and internationally.
From the previous powerpoint, use the information on font, text layout, mode of address, mise en scene,
etc. to discuss the way the issue of homelessness is mediated. Note: in what way is the magazine design
influenced by Japanese pop culture. (intertextual
reference)
This particular issue of The Big Issue uses a direct mode of address as 'Bob', the cat in the centre of the magazine cover, is looking directly into the camera, giving the effect that he is directly looking towards the audience. This creates a connection with the audience and also makes Bob the main focus of the cover, insinuating that this particular issue is mainly about Bob. The main coverline text that accompanies the image is "BOB: BIG IN JAPAN", which gives context to the image and gives an insight that the feature article may be about Bob's success in Japan, and how he came to be so successful in Japan. The colours used within this article are saturated, with the uses of neon pinks and blues to capture the attention of the reader. Additionally to this, the saturated colours hint to the audience that the article is a positive one and rather than being about James Bowen's struggles on the street, it is about his and Bob's success both in the UK and internationally. The use of the background being a city in Japan also gives context to the article, and sets in place what the content of the article is going to include. As well as the mode of address being direct, The Big Issue have decided to go with an informal mode of address. This is shown through the use of the pun in the bottom left corner of the magazine, which reads "Look, Bobzilla!" This pun may have been used to fit with the article, and to suggest the popularity of Bob in both the UK and internationally.
- Sans serif font - modern and less traditional.
- Main coverline - teases to the audience what article will be about.
- Simple coverline as people may want to know more, so are required to buy a magazine to find out.
- Below Big Issue logo - "a hand up not a hand out" - further highlights to buyers that The Big Issue allows vendors to make a living to get them back on their feet and possibly off of the streets. It also promotes to a reader what the main aim of the Big Issue is. For every £2.50 magazine sold, the vendor keeps £2. On a 'good day', a vendor sells 10 copies, giving them maximum of £20 a day.
- Saturated colours and use of pink - popular in Japanese culture - intertextual reference for people that know about Japanese culture.
Research on rise of homelessness and drug addiction
- Number of rough sleepers in England rises for sixth successful year - an estimated 4,134 people were forced to sleep outside in 2016, increase of 16% in a year.
- Number of homeless in Britain expected to double by 2041 - charity research predicts that 575,000 people in Britain will have no roof over their heads unless government takes early action.
- The East of England has seen the biggest percentage increase in rough sleeping since last year (44%). This is followed by the North West (42%), the East Midlands (23%) and the North East (18%), all of which have seen increases in rough sleeping above the national average.
- The biggest rise will be for those placed by a council in unsuitable accommodation, such as bed and breakfasts, with the total expected to rise from 19,300 to 117,500.
- There are social causes of homelessness, such as a lack of affordable housing, poverty and unemployment; and life events which cause individuals to become homeless. People can become homeless when they leave prison, care or the army with no home to go to. Many homeless women have escaped a violent relationship. Many people become homeless because they can no longer afford the rent. And for many, life events like a relationship breaking down, losing a job, mental or physical health problems, or substance misuse can be the trigger. Being homeless can in turn make many of these problems even harder to resolve.
- Around 1 in 12 (8.4%) of adults aged 16 to 59 had taken a drug in the last year. This is around 2.7 million people. This level of drug use is similar to the 2014/15 survey (8.6%), but significantly lower than a decade ago (10.5% in the 2005/06 survey)
- Over one-third (35.0%) of adults aged 16 to 59 had taken drugs at some point during their lifetime.
