M2- Berstein

Restricted (restricted because limited information is given to/known by the reader)

• Words are predictable, standard language that is used on a day to day basis.
• Vocabulary is limited and often habitual.
• Often used between people that share identifications.
• People can understand without a full explanation.

 

Elaborated (elaborated because it’s giving more information)

• A wider vocabulary is used.
• Language is explained and contextualised.

http://newlearningonline.com/new-learning/chapter-5/basil-bernstein-on-restricted-and-elaborated-codes

 

Comparisons

BBC NEWS: Toys R Us UK goes into administration- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43225248

Mirror: Bloodbath on the high street: Three major chains announce 6,000 jobs cuts in one morning- https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/bloodbath-high-street-bloodbath-high-12102203

 

I will be discussing the difference between two articles by investigating multiple aspects of each. The articles I have investigated are from BBC News and The Mirror and both concern Toy R Us UK going into administration.  

Headlines are a very important part of the article as it can heavily contribute to whether a user clicks/ decides to read an article. These headlines in particular were interesting to read. The BBC went for a simple headline that didn’t give too much information on the topic at hand, instead relying on the fact that you’ll click the article and find out there. Due to its lack of explanation we can say it’s restrictive, especially with its use of the word “administration”. Here, the writer of the article is assuming that everyone who reads the article understands what the word ‘administration’. This is probably because the majority readership of the BBC News business section is those labelled ABC1 socio-economically. Therefore, the writer feels as if the word needs no explanation. In the Mirror, the headline is a lot more elaborated, stating that there has been “6,000 job cuts”. Here they get straight to the point and do not hide what has happened underneath a word that their C2DE target audience may not understand. The headline they use is also a lot more sensationalist, using the word “bloodbath” as an adjective to describe the situation, this connotes chaos to the reader.

In the Mirror, the adjective “major” is used. This emphasises the size of the companies involved which in turn makes the subject of the article seem more important than it actually may be. This is used to shock the reader, implying that even the large companies are struggling at the moment. This is an example of a noun used by the Mirror to make their story more appealing to the reader. The BBC on the other hand did not rely on descriptive language as much, and went for a more statistical approach. At one point it is wrote that “26 stores will close this spring”. This informs the user with more details about the topic, “26 stores will close this spring”. This informs the user with more details about the topic, rather than glorifying it using interesting adjectives and nouns.

Both articles have small paragraphs that are clear and easy to read, this is because it’s a common convention of news reporting to have one sentence per paragraph, however the BBC does sometimes use two. This again could be because of the BBC’s socio-economically higher target audience, as it may be presumed that they can concentrate more on/are used to reading larger paragraphs. This is important because if the article was written too simply for those of a higher NRS grade, they may feel patronised and become bored of what they’re reading.