News: 1960s Newspaper Case Study

Case Study 1:

This cover suggests that in the 1960s, people cared about what the queen was doing, because the largest image shows the queen, with a large till underneath with a rather large story. One story suggests that the working class were struggling, because pay plans were in place, and the news story talks about his failing. The most important stories have large bold titles, and usually have awn image near them. This would show the reader what it was about. there is also an advertisement in the bottom righthand corner, which would attract a female audience at the time. 

Case Study 2:

'Lawyers will urge divorce by consent'- an example of the social reform of the 1960s, the law commission (staffed only by men) is recommending divorce by consent- a change that made it much easier for people, mostly women, to get divorced- a move to greater gender equality. 'So polite, this North Sea Spy Game', 'Yard suspects Blake used two-way radio', 'America accused of spy frame-up'- Reflect the prevalence of spy stories in the 1960s Cold War historical context. The influence of the Cold War is also shown in  the articles about the Vietnam war-'Hopes rise for cease-fire in Vietnam' and, indirectly, 'Police will appease marchers', which also reflects a patriarchal context in which also reflects the rise of protest in the 1960s, including 'militant Marxists'. 'Wilson-Brown market clash'- Reflects the political context that relations with Europe were contentious in the 1960s, as today.

Case Study 3:
'Unions postpone strike'- illustrates the high level of coverage of strikes in the 1960s, reflecting greater union power in that decade. Barbara Castle is mentioned - the only female politician in all three front pages- as trying to argue for a move towards 'narrowing the differentials' in pay for men and women, showing the patriarchal culture of the 1960s and the limited attempts to create greater gender equality before the Equal Pay Act. 'Jackie:we're very happy'- reflects a patriarchal context in which women are most often defined in terms of their relationship with men; here the dead US President's wife makes a controversial second marriage. The front pages are characterised by the absence of women, e.g. one front page has only one reference to women- a photograph of a woman illustrating an article about knitted fashion. 'Briton shoots a gold'- this article mentions the Black Power protest at the Mexico Olympics, reflecting the antiracist movements of the 1960s; note the unselfconscious use of the term 'Negro'.