The use of language used in the article is very informally, they use lots of emotive words to dramatise the article, such as ‘One very seriously injured and one seriously injured’ and ‘dramatically pulled out of Afghanistan’. The purpose of this article is not only to inform the public, but to glamorise the safe arrival of Prince Harry from Afghanistan. The Sun paper is a tabloid, which is more suited to people who enjoy reading 'dramatic' and 'over-exaggerated stories which means that the Sun’s stereotypical target audience would be 16-25. The Sun is aimed at people who prefer 'easier reading.' This means that the papers stories are short, too the point and simple. We can see this by the use of lexis.
The language used is very informal, especially in regards to the royal family. For example ‘chatting to fellow soldiers’ and ‘Climbing into an Audi Estate’ this is a metaphor, as he is not actually climbing into the car. To make the tabloid more interesting and eye catching the Sun uses a lot of pictures. One of the pictures used shows Harry loading his car with his bags which could be seen as breaking the rules of Grice’s maxim as the picture has no relevance to the story. Showing this The Suns target audience is possibly not for the more matured reader.
The writings are very informal when in regards to the royal family, on several occasions. The article implies familiarity with the royal family as they refer the Princes of Wales as “Harry and Will”. This code of familiarity is significantly different in the Telegraph that always refers the princes of Wales to Prince Harry and Prince William.
The Sun, does not wish to share its sources, from where they obtain there stories, this takes away from the creditability of the article. This is poor maxim of quality as they have no adequate information from where they obtain or obtained their information.
‘The Sun knows exact details of where and when Navy top brass are considering sending William’ ‘When Will joins the Navy he will have the lowest officer rank-sources said’.
Where as in the Telegraph, there is a good example of maxim of quality and relation.
‘A defiant prince Harry has arrived back in Britain, this morning after a media leak led to him being withdrawn 10 weeks into a 14 week tour of duty in Afghanistan’
In this they are staying as relevant to the subject as possible, they explain, why Prince Harry has arrived back into the UK and have not strayed from the subject like the Sun by commenting on his sunburnt or tired face, which is more information than which is needed.
The lexis in this article is much more formal, especially compared to the Sun. This may be a suggestion that the Telegraph’s target audience is a more matured audience compared to the Suns. Again the use of more formal words in the Telegraph, ‘Defiant’ as apposed to ‘Hero’, ‘Insurgents’ as apposed to ‘fighters’ and interestingly both articles have different locations as to where Prince Harry was taken after he arrived. The Sun states he headed back to ‘Charles’s nearby country home in Highgrove’ where as the Telegraph states he went to keep a low profile ‘at the household cavalry barracks in Windsor’ This suggest if not one then both newspapers lack adequate evidence to give their stories creditability.
Quotes that are used in the Telegraph are clearly sourced, from where they were obtained. ‘A Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that his presence’ where as the Sun never reveals the source of their information.
For example
‘We are very grateful to him for all the work he has done in Afghanistan – very grateful to all the soldiers in Afghanistan.’
The Sun does not reveal its source.
Through this analysis I have come to the conclusion that the Sun uses orally based vocabulary, and dramatic and sensational language to attract their target audience where as the Telegraph takes pride in its credibility through its correct use of terminology and its correct use of Grice’s maxims whereas the Sun diverts to irrelevant information. The Telegraph also backs up its sources which makes the newspaper more reliable for the truth where’s with the Sun doesn’t reference it sources which makes you question the value of information written by the Sun.
But on a positive note on the Sun it makes a more interesting read to the younger audience and keeps them interested by over used dramatised and informal use of lexis.
