Daily Fail
Created for the Ethical Design module whislt studying BA (Hons) Graphic Design at the University of Portsmouth, this publication is a détournement of the Daily Mail — aimed to mock their sensationalism by exaggerating (or exposing) editorial tactics used to excite and manipulate readers.
I received my highest grade yet (1st with a score of 90) and received the ‘Best in Show’ Award for my project (which is still shown in their classes today).
A few years after graduating, I was invited back to tutor on the Ethical Design module every Tuesday afternoon — helping students throughout their projects to refine & inspire ideas, whilst encouraging them to think constructively about their concepts.
“Rita Ora flashes her assets in revealing shoot!”
Caught your eye didn’t it. The media is a master manipulator, contorting truths with catchy headlines exaggerated to draw you in and persuade you to read on. Hmm… Rita Ora aye!
How might we think beyond the obvious of just selling news, and start to communicate quality?
The responsibility lies in the hands of the papers and journalists to generate honest and meaningful stories, rather than producing knee-jerk and sensationalist content. However, infiltrating such medias is a daunting task.
Arguably, those who read the news, do so to gain valuable insight and knowledge. Daily Fail intends to mock more than just the media. Messaging, such as “YOU FOOL” are adopted to provoke readers and encourage them to take a more judicious approach to news reading. If we can communicate and educate readers that their sources of ‘news’ are dishonest and manipulative, we can then encourage them to subscribe to considered and accurate news sources. By putting the power in the hands of the reader to make these conscious choices, we can create a society that is empowered by authenticity. Print readers and digital readers are primarily over 50, therefore, there is a huge gap of opportunity. Not only can we influence the older market to take caution, we can also produce a culture that engages with quality, trustworthy news.
Articles, from the Daily Mail Online and the Daily Mash, are included to test reader awareness. The back page reveals “YOU’VE BEEN FOOLED”, and reminds readers that if they didn’t notice the difference in articles, then they might need to consider why. I am urging readers to do their own research, and take value from quality news.
