Big Issue - Still at War - Essay

Essay

23/11/2018

You will create an essay on isue 1332 of the Big issue: Still at War.  You will analyse the media language and media representations associated with the front cover.

As part of the essay you will need to discuss the social and political contexts which have lead to a rise in homelessness in overall and inparticular within the veteran community

You will also discuss how newspapers (right wing and Big Issue) vary in the way the represent homelessness.  As part of your arguments you are required to use Gerbners theory .

The Big Issue chose to highlight this issue, as it was published in November, which is a significant month of the year as it plays host to one of the most important days in out year, as well as history; Armistice Day (Remembrance Day). It chose specifically to talk about this topic in the November issue, as on the 11th November, it is important to think of all the people that sacrificed their lives for all of societies rights. if it wasn't for them, then we would not be here now, and that is important for us to remember and think about. Our freedoms came at a cost to them, both mentally, and physically, and now they are left alone, without support, and are consequently living on the streets. It makes people more sympathetic and aware of all of the people who are living on the streets that we may be forgetting about. It makes the reader think about being more helpful towards those who are in need, and deserving of help. The anonymity is key on this cover, as it says that veterans may look like average people (specifically homeless), and therefore people should think about helping them more.

The camouflage green colour is one of the most prominent features of this cover. The green is normally associated with nature and peace, however, camouflage is associated with bending in and hiding. This is significant as it has a double meaning in that this ex-veteran wants to be at peace, but has to live with the mental scars that are instilled within him. The connotation of the use of the camouflage is that he is trying to hide his illness. His skin tone matches the colour of the background behind him which is also significant, as it is symbolic of how he wants to adjust back into normal society. The fact that his body blends in but his head does not is what makes him stand out, and the connotation of the helmet is that it is masking the mental scars he has. The red poppy at the top for the cover is not just a symbol of remembrance, but is also a symbol of the memories of those who were left behind. That is a memory that this soldier is stuck with for the rest of his life. A stated in the Daily Mirror newspaper, soldiers are explained to come home with PTSD following leaving the army. This PTSD leads to behaviours such as alcoholism, drug addiction, and breakdowns in relationships. These activities make it harder for veterans to adjust to the non-regimental lifestyle, and consequently cannot hold down a steady job, which leads to them becoming homeless. To quote the newspaper, 

"Hero Craig Mealing, 42, completed tours of Afghanistan, Iraq, Northern Ireland, Kosovo and Bosnia with the Rifles.

But he was left homeless for two months in 2016 ­after his long-term relationship ­buckled under the strain of his PTSD and he turned to alcohol." 

What this magazine is trying to emphasise is the effects of PTSD, and how that effects veterans lives, even years after conflict. The type of shot used in this cover is a close up. This has been done in order to show the facial expression of the person, however this is hindered by the fact that his eyes are covered up. The fact that his eyes are covered up is a possible connotation of censorship. The text box that has been used to cover up his eyes has been done in a  very sophisticated, and military style, in that looks like it has come from a confidential file. Because it is on top of his eyes, it looks like it is trying to maintain his anonymity. The confidentiality connotation of this image is that it shows he is living with PTSD in secret. There is a stigma around veterans with mental illness rather than physical damage. There is the belief that mental illness is not a real illness, and that those with the physical wounds of war should be helped, but those with the mental wounds should not. The focus of this image is on the soldier, or the soldier who is trying to fit back into civilian life. There is a sharp depth of field within this image as the camera must have been close to the subject within the image for it to get the sharpness that there is in the image. There is only the soldier within this image, there is nothing else within the scene. Because this is a close up shot of the man, the audience are not able to see much of the context of where he is. This may be a reflection of how homeless people are minimalistic, as they have little or no property, due to them having to travel light. There being no mise-en-scene is a common theme within the Big Issue magazine, as seen in the 'In Bob we trust' cover. The body language within the image is very tense, possibly one of the side effect of PTSD, as well as sleeping rough on the streets, as homeless people have to be on constant alert from any threats that may come their way. Homeless people are extremely vulnerable, not only because of them not having a home, but also because of the health issues it causes, such as extreme mental health problems like stress and anxiety. This is what this homeless veterans body language is showing. As far as we can see, no real props are seen within the image, only a Photoshop edited on helmet, which is symbolic of not just his war background, but of also covering up the metal scars left behind. rather than a bandage, he has a helmet. it is like this is a source of not just physical protection from threats during the war, but also a mask to protect him from the bigger society and civilian life. the location of the photo is unknown, but from the background we can assume it is an empty room. it is like he is trying to hide from the harshness of the world in a room for his own protection. The lighting used is not bright, it is very dim, but light enough that we are able to see the man in front of us. The lighting used reminds the audience of a miserable and gloomy day, when the sun is hiding behind dark clouds and rain about to come. this is symbolic of the constant darkness that both veterans, as well as homeless people have to live in constantly. there is no light, no hope, and it is all very dark. the light is therefore very intimidating to anyone not used to this kind of darkness. the man looks very realistic, showing the harsh reality of what PTSD as well as homelessness can do to you. he is not exactly dirty, but his beard is untamed in that there is some hairs growing out that are unshaved. this type of look is usually associated with someone who is out of hope, and no longer cares about how they appear to people in society. The photoshopped helmet gives much more meaning to the image in that it shelters him from the world. The narrative of this image is a soldier who has come back from war to be left homeless and suffering from the PTSD left behind after the war. He is unable to let go of the trauma of the war and what happened to him in it. although we may not be able to see and physical injuries he may or may not have, the mental injuries are ever present. The text has been made to look very regimental. It is a very formal sans font which is usually associated with the army as it is very precise. the fact that it is in text boxes and covering up his eyes makes it look almost like the confidential files where we see certain bits of information blanked out, hidden, or altered. nothing in this case is going to tape of the aftermath of this war, but it is trying to act like a bandage. The white colour has been used to make it look like there is peace present, however in this young soldiers life, it clearly is not present. The phrase "still at war" is almost like a play on the phrase used post world war which was "war is over". In this case, yet again, this is not the case in his young man, and many other young men's lives post-war. As expressed in the newspapers:

"Windsor Homeless Project, tonight told the Sunday People: “There are 12 to15 rough sleepers on the streets of Windsor and we’ve got 50 to 60 on our books.

“Typically, two in ten at any one time will be former military."

If veterans’ charities are right there could be more than 13,000 war heroes living on Britain’s streets."

This just highlights the dramatic numbers of homeless veterans alone. The whole aim of this cover was to make the audience think about the number of homeless people, especially veterans, living on the streets of the UK, during this remembrance month.

This cover has been laid out like a confidential file with the text boxes covering up certain bits of information (eyes). There is a direct mode of address used within this image which make the audience feel tense, and as if they must help in some way.

The right wing would take  a very sympathetic view towards this issue as they view British born especially, homeless people deserving of help. Because the right wing take a supportive view towards authority and security services, they would see the veteran homeless as deserving of sympathy (countering Shildrick and MacDonald's belief that they are underserving) and help. An example of what UKIP want to see is veterans getting priority over council properties, in order to help them fit back into civilian life. the left wing believe that all homeless people are deserving of a home, whether they are from the UK or not. In Gerbner's cultivation theory, he argues that the more people see something in the tv, the more they believe it and defend that idea. The idea of the Big Issue is to keep highlighting the issue of homelessness with many different examples of it, such as the Street cat Bob, and this soldier. The aim is to drill the issue of homelessness into people minds. This theory links as in Gerbner's theory, as homeless people are portrayed as scroungers and dirty and unclean and undeserving of help (as stated by Shildrick and MacDonald). The Big issue gives an honest, and alternative view on homelessness, in comparison to the media. The media, depending on the political scale, can portray certain groups in a very negative light, which is how the homeless are portrayed in the eyes of right wing newspapers, specifically on the issue of foreign homeless people, but take a more sympathetic view of specifically homeless veterans, and through Gerbner's theory, those right wing newspaper will believe the stories they are told. This is what the Big Issue is trying to do with its readers, by giving an alternative view, and maybe a more truthful view.