‘How much can she (and the rest of us) take?’: A Critical Analysis of the Role of the Print Media in Narrative Creation during the Truss Premiership

ABSTRACT

This article critically analyses the role of print media in the narrative surrounding the premiership of Liz Truss, focusing primarily on The Daily Mail. This article argues that newspapers were essential forces in the establishment of the general narrative of incompetence, instability, and failure surrounding Truss’ premiership. Ultimately, this would lead to her growing unpopularity and, eventually, her resignation. The article also furthers that tabloid and broadsheet corpora contributed to a general narrative of female politicians as unable to work effectively in leadership roles. Firstly, this article charts the narrative of Truss’ leadership through the newspaper’s headlines and cover stories. It argues that this demonstrates the media’s power to influence the trajectory of political events and the attitude of its readers. Further, it explains how tabloid newspapers utilise right-wing ideology and language techniques to construct a narrative with gravitas and broad appeal to the public. Finally, this article examines how the gendered language in and coverage by The Mail and other newspapers emphasised Truss’ incompetence and thereby contributed to negative perceptions of female politicians in leadership positions in politics. Utilising techniques of critical discord analysis, as well as examining pre-existing empirical studies on gendered media coverage, this article concludes that the print media played a significant role in establishing a negative narrative of Truss’ premiership. Overall, this article hopes to contribute to the growing body of work relating to the perceptions of female politicians in the media. It will also demonstrate the continuing role played by the media in the political sphere despite decreasing newspaper circulation in the United Kingdom.