Journal 10: Analyse A Photograph

This time around it's analysing the use of a photograph in a national newspaper.

The picture in question is from the Irish Daily Star on Sunday from the 1st of February 2009.

It's a front page photograph at the bottom of page 1 (BP1) showing child rapist Michael O'Donnell sneaking out of jail at 6.30am after serving less than 4 years for numerous offences.

The paper claims it is an 'exclusive' picture, and it's certainly a good one, with O'Donnell looking particularly shady as he checks the area to see who's around.

The headline accompanying the picture is concise and conjures up the image of a sexual predator - "Out on the prowl" read the massive letters.

This picture works particularly well because it catches the criminal at a perfect time - sneaking out and afraid of the outside world, just as readers would want to view him, so the readership feels vindicated in their image of this child rapist, and the image also serves to enrage them further as the criminal is almost seen to be escaping from jail.

The paper also uses this story to provide more news on controversy over rape sentencing in Ireland - it is a good use of a picture which very few other papers, if any, could have gotten.

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