An Exploration into the Representation of Addicts in Online News Sources. With Reference to “Mail Online”

For years, the way that addicts have been talked about has been far from perfect. While the issues within this are countless, the most common themes tend to be the same across the board. Most online news sources, the Mail Online in particular, tend to fall into either mocking or vilifying addicts in just about every article. The impact of these representations goes further than whoever is being written about as the constant negative portrayals are internalised by readers and projected onto addicts as a whole, not just the few that the Mail have slowly picked at over time. Seeing a group of people persistently mocked and turned into a laughingstock makes it more likely for their struggles to not be heard or taken seriously by the wider public, with possibly the most notable example of this being Amy Winehouse. We look at her fondly now, but that was very much not the case when she was alive: just searching her name on the Mail Online website gives a whole other outlook.

In general, online news sources tend to make a joke out of serious topics. While this isn’t limited to addicts, it’s definitely one of the longest running in this category. With behaviours that are often influenced by drugs or alcohol, it’s unfortunately easy for the Mail Online to turn addicts into a spectacle to be mocked or made a joke out of. Opening an article with “lying on her back on a wet pavement in a flood of tears troubled Amy Winehouse has certainly lost something” (Gavaghan, 2007), the Mail shows quickly how they fall into this pattern. The jokey manner in which it’s insinuated that Winehouse has lost her mind (because what other “something” could be suggested here) is done in such a way that it’s implied we should find it amusing. Going on to detail how she had to crawl under the gate to her house after losing her keys, and including photos, it quickly becomes clear that the intention isn’t to show concern for the singer. The overall tone of the article is belittling and the language used almost seems to strip her of her humanity, making her out to be some sort of object to be gawked at in her low moments— which is also backed up by how little articles there are highlighting her achievements in music. If this was a one-off representation, while still being unsavoury, the impact that it has would not be as significant. But this is just one of a series of articles in the same vein about Winehouse.

Another article, with similar kinds of language as the Cavaghan article only this time with the ever-loaded “troubled” thrown in to describe Winehouse (Mail Online, 2007a), has a similar effect. The overall tone of the article appears slightly more concerned, but would someone concerned about Winehouse publish photos of her visibly distressed for everyone to see? It has been done to grab the attention of readers (“come and look at what Amy’s done this time” seems to embody the reasoning behind a lot of the Mail Online’s actions) and direct it at someone clearly struggling. Constant talk of her crying, being distressed and upset only serves to make her seem hysterical, especially when quoting her mother-in-law as saying the singer’s on “more cocaine and heroin now than ever” (Mail Online, 2007a). It is written in a way that downplays the events being retold, making Winehouse seem more like a laughingstock than someone in serious need of help. These representations, especially as they build up over time, begin to affect how audiences think of her, and addicts as a whole— particularly those who haven’t had encounters with addiction themselves or watched a loved one experience it. Gerbner’s “cultivation theory” describes this phenomenon, where repeated representations of a group in the media begins to change how said group are viewed by the public over time. Taking this all into account, representations of addicts as hysterical people not to be taken too seriously, or even laughed at, could do some major harm. This viewpoint increases the stigma around addiction, making it harder for those struggling to reach out for help. Considering how hard it is for people to receive the help they need already, adding extra barriers is counterproductive and will only give negative outcomes. The way to help addicts isn’t to shame them, or laugh at them, or belittle their struggles— in fact, that’s not helpful to anyone. So why is it deemed acceptable behaviour by the Mail Online?

There is another kind of representation seen, particularly from the Mail Online— straight-up vilification of addicts. While not the most recent example, the most prolific target of this over the past few decades is Peter Doherty. Barely a week went by for years without there being some sort of article describing whatever wrongdoing he had allegedly done. Doherty had already become established as a “troublemaker” by the Mail Online when they published an article implicating him in the death of Mark Blanco, a young actor who fell to his death from a flat balcony. The article describes an alleged altercation between the two earlier that night and includes quotes from someone saying that “Doherty and his mate must have stepped over his dying body when they legged it” (Mail Online, 2006). This quote makes the situation sound really suspicious— why was he in such a rush to leave? While it’s never explicitly stated that they think there is a link between the Babyshambles frontman and Blanco’s death, the way that information is picked and emphasised in the article leads the reader to think that the possibility is there. Attempting to tie one of Britain’s most high-profile addicts up in someone’s death has many implications: firstly, it represents Doherty (and, consequently, addicts as a whole) as dangerous and a risk to be around, when in reality they tend to be quite vulnerable as a group. Considering how many stories we hear of people developing addictions as a result of trauma or mental illness, the vulnerability of this group is often overlooked.

On top of this, during the few occasions where Doherty is actually at fault, the Mail Online take full advantage. When he was handed a suspended sentence for drug possession (may we take this time to remember drug possession is a non-violent offence), the Mail acted like he was some sort of hardened criminal who somehow managed to get away once again. Using language like “escaped jail” (Mail Online, 2007b) makes it sound like he had got off completely scot-free— as if a custodial sentence is the only punishment a court can give. It also suggests a level of crime that does not fit with the majority of Doherty’s convictions: there is a big difference between drug possession and grievous bodily harm, for example.

Needless to say, Mail Online journalists must have been rubbing their hands together when Doherty ended up in jail the following year after breaking the probation order handed to him that day. Writing about how he was “finally locked up” (Roberts, 2008), this article describes how he had appeared in court more than 15 times since 2004, but “always managed” to avoid jail time (Roberts, 2008). This makes it seem like all of those previous cases carried no punishment, when in fact they resulted in a range of fines and drug rehabilitation orders. As well, it also makes us think that Doherty is a dangerous individual, when in reality the person most at-risk was himself. This tends to be the case with most addicts, as many drugs tend to make people more susceptible to risky behaviour. The argument that addicts and crime go hand-in-hand is also questionable, especially since possessing most drugs is illegal. If we didn’t criminalise drug possession, we would likely see a difference in the amount of addicts with records. Since no group is a monolith, there are obviously addicts who commit serious crimes, but there are also plenty of non-addicts who do those same things. Thinking about Gerbner’s “cultivation theory” again, having constant representations of addicts being involved in (or, sometimes, simply being around potential) crime impacts how society as a whole thinks of and treats addicts. Someone who internalises these representations and views addicts as being mostly/all criminals is less likely to empathise with their struggles and be less inclined to think they should get the help they deserve. Seeing people as a list of crimes also tends to be quite dehumanising, so the audience may even go to the extent of viewing addicts as being less human than the rest of society, which leads to shunning and othering. This isolation is likely to push someone further into their addiction, making it harder (or impossible) for them to stop as it’s incredibly difficult to quit even with a support system, let alone without one. These representations pushed by the likes of the Mail Online only serve to make things worse for an already vulnerable group of people.

Overall, the representation of addicts on the Mail Online are varying kinds of negative. Either an article is mocking/joking about someone’s struggles or it is used to vilify and demonise. While the main focus of the Mail Online is on high-profile addicts, like Amy Winehouse and Peter Doherty, the impact of these articles is felt by more than just the people they choose to write about. Gerbner’s “cultivation theory” definitely rings true, with the way that addicts in general are either laughed at or treated like some sort of monster. A lot of people have never been affected by addiction or known someone who has been, so their perceptions of addicts are going to come mostly, if not entirely, from the media they consume. If this is what they are opening the news to, what message does that send? What does it make them think?

Bibliography (in order of reference)

Gavaghan, Julian. “Tearful Amy Winehouse Returns Home after Visiting Husband in Jail - and Has to Crawl under the Gates...” Mail Online, Daily Mail, 5 Dec. 2007, www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-499565/Tearful-Amy-Winehouse-returns-home-visiting-husband-jail--crawl-gates-shes-lost-keys.html. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024.

Mail Online, “Amy Winehouse Wanders the Streets Semi-Naked - as Her Mother-In-Law Says: 'She’s Taking More Drugs...” Mail Online, Daily Mail, 5 Dec. 2007a, www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-499349/Amy-Winehouse-wanders-streets-semi-naked--mother-law-says-Shes-taking-drugs-ever.html. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024.

“Media Studies - Gerbner’s Cultivation Theory - Simple Guide for Students & Teachers.” YouTube, 13 July 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JhbgHIVdnE. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.

Mail Online, “Party Fall Actor Had Clash with Doherty.” Mail Online, Daily Mail, 7 Dec. 2006, www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-420808/Party-fall-actor-clash-Doherty.html. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Roberts, Laura. “Fans Fury at Pete Doherty as He Is Finally Locked up after Breaching His Probation Order.” Mail Online, Daily Mail, 9 Apr. 2008, www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1011022/Fans-fury-Pete-Doherty-finally-locked-breaching-probation-order.html. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.