newspapers

lesson objectives

one Identify different types of

newspapers and their

target audiences.

two Understand how audiences are targeted and retained by media organisations.

three Know different codes and

conventions used by media

organisations.

four Understand the changes in media brought by

technology.

Newspapers and audiences

circulation The number of copies of a

newspapers which are

sold.

readership The number of people who

read the newspaper. This is

usually higher than

circulation.

There are two main types of

newspapers. They are

divided into broadsheets and tabloids.

This definition was based on

the the size of the paper they

used, with broadsheets being

much larger than tabloids.

Only few papers use the

largest format. Most

broadsheets are now a

compact size. Nevertheless

the term has stuck.

There are also

generalisations about who

reads each sort of paper which

are based on audience research.

broadsheets are associated

with people in well-paid jobs

who represent an upmarket demographics.

tabloids are associated with

less well-off readers, or a

downmarket demographics.

broadsheets Newspapers printed in a

large format. They are

considered to be more serious in content than tabloids.

broadsheets have higher

news content, usually

higher prices for each copy

and lower circulation figures

than tabloids.

the times The oldest of all the dailies. It used to have the reputation of being the voice of the ruling classes.

The daily telegraph Is the broadsheet with the

highest circulation. It is a

supporter of the Conservative Party.

the guardian Is usually described as a

liberal or left-wing paper.

the independent Is the newest of all the

dailies and intended to be

independent of any one

political party’s view.

the financial times Is the only national daily to be

printed on pink paper. It

reports mainly on business and economic news.

tabloids Newspapers with pages half

the size of broadsheets. They

are usually more highly

illustrated.

daily express One of the first papers to feature

gossip, sports and women’s articles. It was also the first newspaper in Britain to have a

crossword.

daily mail The only British newspaper whose female readers constitute more than 50% of its

demographic.

daily mirror Originally aimed at the middle class reader, it was

converted into a working class newspaper to reach a

larger audience.

daily star Its cover price has declined over the years in order to

compete with its rival the sun.

the sun Has the largest circulation of any daily newspaper in

the united kingdom.

newspaper language

the language of a

newspaper is not just words that appear in them.

It includes pictures that are

used, different font styles and sizes in text and

headings, and the layout of

the page.

the copy Is written by journalists

called reporters. They need

to get across the maximum

amount of information in the

shortest possible time.

the pictures Photographs play an

important part in the whole

look of a newspaper, especially the front page.

captions The caption that goes with a

photograph is also

important because it can

anchor the meaning.

captions They try to push the reader towards one angle by

providing an interpretation for them.

headlines It is the headline that will

draw the reader to

purchase the newspaper.

layout When all the copy is written

and all photographs have been

chosen, the final layout of the

front cover can then be decided.

the news selection process

Every story and item of news you read in a paper or on a

website, hear on the radio or

see on television, has a

source.

In an age of 24-hour rolling news, it is easy to imagine

that all news journalists rush around the globe, chasing

action-packed stories.

Most journalists, particularly

those working on local newspapers, will spend their

time researching news stories from behind their desk.

journalists get their

stories from a variety of

sources:

news agencies such as the press association or reuters which supply news from all over the world.

reporters the bbc has the biggest

range of reporters based

all over the globe.

reporters The smaller the

organisation, the fewer

reporters there are to cover

events.

from each other Foreign television, the national press and radio all

provide stories.

freelance journalists may approach A newspaper with a story, or may be

commissioned to research

one.

processed news This is gathered from items

such as press releases, police and local authorities.

With so many sources of news, there are far more

stories that can be included

in the papers.

newspaper editors select

the news by considering

which audience a news

story will appeal to.