The document discusses various conventions of different media types including newspapers, radio advertisements, and print advertisements.
For newspapers, conventions include using large mastheads, images related to stories, neat columns of the same width, and serious yet emotive language. The second page usually has a lighter story and large image.
Radio advertisements should target the right audience with a clean, professional, and memorable script that is short and includes the product name.
Print advertisements for newspapers typically use clever taglines, advertise special features, have minimal text, and large images or designs.
The document then discusses how the examples created by the author did or did not follow these conventions for each media type.
2. Conventionsofnewspapers Layout- Large mastheads, large images related to the story, neat columns of the same width Images- Large striking images, images on advertisements Typeface and colour- Masthead is classic serif font. Plain black colouring. Language- The language is quite serious and formal yet adapts to the emotions of the stories. Second page- Usually a more light-hearted story on the second page, large image other features. Q1
1. Mastheads- to entice the readers in and persuade them to purchase/ read the paperImages- to show emphasise the emotion of said story and bring the readers in, in a much more intimate way. Columns- To keep the page looking sectioned and neat so that it is easy to read and looks attractive.2- Images- to catch people’s eyes and interest them in the story. Advertisements are used heavily especially in free newspapers as that is where they will get the funds to keep producing the newspaper. 3- The use of the serif font makes it look stylish but not too modern, the black colouring keeps it simple and makes it seem more like a newspaper than other types of print.4-This is so they can adjust the tone with the type of story, e.g.. It will be more direct and serious with the crime stories and more humorous and light hearted with entertainment.5-I have found that the second page usually has a more light-hearted story, especially in local newspapers I feel it is to lift the mood of the usually emotional crime/disaster story featured on the front page.
1, I stuck to this convention as it is vital to ensure that the audience know that it is a newspaper and no other print.2, This is to endorse the name of the newspaper as much as possible so that people will recognise the brand 3, As my newspaper is free, it is imperative that the newspapers feature advertisements to have an income source and allow them to continue with the creation of issues.4, This is to amplify the emotions of the story it is linked to, to get the readers invested in the story and entice them to read the full article5, The metro does a similar design however each of my sections hold local news, I decided to create this so that the audience would know that the Manchester Express includes a wide variety of different stories so that it will appeal to a larger audience.6, The timeline adds impact to the story and it also gives the newspaper an attractive unique quality without pushing the boundaries.
1, They normally stick to one main story on the second/third page, this is what I found from my research especially in local newspapers. 2, Again large pictures are used, I have used a much larger one here as the story is a “heart warming” story and therefore the large picture will intensify the emotions of the readers allowing them to relate to the story on a high level.3, I thought a weather feature would be ideal especially because it is a very talked about matter in this country, therefore I thought people would really look forward to seeing the weather forecast with each issue to see the updates etc.4, Many people read horoscopes either for entertainment or they actually believe them. Therefore I decided to make my own, the reason I have used it in this page is because I think it works well with the weather feature and is light enough to not shadow the main article.
1- I found from my product research that it is vital that you are targeting the right audience, therefore you need to have the advertisement play at a certain time of day to catch the correct audience, for example you would advertise family trips out/ theme parks after the schools have closed to ensure you catch the families in their cars listening to the radio. 2-This is to get the audience to understand the concept of the advertisement and also to entice them to buy the product, therefore it needs to have simple but effective. 3- I found from my research that the adequate time for a radio advert is 60 seconds, 30 or 15 in order to keep them from being too long or inappropriate for the product .4- It is very important that the audience are aware of what it is that is being advertised.
1- I made sure my script was appropriate for my product and I also kept it informative, clear and professional to ensure that the product would come off in a positive light. 2- I made sure it was relatively informal, yet interesting in order to appeal to the correct market, however as the market will be quite diverse I made sure that it was neutral to ensure people wouldn’t be put off and that it could gain interest from a variety of people. 3- I thought it was much better to include relevant music in the background as it makes the advertisement easier to listen too and much more appealing. 4- My radio advert stuck to conventions as it wasn’t necessary to be unconventional as it would have been inappropriate and may have come across sounding cheap. Therefore listeners wouldn’t be interested in the product and would interpret it as poor quality, giving the brand/ product a negative image.
1- The use of taglines to directly target the right audience, from my research I found that the guardian do this “listen to many, decide for yourself” in bright colours trying to attract the young, hip student type demographic. 2- I have seen through research (including the one of the sun above) that they tend to have a poster to advertise when there is a special feature, such as the FREE CARDS pictured above. These buzz words persuade people to purchase the product.3- I have researched many different posters using advertisingarchive.com on each of them have found that the text is a bare minimum, so that people can glance at it and read the whole of the text without having to stop. This is because people may be travelling in a car or on a bus and need to know the purpose of the advert and the product in a flash.4- The use of large images are to catch peoples attention and promote the product they have placed. The brighter and larger the images to more people are likely to view them, that is why it is key to make it stand out.
1- I have used the iconic “Manchester eye” people will instantly recognise it and it is relevant to my newspaper2-I have used an image of the paper on the front so that people will recognise the product3-I have used the slogan Real news which is short and meaningful in order to attract readers.
Layout-Pleased that I used a grid so that I could distribute everything evenly to make it look authentic.I made sure that the advertisement was suitable size, not to overwhelming to divert all attention, but large enough to be effective.The width of the story columns are the same size as all newspapers follow this rule and I wanted to make it as professional as possibleTypeface-I used a sans serif font as I thought it would be more modern, and due to my paper being new, I think it should be modern to fit in with the current times. I kept the masthead large and bold which is very conventional but necessary so that people are directly attracted to the name of the paper.My headlines are a similar but not identical font to the masthead, this is to create unity but not repetition. Images-I have used large images in order to gain the readers interest and get them invested and attached to the stories.Each image I have used really emphasises the emotion of the stories so that the audience can feel the mood of them and encourage them to read the story in the way it is intended to come across.I have also added appropriate images to the advertisement, as most advertisements use images of the products they are trying to promote, therefore I tried to incorporate them into my advert in a way that I think professional advertisements would use them.Language- My language has the same feel as a real newspaper as it important to keep it quite formal so that the readers know that they are reading a newspaper and not another print.My language is in theme with the story, if it is more emotional the text reflects that and it is more positive if the story is cheerful. This enhance the emotions of each story.Colour- The use of colour in my newspaper is quite limited as it needs to look like a newspaper and not a magazineI have added colour to the FREE as this buzzword is then enhanced making it even more appealing and attractive to the consumers, enticing them to buy it even more so.I have also added colours to the sub heading similar to the METRO as I found through product research that people preferred it, therefore I decided to incorporate it into my print too as I was going for a new fresh modern look, yet with conventions to keep it authentic.
Layout-I kept my layout conventional for the second page, I kept the sections separate and neat.I also added a weather and horoscope feature to give it an extra quality which also makes it look striking and completes the page effectively.Typeface-Again I have used large bold headlines to capture attention. I have also used headings for my weather and horoscope sections which are the same as the masthead to for unity.Plus the addition of the page and the date along the top to enhance the authenticity.Images-I have used a large image on this page which works well with the story as it is not as in depth but it is positive and the picture really reflects thisI have also created small images for the weather section, these I adapted from the auto shapes from word, but they have worked well and fit the purpose effectively. I have also used relevant images for each horoscope and kept the text in keeping with the style.Language-I have used very appropriate language for the horoscopes as I have done much research into them and found that they are usually always speak of people’s luck in health, fortune and love. Therefore I adapted my own advice for each sign. The story adapts to the light of the story starting off with the saddening reality into a really positive finish as the story progresses.Colour-I used a blue background for the weather section to represent a clear sky and then I placed the relevant colours for the clouds and the sun etc. To portray the weather and sky.I upped the brightness and contrast of my main image to emphasise the happiness of the story and the picture.My horoscope section is in keeping with the change of purple/pink to make it easy to read and an appropriate style for this type of feature.
I used a backing track for my advert which is relevant as at the end of the advert where it says “number one local newspaper” the song then get’s louder and repeats number one. I thought this was really effective as it was quite tongue in cheek like most radio adverts, a bit cheesy.However I made sure the script was very appropriate, as it is a local newspaper, I made sure everything was relevant to the Manchester area, therefore I added parts including, hazel blears and a Manchunian band.
This is my poster advertising my newspaper, I have made sure to include an image of the newspaper so that people recognise it and could find the print with ease. I have also added a slogan to attract a certain demographic who wish to read important local news, as that what my newspaper includes. The use of the Manchester eye is there as it is a famous landmark in Manchester and people will realise this and it further ensures that the readers will know it is a local paper.
My feedback helped me throughout my project as I was able to see other peoples views and decide on certain layouts and articles to have/include in my newspaper. This helped me become a better media practitioner as I was able to incorporate the feedback into extra features and edits for my newspaper in order for it to satisfy the audiences needs. I was able to find out which layout suited the target audience the most and what articles people prefer to read in order to make sure I write an interesting article that people would wish to read therefore purchasing/ obtaining my created newspaper. I thought it was very important to use audience research as they are the key to me making a successful print, they know what is popular and interesting to read therefore I must create it around their views in order to meet my expectations of a good newspaper. It also helped me learn that some people are split to like certain features (like my weather and horoscope features) therefore to get the most positive review I decided to add both and this lead to a happy audience as they enjoyed that both features were added. My articles also came across well as I stuck to the more popular choices from my qualititative research. Even my layout was well received as I picked the most popular design.
The first thing I needed to use was a digital camera to take pictures for my newspaper, I had only used a digital camera a few times during my last project so I knew how I could obtain an appropriate image, I needed to ensure all the lighting was correct in order to get a good quality photo that would be used in a newspaper so that mine would look authentic. I also had to use photoshop in order to create an advert using images I had taken, I had used photoshop before during my last project but I was much more confident this time and I was able to explore more features and build my skills in image manipulation and the effective use of layers, this helped my create a good advert to feature on my newspaper.I also worked with Blogger to upload and store all my saved work, again I had used this before but this time I had found how to label each individual piece of work and put them into sections neatly, this helped my blog become more organised and easier to navigate through, now I feel like I am a much better “blogger” and will be able to create effective blogs inn the future.
