Here are some key points to consider in analysing this media text: 1. The text aims to meet audience expectations of entertainment and sensationalism typical of tabloid newspapers. Stories focus on celebrity gossip, sensational crimes and controversies rather than in-depth news. 2. Tabloid style uses eye-catching headlines, images and short snippets to grab attention. Stories are simplified with an informal tone. Celebrity gossip offers vicarious pleasure and distraction from readers' own lives. Sensational stories satisfy curiosity about crime and controversy. 3. As a commercial enterprise, the paper prioritises profit over impartial facts. Stories are selected based on likely popularity rather than importance. Advertising also influences content choices. 4

1. Print News

2. What are all those bits called...?
Daily Stunner
Masthead
More
inside!!
*Today only!
Pugs – or ears of the page promotions, logo, or price
FREE anything you want if you
keep buying this paper!!
EXCLUSIVE: Something happened here today
Headline
Byline
Dateline
Column
BAD THING
WORSENS...
ALOT
By R.E Porter
Yesterday the
bad thing got
worse for
thousands of
people in the
UK.
Reports show
that bad things
getting worse is
happening with
increasing
amounts.
Girl , 10
coping
with bad
thing
finds a
key
See p2
The splash – the main story
on the page
Photo
Jump line
Strapline – introductory headline. In this example,
the Strapline also acts as a caption for the photo

4. The Times has had the most varied
political allegiance in History. In 2010
the paper backed the Conservatives
again after having supported the
former Labour government.
Both newspapers are owned by News
International, which is in turn owned
by Newscorp, a Murdoch organisation.
The Sun has the highest daily circulation of
any newspaper in the UK.
The Sun, as a tabloid, appeals to a wide
audience. According to Wikipedia
‘approximately 2.65 million were in
the ABC1 demographic and 4.9 million in
the C2DE demographic’. The paper has
high entertainment value, putting celebrity
gossip and sensational stories at the heart
of the content.
The Times is roughly 8th in circulation
figures. According to Wikipedia it has ‘the
highest number of ABC1 25–44yrs readers
and the largest numbers of readers in
London.

5. The Guardian has a ’daily circulation of
230,541 in October 2011, behind The Daily
Telegraph and The Times’
Wikipedia
The paper has a majority
ABC1 readership and define
themselves their readers as
‘affluent, young urban
consumers’. The Guardian
They are described as having
mainstream-left political values
In June 2011 Guardian News and Media
revealed increased annual losses of £33m and
announced that it was looking to focus on its
online edition for news coverage, leaving a
physical newspaper that was to contain more
comment and features. It was also speculated
that the Guardian may become the first British
national daily paper to go solely online.
Wikipedia

6. The Independent, although
named ‘independent’ is
described as leaning towards
the left in terms of it’s political
stance
Circulation continues
to be stable for the
Independent,
although it is still one
of the smaller papers
in the UK in terms of
readership.
The readership profile
shows that the audience
are largely in the ABC1
categories.
The i is the sister paper of the Independent. It
was set up in 2010 to appeal to lapsed readers
of newspapers and commuters costing only
20p, with short ‘bite-sized’ stories. A bold and
ingenious move in a climate of declining print
news sales, it is now more successful than the
Independent.

7. The paper has a
conservative political view.
A ‘British daily middle-market tabloid
newspaper’ wikipedia.
The Daily Express is also
described as a middlemarket tabloid paper.
“The Daily Express's front page emblem is
The Crusader, and we truly are a crusading
newspaper. We crusade on the issues that
affect our readers and the wider public,
such as inheritance tax; more than 350,000 of
our readers signed a petition calling for its
abolition, the Daily Express believes in
traditional values: decency, politeness,
personal responsibility and honesty. We are a
progressive newspaper, we believe there is a
great future for the Daily Express and we are
investing in that belief.” from the Daily
Express Media pack
It has the second largest
circulation of any paper in the
UK
‘The Daily Mail is in touch with the hearts and minds of
‘Middle England’. It reflects their concerns, hopes and
lifestyles. Top of the agenda is reporting the news and
asking the tough questions. With its campaigning stance, it
is not afraid to expose the wrongs and shortcomings of
people in power and with the vocal backing of its readers
can be an effective force for change. This audience forms the
economic backbone of the UK and is hugely influential, with
the power to make or break brands’ From the Daily Mail
Press pack
Both papers were intended to
appeal to a middle market –
containing a balance of news and
comment and entertainment and
gossip

8. Metro was launched in March 1999 as a free,
colour newspaper for morning commuters. At
first it was only available in London, but now
commuters in 16 of Britain's major cities can
pick up a free copy of the Metro as they travel
to work in the morning. Every weekday
morning some 1,134,121 copies are distributed
across the UK making Metro the world's largest
free newspaper and the fourth biggest
newspaper in the UK. From the Metro website
The London Evening Standard has posted the
highest circulation figures in its 180-yearhistory, new statistics show. Coming just a few
months after the publication moved to
become a free title, newly-released figures
from the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC)
show that it boasted an average net circulation
of 610,226 for February. This compares with
the figure of 256,229 recorded in September of
2009, the final month when it was a paid-for
title, with the statistics also suggesting that
editorial re-branding, as well as the cost factor,
has helped to drive popularity over the past
few months. From pfj.co.uk

9. How news stories are chosen...
Timescale – events closest to us in times are reported in papers. Events
which are long-running or long-standing issues are included for comment and analysis
usually when a news ‘event’ occurs.
The size of the event – high numbers of casualties increases the
newsworthiness of an event
Surprise- the unexpectedness of an event also increases newsworthiness
Predictability – this is the idea that journalist will ‘find’ the news they
are looking for. An isolated moment can become the main focus if it is what people
expecting
Continuity – as in the case of wars, political campaigns etc.
Reference to nations ‘close’ to UK – this refers to
events occurring in places we identify with culturally and politically.

10. Dumbing down of news...?
News As Entertainment And Entertainment As News - Forum Summary
.......some journalists believe [there are] signs of pressure that are getting in the
way of journalism always fulfilling its responsibilities. We heard four distinct
perspectives on
. The first was that news as
entertainment was worrisome not because it threatened journalism but because it
threatened society's sense of
-of the real and
unreal. The second was that journalism can take various forms, and has always
been mixed with entertainment. Indeed, journalism is probably much less corrupt
from an ethical and commercial standpoint than it once was. What is different now
is the sense that journalism is
, a product, whose
purpose is profit. That was not true of publishers of the past. The third concern
was that in the wake of this shift toward showmanship the next generation of
journalists are not being taught values of accuracy, of ethics, that were hard fought
and won by past generations. Finally, we heard that this is likely to change only if
journalists can address through a sense of personal ethics and personal shame
what the owners of media are doing. Yet how are social values or moral values
measured? The question of changing the impetus
must be addressed carefully.....
Extract from the CCJ – Committee of Concerned Journalists 1998

11. Why do people even buy print anymore ...?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Traditional print media offers audiences a ‘physical’ connection
with the product that cannot be matched by digital technologies
Traditional print media is essentially ‘one-way’ messaging from the Elite to the mass.
This offers reassuring information to audiences about dominant ideologies. These
Elite opinion leaders, or Primary definers shape the world for the Mass. Good
examples are Newspapers, magazines like Vogue, Empire etc.
Is an example of a Marxist, or Hegemonic model of media production and
consumption
Traditional print media can be seen as reliable, trustworthy sources of information
that has been through a process of verification and editing in a way digital media may
not have done.
Traditional print media can be more socially interactive, allowing greater opportunity
to share without need for technology
Traditional print media allows ownership of the product generating Fan interest,
Collectors, Specialists etc. It has a higher value than digital media and loyal audiences
can be rewarded with limited edition products to ‘own’.
Whereas...
•
•
•
•
•
New Digital Media allows for instant access but can instantly disappear too
There are greater opportunities for contributing and production but this is
like the mass of voices, cultural mediocrity, mass-amateurisation
Gives audiences impression of power and control
Is an example of a liberal pluralist model of media
Content can be shared with a vast number of others which audiences may
not have control over
Kate McCabe 2013

12. Remember, when it comes to newspapers....
• The text producing institution is very important in ‘shaping’
the messages contained in the text – the preferred reading
for the audience.
• The text is carefully constructed to position the audience
into accepting analysis and opinion.
• Some texts have high entertainment values and so will
prioritise this ‘news’.
• The world of print news has changed forever with online
content and the audience’s ability to create content using
new technology.
• print news has always had a strong affiliation with
advertisers and readers have always been consumers too.

13. 1. How does the text meet
Audience expectations?
2. How does the text use media
language to engage readers?
3. How does the product reflect
the values of the Institution?
4. How are the Armed Forces
represented through the
media text?