NEWS ♡

 Tuesday 12th December 2023                                What is News?

LO - to explore the history of the news industry and the genres of newspaper. 

Do Now

1. Theoretical framework - Audience, representation, media language, industry 

2. Mise-en-scene - costume, lighting, actors/action, hair and makeup, props 

3. contexts studied as part of theoretical framework - historical, political and social

4. denotation - what something is 

5. connotation - what is represented 

In the 1950s-60s Televisions became popular. 

 by 1965 circulation of newspapers had fallen to 25 million 

by 2010 total circulation of Sunday papers had fallen to about 10 million. 

- Lots of text covering the newspaper cover.

- Large masthead in serif font and 2 separate titles that act ass pull quotes for the text covering the page. 

- Image isn't too big but still big enough to catch the target audience eye. 

- pull quote highlighted in blue to attract the reader and make them want to look inside.  

- designed for a highly educated upper class citizen.

- very wordy, this type of newspaper is for people who will often read a newspaper as a source of entertainment. 

 - front cover is mainly made up of images that will grasp the attention of the reader by featuring famous celebrities 

- large sans serif font texts to act loudly to catch a readers eye

- for middle/lower class citizens 

- for a nosy audience who are interested in celebs lives 

more for the purpose of entertainment rather than the purpose of information 

- Ads featured in front cover to appeal to the reader 

Tuesday 9th January 2024 

Do Now 

1. the purpose of news is to inform, educate, profit, persuade and entertain

2. news was shared historically through people sharing their news with others, reading newspapers 

3. The Printing press made it possible to make money from news 150 years ago. 

4. TV in the 1960s/70s contributed to the decline in newspapers.

 

Ownership Of News

LO - to explore the nature and ownership of the news industry. 

In the UK there are 3 ownership models:

- Media Barons are owned by wealthy individuals or proprietors (The Sun, The Times and The Sun on Sunday)

- Trusts are a legal arrangement that transfers funds from the owner to a trustee to manage and control the running of the paper. (The guardian media group and the observer)

- Cross-media converged conglomerates are global institutions that own numerous media outlets. These may be owned by media barons. (The daily mail, The daily mirror) 

Newspapers are not PSB, they are commercial publications. This means that their main aim is to make money so in order to do this, they will publish whatever they find is popular in media at the time instead of actual important news. 

Newspapers using biased opinions creates an impact on how the readers feel about the subject, if a biased opinion is repeated multiple times the reader will most likely be swayed towards it and will want to believe it, this means that they are making their decision on the matter through someone else's opinion. 

Cross-media converged conglomerate  = mail = 39%

News corp = sun,times 28%

reach  =star, express, mirror, people, daily record 16%

telegraph group = Telegraph 5%

Guardian media group = Guardian, observer 2%

Nikkei = financial times 2%

Tuesday 16th January 2024 

Do Now 

1. The Observer - scotts trust 

2. The sun - Media baron 

3. The daily mail - Cross media conglomerate 

4. Lord Rothermere owns (DMG) 27.3% of the British Press 

5. 3 Billionaires own 71% of the British Press 

Newspapers Funding and Regulations 

LO - to explore the impact of newspaper funding and regulation on the printing press. 

How does media ownership contribute to news bias:

- commercial advertising ties 

- Political opinion of owner 

- Business interests of owners/friends

- Profit (newspapers are not PSB - News is not non fiction, it is stories designed to sell) 

.

- Newspapers are a way of gaining political and social influence so are owned by wealthy individuals instead of conglomerates. 

- The guardian an observer are owned by a trust to safeguard journalism freedom and the newspapers liberal values. 

- The guardian media group bought the observer in 1993 after it was used as a weapon against a business rival. This is an example of what the Scott Trusts wants to avoid.  

 left of centre

a right-wing tabloid

Left wing 

Right wing 

How do newspapers make money? 

- selling newspapers

- advertising 

- sponsored content 

- some online newspapers charge you to read articles 

- events & other sales 

- subscriptions

- paywalls 

Freedom and regulation - freedom would mean no influence from any outside parties however we need regulation for newspapers to be checked. 

Tuesday 20th February 2024                              Media Language 

Do now: Advantages and disadvantages of print newspapers:

Advantages

- people who aren't online can still buy newspapers in shops making them more accessible 

- the news industry gains more profit from selling them compared to people finding and reading them for free online. 

- 

Disadvantages 

- the second a newspaper is printed it becomes out of date 

- the papers aren't always in shops so this makes them more difficult to find. 

LO - to investigate how online newspapers use media language to create meaning. 

Lexis - the words/text that are/is used. 

Masthead - the observer black serif font on a white background with a capital T and O. rest in lowercase (same as print) 

Navigation bar - Blue and white text - same as the guardian, linking to and showing they are the same "the newspaper of the year"

Stand first - 

Byline- 

Headline - at the top of both the website and magazine 

Subheading - 

Main image - near the top of the website or on the front of the magazine, often a picture of a well known celebrity that will encourage more readers to pick it up

Minor images - lesser known celebrities who will still encourage readers to view the magazine

Links - throughout articles to link to other similar articles or links to the guardian newspaper page to gain more readers. 

Pull Quote - near the top of the newspaper or website, used to entice the reader to read more of the newspaper

Advert - Gives other businesses a chance to find customers through the newspaper, found in between 

Video - attracts different audiences as its a separate way to injest the information  

Social media links - At the bottom under lifestyle, a way to attract younger generations and other ways to access the content while also supporting the newspaper 

Sign in - Where to create a guardian account 

Search bar - near the top around the navigation bar on websites, used to search for specific news

Banner - top part (dark blue) houses the search bar, Masthead, sign in and search bar

Political Bias 

- Left = liberal - progressive, equal 

Zelensky supporting the underdogs

Owned by Guardian media Group

- links = lead to the Guardian 

- banner/ guardian masthead colours

Representations 

- worldwide news = representation of cultures, underdogs are reported 

- Gender is non-stereotypical 

- support irrelevant of ones sexuality, supportive 

- race equality  

Variety of features

Choice of text/image placement and size  

Tuesday 27th February 2024.                    Historical Case Studies 

LO - to evaluate the impact of social, cultural, political and historic contexts on 1920s newspapers. 

Do Now:

1. Typography - how the text looks (style, font type, colour)

2. Layout how and where key features of the text are arranged on the page 

3. Lexis - the word choice in the text 

4. Masthead - The title of the Newspaper/magazine

Labour - socialist, help to give everyone the same opportunities and support, unions, strikes. 

Liberal Democrats - 

Conservatives - traditional values, supporting and helping big businesses means they can give more jobs to the working class, capitalist. 

Tuesday 5th March 2024 

Do Now:

1. Navigation bar - a link to appropriate sections/pages in a website that helps readers in traversing the online document. 

2. Banner - a heading or advertisement appearing on a web paige in the form of a bar, column or box.

3. Pull Quote - made up of text that is pulled from the text that is, duplicated and presented on the page as an attention grabbing point.

4. stand first - the first summary paragraph of text in a newspaper article. 

5. Masthead - the title of the newspaper. 

1960s

- civil rights 

- sexism (lack of gender equality)

- labour party was in control

- fashion changes (mini skirts, Ponchos, love beads, peace signs, medallion necklaces, chain belts, polka dot-printed fabrics, and long, puffed "bubble" sleeves)

- fear of invasion 

- espionage (Russian spies) 

- cold war (fear of invasion) (soviet union V/S America and allies (us))

- vietnam war 

- 1964 civil rights act 

- Patriarchal society 

- hallucinogenic drugs 

- colour TVs 

Tuesday 12th March 2024 

Explain how broadsheet newspapers reflect the time and historic contexts in which they were published. refer to the observer front page from the 1960s that you have studied to support your answer. 

The observer from the 1960s reflect the racial inequality of the time. the article featuring the mixed race marriage highlights that this was uncommon in the 1960s. Because it has a front paige feature, they also acknowledge a race issue in society. 

The observer cover from the 60s reflects how women were considered inferior to men during this time period. An example of this is in all of the adverts directed at women they are all slender and wearing almost no clothes. this is one of many examples of times women were sexualised for the male gaze. This also clearly indicates that in 1960s society we saw more sexism and examples of the patriarchy controlling women. In addition to this the heading "jackie: we're very happy" reflects how she is only talked about because she's getting remarried. This suggests that women were only relevant if they "belonged" to a man. 

The observer cover from the 60s also reflects the cold war and fear of Russian spies, known as the espionage. An example of this is the many titles in newspaper covers "Yard suspects Blake used two-way radio" and "so polite, this north sea spy game" This is an example of how worried people in the UK were of spies which tells us how serious threats of the cold war were in the 60s.  

Tuesday19th March 2024              Exam Format 

Do now 

1. copy dominates the front page 

2. The newspaper title and logo

3. 9+ stories 

4. in a column to the right side of the page

5.  That men and the patriarchy dominated the context of news 

LO - to explore the exam format and context for the news unit

The observer is owned by the Scotts trust and funded by advertising and issue price. It is regulated by IPSO (or IMPRESS) 

1. Globalisation is the word used to describe the way newspapers increasingly operate on a world-wide scale.  

2. a quality newspaper such as the observer is referred to as a broadsheet newspaper. A tabloid newspaper is much more simple than a broadsheet and usually has many big pictures and little writing. 

An advantage of news being online is how easy it is for the public to find. you can search online for specific news stories at the click of a button. this means it is free and you wouldn't even need to leave your house to find it. 

However, Newspapers don't gain any funding from people finding news online, this is bad for the newspaper industry because without their funding they cant produce newspapers for those who choose to read it from the paper instead of online. 

The Observer front page represents two social groups that are underrepresented in media. One of these is strong and empowered women. The woman shown on the front page in the Belarus march article is presented as feminine but still strong and determined to cause change. This wouldn't typically be how women are presented in media so the observer doing so breaks the underrepresentation slightly. 

The media language on the front page of the observer reflects the Broadsheet conventions by using educated terms in the lexis and lots of writing. the writing includes serious news that would attract a more educated society.

Tuesday 26th March 2024 

DO NOW:

1. tabloid newspaper cover -  lots of big pictures, bold text, not much writing on the cover, celeb gossip rather than political issues, for a not well educated audience. 

2. broadsheet newspaper cover -  lots of writing laid out in columns, educated terminology, fewer pictures, political articles for highly educated or political people. 

3. the observer is a broadsheet newspaper 

4.           Tabloid                                                      Broadsheet 

 

 LO - to explore the exam format for Q9 for the news unit and apply analysis skills and exam writing techniques. 

Genre - type (newspaper = tabloid/broadsheet)

The representations in the Observer cover are vast. 

- broadsheet : masthead, text to image ratio, one main image, colour

- capitals - name and start of sentences

- masthead (Big, bold, black on white, serif = sophisticated news)

- 

The observer cover reflects generic conventions of a broadsheet newspaper. An example of this is with the text to image ratio, which shows that there is one main image (ignoring adverts) and lots of writing laid out neatly in columns. this is because the observer is made to attract an audience of highly educated people who will much prefer to read this. In addition to this, the article is about political issues in the UK. This will attract an audience that is more in touch with a political POV. This clearly indicates that the observer establishes itself as a broadsheet newspaper that has been designed for highly educated upperclass people in the UK. This shows that the observer does use media language to reflect the generic conventions of a broadsheet newspaper. 

The observer also only has colour in the skybar at the top with adverts and in the main image. This is an easy way to tell it apart from a Tabloid newspaper which is bursting with colour. The masthead is black on white in a serif font,  which makes it seem much more fancy and therefore gives off a educated and posh background to the newspaper. this way the observer newspaper reflects the generic conventions of a broadsheet newspaper. 

HOMEWORK

MOJO magazine tends to attract a diverse audience, but there are some common demographics and psychographics among its readership:

Demographics:

MOJO's audience typically ranges from late 20s to 50s, with a significant portion falling in the 30-45 age group. Historically, MOJO has had a slightly higher male readership, but there's also a notable female readership, especially among music enthusiasts. The readership often consists of individuals with higher education levels, including college graduates and beyond. MOJO readers generally have disposable income to spend on music-related hobbies, concerts, and memorabilia. While MOJO is international, it tends to have a strong following in English-speaking countries, particularly the UK and the US, as well as in other parts of Europe.

Psychographics:

MOJO readers are passionate about music, often with eclectic tastes spanning various genres and eras. They appreciate deep dives into music history, obscure artists, and in-depth interviews with musicians. They have a keen interest in cultural trends, not only in music but also in literature, film, and art. They enjoy exploring the intersections between music and broader cultural movements. MOJO readers have a nostalgic affection for classic rock, vintage vinyl, and the analog music experience. They value authenticity in music and are often drawn to artists who embody it. Many MOJO readers are intellectually curious and enjoy the thoughtful analysis and commentary provided by the magazine's articles. They appreciate well-researched features that delve into the stories behind the music. A significant portion of MOJO's audience are collectors of music memorabilia, vinyl records, and other music-related paraphernalia. They enjoy discovering rare recordings and expanding their collections based on recommendations from the magazine.

Overall, a typical MOJO magazine reader is someone who is deeply passionate about music, culturally curious, intellectually engaged, and appreciative of authenticity and nostalgia in their musical experiences.

Tuesday 23rd April 2024                        Question 9 

1. values and beliefs of observer - left winged newspaper, equality/equity, progressive

2. Broadsheet newspaper - picture to text ratio is more text, educated terminology 

Question 9 conventions 

- make a judgement

- Use LIAR ( language, industry, audience, representation) 

- include context  

Media Language - images, text/language/lexis, layout, font, colour 

Genre conventions - type - broadsheet 

looks like broadsheet- masthead, text, only one photo, columns                            Doesn't look like a broadsheet - context (fashion/lifestyle), skybar, colourful          Media contexts - gender roles, multiculturalism, age - young, black female being supported on front page of newspaper.  Lifestyle - in skybar, lifestyle/fashion tips. 

The media language in the observer newspaper reflects a broadsheet newspaper in the generic conventions it uses. An example of this is the main image, which displays a longshot of a young, black, female artist. This is an example of representations and suggests that the observer supports equality this also reflects the context of modern times and how newspapers have changed throughout time in media language . This reflects the contexts of the observer. 

Another way the observer cover reflects generic conventions of a broadsheet newspaper is from the image to text ratio, which is shown as one main image that is surrounded by text. This is generic for a broadsheet newspaper because these types of newspapers are directed towards a highly educated audience so will likely have much more writing than text. linking to this, the lexis that is used will contain educated terms and is laid out in columns to keep a smart appearance and fit in the most possible articles on the front page to attract the maximum amount of readers possible.

one more example of the observer cover reflecting generic conventions of a broadsheet newspaper is in the masthead. The black and white theme looks formal, seems more serious/gives off the impression of importance, and ties in with the classy looking serif font. this makes the newspaper look appealing to a more upperclass and educated audience which clearly indicates that the observer establishes itself as a broadsheet newspaper compared to the blocky sans serif fonts that usually include colours such as red that can be seen on tabloids. 

All of these examples shows that the observer does in fact use media language to reflect the generic conventions of a broadsheet newspaper. 

Tuesday 30th April 2024  Q10 : Modern Analysis

LO - to explore the contextual issues of news in a modern newspaper.

Do Now: 

1. sans-serif masthead, informal, chatty, more pictures to text ratio, celeb gossip.

2. serif masthead, formal, highly educated terminology, more text to picture ratio, text divided into columns. 

3. broadsheet, equality, progressive, left wing 

23/4- Clear analysis and structure. T: 4 a little more on contextual issues in the cover would help.

The observer follows the conventions of a broadsheet newspaper because it has multiple columns of text compared to one singular picture. 

1. wars

2. celeb culture - skybox celeb and celebs family mentioned 

3. gender equality - female in image on front cover still shown as feminine but strong and empowered 

4. racial equality - BLM protests featured on front cover of newspapers

5. consumerism - expensive food in skybox   

6. attitudes to sexuality

7. supporting positive mental health

the observer cover from today depicts the contextual issue of racism and how even today it is still a prominent issue in our society. An example of this is in a copy of the observer the front page features a picture and article referring to BLM protests that are still taking place today in cities around the UK. This indicated that in todays society we still have the issue of racism but now it is much more unacceptable compared to in the 1960s when racism was printed in newspaper articles as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. This shows how clear it is to see that contextual issues that were relevant during the 60s are still very relevant now.