News intro and news language

1. Newspapers, Online and Social and Participatory
Media
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs/the_papers

2. THE EXAM
Paper 1: Section A (45 marks)
News and Online
This section includes:
• An in-depth study of Online, Social and Participatory
(The Guardian and Mail websites, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook feeds as well as the
comments;
and
• An in-depth study of offline, print Newspapers (The Guardian and Mail)

3. This component is worth 45 marks and 20% of the marks for the total A level. This is part of an
externally assessed, two hour written examination. You are required to study two media forms in
depth.
1) Newspapers
2) Online, social and participatory media
AO1: 15 marks will focus on industry and audience
AO2: 30 marks will focus on language and representation
Three 10 mark questions and one 15 mark question (some will relate to unseen
sources on the two media forms).
THE EXAM

4. You will explore:
- the contexts surrounding why offline news producers are moving towards online
- how news organisations are differentiating their offline and online products and also selling the
similarities of both
- how online news producers are using social and participatory media (Twitter, Facebook and
Instagram feeds), for example, to enhance their core offline and online web content, encourage
participation and/or drive the news agenda.
NEWSPAPERS

5. Form an understanding of how media language has been used to construct
representations both offline and online.
Analyse how different newspapers might construct different representations,
viewpoints and express different values from each other.
Consider the academic ideas and arguments presented by the set theorists listed
for media language and representation.
Contextualise and solidify understanding of ‘broadsheet’ and ‘tabloid’ codes and
conventions in online and print.
News and Online
Media Language

6. How media industries influence news producers in each media form (e.g. in
terms of ownership, funding, processes of production and distribution and
exchange, regulation etc.)
The relationship between media producers, the media product and audiences
(e.g. in terms of how and why media producers target and reach audiences, the
influence of technology, interaction and how audiences interpret and consume
media and the context of why certain news producers target certain audiences
and have a political leaning).
Consider the academic ideas and arguments presented by the set theorists listed
News and Online
Media Industries and Audiences

7. Newspapers have been around since the mid 17th
century (probably earlier in various forms)
Until the 20th century (and the introduction of audio visual broadcasting –
radio/pathé news) newspapers were the primary means of bringing news to the
public.
They are largely self regulating. They have a regulating body – IPSO the
Independent Press Standards Organisation (formerly the Press Complaints
Commission).
Leveson Inquiry 2011 – in response to allegations of phone hacking at The News of
the World (amongst others) was carried out. It suggested a code of conduct and
tighter controls be imposed – nothing has really happened about this (apart from
the new IPSO instead of the PCC)
Unlike news broadcasting, newspapers do not have to be impartial – they are
allowed to show their political bias.
Newspaper
Overview
The newspaper industry is largely in decline in terms of print circulation.
Newspapers have had to adapt and move online in a bid for survival.

8. * Not Newsworks
stakeholders
** Online only
The market
Populars QualityMid-market
*
*
*
*
*
**

10. What might be the problem with
political affiliation?

11. See the chart below. Figures correct January 2017.
HWK 1 MAKE A TABLE FOR THE SUN, THE DAILY MAIL AND THE TELEGRAPH

12. Broadsheets vs Tabloids - Have a look at these front pages. What do you think are the codes and
conventions of a broadsheet newspaper?
News and Online
Language - Broadsheets

13. Broadsheets vs Tabloids - Have a look at these front pages. What do you think are the codes and
conventions of a tabloid newspaper?
News and Online
Language - Tabloids

14. Some codes and conventions…
‘Quality’ or 'serious' press
Aimed at higher social groupings (A,B,C1)
Plainer layout (Little colour on the front page, smaller typeface suggests readers will
make more effort to read it), and subtle, possibly smaller, pictures
Longer articles, more detailed
News and Online
Language - Broadsheets

15. Some codes and conventions…
'Popular' press
Aimed at lower social groupings (C2,D & E)
Bold layout (e.g. colour on the masthead, very bold typeface, easy to read), with large, dramatic pictures
Shorter articles, more pictures, less 'in-depth' reporting
Puns and jokes in headlines
More focus on human interest stories, celebrity gossip
Use of gimmicks such as bingo games, free travel tickets, phone-in surveys
News and Online
Language - Tabloids

16. News and Online
Language - Terminology
First let’s look at some papers and apply the terminology (make a video?) so we can play Blockbuster!
BLOCKBUSTER - Newspaper Technical Codes
BLOCKBUSTER - Newspaper Technical Codes

17. SPIN THE WHEEL - Discussion Prompts
Blockbuster (learn codes first, play in teams)
News and Online
Language

18. An important
term…GATEKEEPING
• A term which is applied to the editing and filtering process where decisions are
made to let some information ‘pass through’ to the receiver (audience) and other
information remains barred.

19. News Values
• In 1965 some media researchers analysed international news stories to find out what kind of
stories came top of the news ‘agenda’ worldwide. Their findings led to them creating a list of ‘news
values’ – a kind of scoring system. A story that scores highly on each news value is very likely to
make the front page, or the start of a TV news bulletin.
• It is not just down to news values that decides which stories come top of the news agenda:
journalists and news editors draw on their own experience to decide what should be deemed the
most important, or what should come top.
• Different news organisations have their own system of setting a news agenda: what one
newspaper will put on the front page is not necessarily what another paper will put on the front
page.

20. Threshold
Unexpectedness
Negativity
Elite persons/places
Unambiguous
Personalisation
Proximity
Continuity/currency
The bigger the impact and reach of the story
An event that is a shock or out of the ordinary
Bad news is more interesting ‘if it bleeds, it leads’
Stories about important people and powerful nations
Stories that are easy to understand and for papers to
report on
Stories that include human interest – ‘real’ people
Stories that are closer to home are more likely to be
included
Stories that are already in the news continue to run
and are updated
Discuss recent
stories that have
made the news
(if you can’t
remember, get
your phone out
and have a quick
look on the BBC
website)
What news values
can you apply to
those stories?

21. News and Online
Language
Take a look at this cover – what news values are present?

22. The choice of story clearly shows
certain news values/ideological focus
are favoured.
However, the choice of images and
words can help exaggerate these values
to help sell the newspaper.
1
2
3
4

23. News and Online
Language
Conduct a semiotic analysis of a front cover
Different newspapers select and have different priorities as to where to place their stories
What do you think this depends on? In pairs, look at the two contrasting newspapers – what stories have made the front page/headlines and what
news values do they support?
Why do you think this is?
READERSHIP
IDEOLOGIES AND VALUES OF THE NEWSPAPER (political affiliation/type of newspaper)
In groups of 2 or 3, look at the front pages on your tables and conduct a semiotic analysis.
Consider:
• Masthead
• Layout & Style
• Language
• Anything else you think worthy of comment
Annotate the front pages given to you, using Barthes’ codes think about what is DENOTED (literal meaning) and what is CONNOTED (an idea or
meaning suggested by or associated with the denoted word/image) by these CONVENTIONS.
ALWAYS CONSIDER:
• WHY DOES IT READ THE WAY IT DOES?
• WHAT IS THE INTENDED MEANING OR IDEAS BEING COMMUNICATED?
• WHO IS THIS FOR?

24. News and Online
Language
How is a Newspaper Article Structured ?

25. News and Online
Language
All newspaper articles follow a particular framework or structure

26. Construction of a News Report
News and Online
Language

27. News and Online
Language
How is a Newspaper Article Structured?
Headline:
• All stories have a headline, which gives the reader an idea of what the article is about. Tabloid headlines often use puns or other techniques, such as alliteration, to captivate their audience.
Introduction:
• As the first paragraph in an article, the introduction is very important. Its contents tell the reader in more detail what the article is about. Research into how people read newspapers shows that
most people read the headline first, followed by the first paragraph of the story. If the introduction is not interesting then most people will not continue reading the article. The first paragraph is
often known as a stand-first, printed in a bold font.
Elaboration:
• The next few paragraphs tell the reader more about the story that is outlined in the introduction. They inform readers about the following key words:
• What
• When
• Where
• Who
• Why.
Quotes:
• Almost all news stories have comments from those involved or from voyeurs (onlookers). Their function is to make the article more objective by keeping a balanced viewpoint. Alternatively,
they can make the article more subjective by sensationalising the reaction of the public and can indicate bias.
Projection:
• Many stories tell the reader what might happen next in relation to the event or people in the report. This might include a comment from a police officer, an MP, a family member or a general
prediction of consequences or outcomes.

29. News and Online
Language
Take a look at this cover – what news values are present?
1. Looking at our case studies, The Sun, The Guardian and the Daily Mail, find the main story inside the newspaper.
2. Answer the following questions on your blog.
1. How have the conventions been established as a tabloid newspaper / broadsheet newspaper?
2. How does the article make you feel about the situation?
3. What news values are prominent?
4. Discuss the effect of the particular words / phrases on the audience
5. Why has a particular person been quoted? What does this add to the story?
6. What does the way in which the story has been reported in your paper overall suggest about the attitudes, values and
beliefs of the world?

30. News and Online
Language
Language Content Style Values and
attitudes
Photographs Headlines
What examples of language
stand out. Calculate the average
number of words per sentence.
What is included or missed out
of the story? Can you explain
this?
Is the article chatty or formal?
Serious or funny? How long are
the sentences?
Is there any bias? Which shots have been chosen
and why? How have they been
edited?
What kind of headline is it?
What techniques are used?
This is a framework for analysing the language of newspapers. Remember to include evidence to support the comments that you make.