Newspapers C2

Friday 25th April 2025

Newspapers

LO: To explore the key terminology and conventions of newspapers

Paper 1, Section A:

- 2 set texts

- Media language and representation

- Contexts

- Codes and conventions

Paper 1, Section B:

- Sun: paper and website

- Industry

- Audience

News Values

Galtung and Rouge

In 1956, researchers looked at which stories were making headline news worldwide. From their findings, they devised a list of 'news values' - a scoring system for stories to make the news.

Immediacy - Has it happened recently?

Familiarity - Is it culturally close to us in Britain?

Amplitude - Is it a big event that affects large numbers?

Frequency - Does the event happen often?

Unambiguity - Is it clear and definite?

Predictability - Did we expect it to happen?

Surprise - Is it a rare or unexpected event?

Continuity - Has it previously been defined as news?

Elite Nations/People - Big countries or celebrities?

Personalisation - Is it a human interest story?

Negativity - Is it bad news?

Balance - 'and finally' fun story to balance bad news?

Bias and Political Stance

There is an editorial process where articles are carefully checked before publication to ensure they conform to standards and are accurate. However, their political stance (left or right wing) can affect how they report events and how issues are presented.

Tuesday 29th April 2025

Case Study: The Sun 

LO: To explore content and meanings constructed in the case study.

Product Info

The Sun is a British tabloid daily newspaper owned by News UK, a subsidiary right wing, Australian born American media baron Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.

It was originally published six days a week until News Corp also started producing The Sun on Sunday in 2012.

The Sun has an average daily print circulation of roughly 1.3 million copies in the UK and a daily readership of around 2.3 million. The Sun stopped releasing its circulation figures in 2020.

News Corp describe The Sun as 'an instigator, an entertainer, a cultural reference point, a finger on the pulse, a daily relationship'.

The format of the print paper is tabloid, and is colloquially known as a 'red top'.

The majority of its print audience is male, C2DE and aged between 35-64 years old.

In a recent YouGov survey, 97% of people surveyed had heard of The Sun but only 29% liked it.

1st  January 2021 published

Context

Covid-19 is a global pandemic. The disease was first identified in December 2019, before the pandemic was declared in March 2020.

It was clear that a mass immunisation programme was essential to help prevent the spread of disease. At the start of 2020, the world saw unprecedented levels of funding for vaccine research and development. 

By December 2020, the UK became to first western country to license a vaccine against Covid, which is astonishingly fast given that, on average, a vaccine usually takes 10-15 years to accomplish.

By January 2021, the NHS had delivered more than 1 million vaccinations, colloquially known as jabs.

During the pandemic, news media played a crucial role in communicating public health and policy information. Traditional newspaper coverage and representations of issues were important amidst increasing disinformation and conspiracy theories spread online. 

Militaristic language is so embedded in the government and media's representation of the medical world that this has come to be normalised by audiences. Hospitals are the 'frontline', healthcare workers are the 'heroes' and we 'fight' and 'battle' disease.

The vaccine rollout began in December 2020 and worked in phases, prioritising the population according to vulnerability and age. The UK's rollout was among the fastest in the world.

Kate Garraway is a popular TV broadcaster in the UK, having co-hosted Good Morning Britain since 2014, and appearing on numerous shows from Strictly Come Dancing to I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. Her husband, Derek Draper, was left seriously ill after contracting Covid-19. 

Gary Lineker is a former England football player and now a popular sports presenter on BBC's Match of the Day. He has 8.5 million followers on Twitter. In April 2020, he donated £140,000 to the British Red Cross emergency response to the Coronavirus crisis in the UK.

Media Language 

Masthead - block text uses the colours red and white. Tabloids are renowned for simplifying complex political issues

Strapline - suggests a socialist agenda despite the oppositional political messaging

Headline - imperative to call readers to action. 'army' 

Heart Puff - logo inclusivity the heart juxtaposes the term 'army' flag implies helping to 'fight' covid national pride and patriotism

Image - photoshopped image of the clock face on big ben an iconic symbol of British culture recognised by audience. clock hand is syringe needle pointing to 12 new year, time is of the greatest importance when it comes to distributing the jabs. urgency

Text - 'help get millions vaccinated rapidly' supports the image

Pull quotes - mainstream audience appeal. trusted celebs with personal experience of Covid-19

Lineker is praising the campaign therefore endorsement

Garraway's emotive and personal 

Reader wider community - standfirst uses flattery 'us' 'we'  collective pronouns direct address 'you'

'join our jabs army' intertextual references to dad's army

Friday 2nd May 2025

The Guardian

LO: To explore context and meaning constructed in the case study

Do Now:

1. The three different news values are surprise, balance, predictability

2.  The Sun is right wing politically

3. The Sun target audience is male, C2DE and aged between 35-64 years old

4. The strapline of the sun is 'The People's Paper'

5. The headline 'Join Our Jabs Army' uses imperatives

Product info 

The Guardian is a British national daily newspaper.

It has an average daily print circulation of approximately 105,000 in the UK, comprising 53,902 newsstand sales and 51,232 subscriptions (July 2021).

The Guardian newspaper targets a well educated, affluent, digitally savvy, liberal audience.

The demographic is 86% ABC 1. 54% of The Guardian readers are male, and the average age of the print reader is 54.

Originally, The Guardian's format was broadsheet, but for cost reasons and changing consumer needs it is now printed in tabloid form.

The Guardian is not owned by a group of shareholders like most other newspapers, for whom making a profit is imperative. Therefore, they believe that they can hold true to their core journalistic principles.

18th January 2022

Context

To help prevent the spread of Covid-19, the UK went into 'lockdown' where legal measures were put into place to prevent social mixing. At the time of the 'bring your own booze' party, this included the banning of indoor gatherings of more than two people from different households, and those found breaking this law could be fined.

At the start of lockdown, many offices and institutions closed and workers were advised to work from home. In January 2022, although some have returned to offices and workplaces, this is often with reduced numbers and working from home continues for many. 

From 2019 - 2020, Dominic Cummings served as Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Chief Political Advisor. Forced out of Downing Street at the end if 2020 after an internal power struggle Cummings publishes a blog, in which he reveals events and activities that took place during his time at No. 10 Downing Street.

Ukraine borders Russia and is post-Soviet democratic republic. The 2019 presidential elections saw the pro-western leader leader Volodymyr Zelensky come to power, historically, Ukrainian leaders had been pro-Russia. 

Tensions had long existed in the region, but in December 2021, Russia increased its troop numbers at the Ukrainian Russian border. This move by Russia's President, Vladimir Putin, generated fears of an invasion and Ukraine requested international support.

The Guardian is described as having mainstream left political values. It does not have an affiliation with any political party but does lean towards the left and has a very liberal tradition.

Representations of Politicians

Politicians are often portrayed as inept and useless in both left/right wing press, and in both tabloids and broadsheets.

By exposing their weaknesses and mocking their decisions, this portrayal of the most powerful people in the country could offer audiences a sense of superiority.

Politicians pretend to be intelligent and well meaning but by satirising them, newspapers bring them down to the level of the general public.

Homework

Masthead - The colour scheme is red and white showing it is traditional and emphasises that it is a tabloid paper. The poppy connotes Remembrance Day suggesting their respect.

Headline - 'What have they done... again?' makes Trump appear to be useless almost as if the public have made a mistake by voting for him. Short and attention grabbing. The ellipsis further emphasises the choice that has been made since it has happened before. Rhetorical question.

Splash - America is the centre of attention illuminating its importance.

Image - The main image is of Trump pointing towards the camera (us as readers) which could suggest his power and dominance over the country and over the people. However it could suggest that we are included, that he is including his readers and encouraging them to join him on his journey and also creates a positive representation of him presenting him as a heroic figure. But the headline mainly supports the first, that he is exerting his power in a way that he perhaps shouldn't. He is in front of flags and this shows were he is for those who may not be aware that he is the President of the United States of America. 

Standfirst - 'DONALD Trump swept to power yesterday amid fears he will be even more divisive and brutal than in his first spell in the White House. The 78 year old beat Kamala Harris to become the first convicted felon elected as US President. World leaders congratulated Trump, but there was growing concern his victory will spark a mission of revenge against opponents and a war on migrants'. The standfirst makes an explicit comment stating that he is a 'convicted felon' showing The Mirror's view on him being elected as president again as being quite negative. In addition this phrase may make people fear Trump and therefore in the future not trust him and the idea of a 'war' or 'revenge' implies he is not a reliable leader and that people should be fearful of him.

Plug - Tesco Christmas offers creates a sense of warmth and community compared to the bold headline focusing on politics. The offers show the lighter, easier to read message focusing on home life and family, rather than the hard hitting read about politics.  

Tuesday 6th May 2025

The Newspaper industry

LO: To explore the newspaper industry and the context of The Sun newspaper

Do Now:

1. Misrepresentation is when a certain group or person is represented falsely

2. The Guardian is left wing politically

3. The Guardian target audience is male ABC1 aged around 54 equal split regarding gender

4. The strapline of The Guardian is 'news provider of the year' 

5. The Guardian is owned by a non profit trust and so isn't motivated by sales

Institutions

A media institution is an established and regulated organisation that owns, and produces many different media products, systems, and texts.

Media institutions tend to be large global corporations such as broadcasting companies, newspaper and magazine publishers, film production companies, music and publishing companies, and some governments.

Elements with institutions

Audiences - the significance of media ownership to the way audience receives texts

Technology - the importance of new technologies on media ownership and audiences

Public service - the cultural and financial differences between public service institutions and commercial institutions

Regulation - the regulation of media institutions

Ownership - the ways in which ownership of a media institution can affect or influence the content and distribution of its media texts 

Marketing - the way institutions can affect the marketing of media texts

Production - the way institutions produce media texts and how this is influenced by other factors

Conglomerates

A conglomerate is, by definition, a large company that consists of divisions of seemingly unrelated businesses.

A media conglomerate describes companies that own large numbers of companies in various mass media such as television, radio publishing, movies, and the internet.

Microsoft and Amazon are two of the world's largest conglomerates today.

Newspaper ownership

The newspaper industry is massively powerful. Newspapers are, even today, read by large numbers of people in the UK.

In Britain, a small number of newspaper publishers control the majority of the industry.

News UK (owns The Sun and The Times) is the biggest publisher.

In 2019, a report showed that the 3 largest newspaper publishers owned 83% of the newspapers in the UK.

Two of the most popular newspapers are right-wing.

Gatekeepers - The people who decide which stories to include in the newspapers. Editors have to filter the large number of stories written and select those to feature. The type of paper and its audience will also influence the decisions.

News values - A set of factors that help to determine whether or not an event is considered newsworthy.

The Sun New UK (News Corp)

Owned by News UK - a subsidiary of the News Corp conglomerate.

Both companies are owned by the media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

Regulated by IPSO (Independent Press Standards Organisation).

The Sun has the largest circulation of any daily print newspaper in the United Kingdom.

The Sun website is also used by a large population of the UK with an Ofcom survey finding that 71% of people surveyed used The Sun website for information and news alongside other services.

News Corp

News Corp is a massive conglomerate.

News Corp is also horizontally integrated. Horizontal integration is when 1 company owns lots of companies in the same industry.

News Corp is a vertically integrated company. A vertically integrated company is when 1 business owns several stages in the same industry.

News Corp is also a globally and financially diversified company. Diversification is when 1 company owns holdings in several different countries and industries.

Funding

How do newspapers make money?

- Newspapers earn revenue from their advertisements 

- Journalism is being seen more and more as a commodity whose purpose is predominantly for profit

- £1 in every £7 spent on groceries is spent by a Sun reader making it a very attractive advertising vehicle

The popularity of print news continues to drop and advertisers will choose to leave if figures drop too low. 

Newspapers are under increasing pressure to to capture audiences - the purpose of the dominant image and the splash (main article) is to sell papers.

In the first quarter of 2016 The Sun recorded losses of more than £250 million including £50 million to cover legal costs and pay-offs for the ongoing phone-hacking scandal. This scandal has previously cost News Corp  £366 million.

Technological Convergence

1) The Sun would need a website as well as a newspaper because some readers may prefer to use online services to catch up on the news and if they use the website they are more likely to sign up to subscriptions, etc. In addition, some people like to read the paper and so therefore the paper copy may be more suited to them and so it is beneficial to have both an online and physical copy.

2) A newspaper would need multiple ways of getting to their readers because the readers might not all use the same format of the newspaper, for example some may prefer online, some may prefer having the physical paper, and others may prefer to use social media accounts.

3) Advertisements??

Overview

- The Sun is published daily in print from Monday - Saturday

- It has a website, associated social media including Facebook and Twitter (X) and a mobile app

- The mobile app is a paid for subscription service that allows readers to download the entire print edition of The Sun to their tablet each day

- The website is free

- The price of a daily print version of  The Sun is 65p

Typical Print Contents

Front Page: often focuses on one splash; uses familiar tabloid conventions to appeal

Hard and soft news: includes both but often has a lot of celebrity 7 human interest stories

Page three: no longer topless models, but still includes scantily clad models here

Editorial column: 'Sun says...', comments on stories it considers important and communicate skey messages about its views and values

Regular column: written by celebrities like Jeromy Clarkson

Sports page: back pages (newspaper conventions) but football dominates

Advertising: many high-street brands - reflects demographic, some ads relate to sun promotions/competitions

Entertainment: 'bizarre' column, puzzle section and TV listings

Feature sections: focus on topics like beauty and celebrity, regular pull out sections

Regulars: puzzles, horoscopes, 'dear Deidre' advice column and letters

Typical online contents

The website reinforces many of the features of the print edition and is an example of convergence.

House style: is consistent across both print and website, creating an identifiable brand

Homepage: is regularly updated and readers can access additional additional content like video clips

Interactions: readers are able to comment on articles and see others' comments, this extends the experience of the newspaper and is a form of wider social interaction

Pages: many relate to the different sections in the print papers; these are therefore familiar and also offer additional content to the paper

Advertising: many of the same brands

Additional features: readers can sign up to features like 'sun savers' which require them to collect codes from the print papers to receive 'cash back'

Socials: links to their social media platforms allow them to regularly update readers on breaking news or viral content

Print vs Online News

Advantage to print - older generations are more likely to buy them, don't have to worry about internet connection, you can reread the stories, specific events may be shown in the newspaper

Advantages to online news - can be updated quickly

Audience

The Sun Demographic

66% C2DE

33% ABC1

25% aged 15-35

75% 35+

60% male

Psychographics

The audience might share the paper's values and attitudes: might support conservatives (right wing), believe it was right to leave the EU, etc.

The paper includes many different sections/topics and so has a wide appeal to audiences with a range of interests. 

News = information about the world

Celebrity = entertainment and gossip/escapism

Human interest stories = identification with people/situations involved

Money saving = resonates with lower earners

Website interactivity = allows comments on stories and offers opportunities to interact socially

Why do people still read newspapers?

The experience of reading a paper is different from consuming news online and offers different pleasures and gratifications:

- It's a familiar form and they recognise the conventions

- Content is organised in a clear structure

- Require/prefer a physical copy they can carry and don't need internet

- Papers fit many people's daily routines (breakfast/commute)

- Value in depth coverage paper offers

Audience theory

An active audience engages, interprets and responds to a media text in different ways and is capable of challenging the ideas encoded in it.

A passive audience is more likely to accept the messages encoded in a media text without challenge and are therefore more likely to be directly affected by the messages. 

Reception theory

Preferred reading - when the audience responds to the ideas in the way the media producer wants them to. For a programme like the Voice UK or The X Factor this could be large scale audience voting and the purchase of the winning singer's single.

Negotiated reading - when the audience responds by accepting and rejecting certain elements. Perhaps voting for the underdog in a talent competition or questioning the programme via social media platforms.

Oppositional reading - when the audience understands the preferred reading but chooses to oppose it. For instance, the campaign to stop the winner of The X Factor getting to Christmas number one in the charts.

Homework

Explore how The Guardian front page use media language to communicate meanings.

The Guardian's front page utilises the layout and design to follow the traditional aspects of a broadsheet paper, since the majority of the cover is text with one main image supporting the main article. The splash takes up most of the page with a few side stories underneath which keeps the readers focus towards the main article. In addition, the masthead is a dark blue colour which connotes trust and authority, which is supported by the masthead itself being 'guardian' implying that they protect their readers and the news itself. 

The main image used for this specific article presents politicians as being inept. The image captures Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister at the time, running with his dog at night, and he is wearing casual clothing including shorts and a hat. This outfit is very anti-stereotypical especially considering the article is focusing on politics and not his personal life, we would expect him to be in a suit and this is therefore not the type of image we would expect to see on the front cover. Additionally, his outfit could be considered unsportsmanlike and there is a sense of ineptitude perhaps not just in jogging. Furthermore, the headline of 'Cummings accuses PM of lying over No 10 party' presents the Prime Minister as being untrustworthy and unreliable. There are deliberate language choices used including the verb 'accuses' which seems quite assumptive and literal almost as is he has committed a crime, but also the verb infantilises Cummings making it seem as though he is starting an argument over something.

Overall The Guardian presents politicians as being inept and childish, perhaps not being very successful at their jobs and this leads them to be deemed untrustworthy and unreliable leaders to us public readers.