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Scottish Daily NewspapersCategories & Language

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Medium

• Medium is print so:– Laying out text and graphics on pages– Needs software such as word processor, digital

imaging, DTP– (For classroom) needs technology such as PCs, file

server, internet access, colour printers, scanners, digital cameras, memory sticks

• Medium is WWW so:– Material can be repurposed & archived on website– (For classroom) need web design software

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Form 1

• Newspaper so:– Columns, grids, modular layouts used– House style for graphics, fonts, language,

spelling– Governed by UK and Scots laws: Libel,

Contempt of Court Act, Official Secrets Act, Copyright Designs and Patents Act

– Self regulation by Press Complaints Commission

– Journalistic codes e.g. NUJ Code of Practice

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Form 2

• Newspaper so:– Journalists and copy tasters use news values

for selecting stories– Idea of target readership used to select and

treat stories– News journalism need not be impartial as

required by public service broadcasters in UK– Stories selected and treated to fit political

stance and campaigns of the newspaper

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Purpose

• To make a profit through sales and selling advertising space

• To propagate particular political viewpoints

• To inform, educate, entertain, confirm readers’ opinions/beliefs

• To act as a ‘public sphere’ for free debate of public issues

• To criticise and investigate the powerful

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Scottish Daily Newspaper Market

• Very competitive market

• 15 titles

• Can categorise in various ways:– Market sector in terms of social class

(->genre)– Geographical market (->mode of address)

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Social GradesNRS/JICNARS: Based on income of chief income earner in home

Social Grade/Social Status CIE's OccupationA Upper Middle Class Higher managerial, administrative

or professionalB Middle Class Intermediate managerial,

administrative or professionalC1Lower Middle Class Supervisory or clerical and junior

managerial administrative or professional

C2Skilled Working Class Skilled manual workersD Working Class Semi and unskilled manual workersE Those at lowest levels State pensioners (no other earnings),

those on social security benefit, casual workers

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Mass Market DailiesReaders

ABC1:C2DE 36%:64%

Average age 43

Male:female 57%:43%

Degree-educated 7%

Sales

Total 6.1m

Scotland 0.9m

Average price 35p (50p Sat)

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Mid-Market DailiesReaders

ABC1:C2DE 65%:35%

Average age 50

Male:female 49%:51%

Degree-educated 15%

Sales

Total 3.3m

Scotland 0.38m

Average price 39p (54p Sat)

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Up-market DailiesReaders

ABC1:C2DE 89%:11%

Average age 47

Male:female 58%:42%

Degree-educated 38%

Sales

Total 2.8m

Scotland 0.23m

Average price 66p (107p Sat)

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SummaryCategory Mass-market Mid-market Up-market

ABC1:C2DE 36%:64% 65%:35% 89%:11%

Average age 43 50 47

Male:female 57%:43% 49%:51% 58%:42%

Degree-educated 7% 15% 38%

Total sales 6.1m 3.3m 2.8m

Scotland sales 0.9m 0.38m 0.23m

Average price 35p (50p Sat) 39p (54p Sat) 66p (107p Sat)

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Other categories

• Scottish i.e. Daily Record, Courier, Press & Journal, Scotsman, Herald – expect Scottish mode of address

• Anglo-Scottish (editionised) i.e. Scottish Sun, Daily Star of Scotland, Scottish Daily Mail, Scottish Daily Express – expect Scottish and Anglo-British modes of address

• Anglo-centric i.e. Times, Daily Telegraph, Guardian, Independent, Financial Times – expect Anglo-British mode of address

• City-centric: Herald (Glasgow), Scotsman (Edinburgh), Press & Journal (Aberdeen), Courier (Dundee)

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Scotticising mastheads

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Genre conventions 1

Genre Mass market Mid-market Up-market

Masthead Red-tops at left with sans serif text

Across page (Old English or serif or sans serif)

Across page (serif or Old English)

Page size Tabloid Tabloid or broadsheet; broadsheets have ad(s) on front page

Tabloid (compact), Berliner or broadsheet); broadsheets/ Berliner have ad(s) on front page

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Genre conventions 2

Genre Mass market Mid-market Up-market

Front page 1-3 stories with screamer sans serif headline &/or large photo(s); puffs to right of masthead

1-3 stories with screamer serif headline &/or large photo(s); puffs to above &/or below masthead

Text dominates

(exc. Scotsman); headlines in serif (exc. Herald)

Front page body

One sentence paragraphs; kicker in bold

One sentence paragraphs; kicker in bold (exc. Courier lead story in bold)

Long sentences in paragraphs of more than one sentence

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Genre conventions 3

Genre Mass market Mid-market Up-market

Tone Sensational, titillating, indignant, comic, human interest

Indignant, serious, human/public interest

Serious, public interest

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Mass market/Up-market EnglishMass market newspapers

• Stories treated using a personal, individual framework i.e. everything in the world can be understood in the ways that we understand our lives in families, with friends or at work

• Informal language used and reflects how we speak in these private domains

• Simple language used with shorter paragraphs (one sentence per paragraph in mass-market);

• Few difficult words• Popular culture references• Puns, alliteration, nicknames

Up-market newspapers• Stories treated using a public,

institutional framework which is separate from the private domain

• Formal language used and reflects how one speaks and writes in public life

• Complex language use

• Some difficult words

• High culture references

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Use of English

• Language will reflect editorial line &/or angle• Headlines often use present tense to connote

immediacy; stories will use past tense• Generally active rather than passive voice (“Man bites

dog” rather than “The dog was bitten by the man”• Figures of speech: puns, alliteration, onomatopoeia,

personification• Metaphors: POLITICS is WAR, PAEDOPHILES are

ANIMALS/INHUMAN• Wandering ‘we’ – may mean ‘We Scots’, ‘We British’• News story structure: headline + lead paragraph (5Ws)+

explanation (missing Ws & how) + amplification + wrap up (resolution/enigma) (allows easy sub-edit)

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Representation

• Stereotyping:– Woman as sex object– National stereotypes

• ‘Us’ v ‘them’– ‘Us’ (Scotland, Britain, the West, ordinary

people, the community)– ‘Them’ (England, Europe, terrorists, authority,

criminals)

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Bibliography

Bonnington A.J., McKain B. and McInnes R. Scots Law for Journalists (7th edition) Edinburgh: W. Green.

Evans, H. (1978) Pictures on a Page. London: Pimlico.Hodgson, F.W. (1998) New Subediting (3rd edition). Oxford:

Focal Press.Keeble, R. (ed.) (2005) Print Journalism. London:

Routledge.Quinn, S. (2001) Digital Sub-editing and Design. Oxford:

Focal Press.Rudin, R. and Ibbotson, T. (2002) An Introduction to

Journalism. Oxford: Focal Press.