Intro to Newspapers & Exam

Lesson 1

NEWSPAPERSComponent 1 Sections A & B

Focus Areas

• Section A

• Media language

• Representation

• Media contexts

• Section B

• Media industries

• Audiences

• Media contexts

on A

You will need to study the front and back pages of The Times and the front page and linked article in The Daily Mirror

You will need to study a complete edition for each newspaper (plus selected pages from each of their websites)

Learners will develop the ability to…• analyse critically and compare how media products,

including products outside the commercial mainstream, construct and communicate meanings through the interaction of media language and audience response

• use a range of complex theories of media studies and use specialist subject specific terminology appropriately in a developed way

• debate key questions relating to the social, cultural, political and economic role of the media through discursive writing

• construct and develop a sustained line of reasoning which is coherent, relevant, substantiated and logically structured in an extended response.

Media Language Theoretical Framework

Media Language Media Forms

How the different modes and language associated with different media forms communicate multiple meanings

Advertising & marketingMusic videoNewspapers

How the combination of elements of media language influence meaning

Advertising & marketingMusic videoNewspapers

How developing technologies affect media language

Music videoNewspapers

The codes and conventions of media forms and products, including the processes through which media language develops as genre

Advertising & marketingMusic videoNewspapers

Media Language Theoretical Framework

Media Language Media Forms

The processes through which meanings are established through intertextuality

Advertising & marketingMusic videoNewspapers

How audiences respond to and interpret the above aspects of media language

Advertising & marketingMusic videoNewspapers

The significance of the varieties of waysintertextuality can be used in the media

Advertising & marketingMusic videoNewspapers

The way media language incorporates viewpoints and ideologies

Advertising & marketingMusic videoNewspapers

In the exam

Section A: Analysing Media Language and Representation (45 marks)One question (media language) will require analysis of an unseen text – this may either be an advert, music video or newspaper front pages. The other question (representation) is based on an unseen text and will require comparison to one of the texts your have studied – this may be either an advert, music video or newspaper front page.

One of these questions is likely to be audio-visual.

Section B: Understanding Media Industries and Audiences (45 marks)

This section will assess knowledge and understanding of media industries, audiences and media contexts in relation to any of the forms studied for this section: advertising & marketing, film, newspapers, radio and video games.

There will be two questions:

• Question 3 will be a stepped question assessing knowledge and understanding of media industries in relation to one form studied.

• Question 4 will be a stepped question assessing knowledge and understanding of audiences in relation to a different media form from that assessed in question one.

Newspapers:The Times and The Daily Mirror

You will develop knowledge and understanding of the two newspapers as evolving media products in terms of the relevant newspaper industry and audience issues they illustrate. In order to develop this awareness, you will consider one complete print edition of each newspaper chosen by me and selected key pages from each newspaper's website, including the homepage and at least one other page.

Mastheadthe newspaper's name, often in traditional gothic

lettering. It may not have changed for many years so

it's the easiest way to identify a newspaper. An

important part of branding – semantic codes of the

name can be identified.

Slogana 'catchphrase' summing up the newspaper's

philosophy or unique selling point

“All The News That's Fit To Print”—The New York Times

'Puffs' or ‘blurbs’colour bands that aim to attract readers to additional

stories inside – usually more light hearted to broaden

the audience base

Headlinesthe largest typeface on the page for the most important stories. Popular newspaper employ colloquialism and puns with quality newspapers being more formal

New

spap

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on

ven

tio

ns

Straplinein smaller typeface, above or below headline

that explain more about the story

Local School Rocked by Series Of Explosions

StandfirstBlock of text that introduces the story and offers

initial content

By-linejournalist's name & details, often includes a

photo

By Clark Kent, Special Correspondent

StandaloneA picture story used on the cover to offer visual engagement

Central ImageUsually a dramatic picture filling most of the

cover, anchorage text/caption usually close by to

offer context

News in brief (NIB) / side

barsSmaller facts or articles in a list / column

positioned at the side or bottom of the paper

Pull QuotesInteresting quotes from the article extracted and

written in larger font to make it stand out

“I really like ice cream when it’s hot”

Jump LineFollows the teaser headline on the front page

encouraging readers to buy and read on.

AdvertsNewspapers may included adverts and offer on the cover – depending on the type – which will appeal to the audience

‘Turn to page 6’

Visual Elements

White spaceArea on the newspaper that has no text, image or advert is left blank

Margins and guttersLines to prevent text overlapping , newspapers have clear set areas of text, image, title

FramesShapes outlining the parts of text such as stories or columns, to make them visually separate

ColumnsNewspapers always use columns when producing covers – it is the conventional layout

Serif Font – Italic style font

Sans serif Font – Plain font type

News Values Ideology

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