SUMMARISING INFORMATION:

A. Tabloids and broadsheets

The gap between tabloids and broadsheets is a wide one. They look different, they contain different news, they have
a different style of writing and they aim to attract different readers. However, the competition for readers is intense,
and tabloids and broadsheets may steal tricks off each other in order to win the circulation war (eg: many broadsheet
newspapers in Britain run 'Fantasy Football Leagues' which originated as a tabloid tactic). Some UK broadsheets
have recently started producing a tabloid edition.

Here are some of the main differences:

Tabloids Broadsheets
e.g. e.g.
UK: Daily Mirror, The New York Daily News, the Sun UK: the Sunday Telegraph, Financial Times, The Sunday
USA: News of the World, Globe, Metro Times
tabloids are smaller, their stories tend to be shorter USA: The New York Times, The Washington Post, The
Wall St. Journal

larger, more serious papers that you have to fold to read

 'Popular' press  'Quality' or 'serious' press

 Aimed at lower social groupings  Aimed at higher social
 Bold layout (e.g. colour on groupings
the masthead, very bold  Plainer layout (little colour on
typeface, easy to read), with the frontpage, smaller
large, dramatic pictures typeface suggests readers
 Shorter articles, more will make more effort to read
pictures, less 'in-depth' it), and subtle, possibly
reporting smaller, pictures
 More focus on human  Longer articles, more
interest stories, celebrity detailed
gossip  Serious headlines
 Use of gimmicks such as games e.g. bingo  More focus on politics,
international news
 A compact newspaper is a broadsheet-quality
newspaper in a tabloid format, especially one in the
United Kingdom. e.g. The Independent

Language used
 Informal  More formal
 Use of puns  Metaphors rather than puns
 Use of alliteration  Rhetorical questions
 Exaggeration for effect  More complex sentences (look for sentences
 Slang separated by lots of commas, semi-colons etc.)
 Colloquial language (chatty)  Puns sometimes used, although more subtle
 Informal names used  Statistics
 Short, snappy sentences  Descriptions of people tend to relate to personality or
 Heightened language (over the top) position in society
 Brand names  Politician’s comments often included, with a
 Adjectives often carry sexual overtones commentary by the journalist
 Frequent use of elision e.g. won’t, don’t.

B. The Front Page

 attracts readers
 reinforces the newspaper's identity through easily recognisable style features
 demonstrates clearly what the newspaper's attitude is towards the news of the day
 shows that this particular edition of the newspaper contains
certain stories - including better coverage of main stories than any
other newspaper

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Conventions of a front page:

Masthead - the newspaper's name, often in

traditional gothic lettering. It may not have
changed for many years and is the easiest way to
identify a newspaper
“All the News That's Fit To Print"
Slogan - a 'catchphrase' for the newspaper
The NY Times

'Puffs' or 'blurbs' - colour bands which aim at

attracting readers to stories inside the newspaper
or 'coming soon'

Headlines - the largest typeface on the page for the most

important stories

Sub-heads - in smaller typeface, sometimes

italicised, that explain more about the story
A Hong Kong School was today rocked to its
Lead story - one that has been chosen as being of most interest
foundations by a number of minor explosions. Eye-
to the most readers
witnesses said there were...
By-line - journalist's name & details Clark Kent, Education Correspondent
Spending too long on the internet may ruin your
eyes, medical researchers warned today. New Secondary Lead - still an important story, but less than the lead
evidence suggests that there is a definite link...

Photographs!!! Sometimes colour, sometimes

black and white. They may refer to the lead story,
or be there to make a reader "turn to page 6..."
Don't forget the all-important captions which
accompany photographs.

Menu - A 'table of contents' showing what is in each section and

where to go to find articles inside

Small ad - containing no images

Display ad - includes a picture

HOMEWORK:

1. Copy the titles of the articles on the front page. Choose one newspaper.

 http://philly.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
 http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/

2. Find online editions of two American and two British newspapers. One must be a tabloid and the
other a broadsheet.
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