NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE

PRODUCTION
COURSE CONTENT
Newspaper as a medium of mass
communication
Characteristics of a newspaper
Functions of a newspaper
Classifications of a newspaper
Formats of newspaper
 Newspaper as a Medium of Mass Communication

Newspaper belongs to the class of the print media. As a

medium of mass communication newspaper is an
unbound publication issued at regular intervals and
containing a variety of materials, usually printed on a
paper called newsprint.
The information presented in newspapers are often
supplemented with photographs. It contains record of
events or news published and circulated to the public
for reading. Its basic functions are to educate, inform,
interpret and to entertain.
 What is newspaper cont.D
Just as the name suggests, news’ and ‘paper’, the
newspaper is primarily a medium for disseminating
news. It brings recent information to its audience
and provides them with what is happening around
them—in their neighbourhood, town, state,
country and all over the world Newspapers equally
interpret events for the audience so that they can
make informed and rational decisions.
 What is newspaper cont.D
Newspapers provide a wider variety of news and
information than the other media and they
present far more details than radio and television.
They cover diverse subjects, such as political,
business, entertainment, crime, art, society,
sports, etc. They provide local, national as well as
international news and information to readers
every day. Hynds (1972) presents the following
about newspapers:
 What is newspaper cont.D
The newspaper is truly a mass medium; it reaches a
large number of people with information, and appeals
to different segments of the population. It is a
permanent media which keeps information alive for
many years. It can be read over and over again and
kept for a long time.
Newspapers are portable and can be carried anywhere
and read anywhere. They are valuable sources of
information as people spend time reading them for
news, information and entertainment.
 Characteristics of a Newspaper
For a publication to be regarded as a newspaper, it
should possess the following characteristics:

• It must be published periodically at regular

intervals; not less than once a week:
• It is often mechanically produced;
• It must be timely; and
• It must be available to all interested readers.
 Functions of a Newspaper
The following are some of the functions that newspapers
perform:
• Informing the public by supplying facts, opinions,
statistics, photos and illustrations:
• Providing a record of man’s activities and events in
society;
• Educating by going beyond the basic facts to in-depth
analysis in opinion pieces, feature stories, columns and
editorials,
• Entertaining the public with humorous columns, leisure
features comics and puzzles, providing a print market
place for advertisers and prospective customers; and
 Functions of a Newspaper Cont.D
• Providing contents capable of shaping people’s
opinions and feelings on issues in society.
• Newspapers, according to Rankin (1986),
function as a unique and vital force in the daily
lives of people. They provide facts and analysis
that allow citizens to make effective and
responsib1e decision, not only in coping with the
complexities of modern living, but also in
protecting the rights and liberties of a free
society.
 Classification of Newspapers

Newspapers are classified based on circulation,

frequency of publication, time of publication, etc.
Thus, we have:

1. Daily Newspapers: A daily newspaper is

published every day of the week and sold out to
the public. But, Saturday and Sunday editions are a
little different. They contain less hard news and
more human-interest stories and pictures. They
also include more specialised sections and at times
cost more.
 Classification of Newspapers Cont.D
2. Weekly Newspapers: These are newspapers published
weekly or bi-weekly. They contain news and other information
as in the daily newspaper but more of features and news
analysis.

3. National Newspapers: These are newspapers that circulate

throughout the country. The national newspapers in Nigeria
include The Punch, The Guardian, Vanguard, Daily
Independent, The Sun.

4. Local Newspapers: These are newspapers servicing only a

city or region Exampl,4 Gateway Mirror (Ogun State), The
Nigerian Observer (Edo State).
 Classification of Newspapers Cont.D
5. International Newspapers: These are newspapers that have
international focus. They could also be metropolitan
newspapers with international editions The contents of the
newspaper have universal appeal Examples are The
International Herald, Tribune, Christian Science Monitor.

6. Time of Publication: This refers to the time of the day

(morning or evening) that t newspaper is produced and released
to the newsstand. Newspapers are either A.M (morning) or P.M
(evening). Most newspapers in Nigeria are A.M. The P.M
newspapers that exist include PM News The defunct Today’s
News Today (TNT) The defunct Evening Times, as well as the
defunct Alive, PM. Newspaper.
 Formats of Newspaper

Newspapers come in one of the following formats:

• Broadsheets: This type of newspaper has large pages.

The size is 600m by 380mm (23 1/2 by 15 inches).
• Berliner or midi: The size of this newspaper is 470mm
by 3 15mm (18 V2 by 12 1/41).
• Tabloids: These have smaller pages; they are half the
size of broadsheets at 3 80mm by 300mm (f by 113/4”).
Most newspapers in Nigeria are in the tabloid format.
• On-line Only Newspapers: These are web-based
newspapers. They are only published on the internet
with no hard-copy format.
 MAGAZINE AS A MEDIUM OF MASS
COMMUNICATION
COURSE CONTENT
Characteristics of a magazine
Functions of a magazine
Classifications of magazine
Types of magazine
Formats of a magazine
Contents of both newspaper and magazine
 Magazine as a Medium of Mass
Communication
The word magazine conies from the French word
‘magasin’, which means a store house. So just like
the meaning of its root word, a magazine is a
publication containing different materia1s news,
features, pictures, cartoons, adverts, etc. It keeps
the public informed by providing information on a
variety of subject matters, health politics,
education, fashion, sports; and others. Magazines
are not daily publications; they are published
weekly, monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly.
 Magazine as a Medium of Mass Communication
Cont.D

Magazines are attractive and appealing because of

their high production quality. They come in
colourful and glossy paperbacks They have the
ability to reach specific audience. Newspapers have
broad coverage but magazines are specific and
direct Their contents are patterned towards their
readers. Like newspapers, magazines are also mass
media, this is because magazines are meant for
large, diverse and heterogeneous audience who
live in different places but who share common
demographic and/or psychographic characteristics.
 Characteristics of a Magazine
The general characteristics of a magazine are:
• They are published on high quality paper or stock
such as art-paper, matte, and others;
• They are usually more durable and able to last
for a long time;
• Magazines use pictures, graphics and colours
extensively;
• They offer less-time bound articles;
• They give detailed and in-depth treatment to
issues and topics;
 Characteristics of a Magazine Cont.D
• Magazines contain lots of advertisements;
• They have longer publication cycle; they can he
published weekly, monthly, quarterly; and
others;
• They employ a variety of designs, typefaces
and appealing layout to attract readers.
 Functions of a Magazine

The function of any magazine depends on its type.

(classification) as well as its mission and
philosophy. Generally, magazines perform .the
following functions:

• Magazine provide in-depth coverage and

analysis of issues;
provide specialised information for consumers;
 Functions of a Magazine Cont.D
• It serve as a veritable medium for advertising.
They show off the advertisers product/se
through their glossy paper and high
reproduction quality;
• Magazine provide materials for entertainment
and relaxation such as short stories, jokes,
puzzles and others;
• It offer practical advice to help readers make
informed choices and decisions
 Classification of Magazines
There are three broad classifications of
magazines. They are:

• Consumer Magazines

• Professional/Trade Magazines

• Company/Industrial Magazines
 Consumer Magazines
These are magazines targeted at the general public.
Their main purpose is to provide information and
entertainment. They usually have lots of graphics,
pictures and adverts. Consumer magazines are
readily available to the public. They are sold at
newsstands, bookstores, supermarkets, and others.
They can also be sold by subscription.
 Professional/Trade Magazines
These are special interest magazines meant to meet
specific special interests which may be professional
or trade-related. They are mostly mailed to the
target audience and sometimes they are available at
the newsstand. Because of their specialised nature,
the goods and services they advertise are directly
related to the magazines’ areas of interest and
audience. Examples of magazines in this category
are: Pharma News,_ Brands/PR Review, Nigerian
Medical Journal, Architect News Bit, and others.
 Company/Industrial Magazines
These are companies’ in- house publications It excludes company’s
publications like newsletters, brochures, booklets, manuals, books
and calendars. Company’s magazines are well planned publications,
usually not less than 20 pages, meant specifically for the exchange
of information between the organisation and its internal and
external public.
Such publication may be aimed at employees, customers,
community of operation, and members of staff as well as marketing
and middlemen of the company. Sometimes, due to lean finances,
what companies do is that they have a publication that will be
aimed at all stakeholders i.e. staff, customers, middlemen,
community where the company is situated; and others.
 Types of Magazines
Under the above categories of magazines, the
following are various types of magazine:
• General Interest Magazines: deal with different
issues that cut across people. It appeals to the
general public. E.g. Reality Magazine (Nigerian),
Cosmopolitan, Life (USA), and others;
• News Magazine: carries news and significant issues
and events in the society. E.g. Newswatch, TELL, The
News (Nigerian), Newsweek, Time (USA), and others;
• Men’s Magazine: specifically targeted at the male
folk. E.g. GQ (USA).
 Types of Magazines Cont.D
• Women’s Magazine: specifically targeted at the
female group. E.g. Genevieve (Nigerian), Good
Housekeeping (USA).
• Family Magazine: deals specifically with family
issues. E.g. Parenting, Family Circle (USA).
• Sports Magazine: carries stories and information
on various kinds of sports. E. g Complete Sports
(Nigerian), Sports Illustrated (USA).
• Youths Magazine: targeted at teenagers and
youths.
 Types of Magazines Cont.D

• Gossip Magazine: carry gossips about celebrities

and other highly-placed people in the society.
E.g. Global Excellence (Nigerian). People (USA).
• Picture Magazine: its contents are mainly
pictures. E.g. Ovation Nigerian).
• Health Magazine: carries information on health
—related matters. E.g. Indulge (Nigerian).
• Fashion Magazine: carries information on
fashion. E.g. Elle, Vogue (USA).
 Formats of a Magazine
The format refers to the size and shape of the
magazine. There are three standard magazine sizes:

• Lifestyle: These are very big and wide. It

measures 10 1/4 x 13 inches.
• Time-size: These are the normal-sized magazines
that we see everyday. It measures 10 1/2 x 13
inches. E.g. Ovation.
 Formats of a Magazine Cont.D
• Readers Digest-size: This type of magazine is small and
portable. They can be carried about easily. It measures 5
1/2 x 7 1/2 inches.

• Online Magazines: Also called webzines, online

magazines are magazines published on the Internet.
Online magazines may be strictly published online
without hardcopy or may be electronic versions of
hardcopy magazines. Online magazines contain the same
things as hardcopy magazines but offer special interactive
features and draw on the benefits of the lnternet. An
example of a purely online magazine is Salon.
 Contents of Newspaper/Magazine
• News: Newspapers essentially contain news and
information to make the public aware of issues and events
around them. News is, a piece of information about a
significant and recent event that affects newspaper
readers and is of interest to them. Anaeto and Onabajo
(2007) state that news is important because it satisfies our
curiosity and concerns and provides us with basic facts
that enable us to make up our minds, thereby joining in
the general discussion.
Newspaper contains news on different subject matters.
There are stories on government officials and their
activities, social activities, entertainment, as well as
natural happenings such as earthquakes, flood, etc.
 Contents of Newspaper/Magazine Cont.D

• Features: Features are another major content in newspapers and magazines.

They provide information but in more detailed form than the news. Features
cover a wide range of issues. They are mostly to entertain and provide
information to readers. Features come in different
formats: news features, personality features or profiles, human -interest stories,
expose travelogue.

• Editorial: The editorial is the position of the newspaper or magazine on any given
issue. It is the official stand of the paper. Print media use the editorial to highlight
issues, identify problems and make suggestions to solve them. Usually, the
editorial appears on a specially designed page with the masthead of the paper.

• The editorial, according to Anaeto and Onabajo (2007), gives background

explanation and interpretation of events so that people can build or, at least,
reinforce their opinions about what is happening in the world or likely to happen.
 Contents of Newspaper/Magazine
Cont.D
• Letters to the Editor: Letters to the editor is an avenue through
which members of the public express their views, opinions and
make comments on societal issues. It is the channel through
which the public communicates with the newspaper/magazine. It
provides an opportunity for a two-way communication.

• Columns: Columns are designated spaces in the newspaper or

magazine where a particular writer treats a variety of issues. They
are permanent and Feature regularly in the newspaper or
magazine. Columnists, those who write in the column, express
their views and opinions on diverse issues on this space. In
newspapers and magazines, there are columns on health, politics,
finance, etc.
 Contents of Newspaper/Magazine Cont.D
• Reviews and Criticism: These are write-ups in newspapers and magazines that
examine or assess literary works such as books, movies, plays, art shows, etc. it
involves a critical examination of the material. The function of the review and
criticism column is to provide readers with an objective view as well as to enable
readers understand and appreciate the work.

• Advertisement: These are promotional and publicity materials designed by

organisations to make their products and services known to the public. They
keep the public informed of new products and services, how to get them and
how to use them. Advertisement is a major source of revenue for newspapers
and magazines. Usually, advertisers are attracted to papers with large
readership.

• Cartoons and Comics: These are humorous drawings and illustrations with
words that are basically meant to entertain readers. They are short and
appealing. There are editorial cartoons, which are used to pass messages about
current issues to the public in a funny way. At times, it makes use of satirical
Establishing a Newspaper! Magazine Outfit

• There are different steps involved in the

establishment of a newspaper/magazine
outfit. These steps are vital and should be
carefully considered because when the outfit
is established on the right footing, it is sure to
survive, grow and function optimally.
 Establishing a Newspaper! Magazine
Outfit Cont.D
The under-listed are the different steps involved in the
establishment of a newspaper/magazine - outfit:

carrying out feasibility study;

name and registration of the newspaper/magazine;
determining the mission and philosophy of the
newspaper/magazine;
constituting the editorial board;
drafting the editorial policy of the newspaper/magazine;
securing funds for the newspaper/magazine outfit; V
establishing a befitting and strategically located office;
staff recruitment; and
procuring equipment.