News and Online Flashcards
(89 cards)
1
Q
what is the order of the socio-economic classes and what type of paper they read
A
- ABC1: reads quality papers
- C1/C2: reads mid market papers
- Mass Market: tabloids
2
Q
where do the Guardian and Daily mail fall on the LW-RW, Broadsheet-Tabloid axis
A
- The Guardian: a left wing, quality/ broadsheet paper
- The Daily Mail: a right wing, mid market/tabloid paper
3
Q
outline the ownership of the Guardian
A
- The G adopts a ‘collegiate style’ which emphasises collective responsibility - editorials + columnists express a range of opinions
- is owned by a LTD (Private Owned Company); The Scott Trust - not for profit, doesn’t have a group of shareholders, owner doesn’t dictate hierarchy of gatekeepers, values freedom of press
4
Q
what are the conventions of the newspaper market segment of Quality
A
- Quality: detailed level of info, high level lexis (complex vocab), body text heavy, hard + international news focus, limited colour palette, iconic photography, ordered layout
5
Q
what are the conventions of the newspaper market segment of mid market
A
- Mid Market: offers information on worries, dramatic lexis (vocab), large, dramatized serifed headlines, meaningful use of colour, ordered layout
6
Q
what are the conventions of the newspaper market segment of Tabloid
A
- Tabloid:
- raises dramatic enigmas through hyperbolic (exaggerated) language
- low level lexis/ use of colloquial language
- soft + celebrity + domestic news focus
- cluttered layout - composited images; use of paparazzi/phone pictures, image heavy
- less formal language
- headlines (often banner) in bold, capitalised sans-serif fonts
- pages dominated by headlines + images
- addresses a more down-market (primarily WC) audience
7
Q
what factors add value to news
A
- negativity: e.g. tragedies, deaths, murders
- closeness to home
- recency
- simplicity (how simple it is to understand)
- unexpectedness
- elite nations: based in USA, UK, France, China
- exclusivity from newspaper
8
Q
what is the motto of the Scott Trust
A
- ‘to preserve quality liberal journalism’
9
Q
who owns the Daily Mail
A
- owned by a PLC (Publicly Owned Company) - the Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT)
- DMGT; is for profit - their sole focus is sales + revenue, has a group of shareholders, their ‘proprietor model’ allows owner to directly influence chain of hierarchy (chief, editors, journalists etc)
- owned by Lord Rothemere/ Harmsworth Brothers (same person)
- DMGT also owns The Metro, The i
10
Q
outline the 6 stages of cultural (and so economic) changes of print
A
1) competition from online news
2) decrease in readership + circulation of printed news
3) with less readers, the value of display advertising declines
4) with less advertisements, theres less revenue (money in), and so less profit
5) with less profit, theres cost reductions - shown in less staff, smaller page format + count
6) with less news room staff, more opinion pieces, ‘churnalism’ (copying other work), less foreign news, less quality / exclusive pieces, source journalism (sourced form a centralised news agency), client journalism (clients calling up journalists to report on their story)
11
Q
name 5 cultural changes for online news
A
- paywalls (restriction of content access due to needing a subscription) for Quality papers
- competition from other online news outlets
- social media acts as a news source - which is more likely to be used (headline scrolling)
- Facebook + Google dominate 65% of the digital advertising market
- (younger) audiences have an ‘expectation of free’ - they don’t want to pay for news subscriptions. e.g. to make money, traffic, page impressions, the Mail Online appeals to a global audience
12
Q
state 3 statistics about falling readership/ circulation of print news
A
- since 2009, the number of newspapers sold each day in the UK has dropped form 9 million to 3 million
- in the last decade, the UK national paper advertising market has halved, from £1.2B in 2013 to £600 million in 2023
- newspaper readership is falling about 10% each year
13
Q
suggest (at least) 3 reasons for the decline in newspaper readership
A
- ageing audience (avg age of print readers is 61yrs)
- younger generation’s expectation of free
- online news is more accessible
14
Q
define stereotype
A
- stereotype = a commonly repeated generalisation about a group/ event/ institution which is either positive or negative
15
Q
define archetype
A
- archetype = positive repeated representations
16
Q
define countertype
A
- countertype = a representation that deliberately subverts expectations of a stereotype
17
Q
outline the political context of the UK press
A
- the British Press is free: as there is freedom of ownership (anyone can own a British newspaper)
- freedom to print: any story that is of public interest can be published
- the free press is essential for democracy and to hold institutions accountable
- the private ownership of newspapers allows for the distortion of democracy as the editorial bias of the paper can be influenced
18
Q
outline IPSO
A
- IPSO: is an independent regulator which is used by RW papers, e.g. Daily Mail
- the Sun + Daily Mail made up most complaints which were about accuracy
- has a Whistleblowing Hotline for journalists who feel they are being pressured to act unethically
- its a fig leaf of a regulator (it covers up distasteful things)
- allows the press to get away with things as long as there’s a prominent apology (apology in bigger print)
- has never fined any of its papers for breaches of code
19
Q
outline the Leveson public inquiry of 2012
A
- the Leveson Inquiry into the culture, practice and ethics of the press was published;
- new self-regulation body should be established
- it should promote high standards (e.g. investigate serious breaches + sanction newspapers) - is backed by legislation to assess it’s use
- this legislation would enshrine a legal duty for the gov to protect the freedom of the press (for the 1st time)
- a whistle blowing hotline established for journalists who feel pressured to do unethical things
- set up arbitration system where victims of the press can seek remedy
- IPSO was set up for the RW press and the other regulator was ‘Impress’
20
Q
outline The Daily Mails stance on regulators
A
The Daily Mail is signed up to IPSO as;
- its a fig leaf of a regulator (it covers up distasteful things)
- it allows the press to get away with things as long as there’s a prominent apology (apology in bigger print)
- it has never fined any of its papers for breaches of code
20
Q
outline The Guardians stance on regulators
A
it refuses to sign up to either as;
- external regulation of press compromises the freedom of the free press
- it doesn’t want to legitimise IPSO and its RW panel + funding model
- the Guardian is self-regulating and has its own internal complaints handling procedure
- the quality of The G journalism is very high, with 2 verifiable sources, with occasional minor inaccuracies
21
Q
in ____, the ____ made £__ million in profit
A
- in 2017, the DMGT made £77 million in profit
22
Q
outline the values of right wing texts/ Daily Mail
A
- nationalistic
- pro-institutions (Royal family, Army, Church)
- xenophobic
- conservative
- traditionalist
- supports traditional gender roles
- supports consumerism
- free market economy/ capitalist
23
Q
outline the values of left wing texts/ The Guardian
A
- internationalist
- socially inclusive
- progressive view of gender, race, class, age etc
- moral compass
- supports non-traditional beliefs
- challenges capitalism + holds those in power accountable
24
outline the positioning of audiences
- how products try to put their audiences in particular positions
- 4 types: emotional positioning (fear/ sympathy), cognitive positioning (how they think about representations in the products), social positioning (as male or females) or cultural positioning (being positioned in American or British values)
25
name the media language elements in a print newspaper
- colour
- layout: page size, masthead, headlines, images, size, skyline (promotion of other content above masthead)
- images: photography, paparazzi, cartoons, graphics
- typography: serif + sans-serif fonts, gothic
26
outline selection and combination in the Mail Online logo
- this is evident in the 2 polarising fonts used for the Mail Online masthead
- Mail: uses heavy gothic font that is used for the print edition of the Daily Mail - it connotes tradition, craft, reliability from its association with medieval calligraphy
- Online: uses a contrasting font of elegance, sans-serifed - it connoted modernity, youth, lightness compared to the heavy gothic font
- this font combination connotes how the MailOnline combines the reliable virtues of print journalism with the fast pace of online
- it also combines 2 ideologies - conservatism and modernism
27
outline the print newspaper genre conventions of broadsheet
- harder news agenda - e.g. politics, finance, international news
- more formal language register
- traditional mastheads in serif fonts, often black on white
- headlines in serif fonts not all capitalised
- pages dominated by main body of text (copy)
- addresses a more upmarket (primarily MC) audience
- offers news as information
28
what is the origin of the distinction of tabloid + broadsheet
- refers to their paper size
- by 1970s, most downmarket papers had adopted tabloid size paper - half the size of the traditional broadsheet size
28
what is hybridisation/ broadloidisation
- hybridisation/ broadloidisation = the process of features of tabloid papers being increasingly common in the broadsheet press
29
outline online newspaper genre conventions compared to print
- the traditional classification of print papers of tabloid + broadsheet extends in part to online editions, but here hybridisation continues further
30
outline the genre conventions of broadsheet newspapers online
broadsheet newspapers online:
- follow a similar format which echoes the connotations of objectivity + seriousness of the print papers
- website homepage: filled with headlines, hard news stories
- same traditional masthead as used in the print version
- most typography is serifed
- heavier body text than in tabloid papers
- but; site home pages of broadsheets online are more hybridised - e.g. more use of colour, soft news on front cover (opinion, lifestyle), some use of sans serif, informal language
30
name common uses of intertextuality in media
- creating humour
- to parody (criticise) the referred person/ text - e.g. political cartoons
- to honour the referred text (e.g. reference to universally revered people/ texts)
- to attempt to transfer the value of the referred media product to the referring one
- to create a sense of a shared experience with the AUD
31
what are 2 examples of sources for intertextual examples in text
- headline
- standfirst (a block of text under a headlines introducing the story, normally in a diff style)
32
outline consumerism as influencing politics
- consumerism is a social, cultural, political + economic context
- treating auds as consumers leads to a diff view of politics, for example
- 'retail politics' describes the way politicians now feel the need to sell their policies to voters through the mass media, and newspaper coverage of politics may emphasize the popularity of politics rather than the effectiveness or moral worth
32
outline news bias
- news values cause bias in representations - e.g. of the elite, celebs, 'big' news, 'bad' news, 'good' news
- online editions; will be more likely to have a bias in favour of what plays well on social media + news feeds - e.g. entertaining stories that are 'shareable'/ stories with strong visual images
- those who have a strong ethos, e.g. Guardian + Daily Mail, present a fairly consistent world view
32
outline realism + constructing reality
- most media products make some claim to realism, hence the concerns over misinformation in the news
- the boundary between advertising and news is established by journalists + editors, regulation, laws of libel (proof of truth)
- its easier to maintain these standards in high quality journalism - however in lower market newspapers, advertisers can more easily succeed in their aim to blur the boundary between news + advertising - e.g. through persuasive content disguised as factual
32
define ethnocentrism
- ethnocentrism = belief in superiority in your own culture, and that other countries/ cultures are inferior and 'strange'
33
define realism
- realism = the set of conventions by which audiences accept a representation as 'realistic'. there are different sets of rules for diff genres and for different media forms, and there are many different forms of realism
33
outline 3 examples of Daily Mail reality/ their realism
- we should respect great British institutions like the Monarchy
- many problems are caused by the ruling liberal elite, the nanny state (overprotective gov), and 'wokeism'
- catching criminals is more important than protecting human rights
33
outline 3 examples of The Guardian reality/ their realism
- some patriotism is associated with xenophobia + racism - we should be both internationalist + proud to be British
- protecting human rights is the cornerstone of society
- as a rich country we have the duty to help others in the world
33
outline an example of The Guardian embracing a controversial position
- The G were the only newspaper to pursue the phone-hacking scandal that led to the closure of the News of the World and the Leveson Inquiry
- an example of The G being 'quality, investigative Liberal journalism'
33
outline consumerism in influencing audiences of newspapers
treating audiences as consumers influences:
- the quantity of lifestyle content in newspapers
- the celebration of celebrity culture as a lure to consumers, esp in online editions of newspapers - e.g. MailOnline
- the representations of audiences themselves, whether by letters to the editor in print editions, or comments in online editions + social media, or articles about readers
- selling articles as 'Most Popular', 'Most Shared' and 'Most Commented' - e.g. by Guardian Online
33
outline celeb culture
- celeb culture is a social, cultural and political context that affects representations in newspapers by covering celebrities, celeb events and celeb politicians - e.g. Donal Trump
- celebs feature heavily in the MailOnline - e.g. in their 'Dont Miss' + 'Royals' section
- celeb events are clearest within sports (e.g. World Cup football) + the world of entertainment (e.g. Oscars)
34
outline multiculturalism as a context
- is a social + cultural context that affects representations in newspapers
- from comparing the routinely all white representations in newspapers from the 60s to those today, progress is evident
- when EMs were represented then, it would often be in the context of a story about race - today representations are more varied
- e.g. the representation of an ethnic minority group (such as PM Rishi Sunak) in which their ethnicity is not part of the story
34
what are 3 factors that influence the under + mis - representation of the media
- use of stereotyping
- diversity of representations
- opportunities for self-representation
34
what does audience interpretation of representations depend on
- gender, sexuality, age, race, class etc (of the reader)
34
outline the production, distribution and circulation of print news
- production of news: in the hands of the newspaper journalists, editors, producers and printers
- distribution: is by the organisations that send newspapers to newsagents, who have some control over which publications get distributed, but no control over content
- circulation: newsagents + other retailers sell the newspapers
35
outline the production, distribution and circulation of online news
- with online news, the line of production, distribution and circulation is less clear
- distribution and circulation are combined in websites, social media or news feeds
- there may be many more news producers, including amateurs (send ins), whose news may be distributed by social media companies, who have great control over which audiences see which news stories
36
what is the key economic context of print + online news
- print and online journalism is driven by a profit motive - apart from news produced by the BBC
37
outline the ownership + control of news
- 3 owners control the majority of print titles (DMGT, News UK, Reach plc), so ownership is concentrated (oligopoly)
- the newspaper industry is unique in that it isn't usually profitable, but are seen as a means of gaining political + social influence - this means they're more likely to be owned by rich individuals rather than conglomerates
- concentration of ownership is limited by regulators, e.g. the CMA which exists to prevent anti-competitive business monopolies
- govt has set up this organisation as free market capitalism requires competition for markets to work efficiently
37
outline the political context of press freedom
- the role of press freedom in democracy gives opportunities but also places limits on the control exercised by owners of newspapers
- newspapers are permitted to be opinionated + politically biased - but newspaper editors insist that owners never interfere with the content of newspapers
- direct interference can destroy the credibility of the newspaper and will be restricted by editors + journalists - the free press cannot be seen as organs of elitist propaganda
38
outline a finding from the Leveson Inquiry in relation to freedom of press
- the Leveson Inquiry into the press found that politicians of all political parties had 'developed too close a relationship with the press in a away that hasn't been in the public interest'
- also, politicians' relationships with newspaper owners, managers, and editors, were not clear and open - suggesting that newspaper ownership does give a degree of political leverage
- British politicians have previously met with Rupert Murdoch before elections to seek his support in the expectation of a more favourable press coverage
- e.g. the Labour PM Tony Blair visited Murdoch before he was elected in 1997 + received favourable coverage (e.g. endorsement from The Times and The Sun)
38
in _-_, Guardian Online had more than _ digital subscribers, with over _ as one off donators
- in 2021-22, Guardian Online had more than 1 million digital subscribers, with over 500,000 as one off donators
39
name + describe 6 of newspapers' diversified funding streams
1) circulation: subscription sales, cover price impacts this
2) paywalls: paying to access online content
3) membership: e.g. 3 way membership model of the Guardian Online
4) print + online advertising: print advertising is traditionally more profitable than online - but this had changed in recent years
5) sponsored content: paid content on the G website offers organisations to share the prestige of a quality newspaper such as the G
6) events: the Guardian often runs courses, e.g. on journalism or literature, meetings and conferences
40
in 2021-22, in what funding stream did the Guardian Media Group earn the most revenue in + for how much
- earned the highest revenue in digital reader revenue (subscriptions and contributions from online news)
- brought in £76 million
41
outline 4 impacts of technological developments on news
- increased opportunities for audience interactivity + expressions of audience preference (e.g. listing of 'Most Viewed' articles, comment sections)
- growth of citizen journalism + inc in use of mobile phone footage by mainstream media news outlets
- rapid speeding up of the news cycle, from a 24 hour rhythm to constant updating of news, e.g. 'live' updates (now culture)
- the lack of online regulation + editorial ownership leads to problems of misinformation, disinformation and clickbait
41
outline the libel law
- the libel law provides additional legal constraint
- it allows people to take legal action against any defamatory statement made or conveyed in some permanent form
42
outline the regulation of online news
- Online news isn't subjected to formal regulation, but some online news outlets choose to be regulated voluntarily by independent press regulators, e.g. IPSO or IMPRESS
43
define + outline why the Guardian is described as 'collegiate'
- collegiate = a sharing of something
- The G is collegiate in their allowing of a range of views to be reflected within their work - regardless of if the editor agrees with them, e.g. in their opinions column
- The G features all political stances, but does focus on a progressive liberal stance
44
outline Femail
- Femail is a section of both the Daily Mail newspaper + MailOnline which is targeted for female readers
- addresses female lifestyle topics - e.g. fashion, beauty and babies - e.g. Kate Middleton
- caters to the majority female readership of the Mail Online (54% female, 46% male)
- the Mail Online has the highest female readership than any other news outlet
45
name an example of the Guardians gender progressive views
- the Guardian scrapped their 'Women's Page' in favour of a more integrated coverage
45
what is the gender ratio of readers of the Mail Online
- female readers make up 54%, whilst male readers make up 46%
46
outline the online audiences for the Mail Online and the Guardian Online
- the websites for the Guardian and Mail Online are so different in style and content, but have similar audience makeup
- this is due to the fact that these differences in style + content are not so significant online as they are in print
- also, online audiences are less loyal to one newspaper, possibly arriving to the site via a link from elsewhere
46
what did the Independent do in 2016
- in 2016, the Independent went online only
- this lost the legitimacy + authority that print newspapers carry, even though it was economically, a more efficient choice
46
what 2 factors can influence audiences to interact with the news more
- rise of consumerism: created the view that the public has a right to be heard + to argue with 'experts'
- feminism, multiculturalism, inc tolerance of LGBTQIA: gave more women/ ethnic minorities/LGBTQIA community a public voice
47
what are the different ways audiences use the news
- ethnic groups use the ethnic press to help maintain their identity and be informed about their community
- business leaders use the specialist financial press (e.g. Financial Times), which provide detailed surveillance of businesses + markets, and target a global specialist audience
- audiences with significant cultural capital use the broadsheet press to maintain their identity as 'well educated + well read', and to gain information over what is happening in society and culture
- audiences lacking cultural capital use the tabloid press to maintain their identity as 'ordinary people' + to gain information, diversion from everyday life + entertainment
47
what is The Guardian's three way membership model
has 3 components:
1) supporters: readers can make donations voluntarily (call to action)
2) subscribers: regular payments (monthly/ annually)
3) patrons: high level contributors, receive additional benefits
- doesn't use paywalls - content is accessible to all
- this subscription model directly targets global website readers
48
the Mail Online website has more than _ unique visitors per month
- the Mail Online website has more than 218 million unique visitors per month
49
outline the Guardian Online's voluntary contribution model
the Guardian Online operates on a voluntary contribution model instead of implementing paywalls;
- this allows people to;
- read articles for free.
- donate or subscribe to support them through call to actions
- access premium features (like the ad-free app)
- but requires a subscription
49
outline data on readers
- advanced technology allows newspapers to gather data on their readers
- e.g. The Guardian uses analytics such as cookies to understand reader preferences, optimise content and advertise content accordingly
49
what is a free market economy
free market economy:
- a system of privatisation - the government has little interference
- businesses and consumers, not the government, control most of the money and decisions
- right wing texts such as the Daily Mail supports this
49
when were the UK elections from 2015-2025 + who won
- May 2015: won by The Conservative Party under David Cameron
- June 2017: won by The Conservatives under Theresa May
- December 2019: won by The Conservatives under Boris Johnson
- October 2022: won by The Conservatives under Rishi Sunak
- July 2024: won by The Labour Party under Keir Starmer - ended 14 years of Conservative rule
49
outline 'now culture'
- modern audiences prefer 'now culture'
- instant news access on the day of the event taking place is more favoured than the traditional production cycle of newspapers reflecting the previous day's events
- online news sources regularly update their content + run 'live' feeds for events of importance (e.g. death of a monarch)
49
outline historical context of the print news industry
- newspapers are on of the oldest media forms - dates back to the 17th century in the UK
- mass readership of newspapers arose in Britain in the late 19thC with the extension of education and the vote, the inc in mass consumption and the growth of urban popular culture - e.g. music halls
- since the 1980s, the digital has impacted the printed press to the extent that the industry has had to change in response
50
outline economic context of the print news industry
- the British news industry has significantly contributed to the UK economy
- newspapers sold in free market capitalist societies are commodities which are produced + distributed to be sold for profit
- tech advances have impacted the circulation of print news due to the rise in online news
- the econ structure + funding of the production + distribution of newspapers relies on circulation sales and advertising + the consumerist economy
- the current funding model must be adapted to allow for the survival of UK print industry
51
outline political context of the print news industry
- the free press + self-regulation are important in democratic societies
- newspapers reflect political bias + have a LW, centrist or RW political agenda in the production of news
- in times of political conflict (e.g. Brexit), political differences in newspaper will be emphasised
- owners + editors support key political figures + reflect their political values in their news reporting - often owning newspapers to gain political influence
- politicians will test reactions of the press to policies before deciding to continue with them - e.g. 'dementia tax' was dropped once this named was coined by press
52
outline social context of the print news industry
- news reflects our current society - shows what is happening domestically + globally, reflects current social anxieties + concerns, including those caused by social change
- news reinforces + comments on other social institutions - e.g. law, govt, religion
- news production selects + deselects diff individuals + social groups in their news coverage + targeting of audiences
- news ownership + production shapes our social awareness
53
outline cultural context of the print news industry
- concentrated news ownership in the UK supports a one-dimensional, conservative view of British culture + reinforces cultural norms
- news stories feature cultural events, traditions that are valued by AUD
- reading news daily is a cultural behaviour embedded in UK behaviours
- inc consumerism results in heightened AUD expectations of entertainment + accepting more marketing
- recent trends demonstrate a cultural preference for online media - led to changes in consumption of print media
54
outline the background behind the 2012 Leveson Inquiry
- in the early 2000s to 2012, there was widespread phone hacking across the mid market + tabloid news industry
- the Milly Dowler case: where a young murder victim's phone had been hacked by the press - led to the 2012 Leveson Inquiry into the practice, standards and ethics of the press
55
name an example of the political context of press freedom
- e.g. The Harmsworths, who own the Daily Mail, are known to be 'Europhiles' (supporter of European Union), yet the Daily Mail was strongly anti-EU under the editorial of Paul Dacre
- shows how the UK press is free from input of print corportaiton owners
56
when was The Guardian and the Daily Mail first published
- Daily Mail - 1896
- The Guardian - 1821
57
outline the funding of the Daily Mail newspaper
- relies on advertisements which feature in their newspaper
- advertisers prefer volume of news stories over quality - hence why there is a high volume of stories in newspaper + online
- has a cover price of £1.20
58
outline the funding of The Guardian
- runs on a supporter strategy; relies on subscriptions + donations from loyal readers
- also relies in advertisements but not as heavily influence by them as DM
- high cover price; £3.70 for weekday editions
- runs events; e.g. courses on journalism + literature, meetings + conferences
- sales; sells books + holidays linked to its reviews + travel sections
59
name examples of sections of the DM + The G which appeal to different audiences
- DM: Femail, finance, celebrity, royal fam (e.g. Kate Middleton), 'MoneyMail' (about money, e.g. smart meters), MailShop (advertising, e.g. of beds)
- The G: sport, national, Scotland, film, arts, obituaries, world
60
what is something to remember about representations
- there is always going to be groups not represented and sometimes misrepresented - this is a conscious choice by producers + editors
61
what is the view of immigrants compared between broadsheet vs tabloid
- broadsheet: sympathetic, victimised, economic assets
- tabloid: demonised, economic burdens
62
name an effect of vertical integration
- vertical integration of newspapers allows them to own their line of production (journalists, editors, printers, distributors etc) - enables more profit
63
name examples of sections of the MailOnline + The G which appeal to different audiences
- MO: royals, FeMail, shopping, ShowBiz, science
- The G: culture, lifestyle, opinion, sport
