Newspaper Conventions and Bias

8/12/2019 Newspaper Conventions and Bias

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Find on your magazine Masthead Pug Splash

Strapline headline Photograph Caption Byline Crosshead


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Your turn...


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Politics is boring.Sex, money, health and crime, that

s whatpeople are interested in

.

The oldest challenge to journalists is how toappeal to new, young readers withoutalienating established, older readers.


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Tabloid/Broadsheet

In Twos: Make a list of the differences you think exist

between tabloid and broadsheet newspapers. List them in two columns.


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Tabloid Popular press C2, D, E Bold layout Informal, colloquial language

Puns and jokes Gimmicks Attention grabbing headline Use of alliteration Dramatic overview Opinionated Shallow but exciting coverage


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Broadsheet Quality/ serious press A, B, C1 Sophisticated/ formal language More focus on political/ international news. Smaller typeface (suggests audience will put in more

effort to read) Concentration on facts. Less dramatic. Originally larger size. Less photography, more printed word.


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Quiz

In the following six examples, write downwhether you think the headline came from aBroadsheet or Tabloid newspaper.


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Murat

sMaddieAlibi

BlownNew witness at scene


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The Sun


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Councils face 2 8bn bill

For equal pay Wage discrimination claims leave black hole

in local authority finances


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The Guardian


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2000

ANDHATE Four left dead in New Year Mayhem


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The Sun


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BROKEBRITAINPersonal insolvenciesset to hit new record

in 2008


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The Independent


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Brown U-turnon end

to 24-hour

drinkingeview rejects worrieson liberal licensing laws


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The Times


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THE MOSTIDIOTICPOLICE CHIEF

IN BRITAINFamilies outrage as publicity-madchief constable says ecstasy

which kills fifty a year - is safer than aspirin


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The Daily Mail.


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Group work

Using the newspaper given to your group:

Read the Editorial and comment on it in terms of:

Viewpoint expressedWhat kind of language is used?Use of facts or opinion?

What does this say about the bias of the paper?

Groups to make notes and report back findings


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Bias

Newspapers and reporters are supposed toprovide their readers with:

objective (this means free from prejudicecaused by personal feelings),

unbiased reliable information.


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BIAS AND IDEOLOGY

To convey information fairly means letting thefacts speak for themselves.

Journalists know that the choice of a word orphrase can change the context of a news story.

bias does occur a lot often unconsciouslyby the journalist .


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Types of Media Bias: Omission leaving one side out of an article or a series of articles over a period of

time... Selection of Sources including more sources that support one view over

another... Story Selection a pattern of highlighting news stories that support one side of an

issue over another..

Placement the location in the paper or article where a story or event is printed;a pattern of placing news stories so as to downplay information supportive of oneside

Labeling comes in two forms: 1. Tagging of person from one party or group withextreme labels while leaving the other side unlabeled or with more mild labels. 2.A reporter not only fails to identify a liberal or conservative as such, but alsodescribes the person or group with positive labels, such as an expert or

independent consumer group... Spin occurs when the story has only one interpretation of an event or policy, to

the exclusion of the other. Spin involves tone- a reporters subjective commentsabout objective facts...


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Consider the following sentences

More than 900 people attended the event.

Fewer than 1,000 people showed up at theevent.

POSITIVECONNOTATIONS

NEGATIVECONNOTATIONS

THE WORDS JOURNALISTUSES CAN CHANGE THE

TONE OF THEARTICLE!


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Class task

Find an article that has a bias? Which type? How have they used negative connotations? Do they have images with the article to back

up the negative connotations?

You will have to show theClass Your findings.


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Media images

Nick Griffin the BNPleader in a very un

flattering shot!

If the newspaper who likedNick Griffin were going toprint a photo what do youthink it would look like?


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Media images

It could print a picture likethis that made him looklike a nice family guy!!

Positive connotationsIn this picture


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Influences. Government overt & covert censorship

North Korea and BurmaBias presentation Ownership of the news source Concentration of media ownership Selection of staff Preference of target audience Pressure from advertisers


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CT 2010 Media ownership &

InstitutionsWho owns what we watch,

read and buy?

[email protected] - December 2009


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INSTITUTIONS

The Key Concept of INSTITUTIONS in MediaStudies is about ownership and control.

When studying the Popular Press, we need tolook at OWNERSHIP of newspapers and howthat might affect content (ADD to BIAS)

Think about how owing a newspaper mightleads to abuses of power.

[email protected]

December 2009


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Exam questions

2. a) Identify two different audiences for this text b) Explore how this text attracts one of these

audiences c) with reference to your own examples. Explore

how the media text position audiences/ users .

3. Using your own detailed examples, explore therepresentation of two events in the media today.


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Ownership of the Press The freedom of the Press is usually taken to be

a sign of a democratic country. In dictatorships the Press, Radio , TV are

usually the first things to be seized by thosenewly in control as it means that they cancontrol what is being broadcast.

The UK is rare in having a newspaper industrythat is largely free from Governmentinterference.

[email protected] - December2009


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Ownership Although we say that UK newspapers are

free they are mostly owned by a smallnumber of companies.

Consider what effect this may have on theopinions of newspaper readers: Political opinions / support for political parties Opinions on key issues immigration, war, taxes Opinions on other issues celebrities, TV shows,

etc.



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UK National daily newspapersTITLE OWNERSHIP CIRCULATION

(c. Sept. 2009) (% y/y)

The Sun News International 3,080,000 (-2%)

Daily Mirror & Daily Record(Scotland)

Trinity Mirror Group 1,307,000 +342,000 (-10%)

Daily Mail Associated Newspapers 2,160,000 (-4%)Daily Express Northern & Shell 712,000 (-4%)

The Star Northern & Shell 864,000 (+18%)

News of the World News International 3,129,000 (-3%)

The Times News International 572,000 (-10%)

The Daily Telegraph Telegraph Media Group 770,000 (-6%)

The Guardian Guardian Media Group 312,000 (-10%)

Financial Times Pearson PLC 56,000 (-5%)

The Independent Independent News &

Media

190,000 (-16%)



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Political SupportTITLE POLITICAL SUPPORT? POLITICAL BIAS?

The Sun Conservative Party Centre Right

Daily Mirror & Daily Record(Scotland)

Labour Party Centre Left

Daily Mail Conservative Party Very Right

Daily Express Conservative Party Right

The Star Conservative Party? Right?

News of the World Conservative Party Right

The Times Conservative Party Centre Right

The Daily Telegraph Conservative Party Very Right

The Guardian Labour / Liberal Democrats Centre Left

Financial Times Centre / Traditionally Right

The Independent Independent? Centre / Left?



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Political Support The Sun has become the most important opinion former in

recent years and its support for one or another politicalparty has often been very influential.

Traditionally The Sun supported the Labour Party, butdecided in the 1980s that it liked the politics of MargaretThatcher and so threw its support behind theConservatives.

When Tony Blair became leader of the Labour Party, TheSun decided that they would support him.

Recently, The Sun has announced that it will be supportingDavid Camerons Conservative Party in the forthcomingelection and has already begun a campaign against PrimeMinister Gordon Brown.



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The Sun in the Elections



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The Sun changes Party



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Key Terms note down.

Conglomerate Cross media-ownership Multinational Corporations Concentration of ownership Monopoly/MonopoliseResearch for tomorrow


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Make sure you know the difference:

Conglomerate(2 differing corporations under 1 head corporation) Clear Channel Cross Media Ownership (Multiple media) Virgin Media Multi-National(Delivers in several countries) Sky Concentration of Ownership

(Less people control more of the media) Murdoch Monopoly(One supplier) British Rail, Post Office, Microsoft (almost)


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Q+A What does this say about theindustry?

Marxist theory Elite having power and monopoly; magazines ,

newspapers and other media protect interests byrepresenting their privileged position as beingnatural God -given , thus perpetrate capitalistideology, etc. )

American Dream = rich and successful deserve position and the poor are poor because do notwork hard + lack ambition


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The mail on Sunday 27 th June 2010

Shopkeepers fury as they are told all food must be weighedand sold by the kilo

EU TO BAN SELLING EGGSBY THE DOZEN

Bonkers and Absolutemadness


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Expresses indignation at the destruction ofBritish traditions and way of life.

Couple of days later found it wasnt the truthof the situation could still buy.

The Daily Mail reported on the climb down onbehalf of the EU as a result of the BritishBacklash even though the newspaper hadmisreported the legislation.


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What does this reporting reveal?

Political agenda? Opposition to the European union

Daily mail/ mail on Sunday overall position?

Supports right wing, traditional values asupheld by the conservative party.


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Fox news

US 24 hour rolling newschannel

Documentary Outfoxed,2004

Doc argued that Foxs newsagenda was to support therepublican administrationunder george Bush

News reporting was biasedwith little attempt to bebalanced and impartical

Fox openly campaigned againstObama during 2008 election,continued to maintain its POLITICALBIAS


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Obama refused to appear on Fox News because the most - watched cable news

channel in America dealt in rightwing

propaganda, not news

NB

2010 News Corporation, the mediaconglomerate which owns Fox News, donated$1 million to the republican party!


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Who checks what they print? The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) tries

to make sure that newspapers follow their Codeof Conduct, but critics say that the PCC has noteeth.

Code of Conduct an agreement amongst thenewspaper Editors to follow certain rules aboutaccuracy, privacy, information gathering or

reporting on children or law cases. OFCOM is the Governments own body for

regulating the media in general.

[email protected] - December 2009


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Why should we care? We tend to forget how important the press is in

the way that it shapes peoples opinions. Traditionally every broadsheet newspaper sold

will be read by THREE people. Every tabloidnewspaper will be read by FIVE people do themaths!

Every day the owner of News International hasthe opportunity to get his message across toMORE THAN 17 MILLION readers! Just in the UK.

If you owned a newspaper, could you resist tellingpeople your opinions?



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??



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Read through

Rupert Murdoch Turns 83

What can you tell about his Values and beliefs?

Political views?

Wh i i ?


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Whose opinion?



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??



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Silvio Berlusconi: 1936 - Italian politician, entrepreneur, media tycoon, frequent

criminal defendant and convicted tax evader whoserved three times as Prime Minister of Italy .

Major player in the European Union.

Billionaire Businessman / dubious morals (?) Football Club Chairman A.C. Milan Owner Mediaset (three Italian tv channels), Publitalia

(Italys leading advertising and publicity company).Owns Italys largest book and magazine publishinghouse.

Has interests in two leading daily newspapers (twoothers are owned by his brother and his wife).



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Dubious morals

Silvio Berlusconi's trialsHe has been accused of embezzlement, tax fraud and false

accounting, and attempting to bribe a judge, but he hasalways denied wrongdoing.

Convicted of paying for sex with an underage prostitute andof abuse of power for asking police to release her when shewas arrested for theft; under appeal

Convicted of tax fraud in case focusing on the purchase ofthe TV rights to US films by his company, Mediaset

Acquitted in several other cases; also convicted in several,only to be cleared on appeal; others expired under statuteof limitations



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??



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Robert Maxwell: 1923-1991 Publisher news papers and books Member of Parliament six years War Hero World War II Football Club Chairman Oxford United FC /

Derby County (nearly Manchester United) Criminal? secretly used money from his

companies pension funds to invest inschemes leaving pensions penniless; double-dealer / untrustworthy in business.



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Think about

"Media monopoly matters in a democracy.The concentration of unaccountable mediapower distorts the political system. The media

shapes how we see ourselves and how we seethe world. In a democracy, the free flow ofinformation, of different points of view, is

crucial for open debate .


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Tasks

Group 1 Newspaper worksheet 1-3 Group 2 Newspaper worksheet 4-5 Group 3 Alternative news Group 4 Alternative news compare Group 5 The Wapping Dispute in 1986

Group 6 Magazine Industry


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Group 6 Research the magazine industry Who are the big 6 Details of three of the top magazine publishing houses Specify the sort of magazines published by each

Name three titles from each.

Use a magazine to answer the following:

What type of advertisers might be drawn toyour magazine? Why? Is any psychographic information given about

the target audience? Any demographic?


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Alexander Yevgenievich Lebedev (born 16 December1959) is a Russian businessman, referred to as one ofthe Russian oligarchs.

In May 2008, he was listed by Forbes magazine as oneof the richest Russians and as the 358th richestperson in the world with an estimated fortune of $3.1billion.

He is part owner of the Russian newspaper NovayaGazeta and owner of four UK newspapers with

son Evgeny Lebedev: the London EveningStandard, The Independent, the Independent onSunday and the i newspaper.


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Alternative news reporting Group 3

Go to www.schnews.org.uk Back issue 728

Make notes on the use of colour, fonts, layout andheadlines.

What are the main news values? Make notes on language, tone and content of the

articles.

Is the reporting balanced and impartial? Who is the target audience? What uses and

gratifications would they seek to gain from this text?
http://www.schnews.org.uk/http://www.schnews.org.uk/


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Group 4

Read the latest edition of schnews and use theinternet to research how their news storieshave been represented in other newspapers.

How does the reporting compare?


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Media imagery

There was a positiveheadline about thisphoto. She looks verypowerful and the articlewith it is very nice abouther!


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Ideology

Images and words can reinforce the ideology.So may times celebs speak out about photosin the press that catches them unawares and

in the wrong context!


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Class task

What are theConnotations of the

Family in thisPhoto?


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Eastenders

Representing modernFamily life in the UK!

Single parentFamily!

Though not all single parents areRepresented like Bianca!!


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Ideology

As times change ideologies change.

Can you think of any ideologies that havechanged completely?

Write down 5 examples ofThe point below


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Ideology

Education for all not just the rich. Choices for women (to work, have a business

etc) To have a child and not be married To get a divorce To live with a partner and not be married Social choices

d l


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Ideology

30/40 years ago these ideologies were notacceptable

People who went against the norm were oftenexcluded or labelled as trouble makers

As media developed as a nation our ideals andvalues became freer and we moved away from

the common ideology.


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Are Liberal views most common? Do Newspapers reflect this? Marxist theory?

H ?


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How?

Did the mediaassist changes?

films

newspapers

television

Radio/music

M di


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Media

Our society began to see the different choicesother cultures could make.

as ideologies change societies expectationschange.

different Expectationsthan older Generations.

examples

E i


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Exam questions

2. a) Identify two different audiences for this text b) Explore how this text attracts one of these

audiences c) with reference to your own examples. Explore

how the media text position audiences/ users.

3. Using your own detailed examples, explore therepresentation of two events in the media today.

Documents

Newspaper Conventions and Bias