Regional Newspapers Circulation

Since I am producing a local newspaper I decided to conduct some research into how well they are doing now and what sort of future regional newspapers have. Then I can understand better how to move local newspapers forward and discover how to attract new audiences. 

Below is a news article on the BBC News website. Although my main task is creating a paper version of a local newspaper I am also designing an online production and therefore researching into news stories online benefits both products. On one hand I can analyse the language used, and since it is published on the internet I can hypothesise that the lexical choices will be more informal than a paper version, and therefore aid me in my attempt at targeting my product at a younger audience, and on the other I can analyse the graphology and discourse structure of the website, already gaining ideas about my own product. 

The main graphological feature is the top image, which is smaller than I anticipated for a main image. The camera focuses of the newspapers which are situated in the right of the picture. This makes it interesting for the viewer because the picture sticks to the rule of thirds, and the focus is not in the centre. Not counting the image of the journalist at the bottom this is the only image on the page which makes it very bland and boring. The headline isn't as bold as I thought which is something I will adjust in my own product. Under the headline I like how there is a sentence summary of the whole news article, which is something that I will keep in mind. The language used throughout the whole article is unbiased and general, which is something the BBC recognised for. The bottom of the article shows the journalist who wrote it, along with links to follow him on Twitter, a social networking site, and a few snippets of his recent Tweets. This, I am assuming, is the BBC trying to keep up to date with new technologies, and by doing this trying to attract a younger audience.

Overall this newspaper article discusses the decline of regional newspapers using a range of features that I will also hope to use when creating my own products. 

To round up my own ideas for creating a web page I will be using some conventions from this product, such as summing up the whole news story in one sentence to draw the reader in by using emotive language. I will also place an image of the journalist somewhere in the article which would give, if this were a real, the writer a sense of pride in their work and feel more involved in the paper. By linking in Twitter and other social networking sites it anchors the products audience, being teenagers/young people. The graphology, bar what I have previously mentioned, will be different in my own work. The typography will be less formal, though still keeping in with the conventions of other existing products. There will be more than one image placed around the article, to keep the readers attention and also making the text visually attractive. I will be placing hyperlinks throughout the text, like the above work. The headline here, I feel, is a let down. My own headline on the website will be bolder, darker, and will stand out from the page. A feature that is not a convention here but hopefully will be on my own product is linking the reader to other related articles. This keeps the reader on the website by sparking their interest. 

My own newspaper website will contain articles that will look visually similar to this, but have certain features to make my own product better suited to young people. 

In terms of analysing the text of this article it is noted that statistics are used in the first paragraph, which allows the journalist to gain the readers trust by backing up his point with facts. It also includes hyperlinks to other websites where readers can view research sources. Obviously, this being posted on a website, hyperlinks can be included whereas a printed version could not include links to other websites. The tone of the text is more informal than a newspaper, because websites that display news are designed for people who want to catch up with the world on their lunch break. However, my own tone for both my newspaper and my website will be the same because I want to attract a younger audience; one who reads their news online because of the informal register. 

The journalist reporting for the BBC quotes another newspaper, 'The Guardian' which is highly unusual and even links the viewer to their website. Once should be more than enough but 'Torin' the journalist again comments on what 'The Guardian' has reported in the final paragraph. I personally do not think this is a good idea because I want as many readers to stay with my own product, rather than advertise another newspaper. It also means that the reader loses the firm anchorage that was set by logging onto the BBC. 

Overall the articles lexis used is what one would expect from a BBC journalist, and something I want to keep in mind when producing my own work.

Initial Ideas

'There is no absolute judgement on creativity. All judgements are comparisons of one thing with another.' (Donald Larding).


After weeks of researching into newspaper and deciding upon my target audience, which will be teenagers (15-24 years)  since I do not feel publications in the Cornwall area successfully cater for or represent their needs, I can now move onto developing my initial ideas about the newspapers graphology and contents. The first three pages have to grab and hold the readers attention so they must be packed full of information, have a good discourse structure and use the best graphological features possible.

Since technology allows news and information to be on demand, more people are beginning to avoid newspapers that contain long articles, instead choosing to read the 'The Sun', the newly published 'I', and 'The Daily Star', who compact their stories and seem to gain a lot more young readers than other successful newspapers. This can be seen for example in The Suns rate card. The number of people aged between 15-24 who read The Sun total at 1,055,000, while 55-64 total in at 892,000. This is a dramatic drop and proves my statement. 

I have decided to follow along the same lines as the above mentioned, keeping the stories short and in 'bite size chunks'  though making sure the information is very reliable, and of course local. The images also used will vary to keep interest and use a lot of the space available. Visual stimulants are the key to success since they will draw the reader in. A shocking image along with a 'normal' headline will attract more readers than a shocking headline with a 'normal' image because visual stimulants effect more parts of the brain. By targeting my newspaper at a young audience this will hopefully lead onto them still reading the paper after they stop being students, therefore generating a large profit, and allowing for more readers in the future. Although this is a young peoples newspaper I will be aiming the stories more at sixth form/university students because they are going to be more interested in local events and news and take more of an interest in the newspaper rather than lower school students who might not be as interested. 

“By looking at how culture is used and transformed by social groups, cultural studies see people not simply as consumers, but as potential producers of new social values and cultural language” (Toby Miller 2006). New media such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Blogger etc. is a classic example of consumers becoming producers and, as Miller says, ‘potential producers of new social values and cultural language’ because any individual can reach as mass audience. 

Twitter is the fastest growing social networking site and contains thousands of members from Joe Blogs down the road to celebrities such as Stephen Fry. People can 'tweet' their thoughts and feelings in a short 150 character message while tagging other users in the process. A lot of young people use this site to keep up to date with their idols and now businesses are beginning to see the benefits of Twitter. The front page of my newspaper could possibly contain tweets from local celebrities or local attractions such as the Eden Project which will boost revenue for both my product and their venue. This could be presented in a column along the left hand side with the title being 'Top 10 Tweets From This Day/Week'.

The main story could have to be something positive to do with youth, because young people are rarely represented in the media in this light. This will attract new readers who are fed up of other news sources 'putting them down'. If I run with this I will have to be careful of not seemingly patronising my audience. 

My masthead will follow the same conventions of other newspapers; bold, large, and eye catching. I have conducted a survey about ideas for the name of the paper, though the answers did not fit with the ideologies of my newspaper. After much debate I have decided to call my newspaper 'The Cloud' because the semantic field links to The Sun and The Star, which are read a lot by youths. The editing process could 'fade' the masthead onto the paper.

The inside cover will contain a contents along the side, and a list of events around Cornwall. I will have to leave space for advertising since this creates a lot of revenue. I have little other idea about what to add on this page. The third page will contain a lot of news stories from around Cornwall, which smaller images around a main image. 

Overall I will conduct surveys regularly to keep up to date with what my target audience want and therefore when it comes to producing my product it will contain everything my audience needs making it successful. 

Introducing CS5.5 - YouTube

During my editing stages I will be using the new CS5.5. Therefore I chose to conduct some research into what CS5.5 will entail and if there are any plans are for upcoming updates of the program. Apple is a giant in new technologies and therefore if I want to create a newspaper and utilise every feature to gain an audience I need to be aware of the new technologies that are available and be competent in using them. Fraser said that digital technology is 'a broader version of conventional literacy which enables all visual, aural and digital forms, seeking to enable people to become thoughtful producers and interpreters of media'. CS5.5 links to this because it allows anyone to become a producer of something incredibly creative. 


Gauntlett (2007) said ' conventional research methods are replaced - or at least supplemented by new methods which recognise and make use of people's own creativity and brush aside the outmoded notions of 'receiver' audiences and elite 'producers.' CS5.5 follows these conventions, it makes use of peoples creativity by bringing in new conventions and products.

What is Survey Monkey? - YouTube

Survey Monkey allows me to collect data for surveys which will help with my research into target audience, and what they would like to see published in my newspaper. It is easy to use and has build in templates which means my survey can be published quicker. Since most of young people (who my newspaper will be aimed at) are now on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites, Survey Monkey allows me to publish straight onto my timeline, or as a tweet, which allows for a wider range of results, rather than asking people to fill in a paper survey. This also means that unlike the paper versions it cannot be lost (unless the whole system goes down which is highly unlikely), and cannot be damaged. By using new technologies during my research I am able to progress forward.
Gauntlett said in 2007 that 'new technologies break the boundary between producer and consumer' which is true in relation to my work. I am a student though I am also going to become a producer, editior and publisher all this year. All of this can happen because of new technologies.


Again this can be part of my website, and this will enable me to keep up with my target audience by allowing me to post and embed surveys at any time, and do to with any context. 

What is Prezi? - YouTube

Bringing another new technology to my work, Prezi allows me to create presentations with ease. I have chosen this over PowerPoint because of the online storage, which means I can access it from any machine without having to save it to a hard drive or memory stick, and my work and thoughts are easy to follow by using the 'paths' setting. Since Prezi is one large 'slide' I can create spider diagrams and lists together without transactions.


Peter Fraser said digital technology was 'a broader version of conventional literacy, which enables all visual, aural, and digital forms, seeking to enable people to become thoughtful producers and interpreters of media.' Prezi sticks to this theory; everyone can create a beautiful form of media which shares information that is thought provoking. 


Relating this back to my website, to make it as interactive as possible I could embed Prezis onto the site where information can be displayed which engages the audiences and draws them into the product.

New Technologies

New technologies play an important part in modern day life and research into them will allow me to keep me up to date with the latest products. Since I am creating a newspaper I need to keep an ear open for news on updates for programs such as InDesign, Photoshop, and iWeb. These programs enable me to create a high quality products simply.

Legal Restraints

Code of Practice

'The Code gives the industry a firm set of principles to guide it. The Code of Practice Committee is made up of editors from across the newspaper and magazine industries. All members of the press have a duty to maintain the highest professional standards. 

The Code of Practice allows there to be guidelines and restrictions to what journalist can write about, and what editors can publish, which protects the rights of the individual in question and the public's right to know. Every newspaper, every freelance journalist has to follow the Code and keep to its practices. 

The Code has to be followed to the letter and is not allowed to be changed without permission. It is the responsibility of editors and publishers to apply the Code to editorial material in both printed and online versions of publications. There are 16 main areas of the Code, which include Accuracy, Privacy, Harassment, Clandestine devices and subterfuge, Financial journalism, and Payment to criminals.'




When producing my product I need to keep in mind how I will represent my target audience fairly, and below I have listed some research into different acts that make sure the media follows ethical codes.

The Race Regulation Act (1976): states media institutions cannot publish any material that may be deemed offensive to ethnic or racial groups.

The Obscene Publications Act (1959, redrafted 1964): ensures nothing obscene can be represented in the media. It is important to note that the ‘watershed’ remains important for broadcasters as the definition differs for adults and children.

The Representation of People Act (1983): sets out guidelines concerning how much air time each political party can have during a year and how they can use it.

The Public Order Act (1986): Prevents the broadcast or publication of any material that can be considered offensive to any ethnic or national group.

The Sex Discrimination Group (1986): ensures equality of representation for both genders in the media industry.

The Broadcasting Act (1990): states that the ITC (Independent Television Commission) must ensure that programs broadcast must not be offensive in any way. 

Time Line of the Code

(http://www.pcc.org.uk/cop/evolving.html)

January 1991 - A 16 Clause Code of Practice was established covering areas such as accuracy, privacy and discrimination under a committee chaired by Mrs Patsy Chapman (then editor of the News of the World).

March 1993 - Following concerns about the manner in which some material was being obtained by journalists a new clause was added which became Clause (5) Listening Devices.

The Clause read: ‘Unless justified by public interest, journalists should not obtain or publish material obtained by using clandestine listening devices or by intercepting private telephone conversations.’

October 1993 - The following note defining private property was included at the foot of Clause 4 (Privacy):

‘Private property is defined as any private residence, together with its garden and outbuildings, but excluding any adjacent fields or parkland. In addition, hotel bedrooms (but not other areas in a hotel) and those parts of a hospital or nursing home where patients are treated or accommodated. Clause 8 (Harassment) was amended to refer to the above definition of private property with regard to the taking of long lens photographs.’

January 1998 - Clause 1 (Accuracy) was extended to deal with photo manipulation. It also absorbed the clause relating to comment, conjecture and fact.

June 2004 – ‘Clandestine devices and subterfuge. The press must not seek to obtain or publish material acquired by using hidden cameras or clandestine listening devices; or by intercepting private or mobile telephone calls, messages or emails; or by the unauthorised removal of documents or photographs.’

August 2007 - Clause 10 is revised to state: i ). The press must not seek to obtain or publish material acquired by using hidden cameras or clandestine listening devices; or by intercepting private or mobile telephone calls, messages or emails; or by the unauthorized removal of documents, or photographs; or by accessing digitally-held private information without consent.

ii). Engaging in misrepresentation or subterfuge, including by agents or intermediaries, can generally be justified only in the public interest, and then only when the material cannot be obtained by other means.

January 2011 - Clause 1 (Accuracy) part ii is amended to read as follows (new section in bold): A significant inaccuracy, misleading statement or distortion once recognised must be corrected, promptly and with due prominence, and - where appropriate - an apology published. In cases involving the Commission, prominence should be agreed with the PCC in advance.

It is worth noting that the News of the World Editor created the code, and later the same newspaper went on the break the code in a massive scandal, breaking clause 10, intercepting private telephone calls and deleting voice mail messages off Milly Dowler’s phone, making her parents and the police believe that she was still alive. Recently her parents have been given £2 million to repay for their distress. The News of the World has been closed due to the scandals of phone hacking, amongst other things.

I have blogged about the Code as this will be important in my work. Every story needs to keep to certain regulations and to make sure I do not report something that violates or offends a certain group of people, or an individual, I will be constantly referring back to this when producing my own newspaper. 

The Guardian Prezi - Phone Hacking

This was on The Guardians website and is a Prezi timeline about what exactly happened in the phone hacking. Plunkett, 2008 outlines why The Guardian has posted this on their website in his quote; “A new generation of UK media power players are ditching the traditional gatekeepers and going straight to their audience via the web.” More and more people are using the internet for the news source, therefore The Guardian has produced something to entertain and inform their readers. 


I have included this on my blog because I feel that this story might run on for some time and that if it were to reoccur near the deadline I will run a story. I feel that young people will be more interested in this than other stories because celebrities, technology, and scandal are all involved and it hooks the audience; they want to find out more about what has happened. 
 

Institution Information Northcliffe

The first part of this video is relevant to my research because it discusses Northcliffe and the budgets that concern regional newspapers. Looking into institutions such as Northcliffe has enlightened me to how my own product would survive in the real world. This research is important to my own work because I am more aware of institutions and how successful, or not, they are. Personally if I were to publish my newspaper Northcliffe would be one of the top choices for an institution. 

The History of the Newspaper - Prezi

To understand how newspapers work and why we need them I researched into the history of the newspaper. Below in Prezi format is an explantation of why newspapers exist and how they were formed. Prezi is an online presentation service which works much better than PowerPoint because there is little disturbance between transactions, images can be manipulated, and text can be placed anywhere. This keeps the audience interested and allows the producer to feel a lot more involved in their product. 

Start of a New Project for Media Studies

Welcome to my Media Coursework Blog.

Last year I chose to produce 'Wuthering Heights and Werewolves', a two minute opening to a horror/period drama film. The project was recorded on paper and everything was printed out numerous times wasting paper and effort. Therefore blogging greatly helps my work improve and move forward as this blog can be accessed from numerous devices (phones, iPods, computers) and I am able to keep track of where my work needs improvement.

I will be posting regularly with updates about the work I will be completing throughout the academic year. The first objective was to choose a brief out of the many supplied. Since I aspire to be a journalist I decided to choose a brief that would tailor to my needs. Reading through all of the briefs lead to a hard choice, as there were a few that could fit into my journalistic outlook. After thinking about each choice, and discussing them with my teacher I decided to chose brief 8, which is shown below in full:

• The first two pages of a new local newspaper, together with two of the following three options:                   
• A poster for the newspaper;
• A radio advertisement for the newspaper;
• Two hyperlinked pages from the paper’s website.

Bentley (1997) discusses 'the making of the new and rearranging of the old'; this will constantly be applied to my media production while making the first three pages of a local newspaper because although local newspapers exist they need to be 'rearranged' to attract new younger readers. 

I have chosen to create a poster for the newspaper because this unleashes my creative side, something I feel I am competent at, but also allows me to understand the common conventions of posters. I am a photography student so I am very confident and competent to use the new CS5.5 programs and design a poster to industry standard. 

I have also chosen to design a website where I will able to post videos and articles daily. This is a time consuming task, but I feel I am very ready for a challenge and once finished I feel the website will look professional.

Overall I feel this year is going to allow me to improve my skills further and make sure I am ready for university and in later life working as a journalist.