Newspapers - Genre and Media Language Conventions of Online News

What role does genre play?

• Genre helps to minimise risk and predict expenditure. This is important because companies require a predictable income and need to budget
• Genre creates familial pleasures - we see what we expect and enjoy watching the things we like
• Genre satisfies our needs for entertainment and escapism

However, genre can also lead to repetition of the same conventions, leading the audience to become bored (eg. YET ANOTHER SUPERHERO FILM!). In order to maintain an audience’s interest, producers will need to maintain some conventions of the genre and use them in a traditional way whilst also creating some difference.

Neale: Repetition and Difference

His main ideas are:

• Genres may be dominated by repetition, but are also marked by difference, variation and change.
• Genres change, develop and overlap with one another.
• Difference is essential to the economy of genre. For example, he discusses the growing sub-genres of music which appeal to wider audiences. 
• Hybridity is achieved when producers blend familiarity with innovation. Hybrids are media products that have conventions of combined genres.

When discussing News, genre concerns the contrast between broadsheet and tabloid.

• However, the Daily Mail and Daily Express are often called ‘Middle-Market’ newspapers. They are more serious than the red tops but less serious than the traditional broadsheet newspapers. 

The Sun - 'red top' tabloid

• Lack of Copy - most tabloids have a high ratio of images to text so they are image based. This edition of The Sun has more copy than usual, but compared to the others, is mainly image led.
• Sensationalized and exaggerated versions of current events - the headline of this cover is rather exaggerated and is quick to create an emotional response - one other aspect of tabloids. The large, sans-serif font of the headline reinforces this ideology of creating a shocking story.
• Colour - the large amount of vibrant colours on the cover indicates that this newspaper is very much a tabloid. 
• Celebrity Gossip - the story of Harry and Meghan strays away from the lead story and showcases the entertainment based stories published by tabloids.

Daily Mail - 'Middle-Market' Newspaper

• Dual Convergence - This paper has conventions of both tabloid and broadsheet newspapers - such as bright, vibrant colours paired with a large amount of copy.
• Moderately sized headlines - This cover includes a range of headlines, all of moderate size (broadsheet) but of simple lexis (tabloid).
• Less prominent images - the cover uses an average sized image that takes up less than a quarter of the page - this is found on most broadsheets.
• Puffs - there is a puff in the top right corner of this cover, which are very prominent in tabloid newspapers 

The Times - Traditional Broadsheet

• Large amount of Copy - traditional broadsheets - such as this one - include a high ratio of text to images so they are text-led. Older broadsheets had 6 columns of copy, but the newer formats have only five - much like this one.
• Emphasis on current events - Whilst some tabloids would include a wide range of celebrity gossip, most broadsheets focus on seriously reporting national, global, political, social and business issues.
• Formal lexis - this cover includes a wide range of formal, serious lexis that uses an authoritarian mode of address. These conventions are widely spotted within broadsheets.

Online News

Benefits:

• online media is more convenient as it allows for information to be spread with more efficiency.
• The increase of digital/ online media allows for easier access to news stories.
• online media are more flexible as they can choose when to post.
• online media can track the public's ideal newspapers and likes' dislikes.
• no costs.
• multitasking.
• more news choices.
• in-depth and background information.
• 24/7 updates.
• customization.
• ability to discuss the news with peers.
• the existence of different viewpoints.

Features of website:

1. Website Logo
2. Header
3. Menu
4. Body
5. Highlighted content
6. Call To Action
7. Sidebar
8. Posts and 'feed' content
9. Internal Links
10. Forms
11. Buttons
12. Footer
13. Social Links

Online News Media Language

The majority of the media language terms required for analysis of online news are the same as the ones we learnt for Print News (headline, stand-first etc). Some additional conventions include:

• A prominence of stand-firsts on the homepage as the audience expects to see a vast range of stories that they can choose from. Tabloids tend to deliver more choice (and less quality!). 
• Use of video is becoming more and more common and certainly sets online news apart from print news. 
• Paywalls and subscription details are a unique factor of online news. 
• The Daily Mail’s ‘Sidebar of Shame’ is a unique feature. 
• Click links take you directly to a story. 
• Audience participation - comments sections allow a stronger connection between the producer and the consumer. 
• The masthead is often called a logo in print news. 
• The menu bar directs you to the sections on the site and allow a more focused experience.  

Date and timeline - creates a sense of urgency

Plug/ Advert - advertising an associated product

Colour - Bright colour palette throughout unifies the page and creates brand identity

Graphs and Stats - creates a serious and trustworthy tone

Colour Scheme - red to indicate 'exclusive' content

Date Line - interestingly does not contain time and when last updated (less panic inducing than Mail Online)

Subscription Colour - the yellow stands out and so shows the urgency of the need for funding

Menu Bar - minimal menu compared to Mail Online

Colour Scheme - Blue colour palette throughout unifies the page and creates brand identity

'Live' Colour - red to indicate 'live' content and to make stories stand out

Subheadings - clear subheadings in black separate the sections of the site

Copy - less copy and fewer images than Mail Online

Colour Scheme - red to indicate 'live' content and make stories stand out