Article 2-Draft/Audience feedback /Redraft
1st Draft
HARROGATE Grammar school’s new sixth form building is quickly taking shape much to the delight of the schools community.
The build that is due to be finished by September will include a multifunctional learning theatre, practical teaching space, a media suite and six further new classrooms to accommodate and benefit the schools growing sixth form.
The funding for the new development came from the learning and skills council which has been described as a well needed adjustment to the school.
After the worst winter in 10 years, many sixth formers feared the school would not be ready in time but now the project is back on track for some of the student’s final year.
Year 13 student Hannah Bobbett is looking forward to moving into the new block ‘it will be so exciting to be finally in the new building, spending my final year in there will be thoroughly enjoying with the use of its new facilities such as the media suite which in particular sixth from is in need of because of its varied course’
The media suite which is causing much anticipation due to the fact computers are being placed so they ‘pop’ out of the desk and are easily placed back away so the space can be used as desks which will place a contemporary twist on the school.
Mr Howell business manager at the grammar school adds that the ‘new addition will be a wonderful improvement for the school’ which will create’ a fantastic environment for learning’.
Bowman Reilly, the architects for the school have now revealed the exclusive plans of the build on their website for the general public to view.
The plans also re-enforce the intended luxury with details such as ‘the space will be provided with a full AVIT (audio visual information technology facilities), stage lighting and storage’.
In addition to this the sixth form extension is the biggest investment since the original school was constructed in 1933 enabling a modern, efficient building for the school itself and the surrounding area.
During the recent weeks the school has recently demolished the three temporary huts they were using to teach the sixth form and added an extra thirty car parking space to the schools car park which reflects the growth of the local district and the rising demand for teachers.
As well as the new sixth form the school has also seen a new library and an extension to the dining room which was completed at Easter.
Harrogate Grammar which was declared outstanding in the last Ofsted report has been given the go-ahead to add a third specialism of a ‘training school’ adding to its language and technology speciality.
The third status means that the school would be able to work with Universities and other leading schools although a further benefit would be that raised standards of the schools workforce would also take place.
Exclusive plans on pages 17&18
Audience feedback
Good Points
Good quotes
Covers a lot of detail
Includes the 5'Ws
Bad Points
Could include what happening in the school now
Redraft
HARROGATE Grammar school’s new sixth form building is quickly taking shape much to the delight of the schools community.
The build that is due to be finished by September will include a multifunctional learning theatre, practical teaching space, a media suite and six further new classrooms to accommodate and benefit the schools growing sixth form.
The funding for the new development came from the learning and skills council which has been described as a well needed adjustment to the school.
After the worst winter in 10 years, many sixth formers feared the school would not be ready in time but now the project is back on track for some of the student’s final year.
Year 13 student Hannah Bobbett is looking forward to moving into the new block ‘it will be so exciting to be finally in the new building, spending my final year in there will be thoroughly enjoying with the use of its new facilities such as the media suite which in particular sixth from is in need of because of its varied course’
The media suite which is causing much anticipation due to the fact computers are being placed so they ‘pop’ out of the desk and are easily placed back away so the space can be used as desks which will place a contemporary twist on the school.
Mr Howell business manager at the grammar school adds that the ‘new addition will be a wonderful improvement for the school’ which will create’ a fantastic environment for learning’.
Bowman Reilly, the architects for the school have now revealed the exclusive plans of the build on their website for the general public to view.
The plans also re-enforce the intended luxury with details such as ‘the space will be provided with a full AVIT (audio visual information technology facilities), stage lighting and storage’.
In addition to this the sixth form extension is the biggest investment since the original school was constructed in 1933 enabling a modern, efficient building for the school itself and the surrounding area.
During the recent weeks the school has recently demolished the three temporary huts they were using to teach the sixth form and added an extra thirty car parking space to the schools car park which reflects the growth of the local district and the rising demand for teachers.
As well as the new sixth form the school has also seen a new library and an extension to the dining room which was completed at Easter.
The school in now putting plans forward for an all new weather pitch, which will enable students to play sports all year round rather than the overused and damaged shale which has seen several floods in the past year .
Harrogate Grammar which was declared outstanding in the last Ofsted report has been given the go-ahead to add a third specialism of a ‘training school’ adding to its language and technology speciality.
The third status means that the school would be able to work with Universities and other leading schools although a further benefit would be that raised standards of the schools workforce would also take place.
Exclusive plans on pages 17&18
Tuesday, 28 September 2010
Monday, 20 September 2010
Article 1 - Draft/Audience Feedback/Redraft
(Short Article)
3,200 women turnout for this year’s Race for Life
Wednesday the 24th of June saw mothers, daughters, sisters, aunties, grandmothers and friends pound the pavements for the 5k race for life to raise money for Cancer Research U.K.
Now in the 16th year, Harrogate saw its best turn out in years with over 3,200 women taking part down at the Yorkshire showground.
Since 1994 race for life has raised over £240million for the charity as well as gaining awareness helping contribute to a 15% drop in cancer deaths.
One in three people in the UK get diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives and having a an event like this helps bring hope and awareness; the money contributed can buy much needed equipment ,with just £10 buying around 300 glass slides for studying cells and tumour samples in detail under the microscope.
The results of the people contributing to raising the awareness are showing as more and more people are now beating cancer.
Audience Feedback
Bad points-'Could include quotes from someone who ran the race or someone the money will help'
Good Points-'Very positive'
Good use of facts, sounds very informative and promotes the charity'
Re-Draft
Wednesday the 24th of June saw mothers, daughters, sisters, aunties, grandmothers and friends pound the pavements for the 5k race for life to raise money for Cancer Research U.K.
Now in the 16th year, Harrogate saw its best turn out in years with over 3,200 women taking part down at the Yorkshire showground.
Rebecca Anson who took part in the race ‘it was truly worth it and really invigorating to run, I will be most defiantly be running next year and helping to raise money for cancer research’
Since 1994 race for life has raised over £240million for the charity as well as gaining awareness helping contribute to a 15% drop in cancer deaths.
One in three people in the UK get diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives and having a an event like this helps bring hope and awareness; the money contributed can buy much needed equipment ,with just £10 buying around 300 glass slides for studying cells and tumour samples in detail under the microscope.
The results of the people contributing to raising the awareness are showing as more and more people are now beating cancer.
Notes on Re-Draft
I listened to my audience feedback and added a quote in (Highlighted in Bold).
The quote is from my Auntie who ran the race so it was fairly easy to add this in, as the article is only due to be a short part of my newspaper I felt there was no need to add anything else in and kept it as above
Friday, 17 September 2010
Mode of address analysis
The language of the article (from the Harrogate Advertiser) is formal as it addressing a range of audience; the paper is also well respected. The article conveys typical modes of address such as the articles contents pyramid and direct and reportive speech to provide a mixture of style and keep the audience interested.
Questionaire Analysis
In order to convey a real newspaper, I asked a variety (15people) of people male and female of all age ranges, to give honest opinions of what they really buy a newspaper for, what they would like to see featured and what section they find most interesting etc. Here are my results.
Question 1 -My results may be more female orientated as I asked slightly more female than male. Although because I asked 33% of male this should not make too much of a difference.
Question 1 -My results may be more female orientated as I asked slightly more female than male. Although because I asked 33% of male this should not make too much of a difference.
Question 2-My results show that I asked a range of people of all ages although I found it difficult to cover the age ranges of 13-16, 27-30 and 61-70 although this should not make too much difference because of the amount of people I asked where all spread out and not just in one particular section
Question 3-My findings show that more people (46%) purchase a newspaper once a month and only 40% purchased a local newspaper every week. This could be an indication that 54% are too busy to read a weekly paper therefore only buy it when they are interested in the content for a specific reason .
Question 4-Question four of my research was finding out why people buy local newspapers. I left this question as an open question as the people that were asked might, have had a more specific answer .I found that 13% of people asked bought a newspaper for a specific section, answers I got included family announcements and local sport .20% of people bought the paper to see coverage e of events such as weddings and school balls. Whilst nearly half (47%) bought a paper to keep up with local news. Those of who answered ‘local news/gossip/recent news’ were more likely to purchase the paper weekly (33% showed this)
Question 5-The 7% that stated that 90p was not a fair price for weekly local newspaper was because that they found it was too expensive .The person that stated this was between the ages of 41-50 showing that people who purchase the Harrogate Advertiser weekly, had nothing to do with age .73% of people that stated it was affair price gave reasons such as ‘fair price for a good read’, ’Its weekly so provides a good content’. The 20% of people that answered ‘depends’ stated it due to the content whether it was a good price.
Pie charts to back up my findings-
Question 6-When asked where consumers purchase a paper the local shops (such as the co-op etc) was the most popular answer .The second most common answer was the supermarket with 27% with only 20% purchasing a paper from a post office and 7% getting a paper delivered .The reason I asked this question was to find out which retailers received the most purchases, with my results it shows that the paper will more likely to get sales if sold at a supermarket as it may be more convenient for future customers
Question 7-Both the photographs and the hard news is what tends to be a focus for the audience the most with 27% saying this. Entertainment and Events interested slightly less –people but still show the importance in why there are featured. Most male members of the public that were asked said sport was the favourite sections indicating this section is particularly important in getting male audiences to buy a local paper.
Question eight- was about finding out if the audience were happy with the current content of the newspaper in the means of font size, more on a particular section, cheaper price, and more photographs or other with a following section for the audience to elaborate on the question .Some of my audience chose not to answer this question so I presume they are happy with the overall content but those who did stated they would like more on a specific section (42%) some quotes reasons being ‘more locals events such as schools etc...’ and ‘a larger sports section’. Others said they would like more photographs (25%) and some even said a ‘cheaper price would be nice.’ Others said a bigger font because sometimes it was difficult to see, with one person selecting other because the paper would be a better size if it was like the tabloid size.
Question 9-A massive 60% of the people asked stated that they don’t think local newspapers appeal to all age ranges.’ More for the older generation and older ones were favoured ‘were just a few reasons. One person that was asked and answered yes stated that there was coverage for all ages in the news and events’. A reason some people stated yes could be down to the reason that newspaper cover events such as school balls and plays.
Question 10-I asked a closed question about the layout and only one person stated they would change the layout by having a smaller sized paper .With the majority over ruling this ,it is not something I will take into consideration when designing my papers as everyone else liked the layout or did not have a problem it.
Question 11-53% stated they would like more features in a local paper, they gave ideas such as ‘young people’s events rather than just proms’,’weather forecast for the local area’ ‘competition and reviews of local attractions’ ‘more offers on local days out/restaurants’. I feel that particularly more young people events would be an advantage because it would help show more positivity about that generation and the weather forecast was quite interesting in the regional paper ‘Yorkshire post’ and the Harrogate area might benefit from it.
Question 12-Finally I gave my audience a few lines to add any additional feedback in areas I have not covered .I had two comments from the fifteen people I asked with both of them stating the same thing of reducing the papers size as it is difficult when on the go .This would be something i would choose not to do as it would not convey as traditional local paper and would not be recognised as this as it would blend in with national papers and would not distinguish the paper apart.Pie charts to back up my findings-
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
Questionaire (Audience Research)
Questionnaire
In order to get an idea about my audience and information into why they buy newspapers for my media studies A2 production, I have constructed this questionnaire because of this, I would find it a huge help if you would complete the questionnaire truthfully and hand it back to me when finished.
(Please tick the box that refers to you)
1. Male or Female?
2. Please could you give your age range in the correct box below?
1.13-16
2.17-20
3.21-26
4.27-30
5.31-40
6.41-50
7.51-60
8.61-70
9.71-80
10.81+
3. How often do you buy a local newspaper?
1.Every week
2.Once a Month
3.Every Few Months
4.At Least Once a Year
5.Other
4. What is the reason you buy a newspaper?
5. Do you think that 90p is a fair price for a weekly local newspaper?
1.Yes
2.No
3.Depends
Please state the reason why...
6. Where do you purchase your local newspaper?
1.The Local Shop
2. Post Office
3.The Supermarket
4.Delivered
5.Other
7. What parts of a local newspaper do you find most interesting?
1.The Sport
2.Entertainment
3.Events
4.Hard News
5.The Photographs
8. Is there anything you would change about a local newspaper?
1.Bigger font size
2.More on a particular section
3.Cheaper Price
4.More Photographs
5.Other
If stated any of the above what would you suggest?
9. Do you feel local newspapers appeal to all age ranges?
10. What do you feel about typical local newspapers layout?
1.I like it It is acceptable
2.It does not really bother me
3.I don’t like it
4.I really dislike it
11. Is there anything you would like to see featured in a local newspaper that isn’t?
12. Is there any additional information you would like to add?
Thank you for your time!
In order to get an idea about my audience and information into why they buy newspapers for my media studies A2 production, I have constructed this questionnaire because of this, I would find it a huge help if you would complete the questionnaire truthfully and hand it back to me when finished.
(Please tick the box that refers to you)
1. Male or Female?
2. Please could you give your age range in the correct box below?
1.13-16
2.17-20
3.21-26
4.27-30
5.31-40
6.41-50
7.51-60
8.61-70
9.71-80
10.81+
3. How often do you buy a local newspaper?
1.Every week
2.Once a Month
3.Every Few Months
4.At Least Once a Year
5.Other
4. What is the reason you buy a newspaper?
5. Do you think that 90p is a fair price for a weekly local newspaper?
1.Yes
2.No
3.Depends
Please state the reason why...
6. Where do you purchase your local newspaper?
1.The Local Shop
2. Post Office
3.The Supermarket
4.Delivered
5.Other
7. What parts of a local newspaper do you find most interesting?
1.The Sport
2.Entertainment
3.Events
4.Hard News
5.The Photographs
8. Is there anything you would change about a local newspaper?
1.Bigger font size
2.More on a particular section
3.Cheaper Price
4.More Photographs
5.Other
If stated any of the above what would you suggest?
9. Do you feel local newspapers appeal to all age ranges?
10. What do you feel about typical local newspapers layout?
1.I like it It is acceptable
2.It does not really bother me
3.I don’t like it
4.I really dislike it
11. Is there anything you would like to see featured in a local newspaper that isn’t?
12. Is there any additional information you would like to add?
Thank you for your time!
Yorkshire Post-Semiotic Analysis (2nd page)
10th September 2010 Newspaper
The second page of the Yorkshire Post consists of five full articles and a further four told in brief that are spread out into sections across the page. The audience can distinguish the main article ‘The naked gardener fights to defend his privacy’ by the amount of space it is taking of half the page .You can also tell that this is the main headline as the font (approx size 48, in Times new roman) is the biggest and because of the use of bold on the headline.
The size of the article itself also indicates this too with twenty three paragraphs, with two sentences per paragraph excluding the introduction .The article is the main headline for the reason that it includes the facts and quotes to support the argument the journalist is trying to get across.
‘The naked gardener fights to defend his privacy’ is also the only headline to feature a strapline that also denotes its significance to the audience .The strapline is spread the full width of page with the font Times new roman again (approx size 36) this helps tie the headline picture and article together as it goes across the top of them making it all look as one .The use of the same font also keeps in cohesion with the house style and makes the page and paper throughout look more structured.
The main headline features the largest photograph too, with the width 24cm by 17.5 cm length making the article stand out to the reader even more .The photograph to me stands out so much is, because of the mans expression which is highlighted by the close-up shot which again is grabbing the reader attention and drawing them into the article before they look at anything else. Although if the reader doesn’t have time and look at the article properly key information is highlighted in the caption and quotations so they capture the gist of what the story is about.
Background and relatable information is also given about the feature, in a small table about ‘Sign of trouble on Yorkshire beach’ .While it is given the audience added facts, its is not necessary piece which is being used to fill out space and would have been cut if their was a more important article to feature .
The further sidelining articles are featured at the bottom of the page which could connote about the hierarchy of the articles. These articles are a lot smaller by means of one sentence per paragraph with average of six-nine paragraphs which shows that the sentences are straight to the point as in theory there are only six to nine sentence for each article.
‘Mr Loophole’s daughter left to her fate’,’Celebrities draw up plan to help RNLI’ and ‘Drink-driver had her ban erased after sending emails’ are all in the house style of Times new roman and the headlines are in approximately size twenty-six and in bold suggesting these articles are the same level as importance as each as nothing is made to make one of them stand out. However this is done with ‘Jamie food drive is just what the doctor ordered’ since the font is slightly bigger (twenty-eight), the article also features a byline and photograph to accompany it. The photograph has a small caption to explain a bit more of the story to people in a hurry I also feels this help as the headline is a bit misleading in what the article is about.
A point that I find interesting about the paper is how they have mixed the page up with different hybrid article to interest their audience, the Yorkshire post had also done this by a particular feature ‘Thatcher joins the party’. Their is in fact no article to accompany the photograph and is instead a one word sentence caption that answers the five W’s which is a quick attention grabber and fills the space whilst appealing to a range of audience member just by the same space ( 13cm by 9 cm)
Furthermore the Yorkshire post also demonstrate this by their section of the news in ‘Briefly’ making the articles quick and snappy also guarantees for a return audience as they know they do not have to sit down and read the paper in full to get what is happening in the area . It also makes the paper look as though they are addressing their audience frankly and giving them the honest facts they need to know about the piece. Each of the small articles has short sentences by means of a usual of eighteen words per sentence and four short paragraphs, dividing the information up and keeping to the main points without any irrelevant background bits.
Page two also see three adverts included which is rather a lot for a page, nevertheless I did notices that on further pages there was less/no adverts included, this connotes that the second page is giving a lot of serious information and the paper feel the need to break this down by using adverts in the layout .
On the page there are also the typical generic conventions that let the viewer know the key aspect such as the page number, what section it is, the date, and website. Without these the paper would not resemble a real newspaper and would not gain trust from their audience. The key generic conventions I feel are the most important part to the viewer as it is providing background information on the paper such a the website and also contribute to a organised and structure layout and without them it would not be recognisable as a paper.
Overall form analysing a regional and local newspaper, I can see the different conventions they convey, as well as the obvious local papers are weekly and regional paper daily .Local papers such as the Harrogate Advertiser also feature a lot more information that is more specific than the Yorkshire post where everything is used more spaciously and relates to the whole area of Yorkshire and not just one town for example. Both the papers also made me more aware of what the audience want and my hypothesis is that just by seeing people in my local area they are more like to buy the Harrogate Advertiser as the information is exact to the area therefore local papers are more useful.
The second page of the Yorkshire Post consists of five full articles and a further four told in brief that are spread out into sections across the page. The audience can distinguish the main article ‘The naked gardener fights to defend his privacy’ by the amount of space it is taking of half the page .You can also tell that this is the main headline as the font (approx size 48, in Times new roman) is the biggest and because of the use of bold on the headline.
The size of the article itself also indicates this too with twenty three paragraphs, with two sentences per paragraph excluding the introduction .The article is the main headline for the reason that it includes the facts and quotes to support the argument the journalist is trying to get across.
‘The naked gardener fights to defend his privacy’ is also the only headline to feature a strapline that also denotes its significance to the audience .The strapline is spread the full width of page with the font Times new roman again (approx size 36) this helps tie the headline picture and article together as it goes across the top of them making it all look as one .The use of the same font also keeps in cohesion with the house style and makes the page and paper throughout look more structured.
The main headline features the largest photograph too, with the width 24cm by 17.5 cm length making the article stand out to the reader even more .The photograph to me stands out so much is, because of the mans expression which is highlighted by the close-up shot which again is grabbing the reader attention and drawing them into the article before they look at anything else. Although if the reader doesn’t have time and look at the article properly key information is highlighted in the caption and quotations so they capture the gist of what the story is about.
Background and relatable information is also given about the feature, in a small table about ‘Sign of trouble on Yorkshire beach’ .While it is given the audience added facts, its is not necessary piece which is being used to fill out space and would have been cut if their was a more important article to feature .
The further sidelining articles are featured at the bottom of the page which could connote about the hierarchy of the articles. These articles are a lot smaller by means of one sentence per paragraph with average of six-nine paragraphs which shows that the sentences are straight to the point as in theory there are only six to nine sentence for each article.
‘Mr Loophole’s daughter left to her fate’,’Celebrities draw up plan to help RNLI’ and ‘Drink-driver had her ban erased after sending emails’ are all in the house style of Times new roman and the headlines are in approximately size twenty-six and in bold suggesting these articles are the same level as importance as each as nothing is made to make one of them stand out. However this is done with ‘Jamie food drive is just what the doctor ordered’ since the font is slightly bigger (twenty-eight), the article also features a byline and photograph to accompany it. The photograph has a small caption to explain a bit more of the story to people in a hurry I also feels this help as the headline is a bit misleading in what the article is about.
A point that I find interesting about the paper is how they have mixed the page up with different hybrid article to interest their audience, the Yorkshire post had also done this by a particular feature ‘Thatcher joins the party’. Their is in fact no article to accompany the photograph and is instead a one word sentence caption that answers the five W’s which is a quick attention grabber and fills the space whilst appealing to a range of audience member just by the same space ( 13cm by 9 cm)
Furthermore the Yorkshire post also demonstrate this by their section of the news in ‘Briefly’ making the articles quick and snappy also guarantees for a return audience as they know they do not have to sit down and read the paper in full to get what is happening in the area . It also makes the paper look as though they are addressing their audience frankly and giving them the honest facts they need to know about the piece. Each of the small articles has short sentences by means of a usual of eighteen words per sentence and four short paragraphs, dividing the information up and keeping to the main points without any irrelevant background bits.
Page two also see three adverts included which is rather a lot for a page, nevertheless I did notices that on further pages there was less/no adverts included, this connotes that the second page is giving a lot of serious information and the paper feel the need to break this down by using adverts in the layout .
On the page there are also the typical generic conventions that let the viewer know the key aspect such as the page number, what section it is, the date, and website. Without these the paper would not resemble a real newspaper and would not gain trust from their audience. The key generic conventions I feel are the most important part to the viewer as it is providing background information on the paper such a the website and also contribute to a organised and structure layout and without them it would not be recognisable as a paper.
Overall form analysing a regional and local newspaper, I can see the different conventions they convey, as well as the obvious local papers are weekly and regional paper daily .Local papers such as the Harrogate Advertiser also feature a lot more information that is more specific than the Yorkshire post where everything is used more spaciously and relates to the whole area of Yorkshire and not just one town for example. Both the papers also made me more aware of what the audience want and my hypothesis is that just by seeing people in my local area they are more like to buy the Harrogate Advertiser as the information is exact to the area therefore local papers are more useful.
Yorkshire Post-Semiotic Analysis (Front page)
10th September 2010 Newspaper
The Yorkshire Post’s front page consists of the typical generic conventions of a barcode, price, date, website and masthead which help the audience identify the information they want from the regional paper. The layout of the paper is the same as a local newspaper with the use of the above conventions although it is a lot more spacious than a local paper. My opinion of this is because the front page features less stories and more photographs as well as the fact the masthead does not have a colour background like local papers which tend to help distinguish local and regional papers. The fact that the Yorkshire post calls itself ‘Yorkshire National Newspaper’ makes the audience feel like this is the only paper for them and rather comfortable as it not a direct statement at them /
On the front page there are a total of three main articles and four that are told briefly that could be seen as a lure as they carry on further into the paper. The main headline ‘Cuts crisis museums may start selective charging’ is in bold using Times New Roman font (approx 48) as the font is a classic newspaper font which connotes to the audience that the paper is traditional and recognisable. I also find it unusual as the main headline is featured at the left hand side, although it is placed there is still is the first part of the newspaper the audience focus on a it takes up the most space and because of the large font and use of bold. This intention also makes the audience read the paper from left to right and denotes a more organised feel.
‘Cuts crisis museums may start selective charging’ consist of fourteen paragraphs and an average of twenty words per sentence making the audience aware of the amount of detail the story is giving as well as hype about its importance the journalist is trying to get across. The fact that the photograph is only 4cm by 2 cm also connotes the significance of the amount of detail, as the newspaper wants all the audiences’ attention on the information. The article is also giving the audience more specific information by the use of the table which helps break the feature down by having this use of quick facts and makes the section more alluring to read if the reader is in a rush.
The two other articles are divided up by the use of lines giving the page a more planned and formal look making the page easier to read as well as relaxing the reader as there is not too much going on. The article ‘RESCUE DRAMA: Retired social worker jumps to save babies’ is made up of thirteen short articles and gives direct and quick information as there is on average two sentences per paragraph, I believe this is because the story is Human interest and the journalist wants to stick to the more positive point rather than give the viewer a lot of information .The fact that ‘RESCUE DRAMA’ is in capitals and is highlighted in red draws the reader in as a matter or urgency but the story gives more a relief feel when reading ,cleverly showing how the use of capitals and colour is vital into grabbing the viewer attention .The article is also highlighted as an exclusive which again grabs the audiences interest .
Although the headline ‘RESCUE DRAMA: Retired social worker jumps to save babies’ speaks urgency, the photograph speaks heroism. Furthermore this is shown by the women’s pose and the use of the low angles shot which reveals the background of where the incident took place .This gives the viewer a feel for where the occurrence took place, and gives them a real sense for the story.
Four small articles are places at the bottom of the page and are giving in briefly which I find useful if you only want a snippet of the information and do not however want to read the article in full on the further pages. These small articles are approximately two to three sentences long with just two paragraphs that are only providing the most useful information of Who? What? When? Where and Why? The length of the sentences and paragraph could connote that there audience are busy everyday people that do not have a lot of time to read the paper back to front and that they are doing them a favour by providing the information quickly and to the point.
An advert is also featured of the front cover, breaking down the amount of news the bulletin is giving and helping promote to the audience a local business again which could connote the above point about the Yorkshire Post’s indented audience. The advert is placed in yellow and in a completely different font (TempUS Sans ITC) which helps notify the audience that this is not part of the news bulletin.
The Yorkshire Post’s front cover also has the daily weather featured which is helpful if the public that have not had time to catch the forecast and makes the paper more personal to the area of Yorkshire adding to the belief that inside the paper there will be more useful information that is up to date . The fact the weather is featured right at the bottom of the page and is 3cm by 3cm means it is a rather small and doesn’t take the initial intention of the newspaper and that are the articles are the main features.
In addition to this the index is also featured on the front page, which is rather unusual but quite a helpful aspect as you don’t have to flick the page over to look for it and go straight to the area you are interested in .It also shows the public what the paper has inside making it a quicker option when they are purchasing the paper. Information on who to contact is alongside this for if the public would like to get in touch, this is again helpful as of where it is placed.
Overall the Yorkshire post tends to the audiences needs by presenting articles and other information’s such as the index and weather directly and quickly although this could be down to the fact that the paper is daily and in fact do not have a lot of time to elaborate. Furthermore like local newspaper the Yorkshire post sticks to its house style keeping the paper in cohesion and structured making it work well, keeping the attention on the articles. I feel the layout work well and I prefer how they have the index and contact information on the front as it is easily accessible. The fact that the photographs are more varied in their composition and size makes the paper look more professional to and the aspect of the visual aid makes the stories of human interest more relatable. However what I did find usual was how the top of the page above the masthead was rather blank, making the paper look a bit boring and not worth a daily price of 53p.It also makes the paper look out of balance as there is a lot of information at the bottom, which I feel local newspaper do better when using their layout more appropriately.
The Yorkshire Post’s front page consists of the typical generic conventions of a barcode, price, date, website and masthead which help the audience identify the information they want from the regional paper. The layout of the paper is the same as a local newspaper with the use of the above conventions although it is a lot more spacious than a local paper. My opinion of this is because the front page features less stories and more photographs as well as the fact the masthead does not have a colour background like local papers which tend to help distinguish local and regional papers. The fact that the Yorkshire post calls itself ‘Yorkshire National Newspaper’ makes the audience feel like this is the only paper for them and rather comfortable as it not a direct statement at them /
On the front page there are a total of three main articles and four that are told briefly that could be seen as a lure as they carry on further into the paper. The main headline ‘Cuts crisis museums may start selective charging’ is in bold using Times New Roman font (approx 48) as the font is a classic newspaper font which connotes to the audience that the paper is traditional and recognisable. I also find it unusual as the main headline is featured at the left hand side, although it is placed there is still is the first part of the newspaper the audience focus on a it takes up the most space and because of the large font and use of bold. This intention also makes the audience read the paper from left to right and denotes a more organised feel.
‘Cuts crisis museums may start selective charging’ consist of fourteen paragraphs and an average of twenty words per sentence making the audience aware of the amount of detail the story is giving as well as hype about its importance the journalist is trying to get across. The fact that the photograph is only 4cm by 2 cm also connotes the significance of the amount of detail, as the newspaper wants all the audiences’ attention on the information. The article is also giving the audience more specific information by the use of the table which helps break the feature down by having this use of quick facts and makes the section more alluring to read if the reader is in a rush.
The two other articles are divided up by the use of lines giving the page a more planned and formal look making the page easier to read as well as relaxing the reader as there is not too much going on. The article ‘RESCUE DRAMA: Retired social worker jumps to save babies’ is made up of thirteen short articles and gives direct and quick information as there is on average two sentences per paragraph, I believe this is because the story is Human interest and the journalist wants to stick to the more positive point rather than give the viewer a lot of information .The fact that ‘RESCUE DRAMA’ is in capitals and is highlighted in red draws the reader in as a matter or urgency but the story gives more a relief feel when reading ,cleverly showing how the use of capitals and colour is vital into grabbing the viewer attention .The article is also highlighted as an exclusive which again grabs the audiences interest .
Although the headline ‘RESCUE DRAMA: Retired social worker jumps to save babies’ speaks urgency, the photograph speaks heroism. Furthermore this is shown by the women’s pose and the use of the low angles shot which reveals the background of where the incident took place .This gives the viewer a feel for where the occurrence took place, and gives them a real sense for the story.
Four small articles are places at the bottom of the page and are giving in briefly which I find useful if you only want a snippet of the information and do not however want to read the article in full on the further pages. These small articles are approximately two to three sentences long with just two paragraphs that are only providing the most useful information of Who? What? When? Where and Why? The length of the sentences and paragraph could connote that there audience are busy everyday people that do not have a lot of time to read the paper back to front and that they are doing them a favour by providing the information quickly and to the point.
An advert is also featured of the front cover, breaking down the amount of news the bulletin is giving and helping promote to the audience a local business again which could connote the above point about the Yorkshire Post’s indented audience. The advert is placed in yellow and in a completely different font (TempUS Sans ITC) which helps notify the audience that this is not part of the news bulletin.
The Yorkshire Post’s front cover also has the daily weather featured which is helpful if the public that have not had time to catch the forecast and makes the paper more personal to the area of Yorkshire adding to the belief that inside the paper there will be more useful information that is up to date . The fact the weather is featured right at the bottom of the page and is 3cm by 3cm means it is a rather small and doesn’t take the initial intention of the newspaper and that are the articles are the main features.
In addition to this the index is also featured on the front page, which is rather unusual but quite a helpful aspect as you don’t have to flick the page over to look for it and go straight to the area you are interested in .It also shows the public what the paper has inside making it a quicker option when they are purchasing the paper. Information on who to contact is alongside this for if the public would like to get in touch, this is again helpful as of where it is placed.
Overall the Yorkshire post tends to the audiences needs by presenting articles and other information’s such as the index and weather directly and quickly although this could be down to the fact that the paper is daily and in fact do not have a lot of time to elaborate. Furthermore like local newspaper the Yorkshire post sticks to its house style keeping the paper in cohesion and structured making it work well, keeping the attention on the articles. I feel the layout work well and I prefer how they have the index and contact information on the front as it is easily accessible. The fact that the photographs are more varied in their composition and size makes the paper look more professional to and the aspect of the visual aid makes the stories of human interest more relatable. However what I did find usual was how the top of the page above the masthead was rather blank, making the paper look a bit boring and not worth a daily price of 53p.It also makes the paper look out of balance as there is a lot of information at the bottom, which I feel local newspaper do better when using their layout more appropriately.
Harrogate Advertiser-Semiotic Analysis (Second page)
June 11th 2010 Newspaper
Firstly there are just as many key conventions used on the second page as the front, two of them being the date and page number letting the audience know which page there are on and if the articles they are reading are up to date .Another key feature that is used on the page is the contents index showing the reader what is coming later in the paper. The index includes letters; contact us, a crossword, weekend, sport and weather and alongside are page numbers that are helpful for the audience if they are in a hurry or they just want a particular section, the paper also needs these to convey a professional image to the public.
A different key convention that carries on from the first page is the house style, as Harrogate Advertisers is blue it is used in the index which connotes to the viewer that the paper is organised and well planned throughout which shows of a better structure as well as the paper being in cohesion throughout. The deep blue could also connotes relaxation which could be a sign of that Ackrill want their audience to relax and enjoy the paper when reading, because the colour is deep blue it could also indicate that the paper is majestic and that the content is quality and well informative.
On the second page there is twelve articles featured, with the smaller articles featured down the left hand side of the page denoting that these are the less serious articles. The articles are also perceived as this since they consist of smaller paragraphs ranging between the lengths of 1-2 sentences with 2-5 small short paragraphs. In comparison to this the main articles are the longest and most important these are featured in the middle so the audience are drawn to them articles first. The main article ‘Anguish over spate of pet cat thefts in Bilton’ is featured right in the centre with a main headline using ‘Times New Roman’ in bold and being in the biggest font (approx size 48), letting the reader recognize that this is the main featured article to the page.
‘Anguish over spate of pet cat thefts in Bilton’ also consist of the most paragraphs (19) although they are small and direct with the information they are giving, making the reader understand the article quickly and because it is straight to the point, this helps the audience know that the story is a matter of urgency .The article is the only one of the two to feature a byline which also reinforces its importance. The second article to feature a byline is ‘Soldiers romantic message from war zone’ this is possibly because the article is serious and is known that just by the words ‘war zone’, information given is also circuitous and more relaxed in its style with 11 paragraphs which is a way of calming the viewer and relating back to the romance part of the article
On the second page there is a mix of hard news, entertainment and human interest to break the bulletin up, making it more varied as well. ’Glamorous title success for former Rossett pupil’ and ‘Gold triumph for Starbecks bloom entry’ give a positive effect over on the audience and make the public more enlightened when reading the paper, which is possibly why Harrogate advertiser chose to feature a snippet of the competition on this page .The competition is featured at the top right of the paper which connotes that it is less important that the rest of the articles featured ,the information given is short and optimistic towards the viewer ,hoping to encourage entrants. The font is different from the rest of the page with Calibri used is also smaller (approx 7/8), helping the viewer know this is not a segment of news.
The photographs used also helps break the bulletin up, with five photographs used and template for the competition. Although it is unusual to see quite glamorous photographs in a local paper there a three featured for the School Balls and Miss Harrogate which connotes the papers formal and enchanting feel. The message the paper is also trying to get across through these photographs is that Harrogate teenagers are not stereotypical and are thriving young people simply by their outfits of formal dress .A fourth photograph of a soldier repeats the point the Advertiser is trying to get across about Harrogate image. Cropping is used on all of the photographs I feel the ball photographs where cropped to centre the image and draw attention to the outfits.
Captions are used on four out of the five photographs to aid the reader into what is going on in the photograph and what the articles is about if they are in a hurry. As the captions are minutely important they are a small font of (approx 8) and a placed in bold just to notify the viewer that they are still there. An advertorial is placed on the page too to break up the layout and help promote a local business, this is again featured in a corner which denotes it is not noteworthy enough to be placed any where else.
On the second page I noticed how much information there is and how tactfully the advertiser had broken it up for t he audience to digest. I believe this is done by advertorials, the competition, the photographs and the used of different fronts, sizes and boldness .This is additionally done by the length of the articles and how they have mixed the news agenda up equalling into a mix of positive and downbeat news .Furthermore this is done more through the layout, where lines and boxes are used, adding a structure to the paper as well as trust from the audience as if connotes to them that they are organised and honest. Finally the placing of the articles adds to this, how they use the main centre of each page to place the more amplitude articles, making the reader know that this is the main feature and the unambiguous and meaningfulness stories surrounding it.
Overall from analysing my local paper is that they keep a similar layout throughout and the paper tends to focus on the content rather than the design which lets the papers articles and photographs speak about the town. Furthermore this is proved by the range of people featured ,which identifies to the audience as realistic and that the articles are more truthfully resulting in more copies of the paper sold and a returning customers because of the image it has.
Firstly there are just as many key conventions used on the second page as the front, two of them being the date and page number letting the audience know which page there are on and if the articles they are reading are up to date .Another key feature that is used on the page is the contents index showing the reader what is coming later in the paper. The index includes letters; contact us, a crossword, weekend, sport and weather and alongside are page numbers that are helpful for the audience if they are in a hurry or they just want a particular section, the paper also needs these to convey a professional image to the public.
A different key convention that carries on from the first page is the house style, as Harrogate Advertisers is blue it is used in the index which connotes to the viewer that the paper is organised and well planned throughout which shows of a better structure as well as the paper being in cohesion throughout. The deep blue could also connotes relaxation which could be a sign of that Ackrill want their audience to relax and enjoy the paper when reading, because the colour is deep blue it could also indicate that the paper is majestic and that the content is quality and well informative.
On the second page there is twelve articles featured, with the smaller articles featured down the left hand side of the page denoting that these are the less serious articles. The articles are also perceived as this since they consist of smaller paragraphs ranging between the lengths of 1-2 sentences with 2-5 small short paragraphs. In comparison to this the main articles are the longest and most important these are featured in the middle so the audience are drawn to them articles first. The main article ‘Anguish over spate of pet cat thefts in Bilton’ is featured right in the centre with a main headline using ‘Times New Roman’ in bold and being in the biggest font (approx size 48), letting the reader recognize that this is the main featured article to the page.
‘Anguish over spate of pet cat thefts in Bilton’ also consist of the most paragraphs (19) although they are small and direct with the information they are giving, making the reader understand the article quickly and because it is straight to the point, this helps the audience know that the story is a matter of urgency .The article is the only one of the two to feature a byline which also reinforces its importance. The second article to feature a byline is ‘Soldiers romantic message from war zone’ this is possibly because the article is serious and is known that just by the words ‘war zone’, information given is also circuitous and more relaxed in its style with 11 paragraphs which is a way of calming the viewer and relating back to the romance part of the article
On the second page there is a mix of hard news, entertainment and human interest to break the bulletin up, making it more varied as well. ’Glamorous title success for former Rossett pupil’ and ‘Gold triumph for Starbecks bloom entry’ give a positive effect over on the audience and make the public more enlightened when reading the paper, which is possibly why Harrogate advertiser chose to feature a snippet of the competition on this page .The competition is featured at the top right of the paper which connotes that it is less important that the rest of the articles featured ,the information given is short and optimistic towards the viewer ,hoping to encourage entrants. The font is different from the rest of the page with Calibri used is also smaller (approx 7/8), helping the viewer know this is not a segment of news.
The photographs used also helps break the bulletin up, with five photographs used and template for the competition. Although it is unusual to see quite glamorous photographs in a local paper there a three featured for the School Balls and Miss Harrogate which connotes the papers formal and enchanting feel. The message the paper is also trying to get across through these photographs is that Harrogate teenagers are not stereotypical and are thriving young people simply by their outfits of formal dress .A fourth photograph of a soldier repeats the point the Advertiser is trying to get across about Harrogate image. Cropping is used on all of the photographs I feel the ball photographs where cropped to centre the image and draw attention to the outfits.
Captions are used on four out of the five photographs to aid the reader into what is going on in the photograph and what the articles is about if they are in a hurry. As the captions are minutely important they are a small font of (approx 8) and a placed in bold just to notify the viewer that they are still there. An advertorial is placed on the page too to break up the layout and help promote a local business, this is again featured in a corner which denotes it is not noteworthy enough to be placed any where else.
On the second page I noticed how much information there is and how tactfully the advertiser had broken it up for t he audience to digest. I believe this is done by advertorials, the competition, the photographs and the used of different fronts, sizes and boldness .This is additionally done by the length of the articles and how they have mixed the news agenda up equalling into a mix of positive and downbeat news .Furthermore this is done more through the layout, where lines and boxes are used, adding a structure to the paper as well as trust from the audience as if connotes to them that they are organised and honest. Finally the placing of the articles adds to this, how they use the main centre of each page to place the more amplitude articles, making the reader know that this is the main feature and the unambiguous and meaningfulness stories surrounding it.
Overall from analysing my local paper is that they keep a similar layout throughout and the paper tends to focus on the content rather than the design which lets the papers articles and photographs speak about the town. Furthermore this is proved by the range of people featured ,which identifies to the audience as realistic and that the articles are more truthfully resulting in more copies of the paper sold and a returning customers because of the image it has.
Harrogate Advertiser-Semiotic Analysis (Front page)
June 11th 2010 Newspaper
In order for a local newspapers to be successful they need a basis of generic conventions the main ones that are featured on every copy are the barcode, website, price, date and masthead near the top of the page .The previous generic conventions gives audience basic information on the product-this being a newspaper, and are also the most useful conventions.
The main generic conventions help construct the paper layout as well, as they are always featured in the same place so they are recognisable to the audience .Taking note of this I have realised that without these as a basis, my newspaper would not be a success and would not convey a real local newspaper and the overall impression that the newspaper is trustworthy to the audiences and is telling truth throughout its contents would not be there.
Another key convention is brand identity/house style which distinguishes each newspaper. When analysing three newspapers from my local area, I noticed that the Harrogate Advertiser, Ripon Gazette and Wetherby News used this convention by having different colour backgrounds behind there mastheads .I feel this is an important convention as when people are in a hurry, they can tell the newspapers apart just by looking at the background colour and identify which newspaper they want this way .Newspapers also use the colour background as main input on the rest of the paper as it keeps mainly the same colour scheme making the paper look more structured, in cohesion and well planned to the audience .
In addition to brand identity using colour, newspapers also used the same font to keep within the structure .For example the Wetherby News uses Times News Roman as their regular font for articles which connotes a more formal and sophisticated appearance of the paper to the viewer. The size of the font does vary however depending on how big the article is and whether or not it is the main headline. ‘The time has come to free our Billy…’ was the core article for June 11th 2010 and the size of the font was 9/10 as the article was providing a lot of information and detail to the audience.
In comparison to this ‘A very lucky escape’ was a sidelining headline which was less informative and the use of ‘bold’ padded the articles space out as well as making the article seem as important as the main headline. When comparing the two above articles I also noticed the sidelining headline had a wider space for the (2) photographs which helps emphasize the importance of the article without having to give a lot of detail in the article itself .Although, ‘The time has come to free our Billy…’ had the same amount of photographs (2) but was given a less space as the article was given a lot of information to the audience and would take up to much space if the photographs were bigger.
Analysing the front cover also made me recognise the significance of captions which are used under a photograph to anchor the image and give a snippet of information quickly about what is happening within the composition. Furthermore the use of having photography and captions help to illustrate and support the articles and provide a visual explanation of the article enabling the audience to sum up the article themselves just by looking at the image featured
Harrogate Advertiser’s front cover has eight articles including the main headline as well as a further four cover lines meaning there is no blank space. I also found that smaller articles tended to be positioned alongside of the page for example on Harrogate Advertiser the right hand side column consisted of 9cm vertically and 4cm horizontally per article. I feel having the main headline and article featured in the middle connotes its importance and is what the audience see when first glance at the paper .The three of the four cover lines are placed at the top of the page and the caption lines are placed underneath the photographs which act as a visual aid into what the stories inside are about. A different font is also used on the cover lines (Impact size 28) helping to break up the page and the use of block capitals assist the audience into knowing the stories inside are just as significant.
The layout is placed so the main headline ‘Schools 20mph victory’ is at the centre with the biggest font and in bold writing (Times new roman in size 48) the only headline to feature a byline .The main headline has six columns and 16 paragraphs and the average length was 7.5cm across and 5cm down which helps empathize its importance from a distance as it takes up the most amount of space .This could also be shown by the lack of photographs that are placed with the article .The rest of the articles are positioned around this and are not as compact as the main headlining article, most also have a bigger photographs to accompany the articles, especially when there is not must information in the article for example ‘Sir David Frost in Harrogate’.
Continuing to analyse the front cover, I began looking at the stories themselves. On this particular copy of the Harrogate Advertiser (11th June 2010) the articles were more based around human interest and hard news. Covering a range of serious stories such as ‘Warning after sixth form boy is diagnosed with TB’ and more happier stories as well like ‘Schools 20mph victory’; having a mix of stories in the newspaper helps break down the negativity to the audience .
The stories of the Harrogate Advertiser also reach to a wide range of audience as well ‘Ashville and Harrogate Grammar Prom Pictures’ and ‘MP’s £40,000 farewell payout’ prove this .Furthermore to this point I also found the stories in the local newspaper where far more relatable that those of the national papers, as the stories featured are specific to the local area and in my opinion more interesting and honest as the local journalist don’t tend to paint a fake picture like national journalist do .
Overall what I have learnt from my research and analysis into local papers is that there is a lot to take into consideration. As well as the routine layout of the basic generic conventions (Barcode, Price, Date, Masthead and Website) local papers have to think a lot about the layout in general, by the means of the placing or articles and how to make the main headline the key focus before the rest of the other articles .
In my research I found that all local newspapers in the supermarket where of the same price of 90p as well as the fact they all follow a house style and do not use much colour which connotes the sincerity of the article and makes sure the paper is more about the content and getting the news across then creative features such as colour, font style and imagery .I also found they all feature a big advertorial at the bottom ,these being local business which helps also promote the local area and breaks up the front page .
In order for a local newspapers to be successful they need a basis of generic conventions the main ones that are featured on every copy are the barcode, website, price, date and masthead near the top of the page .The previous generic conventions gives audience basic information on the product-this being a newspaper, and are also the most useful conventions.
The main generic conventions help construct the paper layout as well, as they are always featured in the same place so they are recognisable to the audience .Taking note of this I have realised that without these as a basis, my newspaper would not be a success and would not convey a real local newspaper and the overall impression that the newspaper is trustworthy to the audiences and is telling truth throughout its contents would not be there.
Another key convention is brand identity/house style which distinguishes each newspaper. When analysing three newspapers from my local area, I noticed that the Harrogate Advertiser, Ripon Gazette and Wetherby News used this convention by having different colour backgrounds behind there mastheads .I feel this is an important convention as when people are in a hurry, they can tell the newspapers apart just by looking at the background colour and identify which newspaper they want this way .Newspapers also use the colour background as main input on the rest of the paper as it keeps mainly the same colour scheme making the paper look more structured, in cohesion and well planned to the audience .
In addition to brand identity using colour, newspapers also used the same font to keep within the structure .For example the Wetherby News uses Times News Roman as their regular font for articles which connotes a more formal and sophisticated appearance of the paper to the viewer. The size of the font does vary however depending on how big the article is and whether or not it is the main headline. ‘The time has come to free our Billy…’ was the core article for June 11th 2010 and the size of the font was 9/10 as the article was providing a lot of information and detail to the audience.
In comparison to this ‘A very lucky escape’ was a sidelining headline which was less informative and the use of ‘bold’ padded the articles space out as well as making the article seem as important as the main headline. When comparing the two above articles I also noticed the sidelining headline had a wider space for the (2) photographs which helps emphasize the importance of the article without having to give a lot of detail in the article itself .Although, ‘The time has come to free our Billy…’ had the same amount of photographs (2) but was given a less space as the article was given a lot of information to the audience and would take up to much space if the photographs were bigger.
Analysing the front cover also made me recognise the significance of captions which are used under a photograph to anchor the image and give a snippet of information quickly about what is happening within the composition. Furthermore the use of having photography and captions help to illustrate and support the articles and provide a visual explanation of the article enabling the audience to sum up the article themselves just by looking at the image featured
Harrogate Advertiser’s front cover has eight articles including the main headline as well as a further four cover lines meaning there is no blank space. I also found that smaller articles tended to be positioned alongside of the page for example on Harrogate Advertiser the right hand side column consisted of 9cm vertically and 4cm horizontally per article. I feel having the main headline and article featured in the middle connotes its importance and is what the audience see when first glance at the paper .The three of the four cover lines are placed at the top of the page and the caption lines are placed underneath the photographs which act as a visual aid into what the stories inside are about. A different font is also used on the cover lines (Impact size 28) helping to break up the page and the use of block capitals assist the audience into knowing the stories inside are just as significant.
The layout is placed so the main headline ‘Schools 20mph victory’ is at the centre with the biggest font and in bold writing (Times new roman in size 48) the only headline to feature a byline .The main headline has six columns and 16 paragraphs and the average length was 7.5cm across and 5cm down which helps empathize its importance from a distance as it takes up the most amount of space .This could also be shown by the lack of photographs that are placed with the article .The rest of the articles are positioned around this and are not as compact as the main headlining article, most also have a bigger photographs to accompany the articles, especially when there is not must information in the article for example ‘Sir David Frost in Harrogate’.
Continuing to analyse the front cover, I began looking at the stories themselves. On this particular copy of the Harrogate Advertiser (11th June 2010) the articles were more based around human interest and hard news. Covering a range of serious stories such as ‘Warning after sixth form boy is diagnosed with TB’ and more happier stories as well like ‘Schools 20mph victory’; having a mix of stories in the newspaper helps break down the negativity to the audience .
The stories of the Harrogate Advertiser also reach to a wide range of audience as well ‘Ashville and Harrogate Grammar Prom Pictures’ and ‘MP’s £40,000 farewell payout’ prove this .Furthermore to this point I also found the stories in the local newspaper where far more relatable that those of the national papers, as the stories featured are specific to the local area and in my opinion more interesting and honest as the local journalist don’t tend to paint a fake picture like national journalist do .
Overall what I have learnt from my research and analysis into local papers is that there is a lot to take into consideration. As well as the routine layout of the basic generic conventions (Barcode, Price, Date, Masthead and Website) local papers have to think a lot about the layout in general, by the means of the placing or articles and how to make the main headline the key focus before the rest of the other articles .
In my research I found that all local newspapers in the supermarket where of the same price of 90p as well as the fact they all follow a house style and do not use much colour which connotes the sincerity of the article and makes sure the paper is more about the content and getting the news across then creative features such as colour, font style and imagery .I also found they all feature a big advertorial at the bottom ,these being local business which helps also promote the local area and breaks up the front page .
Proposed Names
1. Harrogate Local
2. Harrogate News
3. Harrogate Gazette
4. Locally Harrogate
5. Harrogate Reports
6. Harrogate Voice
I asked a range of (15) people in my area that would by the local paper and they said they preferred Harrogate News. I kept a tally when collecting my audience preference so the result would be fair I also noted down some quoted reasons why they favoured the Harrogate News These being it 'sounds more informative’,’ more professional' and 'reach a wider audience'.
Below the pie chart shows the results via percentage:
2. Harrogate News
3. Harrogate Gazette
4. Locally Harrogate
5. Harrogate Reports
6. Harrogate Voice
I asked a range of (15) people in my area that would by the local paper and they said they preferred Harrogate News. I kept a tally when collecting my audience preference so the result would be fair I also noted down some quoted reasons why they favoured the Harrogate News These being it 'sounds more informative’,’ more professional' and 'reach a wider audience'.
Below the pie chart shows the results via percentage:
1st mock up of layout
In order to get an idea of a typical newspaper layout, I created the mock-up to see where the typical Generic Conventions go.
My Proposal
My ultra local paper will be focused on the Harrogate area simply because I live there and this will help me provide honest reports along with events to the local public as the information is accessible to me.
The Unique Selling Point for my paper is the fact that it is local and will provide more specific information on the area unlike regional papers and will represent a sense of community of the area. Adding to this is the fact that local newspaper Institution Ackrill found that 60% of adults read the Harrogate Advertiser on a weekly basis which shows highly that local news is a huge importance. As local papers have to appeal to the entire area of different ages form teenagers to the elderly, genders, beliefs, status etc my paper will be neutral political and will maintain the status quo.
My product will be distributed in Local news agents, supermarkets, be available for delivery and will be in other shops such as WHSmiths .As all local newspapers in my area are a price of 90p this is probably which I have as my price as will match the typical newspaper convention in my area. Local newspaper are also weekly in my area and are available for sale every Friday which is also something I will match when adding conventions such as date.
The Unique Selling Point for my paper is the fact that it is local and will provide more specific information on the area unlike regional papers and will represent a sense of community of the area. Adding to this is the fact that local newspaper Institution Ackrill found that 60% of adults read the Harrogate Advertiser on a weekly basis which shows highly that local news is a huge importance. As local papers have to appeal to the entire area of different ages form teenagers to the elderly, genders, beliefs, status etc my paper will be neutral political and will maintain the status quo.
My product will be distributed in Local news agents, supermarkets, be available for delivery and will be in other shops such as WHSmiths .As all local newspapers in my area are a price of 90p this is probably which I have as my price as will match the typical newspaper convention in my area. Local newspaper are also weekly in my area and are available for sale every Friday which is also something I will match when adding conventions such as date.
Tuesday, 7 September 2010
Research Skills
In order to develop products correctly in the media industry, research is designed out to find out exactly what the audience want from the product, how they consume the media and how they interact with it. Additionally this helps producers and advertiser identify there niche markets and advertise their products more effectively.
Types of Research
Having a selection of techniques such as the ones below will help me gain more experience of research and help find an understanding of my audience.
• Quantitative-usually involves using large amount of people and is based on a number of statistics .A reason that quantitative research should be used is it looks more official and authoritative but is limited.
• Qualitative-involves analysis of people opinions/attitudes and is attempting to explain something .This is usually with a focus group or a very small number of people.
• Primary – is original research.
• Secondary-is using the finding of others
Different types of Research
• Questionnaires
• Surveys
• Interviews
• Piloting
• Analysis
Types of Research
Having a selection of techniques such as the ones below will help me gain more experience of research and help find an understanding of my audience.
• Quantitative-usually involves using large amount of people and is based on a number of statistics .A reason that quantitative research should be used is it looks more official and authoritative but is limited.
• Qualitative-involves analysis of people opinions/attitudes and is attempting to explain something .This is usually with a focus group or a very small number of people.
• Primary – is original research.
• Secondary-is using the finding of others
Different types of Research
• Questionnaires
• Surveys
• Interviews
• Piloting
• Analysis
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