News: Audiences (print)

Question 1

What is the demographic (class) audience of each product?

Answer 1

The Daily Mail: ABC1 (largest group in C1)

The Guardian: AB

Question 2

What is the average age and gender of set products?

Answer 2

Male - age 56 (DM)

Male - age 44 (TG)

Question 3

What are the psycographics of each product?

Answer 3

Progressive/Reformer/Explorer (TG)

Resigned/Mainstreamer/Suceeders (DM)

Question 4

How is selection of stories relevant to audiences?

Answer 4

Editors choose stories based on the news values to reinforce the values and interests of the audience as well as reflect the viewpoints of the paper

Question 5

Give 5 examples of news values.

Answer 5

Eg power elite, celebrity, entertainment, surprise, negativity, threshold, frequency etc

Question 6

How are technical codes used to target audiences?

Answer 6

1. Layout - help audiences “choose” most important story, and to the main points in the coverage
2. Text-to-image ratio
3. Headlines, bylines and copy all in different sizes to lead the eye

Question 7

How are written codes used to target audiences?

Answer 7

1. Mode of address - informal or formal
2. Lexis - how complicated the words are as well as whether they are emotive/hyperbolic vs objective/balanced

Question 8

How does price attract audiences?

Answer 8

Tabloids are often cheaper to attract that socio-economic group. Quality are more expensive to reflect the value put on good quality journalism by higher socio-economic groups.

DM - 90p (13% inflation rise in 2023)

TG - £2.50 (14% inflation rise in 2023)

Question 9

What promotional offers do our set products use?

Answer 9

DM - run a range of offers such as with Weight Watchers, holidays etc

TG - run some offers such as 30% of books

Question 10

What subscription models do our set products use?

Answer 10

DM - online subscription (£65 a year) and print subscription (£11.25 a month)

TG - online subscription for a specific Guardian Weekly (£13.75) , this is replacing the reader loyalty scheme, and print subscription (£13.99 a month)

Question 11

What are the 4 main need or uses of media products?

Answer 11

1. Entertainment and diversion (celebrity stories in tabloids, arts and culture in quality)
2. Info and education (newspapers often try to influence their readers)
3. Social interaction (social issues allows readers to develop their social understanding and gossip columns emulate chatting to friends)
4. Personal identity (technical codes and language = familiarity, news values reinforce ideologies of the reader)

Question 12

Audiences now actively engage with and interact with news for many reasons. What change did Michael Gove discuss famously?

Answer 12

The decline in deference to one’s betters (“Britain has had enough of experts”- Gove) which means that everyone should be heard and everyone has the right to their own opinion

Question 13

Audiences now actively engage with and interact with news for many reasons. What change did Brexit highlight?

Answer 13

The huge political poliarisation in the UK

Question 14

Audiences now actively engage with and interact with news for many reasons. What change did stories such as #MeToo highlight?

Answer 14

The rise in feminism and the power of the female voice

Question 15

Audiences now actively engage with and interact with news for many reasons. What change is relevant to Rashford?

Answer 15

The rise in multiculturalism and the power of BAME groups

Question 16

Audiences now actively engage with and interact with news for many reasons. What change did Tom Daley investigate?

Answer 16

Changing attitudes toward sexualities (he investigated Commonwealth attitudes towards LGBTQI+)

Question 17

Audiences now actively engage with and interact with news for many reasons. What change did Trump highlight?

Answer 17

The rise in the postmodern culture in which truth is a relative concept (eg Trump decides what is “true” and what is “fake news”)

Question 18

Audiences now actively engage with and interact with news for many reasons. What change has the online world helped promote?

Answer 18

Globalisation - audiences from round the world can read stories and we can read stories from round the world

Question 19

How has The Daily Mail addressed female audiences?

Answer 19

Through “FeMail” - make sure you know examples of what is on FeMail

Question 20

Why does the Guardian not have a “female” section?

Answer 20

It would seem patronising to their audience

Question 21

What does Bandura argue? (Pessimistic, passive theory)

Answer 21

The media influence people directly and indirectly and have a direct EFFECT on the audience

Question 22

What does Gerbner argue? (Pessimistic, passive theory)

Answer 22

That exposure to media over a long time period CULTIVATES viewpoints and ideas then can shape our behaviour

Question 23

What two key terms do you need to know for Gerbner?

Answer 23

Mean world syndrome and mainstreaming

Question 24

What does Hall argue? (Optimistic, active audience theory)

Answer 24

Encoding/decoding model allows for different readings

Question 25

With regards to Hall, what are the three readings?

Answer 25

Dominant Reading (or Preferred Reading)

Negotiated Reading

Oppositional Reading

Question 26

What does Jenkins argue? (Optimistic, active audience theory)

Answer 26

New media forms have enabled participatory cultures

Question 27

What two key terms do you need to learn for Jenkins?

Answer 27

Fandoms and Textual Poachers

Question 28

What does Shirky argue? (Optimistic, active audience theory)

Answer 28

That new media has brought about the “end of audience” and lead to democratisation