the guardian Flashcards
applying theories too the guardian?
David Hesmondhalgh:
> Risk Vs Profits: if you take a risk on content or fail to refiect dominant viewpoints you may lose readership
o The Guardian contains wider cultural stories to appeal to more openminded readers
o They are reliant on contributions
o Diversity online is still risk resistant as it is ‘contained’ through brand identity and news values
Curran and Seaton:
> Oligopoly means that newspapers are controlled by a small number of companies
This results in a few having the most power
Lack of diversity in voices being heard
This hegemonic state is somewhat refuted by the Guardian - ‘safe’ news values dictate content however they do not enforce a paywall this could be seen as a desire to focus on quality journalism
The Guardian is not part of a conglomerate; therefore, the content can deviate from pluralist values.
audience in the guardian?
Demographic
Broadsheet or quality tabloid.
Middle class,
liberal
interested in the environment,
climate change
well travelled
family orientated,
18-40 online
has disposable income
Labour,
politically correct
interested in policy
socially liberal
Psychographic
Reformers
aspirers
succeeders
Value tolerance
education
Intelligent
Mature
internal audience profile:
1. 79% men and 21% women
2. 89% degree educated
3. 44 average age
4: on the richer side ( has savings and earn a good livable amount)
Political leanings?
left leaning; can be described as working within the established systems to improve social justice. the center left promotes a degree of social equity that it believes is achievable through promoting equal opportunity.
the labor party, the liberal democrats, and the green party.
Funding for the guardian
In a struggling economic climate, news institutions are finding it hard to adequately fund quality journalism. However, The Guardian has several ways in which it funds its journalism. The site delivers free news with no paywall:
o The sale of the print newspaper - although it is clear that print news is declining rapidly and the costs associated with print make it less profitable and attractive to advertisers.
o Digital subscriptions - the newspaper offers a range of packages to suit different economic groups.
o Patron support with exclusive offers.
o Traditional advertising.
o Philanthropic partnerships such as with The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Despite the decline in physical copy newspaper revenue, subscription to The Guardian makes up more than the advertising revenue. The Guardian’s digital edition has increased in readership to over a million recurring subscribers, and digital revenues account for two-thirds of total revenue. International revenues are at £79.9 million.
What is the guardian/
The Guardian is a centre-left, quality, British broadsheet, national UK newspaper. The demographic of the readership is 86% ABC1. Fifty-four percent of The Guardian readers are male, and the average age of the print reader is 54. The people who read the newspaper and online are interested in left-leaning politics and social issues, mainly social progressives [reformers] psychographic. The circulation for the newspaper is 3.2 million monthly, and the digital readership is 18.4 million. This compares favourably to other quality newspapers in the UK.
The Guardian is also online and is now the 3rd largest individual newspaper website in the world, delivering news to over 62 million unique browsers worldwide every month, with almost two-thirds of these coming from outside of the UK. The Guardian has a global reach; therefore, its content reflects this.
What is the Scott trust
The Scott trust owns the guardian
It has an 11% reach in everything
Created in 1936
Founded in 1821
The core purpose of the Scott trust is to
* To secure the financial and editorial independence of the guardian in perpetuity: as a quality national newspaper without party affiliation; remaining faithful to its liberal tradition; as a profit-seeking enterprise managed in an efficient and cost-effective manner
* The Trust declares a subsidiary interest in promoting the causes of freedom in the press and liberal journalism, both in Britain and elsewhere.
What is their website
Their website is a site for their news
To support the decline of print products, many people have now moved digitally
Advertising can be a massive part too the the company
Can become more globally
Applying theory with audience
- Gerbner - repeated representations reinforce ideas that are then circulated as ‘common sense’; this could lead to the cultivation of a similar worldview and passive consumption.
- Bandura-this repeated perspective could affect behaviour e.g. political alliances, derogatory views of’other groups in society, etc.
- Jenkins - the idea that audiences pick and chose their diet of online news, therefore resisting ideology and actively construct their own cultural meaning (not necessarily the encoded meaning of the editor; online readers of the Guardian can comment and interact therefore shaping the way others decode and interpret the content)
Industry theories you can apply to the guardian
Curran and Seaton:
Oligopoly means that newspapers are controlled by a small number of companies
This results in a few having the most power Lack of diversity in voices being heard
The Guardian claim to challenge this - see Scott Trust policy
This hegemonic state is somewhat refuted by the Guardian - ‘safe’ news values dictate content however they do not enforce a paywall this could be seen as a desire to focus on quality journalism
The Guardian is not part of a conglomerate; therefore, the content can deviate from pluralist values.
David Hesmondhalgh:
> Risk Vs Profits: if you take a risk on content or fail to reflect dominant viewpoints you may lose readership
• The Guardian contains wider cultural stories to appeal to more openminded readers
They are reliant on contributions
＞
Diversity online is still risk resistant as it is ‘contained’ through brand identity and news values
What is bluer and Katz uses and gratifications theory
Blumler and Katz expanded this theory and published their own in 1974, stating that individuals might choose and use a text for the following purposes (ie uses and gratifications):
*
*
Diversion - escape from everyday problems and routine.
Personal Relationships - using the media for emotional and other interaction, eg) substituting soap operas for family life
* Personal Identity - finding yourself reflected in texts, learning behaviour and values from texts
* Surveillance - Information which could be useful for living eg) weather reports, financial news, holiday bargains
If the media product wants to be good it has to involve these features
What is the active audience theory
In 1992 Richard dyer developed the theory of utopian solution in a bid to develop the ideas of an active audience. The basic premise of his theory was that media consumption was not just trivial pastime for most people . Rather audiences used the media to actually help them regulate and manage many of thr problems inherent in modern day life.
Dyer argued that the modern world was unique in that it provided new problems for human beings - he refferred to these as social tensions. For each social tension there was a utopian solution provided by the media.
What is the active audience theory
In 1992 Richard dyer developed the theory of utopian solution in a bid to develop the ideas of an active audience. The basic premise of his theory was that media consumption was not just trivial pastime for most people . Rather audiences used the media to actually help them regulate and manage many of thr problems inherent in modern day life.
Dyer argued that the modern world was unique in that it provided new problems for human beings - he refferred to these as social tensions. For each social tension there was a utopian solution provided by the media.
Summary of Richard dyers theory
Richard Dyer’s perspective on active audience theory emphasizes that audiences are not just passive recipients of media messages. Instead, they are active participants who interpret, critique, and engage with media content in diverse ways, influenced by their own backgrounds and experiences. This theory highlights the dynamic interaction between media and audiences, recognizing the role of audiences in shaping media’s meaning and impact.
In 2011 how did Asa Berger develop the uses and gratification theory
Added further subcategories
- to satisfy curiosity and be informed
- to be amused
-to reinforce belief in justice - to reinforce beliefs in romantic love
- to participate vicariously
- to see villains in action
- to experience the ugly
- to experience the beautiful
- to find role models to imitate ]
- to identify with the deity and divine
The international editions of the guardian
International Editions
The UK edition on April 29th leads with a story about the resignation of the BBC Chair Richard Sharp, who allegedly provided a “secret” £800,000 loan to former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. This is a hard news story because the BBC is expected to maintain impartiality and remain free from government influence, suggesting a failure to fulfil this role. Stories that expose corruption are appealing to The Guardian’s audience and position them to question the legitimacy of the BBC.
The BBC’s free news model directly competes with The Guardian’s business model, and stories like this could undermine trust in the BBC, potentially leading people to be more inclined to pay for the quality journalism offered by The Guardian.
The April 29th US edition leads with a story about Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis and his time as a lawyer for the state in Guantanamo Bay, the prison for suspected terrorists.
The article presents accounts from researchers and individuals who were there, creating bias against him without making direct accusations. This story would appeal to the audience because it investigates a centre-right politician, which opposes the political ideologies of the readership and aligns with their viewpoint.
