The times

Question 1

What political status in The Times?

Answer 1

British right-wing newspaper

Question 2

Who owns The Times?

Answer 2

News Corp (Rupert Murdoch)

Question 3

When was this edition published?

Answer 3

13th March 2019

Question 4

What’s the main focus of this edition

Answer 4

This was published after Theresa May had encountered another Commons defeat over her Brexit proposals

Question 5

What is the political context of The Times?

Answer 5

On 23rd June 2016, the UK voted to leave the EU. On the day this newspaper was published, MPs had voted against the deal she had negotiated with the EU

Question 6

What was the cultural context of The Times?

Answer 6

Horse races like Cheltenham are an iconic part of British culture, mainly in the upper classes (shown on the front cover)

Question 7

Central image

Answer 7

A close up of Theresa May looking distraught - she has a pained facial expression and dark rings under her eyes which denote high emotion and lack of sleep

Question 8

Main headline

Answer 8

The headline makes the defeat of her Brexit proposals into something more personal and emotional than political and factual

Question 9

‘In the news’

Answer 9

They supply the global context for the main story

Question 10

What is the house style of the newspaper?

Answer 10

Most of the print is black and white which connotes the seriousness of the content

Question 11

What does the strapline connote?

Answer 11

The strapline ‘Britain’s Most Trusted Newspaper’ draws on the Times reputation as a quality newspaper

Question 12

When was The Times first published

Answer 12

1785

Question 13

What is News UK?

Answer 13

A subsidiary of News Corp (a mass media conglomerate)

Question 14

What else does the company produce?

Answer 14

The Sun and previously The News of the World (ceased production because of the phone-hacking scandal of 2011)

Question 15

What did News Corp do?

Answer 15

They were one of the first companies to introduce an online newspaper

Question 16

What is a disadvantage of the online newspaper?

Answer 16

There are paywalls that require readers to pay for the use of the site

Question 17

What is the Times part of?

Answer 17

It’s part of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO)

Question 18

What is IPSO?

Answer 18

An independent body that is not backed by the government and is fully funded by the industry

Question 19

What does IPSO do?

Answer 19

IPSO regulates newspapers

Question 20

What is the target audience for The Times?

Answer 20

The target audience is ABC1, over 35 and has a liberal/right-wing political stance

Question 21

Why is this the target audience?

Answer 21

They are well educated and middle class, taking an interest in global affairs

Question 22

How do audiences interpret the product?

Answer 22

It takes a fairly neutral approach which allows readers to construct their own opinion

Question 23

What is the audience interaction like for this paper?

Answer 23

Audiences are able to interact via social media. There is limited interaction with the newspaper, however social media is the primary method - they can directly interact with the publication

Question 24

What are broadsheets?

Answer 24

A broadsheet is a technical format for newspapers and refers to larger - size publications

Question 25

What are the readership figures?

Answer 25

As of 2018, The Times had a physical readership of around 420,000

Question 26

The Times online

Answer 26

Subscribers pay £2 a week for unlimited access

Question 27

The Times ownership

Answer 27

The Times is owned by News Corp. News Corp owns the Fox News network, which is notoriously right-wing and supported by Donald Trump

Question 28

What is the Murdoch empire?

Answer 28

Rupert Murdoch is one of the most important and controversial media figures. His products have been criticised for being racially prejudiced, fear-mongering and inaccurate