The Times Section B Flashcards
1
Q
Significance of patterns of ownership and control
A
- Subsidiary of American mass media conglomerate News Corp
- Formed following a split from News Corporation
- Company also produces The Sun newspaper and previously News of the World
- Maintained a more neutral stance, particularly in its coverage of Brexit
2
Q
Interrelationship between media technologies and patterns of consumption and response
A
- How the website for The Times has addressed the changes in technology and audience consumption of news
- Launched a combined website and made the decision to move from a rolling news to an edition based digital format
- Times Radio launched in 2020
- Part of IPSO
3
Q
Power and media industries, Curran and Seaton
A
- The Times is part of a horizontally and vertically integrated company and a large conglomerate
- Being part of a huge press organisation could limit or inhibit creativity and journalist’s freedom
- Rupert Murdoch is often accused of controlling his newspaper content
- However, it could also be suggested that by having a more diverse pattern of ownership, a more pluralistic approach could create conditions for more varied and adventurous media productions
4
Q
Regulation, Sonia Livingstone and Peter Lunt
A
- The Times Newspaper Group and News Corp are facing increased pressure alongside the rest of
the UK press industry to adhere to strict rules and regulations on industry practice - This has arisen after the phone hacking scandal and Leveson enquiry
- There is an underlying issue of protecting citizens from harmful, or more recently, ‘fake’ material while maintaining choice and the freedom of the press to expose wrongdoing and injustice through responsible journalism
- The increasing power of companies like News Corp and their expansion into digital media has also placed traditional approaches to regulation at risk
5
Q
Cultural Industries, David Hesmondhalgh
A
- The Times Newspaper group is part of a vertically and horizontally integrated company with a wide range of titles on offer in order to maximise audiences and minimise risks
- The reach of News Corps spans a range of different cultural industries, enhancing their global power
- The Times benefits from access to other cultural industries so is financially protected
- As part of News Corps, the company is part of a wide organisation responsible for different cultural industries, benefitting it in terms of production and promotion
6
Q
Cultivation theory, George Gerbner
A
- Representation by newspapers may shape and influence their views and opinions on the world around them
- Newspapers function as opinion leaders and mediate the news for the readers with their political allegiance in mind
- These views will therefore be cultivated and reinforced by the newspaper and its content
7
Q
Reception theory, Stuart Hall
A
- Active audiences who agree with the ideology of the newspaper will accept the viewpoint of the newspaper that is evident in its approach to stories and editorial and opinion pieces
- Readers who have a different political allegiance will have an oppositional response, disagreeing with the messages constructed by the newspaper and will not buy nor read a publication that does not reflect their ideas and opinions
8
Q
End of audience, Clay Shirky
A
- Audience as passive consumers is no longer tenable in the age of digital technologies because they have enabled the rise of the prosumer who can create their own content submitting stories as a citizen journalist, offering an immediate perspective on news stories
9
Q
How are audiences grouped and categorised
A
- The Times’ target audience is predominantly ABC1, over 35 and has a liberal/ right-wing political stance
- This well-educated and middle-class audience take an interest in national and global affairs and can understand and engage with detailed political reporting.
10
Q
How do newspaper producers target audiences: Front Page
A
- The choice and style of the main headline and central image are important in attracting the reader and in communicating the view the newspaper is taking on the particular story featured
11
Q
How do newspaper producers target audiences: Content
A
- The inclusion of hard and soft news items, for example the lifestyle supplement ‘times2’
12
Q
How do newspaper producers target audiences: Digitally
A
- Readers of the times The Times preferred a digital edition that, whilst having some daily updates, closely resembled the print format
- Distributing the publication across digital platforms allows it to be updated, which will appeal to younger audiences, as will the launch of Times Radio
13
Q
How do newspaper producers target audiences: Politically
A
- Other pages in the newspaper and on digital platforms reinforce the right-wing ideology of the newspaper, for example the editorial and opinion pieces and political cartoons.
14
Q
How do newspaper producers target audiences: Letters page
A
- The Times letters page is culturally iconic
and offers readers an opportunity to air their views and interact with the community of the newspaper - This page and the ‘Comment’ section of the newspaper reflect the readership and their interests and concerns
15
Q
How do newspaper producers target audiences: Values, attitudes and beliefs
A
- The way in which they represent particular stories will resonate with like-minded readers who may have chosen this newspaper because of its right-wing stance
- Readers will be made to feel part of the newspaper’s community and that the stories and articles reflect their views
- This audience will accept the preferred reading of the newspaper
