Newspapers: The Times CSP Case Study
Language
1)
The main story on the front cover of the Times CSP edition is about the MPs request for an investigation into the election test as Jeremy Corbyn fails. This would appeal to Times readers as the Times is very pro-Conservative and against Labour. Due to this seeing an article about Labour's failure Times readers may be quite thrilled with the outcome as they are Pro-Conservatives meaning they are expected to be against Labour.
2)
The main stories on the inside pages of the Times CSP edition (5 May 2018) are:
"Results show that voters want hard Brexit, ministers tell May"
"Comeback starts here says Cable after Lib Dem gains"
"Birmingham remains red despite scandals"
"Analysis"
"Corbyn blamed for loss of Jewish support"
"UKIP chef's positive spin: We're like the Black Death"
3)
On the Time's front page the balance between images, headlines and copy is highly concentrated with copy which heavily contrasts the majority of headlines and images that are in the Daily Mirror. This almost shows the difference in how the audiences have been educated as picture books are more associated with children which emphasises the fact that the Daily Mirror uses less advanced people who may not have been educated.
4)
Of Galtung and Ruge's News Values I believe that Elite nations and people, amplitude, immediacy and surprise can be applied to the front cover. The MPs, celebrities and England as a country are part of the Elite nations and people news value. The amplitude of Corbyn's failure for the election test is obviously quite a big thing for many people Labour supporter or not.
5)
A close analysis of the news stories in the Times CSP edition suggests that the Time's political beliefs are very Pro-Conservatives which is supported by more Upper Middle Class audience which is the target audience of the Times. In order to appropriately link the newspaper with the political beliefs even the extra content on the newspaper is aimed at a more older and Upper Middle Class audience which wouldn't really appeal to a working class audience.
Audience
1)
The main readership demographic for the Times newspaper is overwhelmingly ABC1 social class especially Middle Class and Upper Middle Class. Additionally. a majority of it is read by people over 65 with it being 37% of the readership. However, the Times is making an effort to aim at a younger audience and it is being relatively successful in doing so as 83% of the readership is made up of those whom are 35+. (Source: NRS)
2)
The Times front page stories appeal to the Times audience well as it seems as though they keep in mind their target audience and what they are interested in. The country house hotels is a perfect example of this as older people would find it to be something enjoyable that they can do even more so if they are Middle Class or Upper Middle Class. The story about Sir Paul McCartney would also appeal to their older audience as they must have known him from when the Beatles were at peak time which is part of Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications Theory: Personal Relationships. As they are trying to aim at younger audiences the Kay Burley interview is a great choice as it shows a strong and confident woman which subverts a lot of female stereotypes which is what we expect from the media today.
3)
The election coverage might be enjoyable to Times readers because it emphasises Labour's defeat and to an audience that supports the Conservatives and is against Labour, that is a very positive thing for them. Additionally, the fact that they have very specifically selected the word 'inquest' almost makes it seem as though the Labour party or Jeremy Corbyn himself has committed a crime which isn't the case. However, to the Times readers they won't look very deeply into it and will simply rejoice in this negativity of the Labour party.
4)
Following Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory, a reader might enjoy the Times due to the Surveillance it provides through the Information they receive from news about many different topics, in this case that would be: politics; local elections; Father of daughters; Kay Burley; Features; Recipes; BBQ.
5)
The fact that Times readers are over 55 years old which is actually reflected in the CSP edition. The main image is about Sir Paul McCartney from the Beatles which would've really appealed to the current over 55 year olds as they probably listened to the Beatles during their peak time. This however may not appeal to younger audiences as many may not be able to recognise them considering the significant change in music over the years. Additionally, the country houses would greatly appeal to those over 55 who are retired/pensioners and have time to go to places such as that.
Representation:
1)
On the front page of the Times newspaper the Labour party has been represented as failures and almost criminal-like. This is shown by the fact that there was the use of the word 'inquest' which makes it seem as though they've committed a crime which isn't actually the case but even so it creates a sense of negativity around the Labour party. The fact that they failed the election poll was also clearly stated to present them as being unsuccessful in the things they do which would sit well with their Pro-Conservatives audience.
2)
In the Times newspaper the Conservative party has been represented as being successful and optimistic while also being a bit disapproving at the same time. This is shown by the election test article in which they mentioned that the Conservatives were 'the main beneficiaries from the almost total collapse of Ukip'. The fact that the word 'beneficiaries' has been used here makes it seem like the Conservatives are trustworthy and respectable. However, it is made apparent that although the Times do support the Conservatives they don't actually support Theresa May. This is shown by how often Boris Johnson is mentioned and the fact that they've used such a joke-like photo of her which is almost embarrassing,
3)
In the Times gender stereotypes are both reinforced and subverted, with Kay Burley gender stereotypes are subverted as we see a strong female woman rather than a damsel in distress/scantily clad woman. Stereotypes are also reinforced as it almost seems as though the Times does not support Theresa May as she is a woman and would prefer Boris Johnson, a man as the leader. This suggests that they want a man in a position of dominance indicating that they don't see women fit for a role in power.
4)
The Times reinforce British Social and Cultural stereotypes through the use of the pug, kicker and sidebar stories emphasising the increase in healthy eating and in overall lifestyle in Britain. This also links to middle class life choices as people with the disposable income have more control and more chance to change their diet.
5)
The page are constructed to encourage the audience to take a negative view of the Labour party by not only making it the main story but using language to make the party itself seem more corrupted. The word 'inquest' is the perfect suggestion of this and paired with the word 'fails' simply makes them seem kind of useless.
Industries:
1)
The Times is owned by Rupert Murdoch who also owns The Sun and 24% of the market share in UK newspapers being worth $19 billion.
2)
In 2019 the Time's circulation was 376,000 which is actually a significant decrease compared to the amount they were selling back in the 1990s which was in fact about 800,000.
3)
The Times have reacted to the decline in print sales and the growth of the internet by not only creating a online version of their newspaper but also by creating a paywall so that their readers can subscribe and pay if they want to read the content.
4)
IPSO stands for the Independent Press Standards Organisation and was the replacement for the PCC (Press Complaints Commission). It is a voluntary regulator for British printed newspapers and magazines meaning that journalists can essentially publish whatever they want.
5)
Some people want stronger regulation of British newspapers as journalists can even say things that are false along with things with grammatical errors. Even when it comes to amending these mistakes it takes a few months and the correction usually comes in a small box not corresponding to the size of the original article. In order for these mistakes to not be made a stronger regulation will be needed.
2)
The main stories on the inside pages of the Times CSP edition (5 May 2018) are:
"Results show that voters want hard Brexit, ministers tell May"
"Comeback starts here says Cable after Lib Dem gains"
"Birmingham remains red despite scandals"
"Analysis"
"Corbyn blamed for loss of Jewish support"
"UKIP chef's positive spin: We're like the Black Death"
3)
On the Time's front page the balance between images, headlines and copy is highly concentrated with copy which heavily contrasts the majority of headlines and images that are in the Daily Mirror. This almost shows the difference in how the audiences have been educated as picture books are more associated with children which emphasises the fact that the Daily Mirror uses less advanced people who may not have been educated.
4)
Of Galtung and Ruge's News Values I believe that Elite nations and people, amplitude, immediacy and surprise can be applied to the front cover. The MPs, celebrities and England as a country are part of the Elite nations and people news value. The amplitude of Corbyn's failure for the election test is obviously quite a big thing for many people Labour supporter or not.
5)
A close analysis of the news stories in the Times CSP edition suggests that the Time's political beliefs are very Pro-Conservatives which is supported by more Upper Middle Class audience which is the target audience of the Times. In order to appropriately link the newspaper with the political beliefs even the extra content on the newspaper is aimed at a more older and Upper Middle Class audience which wouldn't really appeal to a working class audience.
Audience
1)
The main readership demographic for the Times newspaper is overwhelmingly ABC1 social class especially Middle Class and Upper Middle Class. Additionally. a majority of it is read by people over 65 with it being 37% of the readership. However, the Times is making an effort to aim at a younger audience and it is being relatively successful in doing so as 83% of the readership is made up of those whom are 35+. (Source: NRS)
2)
The Times front page stories appeal to the Times audience well as it seems as though they keep in mind their target audience and what they are interested in. The country house hotels is a perfect example of this as older people would find it to be something enjoyable that they can do even more so if they are Middle Class or Upper Middle Class. The story about Sir Paul McCartney would also appeal to their older audience as they must have known him from when the Beatles were at peak time which is part of Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications Theory: Personal Relationships. As they are trying to aim at younger audiences the Kay Burley interview is a great choice as it shows a strong and confident woman which subverts a lot of female stereotypes which is what we expect from the media today.
3)
The election coverage might be enjoyable to Times readers because it emphasises Labour's defeat and to an audience that supports the Conservatives and is against Labour, that is a very positive thing for them. Additionally, the fact that they have very specifically selected the word 'inquest' almost makes it seem as though the Labour party or Jeremy Corbyn himself has committed a crime which isn't the case. However, to the Times readers they won't look very deeply into it and will simply rejoice in this negativity of the Labour party.
4)
Following Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory, a reader might enjoy the Times due to the Surveillance it provides through the Information they receive from news about many different topics, in this case that would be: politics; local elections; Father of daughters; Kay Burley; Features; Recipes; BBQ.
5)
The fact that Times readers are over 55 years old which is actually reflected in the CSP edition. The main image is about Sir Paul McCartney from the Beatles which would've really appealed to the current over 55 year olds as they probably listened to the Beatles during their peak time. This however may not appeal to younger audiences as many may not be able to recognise them considering the significant change in music over the years. Additionally, the country houses would greatly appeal to those over 55 who are retired/pensioners and have time to go to places such as that.
Representation:
1)
On the front page of the Times newspaper the Labour party has been represented as failures and almost criminal-like. This is shown by the fact that there was the use of the word 'inquest' which makes it seem as though they've committed a crime which isn't actually the case but even so it creates a sense of negativity around the Labour party. The fact that they failed the election poll was also clearly stated to present them as being unsuccessful in the things they do which would sit well with their Pro-Conservatives audience.
2)
In the Times newspaper the Conservative party has been represented as being successful and optimistic while also being a bit disapproving at the same time. This is shown by the election test article in which they mentioned that the Conservatives were 'the main beneficiaries from the almost total collapse of Ukip'. The fact that the word 'beneficiaries' has been used here makes it seem like the Conservatives are trustworthy and respectable. However, it is made apparent that although the Times do support the Conservatives they don't actually support Theresa May. This is shown by how often Boris Johnson is mentioned and the fact that they've used such a joke-like photo of her which is almost embarrassing,
3)
In the Times gender stereotypes are both reinforced and subverted, with Kay Burley gender stereotypes are subverted as we see a strong female woman rather than a damsel in distress/scantily clad woman. Stereotypes are also reinforced as it almost seems as though the Times does not support Theresa May as she is a woman and would prefer Boris Johnson, a man as the leader. This suggests that they want a man in a position of dominance indicating that they don't see women fit for a role in power.
4)
The Times reinforce British Social and Cultural stereotypes through the use of the pug, kicker and sidebar stories emphasising the increase in healthy eating and in overall lifestyle in Britain. This also links to middle class life choices as people with the disposable income have more control and more chance to change their diet.
5)
The page are constructed to encourage the audience to take a negative view of the Labour party by not only making it the main story but using language to make the party itself seem more corrupted. The word 'inquest' is the perfect suggestion of this and paired with the word 'fails' simply makes them seem kind of useless.
Industries:
1)
The Times is owned by Rupert Murdoch who also owns The Sun and 24% of the market share in UK newspapers being worth $19 billion.
2)
In 2019 the Time's circulation was 376,000 which is actually a significant decrease compared to the amount they were selling back in the 1990s which was in fact about 800,000.
3)
The Times have reacted to the decline in print sales and the growth of the internet by not only creating a online version of their newspaper but also by creating a paywall so that their readers can subscribe and pay if they want to read the content.
4)
IPSO stands for the Independent Press Standards Organisation and was the replacement for the PCC (Press Complaints Commission). It is a voluntary regulator for British printed newspapers and magazines meaning that journalists can essentially publish whatever they want.
5)
Some people want stronger regulation of British newspapers as journalists can even say things that are false along with things with grammatical errors. Even when it comes to amending these mistakes it takes a few months and the correction usually comes in a small box not corresponding to the size of the original article. In order for these mistakes to not be made a stronger regulation will be needed.
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