Introduction
My
main product was a newspaper aimed at teenagers and young adults, along with
the 2 supporting products of a radio advert and a poster. Last year at AS I created
a magazine so this built on my digital design and marketing skills, as learning
new recording and editing skills. I have a strong interest in business and
marketing and therefore I found the advertisement and marketing of this product
to my audience particularly interesting.
Main Product Newspaper Analysis (Research How Used)
Front Page
Codes
Strap line
These are less common in newspapers, but when they are featured they are placed just below the masthead and consist of some sort of selling statement, such as the Eastern Daily Press saying 'Britain's Regional Newspaper of the Year'.
Headlines
The headlines for local newspapers tend to be very
mixed, from using quotes from the people in the story, to using literary
techniques to simply stating what has happened in the story. Some newspapers
use capital letters for their headlines and some do not. Usually, the more
shocking the story the more likely they will use capital letters.
I found it was important for
newspapers to use a variety of font, with serif font nearly always being used
for headlines. Font varies for different things such as pull out boxes, the
date and by lines, which tend to be black sans-serif font, usually quite small,
with article writing being even smaller in a serif font.
Colour
The colour scheme of a newspaper tends to, besides black;
consist of only one or two other colours. This is not only practical in terms
of printing but ensures these features do not take away from the main points of
the stories and the information it conveys.
As you can see in the example, 3 colours are used, a blue, black and a
pale yellow. The rest of the page is brightened by the adverts but the main
body of the article is kept in this simple colour scheme.
Composition
The less important features, such as adverts, tend to be at the bottom and side of the page. The masthead and important information such as date, price and website is always at the top and it is common for the headline to be just below it. Where the headline is not below the masthead, there is a pull-out box with the main headline, of a different story below. The picture usually also tends to be at the top of the page.
Newspapers can also often be divided into column layouts, with the example being in 5 columns.
Newspapers can also often be divided into column layouts, with the example being in 5 columns.
Pull-Out/WOB
These use a change of colour or style to make a story stand out on the page, in this example, a large picture and a text box have been used to make the story stand out. Other examples of pull outs include 'ALSO INSIDE' sections and smaller box stories which tend to be at the side of the article.
CaptionThese appear underneath pictures, usually detailing what is happening. It will consist of a short phrase which also adds to the general idea of what the article is about without the reader having to read it. You can see here two examples of captions beneath two completely different images.
By Lines
These are simply underneath/on pictures and articles and detail who wrote the article or took the picture, often with an email address so readers can contact them, perhaps to express an opinion about the article. 
Pictures
Whilst the main picture on the front page may not be linked to the main headline, there is always at least one main picture on the front page of a local newspaper. These are usually live action shots, sometimes staged for photographic purposes, which sum up the narrative of the story.
Conventions
Plot
This is closely linked with News Values, as the plot of the article is of paramount importance to the reader. The plot must be portrayed as easy to follow and short to read, and complicated events must be simplified according to the needs of the audience. In addition, the plot must be interesting.
This is closely linked with News Values, as the plot of the article is of paramount importance to the reader. The plot must be portrayed as easy to follow and short to read, and complicated events must be simplified according to the needs of the audience. In addition, the plot must be interesting.
Point of View
The point of view of the newspaper as a whole tends to be in accordance to the editor, in particular their political stance. For example, in my local area there is a Conservative MP and therefore the newspaper tends to take a more Conservative stance, hence also the blue colour scheme.
The point of view of the newspaper as a whole tends to be in accordance to the editor, in particular their political stance. For example, in my local area there is a Conservative MP and therefore the newspaper tends to take a more Conservative stance, hence also the blue colour scheme.
Ideology
The ideology of the newspaper differs in accordance with the point of view, as well as the audience. Local newspapers have the ideology of communicating to as many local newspaper as possible, and the most relevant information, and therefore will carefully choose stories according to this ideology.
The ideology of the newspaper differs in accordance with the point of view, as well as the audience. Local newspapers have the ideology of communicating to as many local newspaper as possible, and the most relevant information, and therefore will carefully choose stories according to this ideology.
Representation
This again, ties in with ideology. The representation of the local area will be mainly positive, as it is created by local people. Whilst there is some negative representation, this tends to be targeted at certain groups at certain times.
House Style
This again, ties in with ideology. The representation of the local area will be mainly positive, as it is created by local people. Whilst there is some negative representation, this tends to be targeted at certain groups at certain times.
House Style
This ensures that the same codes and conventions are used throughout the newspaper and ties in with other artefacts making the products easily recognisable to a certain brand. You can see this on the front page as it sets the style for the rest of the newspaper.
Second Page
Codes
Headlines
The headlines on the second page are usually less significant than those on the front page. However, as they are essentially the opening to the newspaper, usually many controversial headlines are featured on these pages. They are often more personal stories detailing a particular individuals struggle, such as 'Sadness as town police officer is moved to new job'. Font and Size
The font on the second page is according to the first, as it continues as a part of house style. However, much of the font, especially the headlines, is a lot smaller, due to not only needing to fit a great deal on a page but also holding less importance than those on the front page.
Colour
Again, this is dependent on the house style, as whatever colour scheme is set by the Front Page is continued throughout the newspaper. There is usually slightly less colour on the second page than on the first as it tends to need to be less eye catching.
Composition
This varies greatly from page to page, but often a larger headline is in the middle, with various features, such as editorial box and adverts at the side and at the bottom.
Features
These vary greatly from newspaper to newspaper, but generally the second page features mainly articles and then some kind of extra feature, such as weather, competition or an editorial. For the example to the left it is a box containing various contact details for the newspaper.
Conventions
House Style
This is continued from the front page of the newspaper as you can see with the shades of blue used on this page. Font is consistent throughout the page as is the layout from both these pages.
Point of View
The point of view on the second page is primarily that of the journalists writing the article. However, particularly in local newspapers it tends to be more fact based than opinion as it is more about getting the news across to the local readers than persuading them of a certain opinion.
Pictures
Pictures again are simply illustrative and vary from action shots, for example in one we see a policeman at work to show how he is good at his job, where as in two it is more of a posed shot, as it is almost like an appeal for fundraising.
Narrative, Audience and Representative Theories
Because newspapers are primarily full of facts and not points of view (see above), the constructionist theory is present, particularly within controversial stories where the audience is encourage to make up their own mind. However, hegemonic theory can also be applied in that it will display some bias (in this case political, due to the use of the colour blue to representative the conservative supporters in my area), and therefore there will be some control over the decisions the audience makes. Cultivation theory can also be applied as the more the audience reads this newspaper the more they are likely to agree with such political views. The most common narrative theory in newspapers is the 'Hypodermic Needle Theory', which highlights how the information the newspaper received is directly 'injected' and then believed by the audience. Inverted triangle theory is also extremely important in newspapers, particularly in articles.
2nd Artefact Poster Analysis (Research How Used)
Codes
Font
The font varies greatly within newspaper posters, however it is key for the font to be both clear and large, as posters are read from a distance and it needs to be able to be read in order to draw the audience in.
Colours
Whilst these are a lot more varied than that of the actual newspaper, in order to keep a house style at least one colour, such as blue, is used from the newspaper, with corresponding colours used along side it. The poster needs to be eye catching and therefore these colours are often bright. You can see that in the 'i' newspaper poster, the same colour of 'i' is used on the poster which is used on the newspaper.
Layout
The general layout of a newspaper poster appears to have text at the top, a photograph or graphic picture in the middle and then extra details at the bottom. You can see this on the 'i' poster, however this can differ such as posters like the guardian poster which has taken a slightly more artistic and obscure approach.
Text
Like the diversity that comes with newspaper posters, as does the text on newspaper posters. The most key thing included on posters was the name of newspaper, along with generally some key words which sum the newspaper and some sort of online details. Besides these three common things, the text on newspaper posters varies completely.
FontThe font varies greatly within newspaper posters, however it is key for the font to be both clear and large, as posters are read from a distance and it needs to be able to be read in order to draw the audience in.
Colours
Whilst these are a lot more varied than that of the actual newspaper, in order to keep a house style at least one colour, such as blue, is used from the newspaper, with corresponding colours used along side it. The poster needs to be eye catching and therefore these colours are often bright. You can see that in the 'i' newspaper poster, the same colour of 'i' is used on the poster which is used on the newspaper.
Layout
The general layout of a newspaper poster appears to have text at the top, a photograph or graphic picture in the middle and then extra details at the bottom. You can see this on the 'i' poster, however this can differ such as posters like the guardian poster which has taken a slightly more artistic and obscure approach. Text
Like the diversity that comes with newspaper posters, as does the text on newspaper posters. The most key thing included on posters was the name of newspaper, along with generally some key words which sum the newspaper and some sort of online details. Besides these three common things, the text on newspaper posters varies completely.
Conventions
Representation
As the aim of the poster is to sell the product, it is generally a positive representation of the newspaper. They tend to try and persuade the reader that their newspaper is better than any others out there, for example 'The Guardian' poster in which the implication is other newspapers obscure the difference between fact and opinion and they do not.
Representation
As the aim of the poster is to sell the product, it is generally a positive representation of the newspaper. They tend to try and persuade the reader that their newspaper is better than any others out there, for example 'The Guardian' poster in which the implication is other newspapers obscure the difference between fact and opinion and they do not.
Pictures
Pictures vary greatly from poster to poster, including ones containing stock characters reading the newspapers, to ones made up entirely of graphics and words. The ones I have seen mainly consist of text.
Ideology
The most common ideology that came across from posters was the aim of convincing people that it is a product that benefits them. Furthermore, there tended to be a view that it is a newspaper that provides accurate information and is one of a kind in terms of value for money.
Pictures vary greatly from poster to poster, including ones containing stock characters reading the newspapers, to ones made up entirely of graphics and words. The ones I have seen mainly consist of text.
Ideology
The most common ideology that came across from posters was the aim of convincing people that it is a product that benefits them. Furthermore, there tended to be a view that it is a newspaper that provides accurate information and is one of a kind in terms of value for money.
3rd Artefact Radio Advert Analysis (Research How Used)
Codes
Music
For Radio Adverts, music tends to be upbeat and lively, in order to not bore the audience. However, this music is usually quieter than the voice and tends to be more for background effect rather than the main body of the article.
Sound Effects
Sound effects vary greatly from advert to advert, and sometimes there are none. However, when used these again tend to be lively or go along with the narrative of the advert - ie if the advert features cats, then there will be cat sound effects in the advert.
Voice
This is the most important element of the advert as it provides all the information needed, it is therefore usually the loudest and clearest element as well.
Conventions
Narrative
These can vary greatly, but generally the point is to give as much information in as short as a time as possible, therefore it is often common to feature a short story which has the outcome of buying the product advertised.
Music
For Radio Adverts, music tends to be upbeat and lively, in order to not bore the audience. However, this music is usually quieter than the voice and tends to be more for background effect rather than the main body of the article.
Sound Effects
Sound effects vary greatly from advert to advert, and sometimes there are none. However, when used these again tend to be lively or go along with the narrative of the advert - ie if the advert features cats, then there will be cat sound effects in the advert.
Voice
This is the most important element of the advert as it provides all the information needed, it is therefore usually the loudest and clearest element as well.
Conventions
Narrative
These can vary greatly, but generally the point is to give as much information in as short as a time as possible, therefore it is often common to feature a short story which has the outcome of buying the product advertised.
Representation
As the advert has the aim of selling the product, the representation is generally positive. Local newspapers tend to be representative of a certain area and generally the advert will only be aimed at this area and therefore representation does not have to specific.
As the advert has the aim of selling the product, the representation is generally positive. Local newspapers tend to be representative of a certain area and generally the advert will only be aimed at this area and therefore representation does not have to specific.
Ideology
The ideology is that people buying this product will benefit from it, and it is specifically targeting local people.
Composition
The way the advert is put together can vary but usually any sort of narrative is put first, then the important information last. This is similar to posters where the picture is the narrative.
The ideology is that people buying this product will benefit from it, and it is specifically targeting local people.
Composition
The way the advert is put together can vary but usually any sort of narrative is put first, then the important information last. This is similar to posters where the picture is the narrative.
Main Product Newspaper Analysis (How I Used and Developed)
Front Page
Codes
Masthead
In my masthead, I used two main colours: blue and black, which fitted in with my house style. To ensure my local ideology came across, I put the word 'Wymondham' in blue, with the other two words in black, making sure my audience was clear that this newspaper is specifically about Wymondham and the local area. To reinforce this further, I included an image of Wymondham's town sign, which also demonstrated a movement from old to new as it is a historical sign. In addition, I used two different fonts, the first of which for the word 'The' looked more handwritten and sophisticated as I felt this added a sense of class to the magazine as it is not just 'Wymondham Times' but 'THE Wymondham Times', and I felt this font demonstrated this. For the words Wymondham and Times I used a bold sans serif font, as this displayed my newspaper as young as well as being important. I also felt it made the masthead stand out on the page. I felt I developed this code slightly as masthead normally feature just one colour and instead I chose two, mainly to display the diversity of the newspaper and target my audience, who as they are younger than a typical audience, would prefer colour.
Strapline
Because my newspaper is a new publication, it does not have a reputation to fall back on and therefore it is important that my strap line features a slogan that is effective and memorable. I chose 'Relevant and New, Local to You' as it not only displays the key selling points of my magazine in a short sentence that rhymes, but it also helps to display my ideology and therefore directly targets my audience. I developed this idea of a strap line from simply being a fact about the newspaper to being a genuine reason why my audience should be the newspaper.
In my masthead, I used two main colours: blue and black, which fitted in with my house style. To ensure my local ideology came across, I put the word 'Wymondham' in blue, with the other two words in black, making sure my audience was clear that this newspaper is specifically about Wymondham and the local area. To reinforce this further, I included an image of Wymondham's town sign, which also demonstrated a movement from old to new as it is a historical sign. In addition, I used two different fonts, the first of which for the word 'The' looked more handwritten and sophisticated as I felt this added a sense of class to the magazine as it is not just 'Wymondham Times' but 'THE Wymondham Times', and I felt this font demonstrated this. For the words Wymondham and Times I used a bold sans serif font, as this displayed my newspaper as young as well as being important. I also felt it made the masthead stand out on the page. I felt I developed this code slightly as masthead normally feature just one colour and instead I chose two, mainly to display the diversity of the newspaper and target my audience, who as they are younger than a typical audience, would prefer colour. Strapline
Because my newspaper is a new publication, it does not have a reputation to fall back on and therefore it is important that my strap line features a slogan that is effective and memorable. I chose 'Relevant and New, Local to You' as it not only displays the key selling points of my magazine in a short sentence that rhymes, but it also helps to display my ideology and therefore directly targets my audience. I developed this idea of a strap line from simply being a fact about the newspaper to being a genuine reason why my audience should be the newspaper.
Headlines
I kept my two headlines 'Young Hero Meets MP' and 'Marathon Madness' simple. I felt my first headline summed
up the story whilst displaying my ideology of young people doing good things, with a slight alliteration between 'meets' and 'MP'. My second headline again was alliteration, but also had a sense of fun within it, as instead of just saying 'two girls run marathon', I chose to express it as something crazy yet exciting and fun that these girls had done and therefore create a friendly face to the newspaper. This is something not always seen in newspapers that are aimed at an older audience and therefore I feel I developed my headline in this way
I kept my two headlines 'Young Hero Meets MP' and 'Marathon Madness' simple. I felt my first headline summed
Logos
The main logo I featured on my front page was of the Wymondham Town Sign. This not only ensured the audience was aware it was a local newspaper but it added a sense of legitimacy as it is similar to the way existing newspapers place themselves in their local area. It also created this sense of a mix between old and new and that a new newspaper in an old town can be seen as a good asset and a positive thing.
The main logo I featured on my front page was of the Wymondham Town Sign. This not only ensured the audience was aware it was a local newspaper but it added a sense of legitimacy as it is similar to the way existing newspapers place themselves in their local area. It also created this sense of a mix between old and new and that a new newspaper in an old town can be seen as a good asset and a positive thing.
Font and Size
I used several fonts on my front page, differing them from headlines, to text, to my masthead. I felt by using a range of fonts in a range of different sizes it not only made my front page aesthetically pleasing but helped to make my newspaper look more real as a range of fonts is always seen in real products. I felt a range of sizes was also important as some things, such as headlines and my masthead, needed to stand out more than other things such as my article text.
Colour
My colour scheme of my front page is relatively simple, blue, white and black. I chose to go for this colour scheme as it not only follows the typical newspaper that is only usually featuring one actual colour, but due to the demographics of my newspaper, it generally represents the 'country conservative' teen. Given the Conservative colour is blue, this therefore fitted well with my newspaper in terms of targeting my audience.
My colour scheme of my front page is relatively simple, blue, white and black. I chose to go for this colour scheme as it not only follows the typical newspaper that is only usually featuring one actual colour, but due to the demographics of my newspaper, it generally represents the 'country conservative' teen. Given the Conservative colour is blue, this therefore fitted well with my newspaper in terms of targeting my audience.
Composition
I featured all the most important things in my newspaper towards the top of the page, with a large section taken up by my main story. Typically the most important things on a newspaper are included to the left, and therefore I conformed by including the smaller things such as my pull out and adverts on the right hand side and my two articles on the left. I felt it was important to put my picture before my article in the main story as I found my target audience were more likely to look at pictures first before deciding to read the newspaper.
Pull Out
For my pull out I had a box called 'Inside This Week' which featured 2 stories as well as smaller sections such as events and jobs. All of the sections I chose in this box were directly based on feedback from my target audience and I felt it was important to include this box as whilst the audience might not be interested in my headline story, they may be interested in these slightly smaller stories. I included slightly ambiguous headlines in this box in order to encourage my audience to look into the newspaper to find out what they're about.
Caption
I kept my captions for my pictures simple, with a literal description of what is happening in the picture. I used two different colours in the writing for my caption, blue and black again and chose to put the word 'PICTURED' in capital letters to make it stand out. I felt these captions were an important asset to my newspaper as they add a sense of life to the pictures and bring them alive for the audience to enjoy.
By line
I made simple by lines out of one colour and one font as whilst I did not want them to stand out I still wanted to make sure they held some importance on the page. I did not include the journalist/photographers email address as I felt this was information I would include on a website and therefore it was an unnecessary detail to add.
Adverts
I felt, that although adverts were not an essential part of my page, that in order to fit in with typical newspapers, they were something I had to include. In order to earn most of their revenue, local newspapers allow local businesses to advertise on their newspaper. I therefore chose to include two adverts on my front page, the first for a local takeaway, and the second for dance classes. Both were aimed at my target audience, the first being a voucher for food due to the usual lower earnings of 13-25 year olds, in particular students. My second, was aimed at the slightly older half of my audience, but even for the 13-15 year olds in my target audience is something they could bear in mind for the future and pass on to someone else. I kept the graphics and layouts for these adverts simple as they were not a key feature, but still ensured they used a variation of colours to stand out as a separate part to the main body of my newspaper.
I featured all the most important things in my newspaper towards the top of the page, with a large section taken up by my main story. Typically the most important things on a newspaper are included to the left, and therefore I conformed by including the smaller things such as my pull out and adverts on the right hand side and my two articles on the left. I felt it was important to put my picture before my article in the main story as I found my target audience were more likely to look at pictures first before deciding to read the newspaper. Pull Out
For my pull out I had a box called 'Inside This Week' which featured 2 stories as well as smaller sections such as events and jobs. All of the sections I chose in this box were directly based on feedback from my target audience and I felt it was important to include this box as whilst the audience might not be interested in my headline story, they may be interested in these slightly smaller stories. I included slightly ambiguous headlines in this box in order to encourage my audience to look into the newspaper to find out what they're about.
Caption
I kept my captions for my pictures simple, with a literal description of what is happening in the picture. I used two different colours in the writing for my caption, blue and black again and chose to put the word 'PICTURED' in capital letters to make it stand out. I felt these captions were an important asset to my newspaper as they add a sense of life to the pictures and bring them alive for the audience to enjoy. By line
I made simple by lines out of one colour and one font as whilst I did not want them to stand out I still wanted to make sure they held some importance on the page. I did not include the journalist/photographers email address as I felt this was information I would include on a website and therefore it was an unnecessary detail to add. Adverts
Conventions
Picture
The stock event in my main picture reflected my ideology as it was a ceremony recognising the efforts of a young person within their community, and therefore I had two main stock characters: the MP and Ben, the young person. To make sure it was clear what was happening in my picture I had a prop of a certificate and both males were dressed in the costume of a suit to show the importance of the event. Finally I considered my setting which was outside a town hall and reinforced the authority of the MP as well as the importance of the event, along with reinforcing the news value of proximity and celebrity. All of these things helped to not only reinforce my ideology but also were able to narrate the events in the story. I felt this posed shot was important as it showed Ben looking pleased will all his efforts and displayed teenagers of being worthy of such recognition. I took both smiling pictures and
serious pictures for this photograph however, I felt the serious photo was more effective in portraying the authority of my MP, as it wanted it to be clear that whilst this is a newspaper aimed at young people, they do not disrespect adults. In addition, I took the photo on a level setting and therefore this was a way to ensure his authority was displayed.
The smaller two pictures on my pull out box were simply illustrative of the headline, and whilst a lot less thought went into them I still wanted them to sum up the narrative of the story.
The stock event in my main picture reflected my ideology as it was a ceremony recognising the efforts of a young person within their community, and therefore I had two main stock characters: the MP and Ben, the young person. To make sure it was clear what was happening in my picture I had a prop of a certificate and both males were dressed in the costume of a suit to show the importance of the event. Finally I considered my setting which was outside a town hall and reinforced the authority of the MP as well as the importance of the event, along with reinforcing the news value of proximity and celebrity. All of these things helped to not only reinforce my ideology but also were able to narrate the events in the story. I felt this posed shot was important as it showed Ben looking pleased will all his efforts and displayed teenagers of being worthy of such recognition. I took both smiling pictures and
serious pictures for this photograph however, I felt the serious photo was more effective in portraying the authority of my MP, as it wanted it to be clear that whilst this is a newspaper aimed at young people, they do not disrespect adults. In addition, I took the photo on a level setting and therefore this was a way to ensure his authority was displayed. The smaller two pictures on my pull out box were simply illustrative of the headline, and whilst a lot less thought went into them I still wanted them to sum up the narrative of the story.
Point of View
The point of view throughout the front page was clearly that of the editor (as they also control the point of view of the journalists). Whilst there were some comments of those people involved in the story, it was clear what the audience was reading was edited in a certain positive light and therefore displaying only a positive point of view of these teenagers.
The point of view throughout the front page was clearly that of the editor (as they also control the point of view of the journalists). Whilst there were some comments of those people involved in the story, it was clear what the audience was reading was edited in a certain positive light and therefore displaying only a positive point of view of these teenagers.
Register
I kept my register formal, yet friendly. By using short sentences, personal pronouns and casual language in some sections I ensured my audience was well addressed, but not patronised.
Ideology
I felt my ideology throughout my front page was extremely clear. Through every aspect I have analysed I felt that the idea that young people are a positive asset of society came through, particularly on my picture and articles. I felt that contemporary style of my newspaper was able to display this ideology in an effective and eye catching way.
I kept my register formal, yet friendly. By using short sentences, personal pronouns and casual language in some sections I ensured my audience was well addressed, but not patronised.
Ideology
I felt my ideology throughout my front page was extremely clear. Through every aspect I have analysed I felt that the idea that young people are a positive asset of society came through, particularly on my picture and articles. I felt that contemporary style of my newspaper was able to display this ideology in an effective and eye catching way.
Second Page
Codes
Headline
There is only one headline on my second page: 'No-fest for playfest'. This is obviously a play on words to sum up what is a bit of a miserable story in a fun way. It's short, snappy and repetitive, and therefore will encourage readers to read into the article.
Font and Size
Most of my font on my second page was a lot smaller than on my first page, because it needs to stand out less, as this page is mainly for reading and therefore you can assume the audience will continue to read slightly smaller text. Again I used a range of fonts, some of which were featured on the front cover to ensure a continuation of house style as well as make it aesthetically pleasing. The font I used was mainly sans-serif to reflect my young audience but I chose not to challenge the typical serif font for headlines and so I kept this to display clearly that although it is a newspaper aimed at young people, it is still a newspaper with the same recognisable characteristics.
Colour
The colour scheme on my second page now included grey as an extension of the white, blue and black colour scheme. This was because I felt it added more dimension and also fitted in with the black and white photograph of my editor on the page. It broke up the page more but still worked as part of my house style as I continued to include blue, black and white throughout.
Composition
My second page was divided into 3 main sections: an article, an editorial and letters from readers. I felt it was important these three individual sections were clear as the audience would then be able to read only what they were interested in. I also chose to put the advert at the bottom of the page as it was the least important part of my page and therefore I did not want the eye to be draw to it.
Features
I had two main features on this page: Editorial/Comment and the 'Letter' Section. Both of these discussed the same topic: 'Votes for 16 and 17 year olds', something I felt displayed my ideology as it directly addessed my audience as being able to have a say both by having the vote and by writing in. I decided to include an editorial introducing the topic to create a kind of 'parental' figure from the magazine, from which the readers would then be able to take from. By including letters from real life teenagers, I was able to get the readers involved and get their views and allow them to have some influence on the magazine.
Conventions
Register
The register, particularly of the editorial, was a lot more personal. It directly addressed my audience, but remained formal in the way it was expressed. The register of the readers who wrote letters tended to be less formal, however this can be expected as they generally wrote in the same way they would speak.
Ideology
I felt my ideology was extremely clear through my involvement of young people in the paper in particular. The idea that young people are capable of such a thing helped to support my ideology as well as young people supporting it.
Picture
The pictures on my second page were of less importance than my first. The one of the festival was simply an illustrative narrative shot that did not involve much thought as I decided that the actual text within the article would be the main focus, as I hoped the slightly ambiguous headline would cause the reader to not only look at the picture but read the actual article. The main event in the picture is of course the actual festival, with many 'festival goers' as the stock characters. My second picture was a simple portrait shot of my editor, who was dressed in a plain costume and against a plain background in order to keep it a very neutral shot. I then put this in black and white to add a sense of sophistication to my editor as a slightly older person, but kept her smiling as representing the friendly face of the newspaper.
Point of View
Due to the involvement of my audience on the second page, the point of views is more diverse. Not only is there the personal view of the editor, but also the story about the festival, and the 3 individual views of the readers. This makes sure my newspaper is therefore less bias and therefore encourages a larger audience.
Both
Representation, Narrative and Audience Theories
There are many of these theories present within my newspaper and therefore I have picked out a few key ones.
Propp's Narrative Theory: You can see this most prominently in my main photograph on my front page, where there are two of Propp's stock characters. These are the 'Hero' in the form of Ben, and the 'Helper' in the form of the MP. I feel Ben is the hero because he has been able to save the image of young people within the community and also save his own reputation. I feel that the MP is the Helper, as his presence in this event has helped Ben to be recognised where he might not have been before.
Hypodermic Needle Theory: In some ways this is present, in the persuasion of the reader to be annoyed about the festival being cancelled and persuaded to be proud of Ben, Eleanor and Abigail, however, in a way my newspaper also challenges this theory. By including the views of my audience in the forms of letters I have alllowed them to have their own say about the newspaper and therefore have prevented them simply being 'spoon fed' information which they are expected to fully believe. It encourages them to think for themselves.
Inverted Triangle Theory: This was something I felt was essential to conform to as it was not only a helpful frame with which to write my article but it also ensured I included all the essential information in the right order. I felt if I did not follow this theory then my articles may have been ineffective and irrelevant to my reader.
News Values: I felt the most key news value to consider on my front page was proximity. It was important to immediately convey that these stories were local and therefore relevant, not only supporting my strap line but enforcing my ideology and therefore targeting my audience.
There is only one headline on my second page: 'No-fest for playfest'. This is obviously a play on words to sum up what is a bit of a miserable story in a fun way. It's short, snappy and repetitive, and therefore will encourage readers to read into the article.Font and Size
Most of my font on my second page was a lot smaller than on my first page, because it needs to stand out less, as this page is mainly for reading and therefore you can assume the audience will continue to read slightly smaller text. Again I used a range of fonts, some of which were featured on the front cover to ensure a continuation of house style as well as make it aesthetically pleasing. The font I used was mainly sans-serif to reflect my young audience but I chose not to challenge the typical serif font for headlines and so I kept this to display clearly that although it is a newspaper aimed at young people, it is still a newspaper with the same recognisable characteristics.
Colour
The colour scheme on my second page now included grey as an extension of the white, blue and black colour scheme. This was because I felt it added more dimension and also fitted in with the black and white photograph of my editor on the page. It broke up the page more but still worked as part of my house style as I continued to include blue, black and white throughout.Composition
My second page was divided into 3 main sections: an article, an editorial and letters from readers. I felt it was important these three individual sections were clear as the audience would then be able to read only what they were interested in. I also chose to put the advert at the bottom of the page as it was the least important part of my page and therefore I did not want the eye to be draw to it.
Features
I had two main features on this page: Editorial/Comment and the 'Letter' Section. Both of these discussed the same topic: 'Votes for 16 and 17 year olds', something I felt displayed my ideology as it directly addessed my audience as being able to have a say both by having the vote and by writing in. I decided to include an editorial introducing the topic to create a kind of 'parental' figure from the magazine, from which the readers would then be able to take from. By including letters from real life teenagers, I was able to get the readers involved and get their views and allow them to have some influence on the magazine. Conventions
Register
The register, particularly of the editorial, was a lot more personal. It directly addressed my audience, but remained formal in the way it was expressed. The register of the readers who wrote letters tended to be less formal, however this can be expected as they generally wrote in the same way they would speak.
Ideology
I felt my ideology was extremely clear through my involvement of young people in the paper in particular. The idea that young people are capable of such a thing helped to support my ideology as well as young people supporting it.
Picture
The pictures on my second page were of less importance than my first. The one of the festival was simply an illustrative narrative shot that did not involve much thought as I decided that the actual text within the article would be the main focus, as I hoped the slightly ambiguous headline would cause the reader to not only look at the picture but read the actual article. The main event in the picture is of course the actual festival, with many 'festival goers' as the stock characters. My second picture was a simple portrait shot of my editor, who was dressed in a plain costume and against a plain background in order to keep it a very neutral shot. I then put this in black and white to add a sense of sophistication to my editor as a slightly older person, but kept her smiling as representing the friendly face of the newspaper. Point of View
Due to the involvement of my audience on the second page, the point of views is more diverse. Not only is there the personal view of the editor, but also the story about the festival, and the 3 individual views of the readers. This makes sure my newspaper is therefore less bias and therefore encourages a larger audience.
Both
Representation, Narrative and Audience Theories
There are many of these theories present within my newspaper and therefore I have picked out a few key ones.
Propp's Narrative Theory: You can see this most prominently in my main photograph on my front page, where there are two of Propp's stock characters. These are the 'Hero' in the form of Ben, and the 'Helper' in the form of the MP. I feel Ben is the hero because he has been able to save the image of young people within the community and also save his own reputation. I feel that the MP is the Helper, as his presence in this event has helped Ben to be recognised where he might not have been before.
Hypodermic Needle Theory: In some ways this is present, in the persuasion of the reader to be annoyed about the festival being cancelled and persuaded to be proud of Ben, Eleanor and Abigail, however, in a way my newspaper also challenges this theory. By including the views of my audience in the forms of letters I have alllowed them to have their own say about the newspaper and therefore have prevented them simply being 'spoon fed' information which they are expected to fully believe. It encourages them to think for themselves.
Inverted Triangle Theory: This was something I felt was essential to conform to as it was not only a helpful frame with which to write my article but it also ensured I included all the essential information in the right order. I felt if I did not follow this theory then my articles may have been ineffective and irrelevant to my reader.
News Values: I felt the most key news value to consider on my front page was proximity. It was important to immediately convey that these stories were local and therefore relevant, not only supporting my strap line but enforcing my ideology and therefore targeting my audience.
2nd Artefact Poster Analysis
Codes
Font and Size
I used the same font as my masthead and strap-line for my newspaper, using the sister font of my masthead font for the digital technologies at bottom of the page. Due to the fact my poster is made for a billboard, I ensured all the font was large and so the most important details could be read from a distance.
Text
Whilst I included a lot of text on my poster, I didn't want to make it too text heavy and therefore I varied the text. At the top, there is a rhetorical question, which immediately draws the reader in as it is ambiguous and therefore will make the audience question what the poster is about. Then there is a variety of text/key words spread over a W made up of newspaper. I also included my mast head (combining it with the large W) and slogan, and finally at the bottom of page had the 3 online contact details. I felt the literary techniques and personal pronouns I used were important in attracting my audience.
Colours
My colour scheme remained the same as my house style: black, blue and white. I chose to pick out some words in blue, such as 'you', directly addressing my audience. Often posters can be quite personal however I felt I developed this slightly to completely draw the reader in. Blue again shows the 'country conservative' locality to my newspaper.
Layout and Features
I ensured my poster was extremely busy as it meant all aspects of my audience would find something which attracts them, whether it be text or pictures. By including a blue line at the bottom of the page it almost signalled the difference between the creative top half and the key details at the bottom. I felt the feature of the giant 'W' was extremely creative as it almost brought the text of the newspaper to life. By not just writing all the text in the same way I ensured the audience eye was drawn in, even if not too the bright colours or the personal pronoun, they would be curious about the giant W.
Conventions
Font and Size
I used the same font as my masthead and strap-line for my newspaper, using the sister font of my masthead font for the digital technologies at bottom of the page. Due to the fact my poster is made for a billboard, I ensured all the font was large and so the most important details could be read from a distance. Text
Whilst I included a lot of text on my poster, I didn't want to make it too text heavy and therefore I varied the text. At the top, there is a rhetorical question, which immediately draws the reader in as it is ambiguous and therefore will make the audience question what the poster is about. Then there is a variety of text/key words spread over a W made up of newspaper. I also included my mast head (combining it with the large W) and slogan, and finally at the bottom of page had the 3 online contact details. I felt the literary techniques and personal pronouns I used were important in attracting my audience.
Colours
My colour scheme remained the same as my house style: black, blue and white. I chose to pick out some words in blue, such as 'you', directly addressing my audience. Often posters can be quite personal however I felt I developed this slightly to completely draw the reader in. Blue again shows the 'country conservative' locality to my newspaper.
Layout and Features
I ensured my poster was extremely busy as it meant all aspects of my audience would find something which attracts them, whether it be text or pictures. By including a blue line at the bottom of the page it almost signalled the difference between the creative top half and the key details at the bottom. I felt the feature of the giant 'W' was extremely creative as it almost brought the text of the newspaper to life. By not just writing all the text in the same way I ensured the audience eye was drawn in, even if not too the bright colours or the personal pronoun, they would be curious about the giant W.
Conventions
Pictures
My main picture was of a teenager reading my newspaper. I felt it was important to incorporate my actual newspaper into the poster to ensure not only continuity of style with a link between the two products, but also so my audience were clear exactly what the poster was advertising and what my newspaper looks like on that particular week if they were to look for it in a shop. As a stock character my teenager is important as they will help to persuade others to read the poster. Due to the plain costume this teenager could be anyone and therefore it opens out my audience to every type of teenager.
My main picture was of a teenager reading my newspaper. I felt it was important to incorporate my actual newspaper into the poster to ensure not only continuity of style with a link between the two products, but also so my audience were clear exactly what the poster was advertising and what my newspaper looks like on that particular week if they were to look for it in a shop. As a stock character my teenager is important as they will help to persuade others to read the poster. Due to the plain costume this teenager could be anyone and therefore it opens out my audience to every type of teenager.
Ideology
My ideology of a local, young newspaper was first and foremost displayed in my picture, which as the teenager is reading a newspaper leaning up against the town sign it combines my entire ideology in an effective way. Furthermore, key words representing my ideology are displayed on the giant W, further reinforcing it. By including Twitter, Facebook and website links, I am supporting my younger audience on the move from physical news to online news and technology and therefore am not only addressing my ideology but directly addressing my audience. My strapline/slogan from my newspaper again displays my ideology in an active way which directly addresses the audience, as does the personal pronoun in 'Which side would you rather have?' encouraging my young intelligent audience to play an active role in the newspaper and therefore achieving my ideology of displaying a young, active and positive audience.
Representation
My representation is extremely similar to my ideology, in representing teenager as positive beings who will happily play a part in reading the news. Again this is shown through my image, the personal pronouns and my slogan/strap line.
Register
The register of my poster was very casual and personal, I felt this was effective as this is similar to the way teenagers talk and act and therefore it would attract my audience.
My ideology of a local, young newspaper was first and foremost displayed in my picture, which as the teenager is reading a newspaper leaning up against the town sign it combines my entire ideology in an effective way. Furthermore, key words representing my ideology are displayed on the giant W, further reinforcing it. By including Twitter, Facebook and website links, I am supporting my younger audience on the move from physical news to online news and technology and therefore am not only addressing my ideology but directly addressing my audience. My strapline/slogan from my newspaper again displays my ideology in an active way which directly addresses the audience, as does the personal pronoun in 'Which side would you rather have?' encouraging my young intelligent audience to play an active role in the newspaper and therefore achieving my ideology of displaying a young, active and positive audience.
Representation
My representation is extremely similar to my ideology, in representing teenager as positive beings who will happily play a part in reading the news. Again this is shown through my image, the personal pronouns and my slogan/strap line.
Register
The register of my poster was very casual and personal, I felt this was effective as this is similar to the way teenagers talk and act and therefore it would attract my audience.
3rd Artefact Radio Advert Analysis
Codes
Music
The music I chose to include was 'Busy Child' by the American electronic music duo 'The Crystal Method'. As it was only the first 10 seconds of the song it is made completely up of an instrumental drum beat, which is lively and upbeat. I chose an upbeat song which was typical of radio adverts.
Sound Effects
I decided not to use any sound effects, as I showed the advert to a few of my peers and they felt that the voices sounded better without any background noise. Whilst having just voices talking without any background noise is unusual, it is not a complete challenge of a radio advert and therefore I feel it was effective.
Voice
I used 3 different voices in my radio, a girl, a boy and a Voice-over. I felt it was important to get a gender neutral balance to best attract both males and females in my audience, who may be put off if they feel the advert is solely aimed at a certain gender. As all my voice actors were within my target audience I felt this would also address my audience as they are being told about a product by people of their own age would make them more likely to invest in it. Having a voice-over added a sense of authority to the advert to ensure it was seen as an advert and not simply as a conversation broadcast. I did not include a music at this part as it would have taken away from the narrative, as well as the music signalling the transition between narrative and voice-over. By using young people I helped to enforce 'hypodermic needle theory' as young people are more likely to be persuaded and influenced by someone their own age.
Conventions
Music
The music I chose to include was 'Busy Child' by the American electronic music duo 'The Crystal Method'. As it was only the first 10 seconds of the song it is made completely up of an instrumental drum beat, which is lively and upbeat. I chose an upbeat song which was typical of radio adverts. Sound Effects
I decided not to use any sound effects, as I showed the advert to a few of my peers and they felt that the voices sounded better without any background noise. Whilst having just voices talking without any background noise is unusual, it is not a complete challenge of a radio advert and therefore I feel it was effective.
Voice
I used 3 different voices in my radio, a girl, a boy and a Voice-over. I felt it was important to get a gender neutral balance to best attract both males and females in my audience, who may be put off if they feel the advert is solely aimed at a certain gender. As all my voice actors were within my target audience I felt this would also address my audience as they are being told about a product by people of their own age would make them more likely to invest in it. Having a voice-over added a sense of authority to the advert to ensure it was seen as an advert and not simply as a conversation broadcast. I did not include a music at this part as it would have taken away from the narrative, as well as the music signalling the transition between narrative and voice-over. By using young people I helped to enforce 'hypodermic needle theory' as young people are more likely to be persuaded and influenced by someone their own age.
Final Script:
Girl: Have you heard about the teenager who climbed a mountain for charity?
Boy: No? I don't read the news!
Girl: Why not?
Boy: Well... (Music starts playing)
Voice over: What do YOU think of when you hear the word newspaper? Boring? Complicated? Irrelevant? Well that's because you've never read the WYMONDHAM TIMES. New and Relevant to you, Buy it today or miss out tommorrow!
Conventions
Narrative
As you can see in my final script the story of the advert is someone persuading their peer to read a newspaper. I chose to do this as I felt in turn that this would persuade my audience to read a newspaper. By having a casual conversation it shows the friendly face of the newspaper, and also fits in with many existing adverts. My narrative, in a similar way to inverted triangle theory, allowed my audience to get the important exciting part first and the secondary details later.
Representation
The representation is mixed, as there are two different types of teenagers - one who is keen on the news and one who isn't. It is representing my newspaper as positive asset to these teenagers lives and as a new concept to be appreciated. It is seen as being gender neutral as well as something that is to be encouraged.
As you can see in my final script the story of the advert is someone persuading their peer to read a newspaper. I chose to do this as I felt in turn that this would persuade my audience to read a newspaper. By having a casual conversation it shows the friendly face of the newspaper, and also fits in with many existing adverts. My narrative, in a similar way to inverted triangle theory, allowed my audience to get the important exciting part first and the secondary details later.
Representation
The representation is mixed, as there are two different types of teenagers - one who is keen on the news and one who isn't. It is representing my newspaper as positive asset to these teenagers lives and as a new concept to be appreciated. It is seen as being gender neutral as well as something that is to be encouraged.
Ideology
To display my ideology I not only featured young people but also included key words from my slogan such as 'new' and 'relevant'. The narrative contributes to my ideology as it shows the positive power of teenagers to use 'peer' pressure in the right way.
Composition
My advert was composed of two main sections - the narrative story and the important information/selling point. By including the narrative section first, it helped to draw the reader in as it wasn't clear at first what the episode was about - so wanting to find out gave the audience a reason to listen. By then including an upbeat voice over at the end, it encourages the audience to then invest in the product as they have chosen to listen to the whole advert.
Register
I used teenagers in my advert and therefore my register was friendly and casual, using personal pronouns to directly address my audience and effectively display my ideology.
Conventions
To display my ideology I not only featured young people but also included key words from my slogan such as 'new' and 'relevant'. The narrative contributes to my ideology as it shows the positive power of teenagers to use 'peer' pressure in the right way.
Composition
My advert was composed of two main sections - the narrative story and the important information/selling point. By including the narrative section first, it helped to draw the reader in as it wasn't clear at first what the episode was about - so wanting to find out gave the audience a reason to listen. By then including an upbeat voice over at the end, it encourages the audience to then invest in the product as they have chosen to listen to the whole advert.
Register
I used teenagers in my advert and therefore my register was friendly and casual, using personal pronouns to directly address my audience and effectively display my ideology.
Main Product Newspaper Analysis (How I Challenged)
Front Page
Codes
Strapline
I felt I
challenged this code because strap lines such as this tend to be more typical
to magazines and therefore to apply it to a newspaper is slightly more unusual
but in my case I feel it was extremely effective.
Adverts
I
felt I challenged this slightly as it was not something my target audience
wanted to include, however I included it anyway. I felt it was important to address
my audience in this way as advertisements are a key part of newspapers so I
felt it was something I had to include.
Conventions
Register
Whilst I wrote more formally than what would be said in a
conversation, I wanted my newspaper to seem more of a friendly face than
typical newspapers and therefore ensured that this was seen through the
challenge of a newspaper tone into a slightly more casual one, whilst still
ensuring the message was clear.
Picture
I
challenged this by only including young people in my photographs; therefore
excluding the typical audience of a newspaper – however I felt this was the
correct way to directly target my audience, even if it was slightly unusual.
Point of View
I challenged
this by only including a positive view of teenagers rather than one side.
Second Page
Codes
Features
I felt my
letters challenged typical magazine, as not only are letters not often featured
on the second page, but it is usually the readers who choose to write on their
own topic, not a topic which is set for them. However, I felt in order to
display my ideology in the two short pages I had, I wanted to include a diverse
second page that would represent the entirety of my newspaper.
Conventions
Register
I
challenged this by using a slightly more casual register as I felt
this unusual more casual register was effective as it allowed the
audience to get involved in the newspaper.
2nd Artefact Poster Analysis
Codes
Text
Although
I saw something similar on a poster for the 'i' newspaper, I felt by using
letters made up of newspaper I was challenging this in a creative way. I felt the feature of the giant 'W' challenged typical
posters as it was creative and brought the text to life. It was unusual and
helped my audience to be curious as well as challenging the typical more
reserved layout of a newspaper poster
3rd Artefact Radio Advert
Analysis
Codes
Music
Usually
music the music plays throughout the whole piece and I challenged this by
deciding to only use voices for my first half to ensure this was the key
focus.
Conventions
Narrative
I
challenged this by featuring a solely teenager based narrative with no adult
figures in the actual conversation, as even the voice-over is a
teenager.
Composition
I made my
advert slightly shorter than those I researched, challenging this convention
slightly, however I felt this worked because young people tend to have short
attention spans and I felt that if I tried to do an advert half a minute long
they may have got bored and the whole ideology of my newspaper being relevant
and not boring would have been completely contradicting.
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