Chapter 4
- Choose a story that is in the news. Contrast the coverage of it in two or three different national newspapers. Is the coverage different? If so, in what ways does it differ? Consider aspects such as the descriptions of the event(s), the language used to describe them, the length of sentences and the kinds of words used. Why do you think these differences exist?
- In groups, obtain copies of as many daily and weekly newspapers and magazines as you can. Do they carry different sorts of stories? What about the story structure, the content, the style and tone of language? Why do you think these differences exist? Think about the target audience(s) for each one. Who do you think the typical readers are, in terms of age, education, profession, gender and so on?
- Journalists sometimes set up situations and use hidden microphones in order to tempt or coerce people into making confessions, or committing illegal acts that they might not otherwise do. Do you think reporters should act in this way? Is it in the public interest? Should greater controls be placed on the obtaining of information?
- Look at some examples of tabloid front pages, whether online or in hard-copy format. Then design the perfect tabloid front page, with stories about celebrities featuring surprise, sensation, gossip, scandals, along with adverts for competitions, and so on.
- Research the meaning of the term ‘moral panics’. In recent years there have been many in Britain, for example about types of crime, drugs, video games, youth culture and immigration. Look closely at the media of another country. Are there any news stories about groups of people where the press has discussed events in an unfair, inaccurate or disproportionate way? Think about coverage of young people, gypsies and the various nationalities and ethnic groups. Why might this happen?
- Are there any stories that were reported about you or your friends or family, or issues that you are familiar with, where the published story was quite different to what you expected? Why do you think this was?
- Which newspapers do you read and why? Which parts of the paper do you read or ignore?
- Most British press rarely cover ‘good’ news stories, and instead focus on bad news, since it is believed these are the main stories that people want to read. Do you agree, or do you think they should report good news more often, for example stories about who the Queen met today, how many planes took off and landed successfully, and so on? What sort of good news would you like to hear about?
- Since the arrival of Hello magazine in Britain in 1988, a new class of women’s magazines has emerged, focusing on fame and celebrity. Compare the trend in Britain with women’s magazines in another country? Consider the range, type and subject matter. What could be some reasons for their popularity?
- Carry out research and prepare a presentation to the class on a British magazine or newspaper of your choice. Pay attention to the content and advertisements, and what kind of readers it is aiming to attract.
Books
Baker, P. (2013) Discourse Analysis and Media Attitudes: The Representation of Islam in the British Press, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Benjamin, I. (1995) The Black Press in Britain, Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham Books.
Benwell, B. (2003) Masculinity and Men’s Lifestyle Magazines, Oxford: Wiley.
Bingham, A. (2009) Family Newspapers? Sex, Private Life, and the Popular Press 1918–1978,Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Boyce, G., Curran, J. and Wingate, P. (eds) (1978) Newspaper History: From the 17th Century to the Present, London: Constable.
Braithwaite, B. (1995) Women’s Magazines, London: Peter Owen.
Cohen, S. (2011) Folk Devils and Moral Panics, London: Routledge.
Curran, J. and Seaton, J. (2003) Power Without Responsibility, 5th edn, London: Routledge.
Elgamri, E. (2011) Islam in the British Broadsheets: the Impact of Orientalism on Representations of Islam in the British Press, Reading: Ithaca Press.
Ferguson, M. (1983) Forever Feminine: Women’s Magazines and the Cult of Femininity, London: Heinemann.
Fowler, R. (1991) Language in the News: Discourse and Ideology in the British Press, London and New York: Routledge.
Franklin, B. (1997) Newszak and News Media, London: Edward Arnold.
Greenslade, R. (2004) Press Gang: How Newspapers Make Profits from Propaganda, London: Pan.
Griffiths, D. (ed.) (1992) The Encyclopaedia of the British Press 1422–1992, London: Macmillan.
Horrie, C. (2003) Tabloid Nation, London: Carlton Books.
Jackson, P. (2001) Making Sense of Men’s Magazines, Cambridge: Polity Press
Jones, N. (1996) Soundbites and Spin Doctors, London: Indigo.
Koss, S. (1990) The Rise and Fall of the Political Press in Britain, London: Fontana.
Lee, A. (1976) The Origins of the Popular Press 1855–1914, London: Croom Helm.
Linton, D. and Boston, R. (eds) (1987) The Newspaper Press in Britain: An Annotated Bibliography, London: Mansell.
Lloyd, J. (2004) What the Media are Doing to Our Politics, London: Constable & Robinson.
Marr, A. (2005) My Trade: A Short History of British Journalism, London: Macmillan.
McRobbie, A. (1991) ‘Jackie Magazine: Romantic Individualism and the Teenage Girl’ in Feminism and Youth Culture: From Jackie to Just Seventeen, Houndmills: Macmillan.
Negrine, R. (1994) Politics and the Mass Media in Britain, 2nd edn, London: Routledge.
Petley, J. and Richardson, R. (2011) Pointing the Finger; Islam and Muslims in the British Media London: Oneworld
Quinn, A. (2015) British Magazine Design London V&A Publishing
Poole, E. (2002) Reporting Islam: Media Representations of British Muslims, London: I.B. Tauris.
Seymour-Ure, C. (2002) The Press and Broadcasting in Britain since 1945, 2nd edn, Oxford: Blackwell.
Taylor, S.J. (1998) The Great Outsiders: Northcliffe, Rothermere and the Daily Mail, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
Tunstall, J. (1995) Newspaper Power: The New National Press in Britain, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Journals
Those journals that cover newspapers and magazines are concentrated in the field of media studies and include British Journalism Review, Media Culture and Society and Crime, Media and Culture, as well as sociological publications such as the British Journal of Sociology.All are available online.
Who reads British newspapers? (comedy)
The News of the World documentary about what was once the most popular newspaper in Britain (2010)
Sexism in the press – discussion (2013)
Panorama phone-hacking documentary (2011)
The Leveson Inquiry into Press Standards - Recommendations (2012)
Interview with the editor of The Lady magazine (2012)
Interview with James Brown, former editor of Loaded magazine (2008)