TOPIC 67: The Mass Media in English (1): Journalistic Style. The Press: Quality Papers and Popular Papers.

(Introduction) The aim of this unit is to provide a useful introduction to the mass media in English, which comprises

the main means of communication: press, radio and television.

(Introduction) However, within this particular topic, we shall namely concentrate on the former (press) so as

to analyse the journalistic style and the press.

(Introduction) It is within the field of journalism that we shall examine

the main types of newspapers in Great Britain and the USA, that is, quality papers and popular papers.

(Introduction) In doing so, we shall also approach other general features of journalism in terms of

aims, style and language so as to better understand its scope within the international arena.

(Mass media) The term 'mass media' is used to refer to the different types of public communication. In a broad sense, it can be defined as

'the sending of messages to a multitude of receivers'.

(Mass media) The term 'mass media' is used to refer to

the different types of public communication.

(Mass media) This term is related to the concept of

'mass communication'.

(Mass media) The concept of mass media has changed dramatically over the last couple of decades since

the rise of the internet; nowadays, a huge percentage of the population has the latest news at the touch of a button.

(Mass media) This term is related to the concept of 'mass communication'. The concept of mass media

has changed dramatically over the last couple of decades

(Main features: Mass media) Mass Communication is defined as

the process of using a medium to transmit information to an unlimited audience.

(Main features: Mass media) The notion of mass medium includes three elements:

1. The channels of mass communication

2. The content of these channels

3. The audience’s profile

(Main features: Mass media) Before the digital era, mass media could be classified into three main types:

Press, radio and television.

(Main features: Mass media) News reports and documentary films in cinemas proved to be

a very effective means of mass instruction.

(Main features: Mass media) The Press and other printed materials like books, developed fully as

a mass medium with the invention of the printing press.

(Main features: Mass media) The first printing press in England was established by

William Caxton in the 15^th century.

(Main features: Mass media) However, it was a very expensive process and only the wealthy could afford

to purchase printed materials.

(Main features: Mass media) During the Victorian period (1837-1901), the printing industry underwent significant advancements due to technological progress such as

lithography and limited colour printing.

(Main features: Mass media) These innovations helped expand mass communication,

fostering the novel and supporting the spread of news.

(Main features: Mass media) Additionally, print

facilitated the expansion of intellectual knowledge.

(Main features: Mass media) The radio. It started in the 20^th century, it is

a form of mass media and sound communication by radio waves, usually through the transmission of music, news and other types of programs.

(Main features: Mass media) Some types of radio broadcasting include:

commercial, educational, news and military.

(Main features: Mass media) Radio broadcast was

the first genuinely live mass medium.

(Main features: Mass media) The radio hobby

grew significantly during the decade before WWI.

(Main features: Mass media) The television. It is a form of mass media based on

the electronic delivery of moving images and sound from a source to a receiver. The term is also applied to the television set.

(Main features: Mass media) Television emerged in the 1920s and it quickly became

a mass medium for news and entertainment.

(Main features: Mass media) After WWII, TV broadcast became popular in both Britain and the US. A key milestone was

the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, which was one of the first major international broadcasts, viewed by millions.

(Main features: Mass media) Mass media has two main overt functions:

as entertainment and as a source of information.

(Main features: Mass media) However, it also has hidden functions, including ideological influence,

controlling the diffusion of information to ideologically influence people and economic influence, guiding consumer choices through advertisements.

(The digital era) The development of the Internet in the 1990s, a network of communication networks,

revolutionised the way information could be transmitted and accessed worldwide.

(The digital era) A new digital medium for mass communication

was born.

(The digital era) The Internet allowed

• personalised access to mas media forms on the same device (e.g. instant access to radio and TV on the same device)

• and search for specific information in the available mass media using keywords.

(The digital era) personalised access to mas media forms on the same device

(e.g. instant access to radio and TV on the same device)

(The digital era) search for specific information in

the available mass media using keywords.

(The digital era) It revolutionised daily life by transforming advertising, shopping, education, and social relationships,

enabling instant information exchange and interactive media consumption.

(The digital era) The popular success of the Internet was accompanied by

a technological revolution in digital media devices, enabling access to an expanding range of online services (e.g., Netflix).

(The digital era) Personal computers, iPads, tablets, cell phones, smart watches

have become essential tools for connectivity.

(British mass media) The UK has historically played a key role

in shaping global media standards and remains a major player in news, entertainment, and public discourse.

(British mass media) The British mass media is overseen by independent institutions, for example,

the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation), is a public service broadcaster established in 1922.

(British mass media) The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation), is a public service broadcaster established in 1922.

Theoretically, this means that information is not subject to state control or censorship.

(American mass media) American mass media is characterised by

its pervasive influence, freedom and economic power. Its main function is entertainment.

(American mass media) Freedom of the press is protected by the First Amendment, which prohibits

government interference though some limitations exist, such as laws of libel and right to privacy.

(American mass media) The media industry operates as a major business sector,

with privately owned companies prioritising profit over public service.

(American mass media) Media content is treated as a commercial product and there is

a growing trend toward monopoly which risks limiting diverse viewpoints.

(American mass media) a growing trend toward monopoly which risks

limiting diverse viewpoints.

(Journalistic style) Having a nuanced understanding of journalistic style is

essential not only for encouraging our students in the EFL classroom to read and write, but also for teaching them how to understand and interpret texts effectively.

(Journalistic style) For example, if we analyse journalistic words and phrases,

we can discover values, ideologies, intentions, etc.

(Journalistic style) News agencies, also called press agencies, gather and distribute news

to mass media agents worldwide.

(Journalistic style) News agencies, also called

press agencies

(Journalistic style) These agencies provide

access to international news, sharing the cost of the services.

(Journalistic style) Most news printed or broadcast globally comes from a few major agencies, with

• the Associated Press (USA) and Reuters (UK) being the largest.

(Journalistic style) The Associated Press Stylebook is updated every spring and

aims to avoid stereotypes and unintentionally offensive language.

(Journalistic style) Reuters reputation is built on four key pillars:

• Reliability

• Accuracy

• Speed

• and Exclusivity.

(Journalistic style) News agencies often have their own manual of journalistic style which

sets guidelines on journalistic writing (writing conventions, structure and the tone).

(Journalistic style) Many newspapers and magazines follow the guidelines of

major news agencies (like Reuters or AP).

(Journalistic style) However, some prestigious newspapers like The New York Times have

their own set of style rules.

(Journalistic style) The style of writing of each newspaper varies enormously, depending on its readership for example,

• The Financial Times use formal and academic language

• whereas The Sun uses a more casual language, incorporating phrasal verbs, idioms and expressions familiar to a less formal audience.

(Journalistic style) The Financial Times

use formal and academic language

(Journalistic style) The Sun

uses a more casual language, incorporating phrasal verbs, idioms and expressions familiar to a less formal audience.

What does The Sun incorporate to use a more casual language?

• phrasal verbs

• idioms

• expressions

(Journalistic style) There are some words and expressions that journalist have used to refer to

often quoted personalities and behaviours that have now made their way into everyday speech.

(Journalistic style) Some (common terms) samples taken from British press might be

• mother-of-three for a woman with three children

• and romp for sexually activity, usually involving partners of different marriages.

(The press: main features) The British are among

the top consumers of newspapers globally, following closely behind Japan and Sweden.

(The press: main features) A high percentage of the British public engages with newspapers:

around 60% reads a Sunday paper, and 90% read a regional or local paper.

(The press: main features) Newspapers are bought from newsagents or are delivered to people’s homes through

paper-rounds, where young people deliver papers to homes in the early hours of the morning.

(History and records) The Times began publication in 1785 and became

the leading newspaper of the early 19^th century.

(History and records) The 19^th century was the “golden age”,

there was a transformation from a relatively small close world into a big business.

(History and records) This was mainly due to

professionalization of journalism and technical advancements in printing.

(History and records) Mass education and increasing affluence led to new papers such as

• the Manchester Guardian (later, The Guardian)

• The Times (the leading newspaper of the early 19^th century)

• The New York Times

• and the Daily Mail which targeted lower middle-class readers.

(History and records) the Manchester Guardian

(later, The Guardian)

(History and records)The Times

(the leading newspaper of the early 19^th century)

(History and records) the Daily Mail

which targeted lower middle-class readers.

(History and records) By the 1930s, about 70% of the population in the UK regularly read a daily newspaper,

leading to a rough competition among publisher to sell more copies than anyone else.

(History and records) Journalism took an appearance similar to the ones have today.

Within a few years The Sun was the UK's most popular newspaper, which it remains today.

(History and records) Similarly, the average American citizen read several newspapers a day, this need to know and read demanded

a widely published sensationalistic or yellow press, known as muckrakers in the US, like Cosmopolitan. However, other quality publication also appeared on stage like Time.

(History and records) sensationalistic or yellow press, known as

muckrakers in the US, like Cosmopolitan.

(History and records) Since the 1950s, newspapers sales have suffered a gradual decline,

firstly due to the advent of the radio and television, accelerated by the widely use of Internet and the easy availability of news feeds and platforms.

(History and records) In the early 2010s, many British newspapers were implicated in

phone hacking scandals which led to the closure of The News of the World after 168 years of publication.

(Quality versus sensationalistic newspapers) Newspapers are traditionally divided into quality newspapers (or broadsheets) and sensationalistic ones (or tabloids),

with significant differences between the two types regarding format, layout, headlines, language (syntax, vocabulary…), target group, orientation, and point of view.

(Quality versus sensationalistic newspapers) quality newspapers

(or broadsheets)

(Quality versus sensationalistic newspapers) sensationalistic ones

(or tabloids)

(Quality versus sensationalistic newspapers) The first difference between them is

the format of the publication itself.

(Quality versus sensationalistic newspapers) Quality newspapers are printed on the so-called

broadsheet size, while tabloids have half of that size.

(Quality versus sensationalistic newspapers) Dealing specifically with the layout, quality newspapers often offer

a long headline and long paragraphs. Since pictures are relatively objective, they rarely evoke an opinion, they are not abundantly used.

(Quality versus sensationalistic newspapers) (The layout) In the case of tabloids, the aim is

to catch the reader’s eye. They use big, bold letters, numerous pictures, often large photographs. They frequently include banner headlines and subheadings.

(Quality versus sensationalistic newspapers) Dealing with language and syntax, quality newspapers

use a serious and formal English, using fairly complex sentence structures.

(Quality versus sensationalistic newspapers) Tabloids language and grammar are the opposite,

since they use informal language and slang, simple syntactic structures, quotations, direct and indirect speech, etc.

(Quality versus sensationalistic newspapers) what type of language and syntax do quality newspapers use?

a serious and formal English, using fairly complex sentence structures.

(Quality versus sensationalistic newspapers) what type of language and syntax do tabloids use?

The opposite of quality newspapers, they use informal language and slang, simple syntactic structures, quotations, direct and indirect speech, etc.

(Quality versus sensationalistic newspapers) Furthermore, the lexical field and vocabulary used in quality newspapers and tabloids

differ significantly.

(Quality versus sensationalistic newspapers) Quality papers use Standard English, with complex, technical and neutral vocabulary,

while tabloids use emotional, colloquial language with simple words, and attention-grabbing terms such as “gay” and “skinny”.

(Quality versus sensationalistic newspapers) How is the lexical field and vocabulary used in Quality newspapers?

They use Standard English, with complex, technical and neutral vocabulary.

(Quality versus sensationalistic newspapers) How is the lexical field and vocabulary used in tabloids?

They use emotional, colloquial language with simple words, and attention-grabbing terms such as “gay” and “skinny”

(Quality versus sensationalistic newspapers) All these differences reflect

each newspaper’s target audience and purpose.

(Quality versus sensationalistic newspapers) Quality newspapers are objective and attract

well-educated middle- and upper-class readers, offering in-depth national and international coverage.

(Quality versus sensationalistic newspapers) What do quality newspapers offer?

an in-depth national and international coverage.

(Quality versus sensationalistic newspapers) Who do quality newspapers attract?

well-educated middle- and upper-class readers.

(Quality versus sensationalistic newspapers) In contrast, tabloids are opinion-based and target a less demanding audience, focusing on

local stories or sensational content rather than serious news.

(Quality versus sensationalistic newspapers) What is the target of tabloids?

A less demanding audience

Which type of newspaper is opinion-based?

Tabloids since they offer subjective viewspoints, gossip, speculation rather than reliable sources or objective reporting.

Some examples of quality newspapers (broadsheets) include:

• The Guardian (UK)

• The Times (UK)

• The Daily Telegraph (UK)

• The New York Times (USA)

• The Washington Post (USA)