CH5: Newspapers & Magazines

1. Modern Newspapers

• Newspapers today cater to general interests with news, features, photographs, and advertisements.

• They are published regularly in broadsheet or tabloid formats.

2. Yellow Journalism

• Definition: Sensational journalism focused on sex, crime, disasters, and exaggerated stories to attract readers.

• Features:

  • Eye-catching headlines.

  • Heavy use of illustrations.

  • Intense rivalry for readership and advertising revenue.

• Historical reference: "Yellow Kid" comics from the 1890s, a key origin of the term.

3. Types of Newspapers

• National Daily Newspapers: Large circulations with significant political and social impact.
  Examples: The Star, News Straits Times.

• Large Metropolitan Dailies: Published at least five times weekly, often with regional editions.
  Examples: Selangor Kini.

• Weeklies & Semiweeklies: Target niche markets with focused readership and manageable advertising rates.

4. Ethnic Press

Focused on specific cultural or ethnic communities.

5. Alternative Press

Provides non-mainstream viewpoints and often challenges established narratives.

6. Newspapers as Advertising Medium

• Benefits for Advertisers:

  • Local reach.

  • Audience is often white-collar professionals.

• Stats: 70% of Americans read a newspaper (print or digital) weekly.

7. Types of News

• Hard News:

  • Immediate, serious topics like politics, economics, and natural disasters.

• Soft News:

  • Entertaining or advisory content like celebrity gossip or lifestyle tips.

8. Convergence with the Internet

Increasing reliance on online platforms for newspaper distribution and readership.

9. Media Literacy: Agenda-Setting Theory

Definition: Media influences what the public considers important by determining story prominence.
Quote: "Media tell people what to think about, not what to think." – Cohen (1963).

Magazines

1. Mass-Circulation Era

• Growth in the post-Civil War years due to:

  • Widespread literacy.

  • Improved transportation (railroads).

  • Postal Act of 1879 (reduced mailing costs).

• Early examples: Good Housekeeping, Reader’s Digest.

2. Magazine & Audience

• Engagement: Depth of reader relationships with the magazine's content and ads.

• Affinity: Readers' emotional connection to the magazine, influencing their purchasing decisions.

SPLIT RUNS

Technique in which different version of the same illustration, wording or advertisement are published in different editions of a magazine or newspaper such that no single reader in the same geography receives more than one version of the advertisement.

Type of Circulation

Circulation Definition: Total number of issues sold, including all types of circulation methods.

1. Subscriptions

   • Ongoing readership secured through advance payment.

   • Advantages: Ensures steady readership.

   • Challenges:

     • Often sold below cover price.

     • Includes postage costs for publishers.

2. Single-Copy Sales

   • Individual purchase of magazines at full price from newsstands or stores.

   • Advantages for Advertisers:

     • Reflects the magazine's true appeal as readers actively choose and pay for it.

3. Controlled Circulation

   • Magazines distributed for free to specific reader groups who meet advertiser-desirable criteria.

   • Examples:

     • Airline magazines.

     • Hotel magazines.

3. Types of Contemporary Magazines

• Trade, Professional, & Business Magazines: For specific professions, often distributed by organizations.

• Industrial, Company, & Sponsored Magazines: Focus on employees, customers, and stockholders.

• Consumer Magazines: Sold by subscription or newsstands, catering to diverse interests like fashion, sports, and politics.

4. Magazine Advertising

• Specialized content attracts specific demographics for advertisers.

• Techniques:

  • Split runs: Different ads for varying audiences.

  • Single-sponsor issues: Entire magazine sponsored by one advertiser.

5. Circulation

• Controlled Circulation: Free distribution based on advertiser-targeted criteria (e.g., airline magazines).

• Subscriptions vs. Single-Copy Sales:

  • Subscriptions ensure ongoing readership.

  • Single-copy sales gauge magazine appeal as readers pay full price per issue.

6. Trends & Convergence

• Online magazines: Increasing use of digital platforms.

• QR Codes: Enhance engagement and drive traffic to websites.

• Custom Magazines:

  • Magalogues: High-quality promotional catalogs.

  • Brand Magazines: General-interest articles tied to specific brands.

7. Advertorials

Ads styled to look like genuine editorial content, blending seamlessly into magazines.