Liana Luncean, SCB I

Directions in the British Press

-Quality newspapers vs. tabloids
Nowadays Press is considered a power o the state, ater e!ecutive one or "ustice. #he
power o Press can be e!tre$ely bi%, especially i it succeds to brin% various sub"ects up
to date, without denyin% the conte$porary thin&in% and people's choices and principles.
By this, Press can reach another eature, na$ely the power o $anipulation. #his new
eature doesn't have to $aniest in a bad sense, but $ore in what concerns people's
opinions, beore and ater readin% the news and its posibility to shape $aybe their style.
I intend to believe that the irst unction o newspapers was to inor$ or to cultivate and
it was desi%ned or people with an intelectual capacity a bit incresed. #his was probably
the reason why so$e newspapers and also writers o their articles or stories were acussed
o bein% too ellitist because they restricted in this way the acces o so$e ordinary people,
ro$ low classes to reach culture and inor$ation. (or the$ it was diicult to understand
a newspaper because they weren't a$iliar with political debates, public inrastructure or
cultural issues.
#his proble$ aroused an echo a$on% press institutions who reali)ed the neccesity o
another type o newspapers, with other cate%ories o news, besides the one already
$entioned. Probably it was the be%innin% o distinctive types o newspapers* the one who
&ept the sa$e conservative structure, li&e +uality newspaper and the one that adopted a
liberal way as ar as it concerns all types o stories, scandals or co$$on lie with all the
i$plications, as the tabloids $ade.
So$eti$es the articles are scandalous or the news are overrated, unuseul and
inappropriate, a act that attracts a lot o critics but also a lot o ans. British Press
beco$es, alon% +uality newspapers or tabloids, part o British liestyle. ,hy- Because
.& is not &nown only or the $ulticulturalis$ but also or the various types o thin&in%
and liestyle, who ca$e with all these cultures.
/ach0 branch0o the press %ain readers by dierent strate%ies. #he +uality nespapers
don't tend to spread all over the $ar&et throu%h their stories because they are consciuous
about their position, while tabloids will not loose opportunities to e!pand in all &ind o
situations, even when it's about personal details.
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Liana Luncean, SCB I
#abloids are essentially $ass entertain$ent, as evidenced by the act that they are s$aller
than the other papers but they have lar%er illustrations. #his leads to an e$phasis on
%ossip, e$otion and scandal. #hey are based on what we call sensational or shoc&in%. 2n
the contrary +uality newspapers are lar%er, tend to adopt a neutral position and have
ob"ectve approaches re%ardin% the sub"ects.
3nother eature o British tabloids, as opposed to British +uality newspapers or
broadsheets, is the act that the tabloid stays connected to the hi%h de%ree
o personali)ation. By personali)ation, tabloids tend to be pac&ed with ite$s about
individuals, but they are lac&in% in reports o %eneral or e!tended processes. #his
certainly %oes hand in hand with the e$phasis that tabloids place on %ossip, e$otion and
scandal, tryin% to di% ater personal or deep secrets who could beco$e interstin% or the
public.4 (owler 1551* 516
#he distiction between tabloids and +uality newspapers is based on $ore several
ele$ents who re%ards irst o all the appereance where we can include the colours, the
ont, the pictures and also the adverts. Besides o this the distinction between these two
types beco$es actual i we analyse the style o writin% and lan%ua%e a$on% choice o
sub"ectes and the$es.
(irst ti$e when you see a newsppaer, printed or on di%ital or$at your attention is
driven out on the rontpa%e. 3 +uality newspaper tries to choose careully an ele%ant
appereance with a special ont or the lo%o, li&e it has the British newspaper The Times.
#his will inspire so$ehow %reatness and %entility.
#he online pa%e o The Times is resu$in% to si$ple colours, without adorn$ents to
catch up the eye. 2n the other hand, the tabloid Daily Star puts the accent on the irst
pa%e, with the bi%%est titles and pictures to ill the entire rontpa%e. 2n a irst si%ht, a
+uality newspaper tends to be $ore conservative, with titles in blac& and white, written in
a standard ont. #he colours are used so$eti$es or trac&in% other lin&s to other pa%es or
articles. Colours $ay appear in order to underline so$e do$ains but it is only $ar&in%
the title.
,hile The Times dress a little the clothes o te$perance, Daily Star is actually shinnin%
li&e a star.#he pictures cover al$ost the entire pa%e. #he titles have dierent colours and
even the lo%o o the tabloid is $ar&ed by red or spar&lin% colour. In other words the
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Liana Luncean, SCB I
tabloid is li&e a disco ball with an enthusiastic vision, while the +uality newspaper is
$ore sober. 3 +uality newspaper attaches photo%raphs "ust or %ivin% a clue or so$e
relevance to the artcle. In this way we can say the pictures aco$plish an ob"ective role. In
the case o the tabloid the photo%raphs are the center o the articles, they are sustainin%
the entire story and $ovin% the accent ro$ the para%raphs to the i$a%e.
#abloids are &nown or a special sub"ect they approach, na$ely se!uality, while a
+uality newspaper avoids to put these types o pictures in its pa%es. It is not necessary
about what sub"ects they write is $ore about the act that tabloids introduce pictures who
turn in porno%raphic $aterial .#abloids have a special pa%e with hot pictorials* it is the
a$ous Pa%e 8, ro$ The Sun, or Star babes ro$ Daily Star, a pa%e with na&ed %irls
presentin% the orecast or sport news. I a$ really sure that they stand or reedo$ o Press
and reedo$ o e!pressin% in any &ind o way but it can turn into inappropriate i$a%es
or teena%ers or s$all &ids who can create a wron% idea in the uture, about wo$an and
se!uality.
#he +uality newspaper re"ects this &ind o articles or pictures but or tabloids ro$ all
the world this section it see$s to be really successul. #he trend is not an isolated event
because this idea is spread also in other european tabloids li&e 9o$anian ones, with nude
%irls who $a&e sensation between other pa%es.
#abloid and +uality newspapers are not dierent only in appereance but also in their
priorities and choices re%ardin% the sub"ects they accept to introduce or not in their pa%es.
,hen it co$es to or%ani)e the pa%e, the +uality newspaper preers sy$$etry in its
collu$ns, based on their i$portance or the readers. The Times has nine $ain cate%ories
on the di%ital pa%e li&e news, opinion, business, $oney or sport. Down on pa%e there are
other s$all cate%ories based on cultural issues, editorials and also world news.
,hile Times is ruled by clean and or%ani)ed pa%es in colu$ns on sub"ects, a tabloid
li&e Daily Star or Daily Mail doesn't respect an order. 3ctually it has an order but with
other priorities. (or e!a$ple the irst cate%ories on the di%ital edition are news, sports,
showbi) and lie style with pictures. 2 course, editions are acco$panied by bi%
pictorials with scandals or hot news about stars or wannabe stars. #he order o cate%ories
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Liana Luncean, SCB I
and news is based $ainly on pictures and the topics are less diversiied li&e in a +uality
newspaper.
3ll the points discussed until here reer to :cos$etic process0 o the Press and it's all
choices $ade in order to state to style and the purpose o the newspaper. But what is
really deinin% a newspaper is the sub"ects chosen, the $a"or the$es approached and
$ost o all the style o writin%. People who pass over the irst i$pression caused by
display, onts or i$a%es are really interested in how the article is presented, what it's
e!pressin%, how it's written and i inally it was really helpul or providin% the %ood
inor$ation or the truth.
In a world ull o events, newspapers are the best way to i$$ortali)e i$portant acts
or readers. I don't want to say that only politics, war, econo$y or hu$an disasters are
the proble$s that count or us. ;ere it's included also cultural issues, lie style or other
events ro$ our society. So the the$es approached in newspapers can be really rich and
dierent, because ortunately the options are not restricted as nu$ber.
I already $entioned what cate%ories they are presented in a newspaper o +uality. 2
course all the articles will be based on those the$es e!actly li&e the cate%ories chosen.
#hey have an interest in %eneral and serious issues concernin% not public lie li&e
showbi), but public lie as hi%h society. 2n the other hand, tabloids concentrate their
articles around showbi) and it's really rare when their sphere is %ettin% out ro$ that,
$aybe in the case o other scandals which usually attac& public person. 3ter this
ar%u$ent it see$s li&e a +uality newspaper try to be noble in the$es and choices, while
tabloids are trivial. #here is still a reverse o the $edal because so$eti$es +uality
newspapers are catalo%ed as too elitist or too diicult or co$$on people, act that can
be true. So$e people are beco$in% snobs, pretendin% they are readin% the$ but actually
they don't really understand it.
(ro$ this point o view tabloids are winnin% because they are easier to approach and
people don't eel restraint oand they are not overwhel$ed by the lan%ua%e and by the
acade$ic style. 3s ar as it concerns the sub"ects we can say that a +uality newspaper
tends to be a little aristocratic, while tabloids want to approach to co$$on sub"ects or
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Liana Luncean, SCB I
so$eti$es trivial. (ro$ this distinction it can be already started the debate on the style o
writin% o each type. #he +uality newspaper will use a or$al addressin% with literary
lan%ua%e, without usin% collo+uial style, while tabloids will introduce slan%,
abbreviations, co$$on words or e!pressions to attract the public li&e they wold listen a
conversation on the street.
#o illustrate that it can be co$pared the dierent ways that the two types o
newspapers approach the sa$e sub"ect. (or e!a$ple, let's ta&e the terrible accident
suered by the race pilot =ichael Schu$acher. The Times wrote an article about it with
the title* :Schu$acher i$proves ater operations0 on the di%ital edition, while tabloids
e$ploy irst na$es o nic&na$es, Daily Star had a hu%e article with the title* :Schu's
i$proves0. 3s we can see there is a clearly dierence how they e!press and this is a act
cause by the dierence between or$al lan%ua%e and inor$al. #he +uality newspaper
will choose a standard lan%ua%e with lon% para%raphs or the article, while the tabloid
%oes or short articles sustained by photo%raps and an e$otive style.
I thin& that the dierences between their option it's especially when it's about the
celebrity section. 3s ar as it concerns The #i$es' choices, celebrity sub"ect it's at the
botto$ o the pa%e. 3s a tendance, all &ind o showbi) are not o an national i$portance
and i they are $entioned is "ust because Press has to be a %ood researcher o news to
satisy $ore cate%ories o readers. Personally I have to ad$it that I ound so$e na$es o
celebrities un&nown or $e because they were not a$ous persons ro$ artistic ield. #he
tabloid's pa%es on di%ital or on printed or$at are all the ti$e loaded with sstories and
pictures ro$ showbi) because this is their $ain do$ain. Stars are presented usually in
e$barrassin% situations or latterin% or the$ li&e Daily Star is presentin%- :Battle of the
Twerkers!- Kesha pulls a Milley in X-rated videos. 2 course everythin% is detalied by
pictures who unortunately are too e!plicit or s$all children that have acces to thses
pa%es. Despite o all this, porno%raphic se+uences and dirty titles are so$ehow the visit
card o a tabloid.
In order to detail $ore the distinctive style o writin% between +uality newspaper and
tabloids we can also co$pare two rando$ collu$nists and their way o e!pressin%. (or
e!a$ple the tabloid collu$inst >arry Bushell co$es with an article called :(or Pete'
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Liana Luncean, SCB I
sa&e %et a trip #ina0 about a soap opera prota%onist and he spea&s in slan% : shes a wa!
fi" hi!h and until re#ently pretty moral0 or #ina will be pretty : fly fi-shin! soon0, a
description which re$inds us that tabloids have an inor$al style, li&e ta&en ro$ the
street.
2n the other hand, the style o another collu$inst, this ti$e ro$ a +uality newspaper
is +uite dierent. Let's ta&e or e!a$ple a really disputed proble$ in the British press
ro$ the last days o 7@18, na$ely the possible i$$i%ration o 9o$anians and
Bul%arians in .A, startin% with the irst day o 7@1<. In The Times the collu$nist David
3aronvitch starts his article with the line$ the !ap %etween per#eption and reality is a
#hallen!e for those unwillin! to pander populism 3s we can see, the ter$s used are not
or everybody. #he article re+uests so$e lin%uistic &nowled%e so we deal with another
style o writhin%, the or$al one.
,hile The Times counts on lon% phrases and standard lan%ua%e to discuss this topic,
o reactions a%ainst 9o$anian $i%ration and also British ears re%ardin% this sub"ect, the
tabloid Daily Star continues the series o artcles about possible invasion with the title0
9o$anian and Bul%arian =i%rants arrive in .A to clean up and wor& hard0. It can be
seen that the ter$s used are si$ple but also a little a$bi%ous as $eanin%.
3s an e!tension to this topic I would li&e to brin% another ar%u$ent that stands or the
distinction between +uality newspapers and tabloids. It is about the sources used or
writin% and report so$e sub"ects. =ost o the ti$e the tabloids don't have a trusted
source and their articles are based on supositions ro$ possible witnesses. /ven it is not
air or ethic to start to launch insecure hypotheses about people, the tablods don't
encounter a proble$ because the ne!t day the story will be or%otten and another one
presented. 2n the other hand the +uality newspapers try to be ethic and they don't launch
in this &ind o unchec&ed theories or acts and they search to be as clear and air as
possible.
/!ceptin% national proble$s or international $a"or events, the sub"ects related to a
+uality newspaper have nothin% to do with the sub"ects ro$ a tabloid and in case they
have so$e co$$on titles their articles are not resse$blin% at all.
3s a conclusion o this parralel $ade between these two dierent syles o
newspapers we can ad$it the act that +uality newspapers are related to $iddle upper
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Liana Luncean, SCB I
class who tends on a ob"ective opinion and position re%ardin% dierent events, while the
tabloid puts accent on sub"ective side, increasin% the interest or personal detalis or
aspects ro$ other's lie.
#he institution o Press in inally a business who needs pro$otion, to &eep close its
ans and readers and convince the$ to still buy, watch or ollow on internet. In order to
$a&e it possible every newspaper is usin% a strate%y o $ar&etin%.
I intend to believe that a +uality newspaper counts on its reputation as a strate%y or
retainin% the readers. 3 respected newspaper as The Times will always have an elitist
%roup who understand its politics and a%ree with this or$al style, which is not or
everybody. #he +uality newspaper is tryin% to consolidate its position in the ield o
British Press and so$ehow its area is not spreadin% but it's %ettin% s$aller, to retain what
it is actually well done and deserves to be discussed.
2n the other hand, the tabloids have to ind other strate%ies o $ar&etin%, in order to
%ain so$e teritory in this "un%le o tabloids, who appear over the ni%ht. #his is the $ain
reason why they apply the principle o :$ore0* $ore scandalous, $ore e$otive, $ore
se!y and $ore a$ous. #hey try, li&e this to a$a)e their readers and and $a&e the$ the
pro$ise that they will ind all the spicy details ro$ everwhere.
3ll in all, I consider that the choice is inally a $atter o taste and personal options.
Not everybody is intersted only in politics, science or cultural events. So$eti$es they
can't reach these speheres so they ta&e so$ethin% $ore aordable. In the sa$e ti$e, not
everybody is intersted in the last scandal with a$ous people ro$ the rontpa%e. No
$atter you choose it can be based on preerences or $aybe on your a%e. It is not
necessarry a $atter o education because news can be an interpretaion o the truth or "ust
a way to act s$arter or so$e people.
I you , as a reader o any &ind o newspaper, reali)e what it is i$portant or you to
&now and what it is useul ro$ those pa%es, you are a winner and you ound out
so$ethin% new. (inally this is the $ain role o Press, to inor$ and to spread ideas and
news, without i$posin% barriers or any &ind o reader, $ore or less cutltivated.
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Liana Luncean, SCB I
Cited wor&s list
1. 3aronvitch, David. &oure wron!. But do you want to %e told'. #he #i$es. 7 Danuary
7@1<. E http*FFwww.theti$es.co.u&FttoFopinionFcolu$nistsFarticle85B8@5G.ece. H
7. Bushell, >arry. (or )etes sake !et a !rip* Tina. Daily Star. G Dece$ber 7@18.
Ehttp*FFwww.dailystar.co.u&Fcolu$nistsF%arry-bushellF8?<C@@F(or-Pete-s-sa&e-%et-a-%rip-
#ina.H
8.(owler, 9o%er. +an!ua!e in the News$ Dis#ourse and ,deolo!y in the )ress. London*
9outled%e, 1551.
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