QUALITY OR POPULAR?

The role of the media? DOES THE MEDIA MANIPULATE THE TRUTH? ARE JOURNALISTS TO BLAME FOR SOME TRAGEDIES? IS MASS MEDIA USEFUL? WHY IS THE PRESS INTERESTED IN FOCUSING ON THE BAD PARTS OF LIFE?

Which is a tabloid and which is a broadsheet?

Newspapers can be divided into two sorts: they are either broadsheets or tabloids. Broadsheet newspapers are the large ones (e.g. The Times and The Daily Telegraph) Tabloid newspapers are the small ones (e.g. The Sun and The Daily Mirror).

Tabloids and Broadsheets Types of newspapers Broadsheets: These papers are printed on sheets of paper x 81.28cm. There are five such broadsheets: The Times, The Independent, The Financial Times, The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph. Tabloids: These papers are half the size of broadsheets, with pages measuring x 40.64cm. There are six national daily tabloids: The Sun, The Daily Mail, Daily Express, Daily Mirror, Daily Sport and The Star.

TABLOIDS How much does this paper cost? What other information is there at the top of the page, apart from details of stories inside? What are the contents about (that is, the items advertised at the top of the page)? Say what you think each item is about. (For example, are they about politics, sport or famous people in entertainment?). How many news stories are there on this page? (Don’t count the ones advertised at the top of the page.) Are there any advertisements? What does the caption (the words under the picture) add to the picture? Did this story interest you? Explain your answer (eg, did you know about the person in this story?).

Britney Spears under orders to read the Bible every day Top of the list is that she must read the Bible for one hour a day... Holy Moly! Brit is also banned from tucking into junk food (not sure she is keeping to that one), leaving the hotel unless accompanied by security, or meeting K Fed without her dad or manager. She has no access to the net alone and "feels like a prisoner on her tour". Ouch! Madonna's not the only celeb to have found Jesus. Britney Spears' dad has issued strict backstage conditions to keep his daughter on the straight and narrow path.

BROADSHEET How much does this paper cost? What other information is there at the top of the page, apart from details of stories inside? What are the contents about (that is, the items advertised at the top of the page)? Say what you think each item is about. What are the stories inside (that is, the ones advertised at the top of the page) about? Say what each story is about and also what kind of a story you think it is (eg, is it about politics, sport or famous people in entertainment?). What can you learn from the bottom of the page Did this story interest you? Explain your answer (eg, did you know about any of the people in this story?).

Innocent teenager set for law degree is shot dead in case of mistaken identity An innocent teenager who was planning to be a lawyer was shot dead outside a crowded pub at the weekend in what police believe was a case of mistaken identity. Abdulkarim Boudraf, 18, was killed by a single gunshot to the neck in Tottenham on Saturday night. The teenager, whose family came to Britain from Algeria, was with a group of youths outside the Elmhurst pub in Broadwater Road. He is the fifth teenager to be killed in London this year. Last year 28 teenagers died from knife and gun crime in the capital. Earlier in the weekend another teenager was stabbed to death. The latest killings came amid hopes of a lessening in the violence, with politicians including Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and London Mayor Boris Johnson claiming success in tackling gang culture. Mr Boudraf was shot dead at about when the pub was packed with drinkers at a disco night. Paramedics tried to give him emergency surgery on the pavement but could not save him and pronounced him dead at the scene.

TabloidBroadsheet Mix of fact and emotionMore fact than emotion Shorter sentencesLonger sentences Use bias and emotional language Objective, matter-of- fact style Stories are mixed together Divided into clear sections May have less news so there is room for stories about celebrities Focus on politics and world events Focus on famous people, private lives and scandal-gossip,rumors Generally concerned with events in major cities of the world Less complex vocabulary Complicated vocabulary

Identify the article taken from a tabloid and the one taken from a broadsheet newspaper:

Schools to be graded by parents and pupils Every school in Britain may be graded by the Government on the basis of its performance and the views of parents and pupils. By Robert Winnett, Deputy Political Editor Ministers are considering grading each school on an A to E scale or giving each school a traffic light rating. The rating scheme is part of plans announced by Gordon Brown to make public services more responsive to the needs of parents, patients and consumers. Each school will have to produce a single "report card" detailing not only its exam performance but also parent and pupil satisfaction ratings.

Chris Brown looks as though he has another agonising month to wait until he finds out whether or not he faces jail time over the alleged attack on girlfriend Rihanna. Appearing briefly in court in Los Angeles for an arraignment hearing on Thursday, Brown and his attorney Mark Geragos were granted a continuance to 6 April, after reports suggest Geragos is keen to strike a plea deal with prosecutors to keep his client out of jail. Brown has been charged with two felonies over his alleged fight with girlfriend Rihanna a month ago, which left the Umbrella singer battered and bruised and in need of medical attention. The Kiss Kiss singer, who arrived at court in a black SUV, stood silently as the judge granted the delay and ordered Brown not to "annoy, harass, molest, threaten or use force or violence against anyone."