Newspapers: The Times - Audience and Industries

The second part of our case study for The Times focuses on Audience and Industries.

This is the final part of our case study work for Newspapers and is full of information that could easily come up in our exams.

Audience

Target audience

The Times target audience is older with over half the audience aged 55+. In terms of social class, they are overwhelmingly in the ABC1 social classes - 62% from social group AB. This means Times readers are likely to be professionals, managers or company owners. They are likely to be in the Succeeder psychographic group.

Audience pleasures and representation

Surveillance/Information 

The main reason we read newspapers is to find out what is going on in the world around us.  News, different opinions, information about current affairs. This includes British politics and Britain's place in world politics and economics (patriotic). The Times focuses on hard news that we expect from a broadsheet newspaper - politics, economics, world news etc.

Diversion/Entertainment

One of the main reasons we read newspapers is for entertainment. The Times has evolved over recent years to contain more stories that provide entertainment or diversion. It also targets people with disposable income and an interest in culture/status and how they are perceived. 

Personal Identity 

A Daily Mirror reader will probably think very differently from a Times reader. Even if a reader does not always agree with a viewpoint the newspaper puts forward, they may still be agreeing with the values being shared. The Times newspaper seems to endorse the Conservative party and show their strong affiliation with the political party by the way stories are constructed. The way businesses are represented also shows the Times values private companies over working class people. 

Becoming an active participant 

Increasingly newspapers, especially online editions, encourage audience input through comments and email. The audience are not targeted with informal language or direct address as often, leading to a distance between journalist and reader. This encourages less dissent and comment and therefore more passive audience members who will accept the dominant view point of the paper. 

Politics
The Times is right-wing and supports the Conservative Party. It is generally against the left-wing Labour Party. The Times newspaper will act as a voice for the establishment (the wealthy and powerful) and will not support anything that threatens major changes to the status quo.

The Times: Industries

The Times is owned by News UK (a subsidiary of News Corporation). News Corporation is a conglomerate mostly owned by Rupert Murdoch, an Australian media mogul with many business interests worldwide such as the Fox network in the USA.  

In July 2009 News Corporation had to pay large sums of compensation for the phone hacking scandal, where their journalists were accused of using illegal methods to obtain information.  

The Times circulation in 2019 was 376,000, down 12% in a year and much lower than the high point of over 800,000 in the 1990s. Since 2020, The Sun and The Times have not published their circulation figures, perhaps to prevent knowledge of how many readers they have lost.

In response to the decline in print newspapers, the Times has:

• Moved towards a multi-platform landscape. This means that it publishes and synchronises across its print, desktop and mobile platforms. Some newspapers (e.g. The Times) have a paywall on their online content. The Times has had a hard paywall since 2010, but it often experiments with making content available for free. Last summer, it began free registrations and has been adding around 30,000 a week.
• Created a social media strategy in collaboration with the digital team to drive growth of their Twitter and Facebook profiles. 
• In 2018, Times and Sunday Times hit 500,000 subscribers as digital outnumbered print for first time at an initial cost of £1 per week for a digital subscription.

Watch this advert promoting the Times across different platforms: 

 

Key question: Why have print newspapers declined?

ACCESSIBILITY / DIGITAL AGE: The growth of the Internet as a major source of news (since the 1990s). This has particularly impacted on advertising revenue for newspapers as we use the Internet (often free) for services. Television news is also available 24 hours a day so no need to make ‘appointment to view’ or buy a daily newspaper as updates on-line are more up to date.

COST: People are accessing news freely through social media and other online outlets.  Newspapers cannot compete with the speed and cost-free nature of this.  Twitter has no printing costs, printing factories, distribution costs and journalist wages.

CHOICE & VARIETY: Previously we would go to small number of outlets for our news (BBC and other national broadcasters, national and some local newspapers).  Now there are so many places we can access news (numerous TV channels, websites, social media accounts, blogs). 

IMMEDIACY: Critics of the newspaper as a medium also argue that newspapers haven’t moved with the times. The technology revolution has meant that readers accustomed to waiting for a daily newspaper can now receive up-to-the-minute updates from Web portals, bloggers and new services such as Twitter.

Newspaper regulation: How and why are UK newspapers regulated? 

The newspaper industry is regulated by IPSO.

Previously, the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) was a voluntary regulatory body for British printed newspapers and magazines. The PCC closed on Monday 8 September 2014 after criticism following the phone hacking affair. 

It was replaced by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO).

The role of IPSO is to:

• Regulate 1500 print and 1100 online titles.
• Listen to complaints about press behaviour.
• Help with unwanted press attention.
• Advise publication editors .
• Provide information to the public.
• Provide a journalist whistleblowing hotline.

There is currently a heated debate in the media regarding whether the newspaper industry requires stronger regulation. Some people argue that the newspaper industry cannot be trusted to regulate itself using IPSO and that stronger, statutory regulation should be introduced instead. This would also implement the recommendations of the Leveson Inquiry which followed the phone-hacking scandal. There are links in the extension tasks below if you would like to read more about the newspaper regulation debate.

Reminder: News values

Media theorists Galtung and Ruge defined a set of news values to explain how journalists and editors decided that certain stories and photographs were accepted as newsworthy, while others were not. The following list is adapted from their work:

• Immediacy: has it happened recently?
• Familiarity: is it culturally close to us in Britain?
• Amplitude: is it a big event or one which involves large numbers of people?
• Frequency: does the event happen fairly regularly?
• Unambiguity: is it clear and definite? 
• Predictability: did we expect it to happen?
• Surprise: is it a rare or unexpected event?
• Continuity: has this story already been defined as news?
• Elite nations and people: which country has the event happened in? Does the story concern well-known people?
• Negativity: Is it bad news? Bad news tends to get more focus as it’s more sensational/ attention grabbing. 
• Balance: the story may be selected to balance other news, such as a human survival story to balance a number of stories concerning death.

Blog tasks: The Times case study - Audience and Industries

Create a blogpost called 'The Times - Audience and Industries' and then work through the following questions:

Audience

1) What is the main readership demographic for The Times newspaper? Add as much detail as you can.

2) What aspects of the front page of the Times CSP edition suggest that their readers are likely to be more educated and interested in hard news rather than entertainment?

3) Times readers are mostly over 55 years old. Why is this and how is this reflected or challenged by the new stories in the CSP pages we have studied?  

4) What are the main audience pleasures offered by the Times? Use Blumler & Katz Uses and Gratifications theory.

5) Why might a reader enjoy this CSP edition of the Times? Use Blumler & Katz Uses and Gratifications theory categories and write as detailed an analysis as you can.

Industries

1) Who owns the Times? Write the name of the company AND the billionaire who owns the company.

2) What was the The Times's circulation in 2019? How many papers did the Times used to sell back in the 1990s?

3) How has the Times reacted to the decline in print sales and the growth of the internet?

4) What does IPSO stand for and what is IPSO's job?

5) Why do some people want stronger regulation of British newspapers? 


Extension tasks

Read this Guardian column on the pleasures of print newspapers and the dangers of the digital age. Do you think newspapers will continue to exist in the future? Why? 

Read this Guardian column on IPSO, the press regulator. Why does Polly Toynbee suggest IPSO has been a "total failure"?

Read this short Press Gazette feature on the Times's paywall. Why does the Times head of digital describe the paywall as a success? 

You may also want to watch this video from fantastic Media teacher Ms Fisher explaining The Times and the Daily Mirror for A Level students:

Due date: on Google Classroom

Mock exams: Revision and preparation

Your Media mocks are a great opportunity to practice the full 90-minute exams you'll be doing this summer.

Use your notes, blog work and revision booklets / practice questions to prepare for the following:

Media 1 mock exam: Thursday 22 February P3&4

Section A: Media Language, Representations and Contexts

Unseen text analysis - look at previous assessment LRs and revise mise-en-scene (CLAMPS) and other key media language from your GLoW Media glossary.

Magazines: Tatler and Heat - link to original Magazines index here. You can also find the original lesson slides here.

Advertising & Marketing: OMO washing powder advert, Galaxy Audrey Hepburn Chauffeur advert, NHS Represent campaign - link to original Advertising index here. You can also find the original lesson slides here. 

Section B: Media Industries and Audiences

Film Industry: Black Widow and I, Daniel Blake - link to Film Industry index here. 

Radio: Radio 1 Launch - Tony Blackburn and Kiss Breakfast on Kiss FM. 

Music Video: BLACKPINK - How You Like That and Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor - Music Video final index here. 

Media 2 mock exam: Wednesday 6 March P3&4

Section A: Television

The questions in the first section on TV will be on the screened extract from one of our TV close-study products with 2, 8 and 12 mark questions about the clip. The clip will be from one of the episodes we have studied - Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child or His Dark Materials: The City of Magpies.

Question 2 is a 20-mark essay on BOTH Doctor Who and His Dark Materials - TV blog notes can be found on the TV final index here.

Section B: Newspapers

TWO 20-mark essays on the Daily Mirror and The Times - these could focus on any of the four key concepts: Language, Industries, Audiences, Representations.

You will need to be able to refer to the CSP pages provided by AQA. All Newspapers notes can be found in the Newspapers final index which will appear here.

Important: the final question in Media Two is the synoptic question where you need to demonstrate your knowledge of the whole course of study. The best way to do this is to try and use all FOUR key concepts in your answer: Language, Representations, Audiences, Industries. Alternatively, you can mention an additional CSP that relates to the question you are given.

Revision is the key

It's important that you revise properly for these exams and give yourself the best possible chance of success. It's fine to make mistakes - that's what mock exams are for - but there's no excuse for not knowing some key information about the CSPs we have studied.

We suggest creating revision cards or knowledge organisers using the following topics:

Media language
E.g. Denotation and Connotation, Camerawork, Mise-en-scene, Intertextuality, Key conventions etc.

Media theories
E.g. Narrative theories (Todorov, Propp, Barthes), Reception theory, Uses & Gratifications theory etc.  

CSPs
All 15 CSPs we have studied so far in the course. See links above to original blogposts. We recommend one revision card for each key concept you need to study for each CSP. E.g.:

Tatler - Language and Representations - 2 revision cards

Doctor Who - Language, Industries, Audiences, Representations - 4 revision cards 

Media language: Glossary and terminology

We have been focusing on GLoW words throughout the course - the key words you need to know for GCSE Media. Here are two links to help with your Media language revision:

• Greenford Media glossary - GLoW words
• Media-specific vocabulary list from AQA 

You'll need your Greenford Google login to open these.

Revision cards

If you would like some revision cards to revise with feel free to pop in to DF07 and I'll happily provide you with them for free - I strongly recommend creating revision cards for all the exam CSPs and also for media terminology and theory (e.g. Mise-en-scene, Reception theory, Uses & Gratifications theory etc.)

The better you know the terminology, theory and CSPs, the better you'll do in the exams... Good luck!

Newspapers: The Times - Language and Representations

The first part of our main case study for The Times is focusing on Media Language and Representations.

Here are your two CSP pages for The Times:

The Times: notes

Media language

Language: The Times tends to attract an audience that is older and more traditional (Conservative politics), so the stories are targeted towards these values and beliefs to target their specific audience. 

Mode of address: The Times employs a formal style with advanced language to reflect the needs/education level of the audience.

Construction: The Times uses some layout design techniques to attract its audience (sell lines, kickers, pugs).  There are usually not as many as The Mirror, though.

Technical Codes: Whilst The Times employs colour, it is much more understated than the tabloid Mirror.  More traditional fonts, styles and sizes reinforce this traditional symbolism.

Conventions: The Times observes more traditional codes and conventions than the Daily Mirror, with less direct address and a more formal, authoritative tone as if giving the reader less active participation and more passive access to information.

The Times: Representation notes

Front page

Some key aspects of the representation on the front page:

• By using the crest in its masthead, the newspaper is associating itself with being British and part of an established heritage and tradition.
• Reflects the Times's position as patriotic and a traditional supporter of the Conservative party with a story about a row with French President Emmanuel Macron. Also prioritises Prime Minister Boris Johnson's message for the COP26 summit in Glasgow.
• Kicker focuses on the super rich and their struggles to find staff. This is sympathetic to very rich people and also suggests to Times readers that the super rich are important and should feature on the front cover.

Inside page

Some key aspects of the representation on the inside page:

• Climate change story is surprising and subverts what we might normally expect in the Times. The headline is sympathetic to young people and suggests they are 'right to be angry'.
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Politics

The Times generally supports the Conservative Party and is against the more leftwing Labour Party. The newspaper will often act as a voice for the establishment (the wealthy and powerful) and will not support anything that threatens major changes to the status quo (how things currently are). This can be found in the front cover of the Times we need to study.

Blog tasks: The Times - Language and Representations

Work through the following questions to make sure you are fully prepared for questions on the Times and the newspaper industry.

Language

1) What is the main story on the front cover of the Times CSP edition and why does it appeal to Times readers?

2) List the other news stories and kickers on the front page of the Times CSP edition. Why do you think the Times selected these for the front page?

3) What is the main story on the inside page of the Times CSP edition and how is it constructed to appeal to Times readers? 

4) How are the Times front and inside pages designed to reflect broadsheet newspaper conventions?

5) What does a close analysis of the news stories in the Times CSP edition suggest about the Times's political beliefs?

Representations

1) What representation of the Conservative Party can be found in the main story on the front page?

2) What representations of Britain can be found on the front of the Times?

3) How are the super rich represented on the Times front page?

4) How is climate change represented as an issue in the Times? Are there similarities or differences with how it is represented in the Daily Mirror?

5) What representations can you find in the inside pages of the Times CSP? Focus on headlines, articles and images.

Grade 8/9 extension tasks

Read this feature on how UK newspapers report on climate change as an issue. What does it suggest about how climate change is represented and can you find any reference to the Times? 

If you're interested in this topic, this Wikipedia page outlines media coverage of climate change over the last 30 years.

Due date: on Google Classroom

Newspapers: The Times - Introduction

Our second newspaper case study is The Times.

This provides an excellent contrast with the Daily Mirror. The Times is a right-wing broadsheet newspaper that generally supports the Conservative Party and is aimed at a more educated, middle-class audience. Remember, this is an in-depth CSP and needs to be studied with reference to all four key concepts: Language, Representation, Industries and Audience. We'll be covering all of those concepts over the next two weeks.

This is the front page of The Times we will be studying for the exam:

Moving with The Times

The Times is a great example of a newspaper that still embraces strong traditions but has evolved with new technology to stay relevant in the digital age.

Watch the following clip on The Times media:

The Times - Introduction: blog tasks

Read the About Us page of the Times website and answer the following questions:

1) What year was The Times founded and when did it start using the Times name?

2) What content did John Walter suggest the paper would offer in the first edition?

3) Who owns The Times today and how is editorial integrity protected?

4) What did The Times introduce in 2010 and why?

5) What was The Times named in 2018 by the Reuters Institute for Journalism at Oxford University?

6) What does the section on Editorial Standards say about The Times and newspaper regulation?

7) What does the section on Ownership say about The Times and who is the current editor? 

Finally, look at this News UK webpage with key information about The Times for potential advertisers and complete the following tasks:

8) Write down three key statistics from this page.

9) Look at the various sections of the newspaper outlined on this page (e.g. Entertainment, Announcements, Travel). What do these sections suggest about The Times newspaper's audience?

10) Click on three of the sections - your choice. Write down one key detail for each section you choose e.g. Travel - more Times readers took a holiday abroad last year than any other newspaper.

Extension tasks

Look at News UK's website page for The Times. What statistics can you find that will tell us more about the Times and its readers? 

Due date: on Google Classroom