Newspapers: The Times - Language and Audience

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

Here's your lesson video for Tuesday's lesson on The Times and Audience:

This is Thursday's lesson - a language analysis of The Times:

Here are your two CSP pages for The Times (paper copies are being sent home to you):

 

 

The Times: notes

Audience & 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.

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 - and largely the A or B groups within that group. 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. Information about British politics (inquiry) and British Royal family (patriotic). Information about fee-paying schools also suggests education is important to the target audience and they are more likely to be on the side of the Headteachers rather than Labour. The Mirror focuses on the more controversial ‘anti-vax’ movement which is a scare-mongering tone when talking of schools.

Diversion/Entertainment

One of the main reasons we read newspapers is for entertainment. We want to be entertained.

Information about royals who are seen as an important part of British culture and also access to cultural ‘hotspots’ for leisure and house tips. This 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 phrasing the story with ‘top ministers deny security leak’. The placing of value on an education would be a belief shared by readers who attended, or have sent their kids to, independent schools. 

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. Here, the main story on the front page praises private schools and defends the Conservative government.

Language

Examine the use of language and the narrative in the right-leaning Times newspaper:

• “Fee paying schools 'save taxpayer £20 billion”
• “Calls for criminal enquiry as top ministers deny security leak”

Look at the tone and angle of the main article. The headline and article is positive about the role private schools play in British society, suggesting that they save the government money. This appeals to readers who may well send their own children to private school.  

The picture story of the Duchess of Cambridge reflects the newspaper being pro-Royal family and supporting longstanding British institutions. 

The secondary stories on the front page are also constructed to appeal to Times readers. The story at the top of the page - "Calls for criminal enquiry as top ministers deny security leak” - is a top political story about a security leak at the heart of government. This is an important British political story and something Times readers would expect to be covered on the front page.

The sidebar about sleep is a slightly lighter story about mental health and wellbeing but still contains quotes from neuroscience and medical fact which reflects the more educated nature of Times readers.

Look at the kicker stories advertised at the top of the page:

• "Bedroom secrets: How to create a restful haven"
  
• "Know your Thor from your Iron Man - Marvel beginners guide"

These features demonstrate that The Times is aimed at a high-flying workers in stressful jobs who have money to spend on their home and bedroom. Similarly, the fact that Times readers would need a Marvel "beginners' guide" suggests that usually Times readers like more highbrow entertainment such as theatre or opera.

Look at the stories on the inside page of the Times:

• "Royal Anzac Day on both sides of the world"
• "How death of grandmother put fear into Henry VIII"
• "Sri Lanka tourists warned of more terror"

The selection of news articles here reflects the type of audience that reads the Times. The Royal family story is presented in a more formal way than in the Daily Mirror although some of the same images are used. The story on the fear of Henry VIII suggests Times readers have a strong interest in British history and in particular the Royal family. Finally, the story on terror attacks in Sri Lanka suggests that Times readers can afford exotic holidays on the other side of the world and therefore will need to know about potential dangers from terrorists in countries like Sri Lanka.

Blog tasks: The Times - Language and Audience

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

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 by the new stories and kickers in the CSP pages we have studied?  

4) What is the main audience pleasure 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.

Language

1) What is the main story on the front cover of the Times CSP edition (26 April 2019) 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 are the main stories on the inside pages of the Times CSP edition and how are they constructed to appeal to Times readers? 

4) Which of Galtung and Ruge's News Values apply to the Times's front page stories? Write about both the main story on private schools and the government leak enquiry. 

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


Grade 8/9 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? 

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



Due date: on Google Classroom