In our previous blog post we explored the general rule of introducing a story by answering questions such as ‘who, what, when’ from the outset.

However, there are cases when this rule is not followed. Sensational, tabloid, ‘soft news’ reporting (on lifestyle, personalities, events) quite often focuses on details and atmosphere before proceeding into essential information.

See an example below:

This intro here answers the ‘when’ (11am) without even mentioning the date. The texts evokes literary accounts by emphasizing weather and atmosphere. The next paragraph employs colorful and poetic language through the use of the phrase ‘grey London skies.’ These modes of expression present the Royals are highly honorable figures. The melancholy of the weather ties with their mission to honor the memory of the dead. The headline contrasts this atmosphere of silence and awe with the ‘sound and fury’ of the pro-Palestine protesters. The Royals here are presented as the embodiment of high national ideals: patriotism, reserve and constrain. This allies with the overall conservative worldview of the newspaper and targets audiences who have similar ideas about British identity, public order and the sanctity of monarchy.

On the following page, this emotionally charged representations of the ritual mix with ‘gossipy’ information about the dressing style of princess Kate. This expands the appeal of this topic towards readers who might be not very politically conscious. The use of the close up photograph of the princess and the historical background of her ‘pin’ create an effect of ‘personalization.’ The readers are invited to consume the personal story of a public figure by foregrounding her aesthetic tastes, ‘elegance’ and emotion. All these elements are graphically depicted in both text and visuals. Politics becomes ‘celebrity’ news. It is the person that matters, not the institution or the ideology. In addition to inspiring sympathy for and glorification of the princess, this style of presentation might target a more diverse audiences that monarchists: fashion enthusiasts, women, gossip-fans. The entertainment value of the story supports but also overcomes its ideological positioning.

Keep in mind these conventions of ‘media language.’ These patterns of writing and visualizing construct a specific views of the world and cater for particular types of audiences. Royalist, traditionalists, ‘Middle England’ figures, women, sensationalist readers, fashion enthusiasts.

So far we explored some differences in style between Daily Mail and the I by looking mainly at headlines, phrasing and themes.

Today we will discuss some general rules of content and style that apply to almost all newspapers and have a closer look at introductory paragraphs.

The most central rule of news reporting is the rule of 5 Ws:

each article needs to answer Who? What? Where? When? Why? and sometimes How?

Some (but not all) of these questions are usually answered in the first paragraph [especially who and what]

We use short sentences , active voice (not what is done by someone, but who is doing what) and simple, clear language.

We avoid too many adjectives and embellishments. Our goal is to say as many facts as possible with as few words a possible.

Let’s see a few examples

can you guess which is Daily Mail and which is I?

see above: Who> Rishi Sunak What> Pleaded for Peace When> last night

Who> at least two police forces where> outside London what> were monitoring plans by a far-right group and here comes an extra: how>using TikTok when>yesterday/regarding events on Armistice day

can you find the W’s answered in the following two extracts? Can you spot an exception to a syntactical rule mentioned at the beginning of this post?

Newspaper Language: Daily Mail Example

Hello folks and now it is time to write! Before you write, read!

it is me Dr. Al and I want to share with you some ideas about writing. We spoke about these issues on our teams-meeting, but here comes a written account of it for those of you who could not attend.

When preparing your newspaper assignment pay close attention to your case study — we also describe this attentive reading as ‘close reading’ — every single detail matters!

The first element to note is the theme: In the picture above, we see a celebration of monarchy and the royal family. This is a characteristic ‘ideological’ feature of Daily Mail. This newspaper is traditionalist and conservative. It supports long-held ideas about British values, national identity, politics, morality and lifestyle. This article exemplifies a conventional and unquestionable adoration of the Queen and the royal family as an iconic symbols of British identity. This particular way of understanding national and cultural life marks the worldview of this newspaper. When you choose your topic think about similar ideas: what is ‘traditionally’ British? A public figure? An institution? A way of life? Would Daily Mail be interested in celebratory presentation of another public event that holds similar status? A ritual of public commemoration? Inauguration of a public duty? A distinguished person visiting Jersey?

Second feature: Headline. Written in large fonts, this piece features a quotation ‘I ‘ve been humbled and deeply touched’. We also describe this as a ‘pullquote‘ (when you pull a statement out of the person that your piece pays tribute to). Why did they choose this statement? Because it is uncontroversial, kind and clear. It proves that the Queen is highly respectable, kind and considerate. She is both ‘humbled’ that can be also be translated as modest, reserved and ‘touched’ — which implies her being sensitive, emotionally wise. All these are features that are traditionally associated with the Queen and her moral icon. Think about your own headline. It does not have to be a pullquote. But how can it grab the attention of the reader? It is very important to be short, clear and poignant. Something that would invite the reader to read more, but also summarize the essence of the whole piece. The main idea of the whole story in one sentence. Think about your words, the adjectives that describe the person that you are speaking about.

What follows is the ‘standfirst’ part of the piece. A few lines that introduce the main ideas of the piece Queen Hopes ‘renewed sense of togetherness’ will be felt for years to come… and says she remains committed to serving us all’. These few line expand the meaning and the details of the headline. The key word here is ‘togetherness’ — another important ‘value’. The Queen unites the nation, brings everyone together and all become one. The font is large (but not as large as the headline’). So again think of one or two sentences that can explain, expand and summarise the story and the ideas you are going to explore in the main body of your text.

Finally the visual positioning of people in space, what we call ‘proxemics‘ and the distance of the camera from them ‘para-proxemics.’ Firstly, it is very important that the photograph covers half the space of the broadsheet: visuals are as important information as words. This is key strategy of this newspaper which sometimes allows the photographs to talk for themselves. So in terms of positioning: the Queen is the distinguishing figure so she is right the centre, the protagonist of the story. The photograph offers a quite detailed image of all the royal family, we can see their facial expression, posh dressing, humble body language and family unity. The royals appear close but also distant. These visuals allow the reader to have a closer view of the royals, but at the same time, confirms the higher status of the people who are photographed. Keep this in mind when you photograph your own people or landscapes. How can your visuals emphasize their status, emotions and public symbolism?