Results - Analysing them from my survey.

From my survey monkey I was able to retrieve 30 responses. I asked 30 different people, aged between 19 - 30, as I found that the older generation were more likely to read and were interested in their local newspapers. I decided to ask 30, mixed gender, people to help me get enough information to calculate the average and then go into putting that data into a graph that could then help me to create the front page of my local newspaper.

Survey Monkey questionnaire for a local newspaper.

I created a survey monkey account to have the opportunity to ask my intended audience, 19-30 year olds, questions on what they look for in their local paper, how often they read it, etc.
To view my questionnaire click on the link below:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/R2MD3ML

Results on my target audience.

After doing a small survey, in my local high street, I was able to ask a range of ages if they read their local newspaper. I was able to ask a total of 25 people. As it was a small survey I was just recording my answers in a tally.
My survey consisted of the questions:
- Do you read your local newspaper?
(If they answered yes I would then go on to ask...)
Are you more likely to read Haverhill Weekly News (free local newspaper) or Haverhill Echo(paid local newspaper)?
I thought it was too personal and many people may get offended if I was to ask their age, therefore I had estimate their age. I created a tick box system that had the ages of: 18 and under, 19 - 30, 31 - 40, 41 - 50 and 51+.
I had asked a range of people, of different ages, due to my tally showing me that I had ticked a minimum of 2 people in each age box.
My results show me that the ages 19 - 30 read there local newspaper more than any other age. Therefore I know know that my intended audience is 19 - 30 and I shall try to make my local newspaper appeal to this age group.

Research into the target audience of a local newspaper.

Many people appeal to newspapers, it really does vary to a range of different people. Each individual reading their local newspaper for a different reason. The younger generation reading the newspaper, looking at the writing and looking for inspiration and the older generation looking at what is going on in their village/town/city. When creating my own local newspaper, I shall have to create a newspaper that appeals to a target audience. To help me retrieve my target audience I shall have to do a small survey, asking a range of ages, if they read there local newspaper.

Textual analysis of a front cover story - paragraph by paragraph

Paragraph by paragraph textual analysis of a front cover story from a local newspaper.

Here we have looked at a main story from the cover of  “The Haverhill Weekly” and looked paragraph-by-paragraph what a front cover story’s codes and conventions are and what is placed within each paragraph.

·      Paragraph 1: Sum- up of the story line

·      Paragraph 2: Who the story involves, where is occurs and what the events were.

·      Paragraph 3: Description of the person involved, ie, Name, age, where they live/ are from.

·      Paragraph 4: this paragraph includes quotes from whom the story involves, for example their take on the story.

·      Paragraph 5: this paragraph includes quotes from whom the story involves, for example their take on the story.

·      Paragraph 6: Description of other parties involved in  the story, i.e., Name, age, where they live/ from and their relationship to the story

·      Paragraph 7: This is where the narrative by the journalist begins to describe the story

·      Paragraph 8: this paragraph includes quotes from whom the story involves, for example their take on the story.

·      Paragraph 9: this paragraph includes quotes from whom the story involves, for example their take on the story.

·      Paragraph 10: Narrative by the journalist

·      Paragraph 11: Narrative by the journalist

·      Paragraph 12: Includes another quote from the parties involved in the story.

·      Paragraph 13: Often contains donation requests if the story is involved with some sort of charity or asking for help after personal disaster  (such as house fires)

·      Paragraph 14: Ends in a happier tone to contrast the story and to give an overall feel of wellbeing to the reader, for example this paragraph will explain how the parties involved are now getting on. 

Difference between Tabloids and Broadsheets.

Broadsheet

The appearance of the broadsheet is more subtle than the tabloid. With the articles image being the main attraction to the newspaper. The image, that they have used is very specific, they have used a child who is surrounded by dead crops. With no family around, the child is just sitting next to a human skull. This suggests that the child is in desperate need of some help. The image leaves the reader guessing who's skull it is, could it be the child's mother? Are they all alone? What is going to happen to them?

The articles main headline isn't much bigger than the font however the number, in which the number of people who are at risk of war, poverty and hunger, however the number - that is related to the main headline is dramatically larger and in red. This is because the editor wants to shock its readers with drastic amount of people who are at risk. The colour red connotes death and automatically the reader knows the article is not positive from the colour of the headline.

The audience of the broadsheet is people who tend to be more upper class and more educated than the people who reader tabloids.This tends to be because of the use of the language used in the broadsheets. The language of a broadsheet is very formal, factual and broadsheets use written language and include a wide range of vocabulary. 

The structure of a broadsheet is very organised. Using their introduction paragraph to comment on who, what, where, when and why. Then going into more depth within the other paragraphs of the article. 

 Tabloid

The appearance of the tabloid is very bold compared to the tabloid. With the article headline being the main attraction of the front page of the tabloid. The masthead is bright and with images of celebrities surrounding it. The main headline is: 'Girl of 12 taken by pervert Marine'. Just this headline alone has taken up two thirds of the page with just the text of this headline. The text of the main headline is very different to the broadsheet as it is in bold and takes up so much room of the front page. Whereas the broadsheet concentrates it's front page on the article the tabloid focuses on the headline, trying to draw in readers. Even though this is the main headline there is a lot of attention focused on the other headline: 'Gareth confesses I did sleep with Jordan'. This is very normal of a tabloid to use celebrities on the front page cover of their newspaper as they know their audience. The editor of the Sun knows it's audience - it is people who are interested in celebrities lives therefore they take advantage of this, knowing what will draw in the attention of its readers.
The language of tabloids is very different from broadsheets because tabloids tend to use an informal style of writing and often appears as sensationalism. Tabloids use everyday lexis that comes into context with most people. The tabloids tend to use alliteration and often a pun to grab their readers attention and persuade them to purchase their newspaper.
The structure of a tabloids article.Tabloids use bits and pieces of articles to highlight the most shocking and scandalous parts to grab their readers attention.

The comparison of language between broadsheets, tabloids and local newsapapers.

Te definition of a newspaper is: a scheduled publication containing news of current events.
I have drawn up a small table to show the main differences between: tabloids, local newspapers and broadsheets.

Codes and Conventions of a Newspaper.

Codes and Conventions of a Newspaper.

Time Planning Sheet for my Local Newspaper, Radio Advertising and Poster Advertisement.

Time Planning Sheet on Prezi

Time planning sheet for a local newspaper.

1) Start my blog and begin research into the codes and conventions of a local newspaper. (12th - 22nd September)
2) Research into a what my local audience is going to be. Create a survey monkey questionnaire to find a target audience and information on what I want my local newspaper to include. (21st -27th September)
3) Design a rough layout of my local newspaper keep redrafting until I achieve the final layout (2nd - 5th October)
4) As a group decide on a name for the local newspaper. (5th - 6th October)
5) Decide on a colour pallet for our local newspaper. (6th - 8th October)
6) Look into the types of fonts that I may be able to use for my local newspaper. (10th October)
7) Decide on the contents of the articles and begin to take first draft images for the newspaper. If using a local business for my articles I need to get permission to take pictures of their property. (10th - 15th October)
8) Look on a range of different programmes and choose a few fonts that are appropriate for the newspaper and then create a questionnaire asking our target audience what their opinion is. (16th - 31st October)
9) Decide a electronic layout of the front page and the contents page on two different programmes. (1st - 20th November)
10) Create a first draft for the main article. (25th - 30th November)
11) Keep redrafting the main article copy (1st December - 5th December)
12) Once the final draft is produced for the main article start to begin to make the front page of the newspaper on Indesign. (5th December - 1st February)
13) Start creating the contents page of our local newspaper (5th February - 15th)

Looking at Local Newspapers.

When I found out I was going to create my own local newspaper I firstly started to look at the template of local newspapers to help me get a see at their layout. Which would then help me to create my own template for my local newspaper.
Here are some examples of local newspapers I was looking at:

The beginning of it all.

At the beginning of my AS media course I had to create a music magazine. I worked with Lewis Parkinson and together we created two front covers, two contents pages and two double page spreads for the music magazine 'Euphonic'. I blogged all of my coursework onto Tumblr and here is the URL: http://jessgridleymedia.tumblr.com/
These were my final outcomes:

This year I am going to be working with Amber Benjamin and Naomi Craven. Out of all of the options we were given, for the media coursework, I was most interested in completing it on creating a front cover and the first inside page of a local newspaper. And for the advertisements we chose was to create a radio advert and a poster to promote our local newspaper. I found myself drawn to this piece of coursework from the start as I am currently taking English Language A2 and I am very interested in going into Journalism. My Media and English are going really well together and having an eye for non-fiction writing, therefore I think that I shall really enjoy this coursework and use my English skills to help write the local newspaper with a journalistic eye.