The title then reads on: “NASSER DEMANDS TO BE SAVED FROM ZIMBABWE HELL…” The title displays informal language, as if to communicate with the less educated reader. The Mirror also refers to Nasser Hussain (the England Cricket Team captain) by his first name, whereas typical broadsheet newspapers would refer to people involved in their articles by their last names in order to sound less informal and more professional; an aspect of broadsheet newspapers which appeals to the more educated reading audience. Quote: “Hussain’s men plead for Zimbabwe boycott” This title, taken from The Times (a broadsheet newspaper) begins with a capital letter and follows with lower case letters, like a normal sentence does. It also contains more sophisticated words, like ‘plead’ and ‘boycott’. Overall the cricket article title in The Times seems less eager to attract the reader’s attention, and more keen on informing the reader of the facts behind the issue, unlike The Mirror, which seems to prefer attracting the reader’s attention by using writing techniques such as whole sentences in capital letters and alliteration.
I shall now compare the use of language in The Mirror and The Times.
In The Mirror’s cricket article, the writer of the article itself is referred to as: “Oliver Holt Chief Sports Writer”, whereas the writer of The Times’ cricket article is referred to more formally as: “Owen Slot, Chief Sports Reporter”.
The opening paragraph of The Mirror’s cricket article is very informal, and it is written almost as if the writer wants to be the reader’s friend. Quote: “JUST when we thought the mess couldn’t get any messier, Nasser Hussain and his wandering band of white-feather wavers came along and fouled it up some more” This contrasts with the more professional and factual approach of the first paragraph in The Times’ cricket article. Quote: “THE England cricket team yesterday made an urgent request for their controversial opening World Cup match on February 13 to be relocated from Zimbabwe to South Africa…” These paragraphs show that The Mirror is biased by taking the side of the common cricket fan, annoyed at the fact that the England Cricket Team will not go to Zimbabwe, while The Times shows no signs of being biased and continues to read in a professional manner despite whatever their personal beliefs may be.
By the ninth paragraph of the cricket article, The Mirror then begins to refer to different issues that are irrelevant to the article, in an attempt to justify the situation with the England Cricket Team. Quote: “The sadness is they don’t understand the precedent they have set. What happens now when British jets bomb Iraq a few weeks down the line? What happens when our military kills thousands of innocent civilians?” This suggests that The Mirror is clearly stating it’s personal opinion, which some readers prefer as they can relate to them. However, this is not the case with The Times, as they keep to the subject of the article without including any other issues throughout. Quote: “It also suggests that the ECB [England and Wales Cricket Board] has failed to represent the view of the players because the players and their employers now occupy significantly differing positions.” This suggests that The Times is again taking the more professional and educated approach to portraying their articles, which appeals to the more professional and educated reader.
I shall now go on to explain the differences between the editorials in each of the newspapers.
Editorials are the specific area in newspapers where the newspaper itself states its own views and opinions on certain news and other issues. The editorial is commonly found in the centre pages of most newspapers. In this instance I shall compare The Sun’s editorial with that of The Times’ editorial through their writing techniques and use of language. The Sun’s editorial, which in this case is referring to the issues with the weather affecting major roads around London, starts off with an alliterated two word sentence to summarise their opinion. Quote: “White Wash”. The Times however, starts off it’s editorial with a less casual style of writing. Quote: “A winter’s tale: Britain muddles on towards snowbound mediocrity” This shows that The Times is carrying on it’s professional stance, even when giving it’s own personal opinion, as The Sun (being a typical tabloid newspaper) carries on it’s casual and friendly genre. The Sun continues this style by including puns in it’s editorial to create a friendlier atmosphere for the reader. Quote: “Yes, they’re up grit creek again.”…“We are a Third World joke – run by snow good jobsworths.” The Times uses different and perhaps more sophisticated writing techniques to The Sun, one such technique being the oxymoron. Quote: “British weather is predictably unpredictable”. This tells us that The Times is probably using this technique to distinguish itself more from the less sophisticated tabloid newspaper. The Sun lays out it’s editorial in short, summarised paragraphs, possibly to make it easier for the reader to comprehend. Quote: “The cost to the country is put at £150million” Then written underneath in a separate paragraph: “Britain is the laughing stock of the world”.
The Times however, keeps it’s editorial’s layout in neat and normal sized paragraphs, in it’s continuing professional manner.
Altogether, I can conclude that The Times (a typical broadsheet newspaper) is designed for more educated and sophisticated readers, with it’s advanced writing techniques and professional layout, whereas The Sun and The Mirror (typical tabloid newspapers) contrast with broadsheet newspapers, and are set out for the less well educated and more casual reader, with it’s friendly use of language and openly-stated opinions.