Comparison of a Broadsheet and Tabloid Newspaper

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Media Study

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Comparison of a Broadsheet and Tabloid Newspaper

Jun Minohara Goode


On 20th of February 2004, the Times and the Sun introduced the news of the release of five Britons held in Guantanamo Bay as the lead news front page stories. The articles in these two newspapers greatly contrast in various points, including views on the issue, page layout, style of writing and vocabulary used.

The Times is a broadsheet newspaper, generally accepted as mid-conservative, while the Sun has the largest circulation among newspapers distributed in UK and its editorial state tend to swing in symphony of public opinion. Both newspapers are published by the companies of the News International group.

Page design

In the Sun the article is laid over two pages: the front page and the second page. Its front page design is simple but dynamic. The page is vertically divided into two sections: a large photograph of Beckham fills half of the page and the headline of the article of the news tightly fits into the other half of the space, leaving some space for a subheading, a stand-first and a small cut-out picture. There is no main text in the front page. This style of design is for advertisements, which can also be used to deliver a selective message to readers.

The article continues to the second page. The second page looks busy and cluttered with many elements in several variations of type faces. The length of the main text is not long enough to explain the detail of the subject. On the other hand, the title in bold letters takes a larger space than the main text of the page, overweighing in the top of the page. The title is followed by a subtitle and a sub-sub title. A column of an eye-witness report is placed in the middle of the page, treated more importantly than the main text (body?). Its text is in bold letters and the background of the column is tinted to draw attention. The column has a zoomed-up photograph of one of the five men lying on the ground with a bullet hole in his shoulder. Underneath the photograph, bold letters state ‘Fanatic to end’. At the side of the photograph, a cross head in the main text stand out, saying ‘shot’. Above the photograph, the word, ‘traitors’ in the main title is designed to be associated with this photograph.

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The page design of the Times is very different. It is quiet, tidy and boring but designed to make easy for readers to read long texts. Sarif face dominates the whole paper: headlines and main copies both use Sarif face. A one-line headline is laid across the top of the front page, followed by a subheading. The text of 26 paragraphs gives a detail of the subject. Apart from its five Ws, the article explains why the five men have been in X-Ray Camp, how they have been treated there and what is going to happen after their release. ...

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