Part One
My idea at first came about as I designed a website, working with one other partner last year. However this year I decided to work alone in order for me to enhance my own capabilities and create my own innovations alone. As part of my research into the target audience and into products I designed a way of planning how my newspaper would be eye catching and attention grabbing.
After considering reader’s preferences, (likes and dislikes of tabloid and local newspapers). I identified the stance and roll in the market. The first interpretation I found of local newspapers is the formal language which connotes the less educated and middle England. Secondly, the local newspaper concentrates on the domestic issues and dramatizes stories. In the four local newspapers I analyzed the element that it focuses on crime, anti-social behaviour, sport, tragedies and local authorities.
I decided to create a local newspaper after analyzing thoroughly at the codes and conventions. I did this because I needed to find the right product for the correct audience which I gained in my research into alternative newspapers and their coverage, my local newspaper is a red top targeting only the borough of Brent as I thought it would only be effective if my specific target audience came from my area. The genre of a local newspaper applied because the majority of local newspapers in my area are neglected or few of charge. Also, local newspapers are distributed and free for people to take from public newspaper banks.
The focus group and research into the audience through the use of questionnaires and the codes and conventions of other local newspapers, allowed the decision I made much easier. Furthermore one creative decision I had to acknowledge was the vast range of diversity in Brent which will lead to many different views in recognition of different news values. A local newspaper must be interesting, constructed manageably for all readers alike. The target audience on further analysis should be between 18 to 70 years old. The ideology behind the creation of this particular local newspaper, ‘The Brent Times’ is to allow for choice, and more intermit issues that the public of Brent feel more closely and concerned about. The audience need the best news values in aspect a well-constructed local newspaper.
Noticeably the codes and conventions helped shape my analysis of the differences between local newspapers, tabloid and broadsheet newspapers respectively. In local newspapers contain more formal language and the stories seem more realistic and eye catching as it confronts local issues on all levels of the spectrum. Nevertheless the main characteristics that tabloid newspapers and local newspapers have are the use of images, colour, typefaces, structure of the stories, technical codes and their symbolic functions.
The ‘Kilburn Times’ focused on street crime and for more police to be on the best in order to fight it effectively.
Part Two
My product uses its codes and conventions quite effectively through the most important information of a local newspaper initiated through the language and images used. The news items have targeted mainly men and woman of middle age between 18-70 years old. The news stories are adapted to the time and place accordingly. For example the connotation of the regenerated college displaying the main concerns issues to the people of Brent. For Brent Times we wanted to create it’s own unique identity hence through the use of colour especially red on black writing. The representation of Todorov theory was used as equilibrium.
Nevertheless for the front page of the Brent Times I decided on having a four page spread column with one news item, with the use of a big headline using informal language. I did not opt for any serious items of news. Instead I opted to fit the story and tell the readers clearly what it is about. The headline of my newspaper is visually striking enough to grab the eye of the readers. It also reflects the newspapers attitude to the news story. The local newspaper represents the borough and has been serving the community for over 150 years
The target audience have to know a wide range of vocabulary to be capable to read the newspaper because it contains detailed news stories. The type-face is sans-serif connotes informality and tends to target the less educated. The social significance (impact on the reader) is through the explicit coverage on society and its readers.
