News

Newspaper reading is a good habit. It offers numerous benefits including improving vocabulary, enhancing general knowledge and providing entertainment to name few. We must all inculcate this habit to stay abreast with the latest happenings around the world. Besides, improving our general knowledge on social, political, geographical issues, newspaper reading is a relaxing activity, which rejuvenates your mind and body.

Newspaper reading enhances our ability to look deeply into the matters of social concern. This happens as we come to know about the sufferings of fellow human beings and urges us to take action or find remedies to it. Newspaper reading also makes us more bold and confident as we know all current issues and become more presentable. Reading newspaper is a very advantageous hobby both for the children, adults as well as the elderly.

Long and short essay on newspaper reading in English

• Below we are providing long and short essay on Newspaper Reading in English, of varying lengths to help you with the topic in your exam.
• These Newspaper Reading essay will take you through all the advantages of newspaper reading.
• After going through the essays you would probably take up newspaper reading as and admire its usefulness.
• You can select any Newspaper Reading Essay as per your need, during your school/college debate or essay writing competition.

Short essay on newspaper reading – essay 1 (200 words)

Newspaper reading is one of the best habits one can inculcate. It provides detailed information about all the happenings across the globe sitting at one place.

Man is a social animal and in order to live comfortably and peacefully in the society one must know what is going on around him. Newspaper helps in providing information not only about your vicinity but also acquaints you with important news from around the world.

In the earlier times, there were only few publications but now there are a number of newspapers available in the market. There are specialized newspapers covering different domains to cater to the needs of different sections in the society. For instance, you can lay hands on business newspapers such as Economic Times, Business Standard and The Financial Express. Similarly, you can pick Metropolitan Daily Newspaper to know what’s going on in the metropolitan cities. However, it is best to go for a general-interest newspaper that contains all kinds of local and global news. These newspapers are divided into different sections to make it easier to find relevant news.

Reading newspaper does not only give an insight into the current affairs but also enhances vocabulary and improves reading skills. It is thus especially recommended for the students.

Essay on importance of newspaper in student life – essay 2 (300 words)

Introduction

Newspapers offer information about our locality as well as other parts of the world. Different kinds of newspapers are published to cater to the needs and interest of different people in the society. Reading newspaper is beneficial for everyone. However, students are especially advised to read newspaper regularly as these offer numerous benefits to them.

Importance of newspaper in student life

Here is why it is important for the students to read newspaper:

• Improve reading skills

Students must read the newspaper loud and clear in order to enhance their reading skills. Reading three-four paragraphs of any news that interests them daily can help in improving their reading skills.

• Enhance knowledge

Newspapers include latest information about different fields including sports, politics and business. Reading newspaper regularly helps in enhancing general knowledge and also provides knowledge about the current affairs. Having good knowledge on different subjects gives the students an edge over their peers.

• Strengthen vocabulary

Newspaper articles and news write-ups include rich vocabulary. Students who read newspaper regularly develop a good vocabulary which helps them in their academics and also come handy as they participate in different competitions.

• Improve grammar

Reading newspaper regularly is also a good way to improve grammar. Students who inculcate the habit of reading the newspaper regularly develop a greater understanding of the use of punctuations. They also become skilled at structuring sentences properly. It thus helps in enhancing their writing skills too.

• Prepare for competitive examination

Reading newspaper regularly also helps in preparing the students for different competitive examinations as these tests mainly assess their general knowledge.

Conclusion

Students must take out some time from their schedule every day to read newspaper owing to the numerous benefits it offers. Parents and teachers must make sure that they develop this habit in children from the very beginning in order to prepare them better for the future.

Essay on benefits of reading newspaper – essay 3 (400 words)

Introduction

Newspapers are a powerhouse of information. Reading newspaper offers numerous benefits. From providing information about our local areas to acquainting us with the happenings around the globe, from entertaining us with filmy gossip to offering food for thought by way of motivational articles, from providing employment opportunities to offering space for brand promotion – newspapers have so much in store for each one of us.

Benefits of reading newspaper

• Acquaints with current affairs

Newspapers acquaint us with the latest happenings from around the world. In order to have knowledge about the current affairs it is essential to follow news regularly. Newspapers cover all the important news happenings and are a reliable source of news.

• Provides insight into different domain

Newspapers cover news from the world of politics, cinema, business, sports and more. Thus, they provide an insight into the current happenings in different domains.

• Way to find new opportunities

Newspapers also include employment and business opportunities. Many companies seek candidates for different positions through newspapers. These are thus a good place to look for jobs.

• Brand promotion

Newspapers give enough room to advertise products and services. So, these are a good means for brand promotion. They help in connecting the consumers with businesses.

• Helps improve vocabulary and grammar

News and articles that form a part of the newspapers are written by highly learned and experienced writers. They use rich vocabulary. Newspapers can thus be a good means to improve vocabulary. Reading newspapers regularly can also help in improving grammar.

• Helps build social contacts

A person who reads newspaper regularly is well-versed with the latest happenings. He is more knowledgeable and worldly wise. Such people can speak on different subjects with confidence. They are an inspiration for many. They are respected in the society and everyone wants to connect with them. Reading newspaper regularly thus helps in building social contacts.

• Kills boredom

Newspapers are a good way to kill boredom. A person who develops the habit of reading newspaper daily can never feel bored as he will always have a company.

Conclusion

A person who doesn’t read newspaper misses out on a lot in life. He remains ignorant about the number of things whereas a person who reads newspaper regularly becomes more knowledgeable and confident. Not only students, businessmen and working professionals, newspaper must be read by people belonging to every walk of life. It has something useful for everyone. It is a good way to keep oneself busy and gain knowledge at the same time.

Essay on value of newspaper in our daily life – essay 4 (500 words)

Introduction

Newspapers are being read since decades. They created a revolution when they were first published as they connected people living far and wide with each other. These acted as a tool to spread awareness about what all was happening in different parts of the country as well as other parts of the world. Though, many people may have switched to news websites and apps, we cannot deny that newspaper still holds an important place in the society and is valued by many.

Value of newspaper in daily life

Reading newspaper is a ritual for many people. They are unable to begin their day without going through the pages of newspaper. Newspaper is one of the first things they need after they wake up. Here is the value of newspaper in daily life for people belonging to different walks of life:

• Value of Newspaper for Housewives

Housewives spend most part of their day completing their household tasks. They have numerous tasks to handle during a day. They hardly go out and thus often feel isolated. Newspaper keeps them connected with the outside world. It gives them a sense of association with the rest of the society.

• Value of newspaper for business men

Businessmen need to have complete knowledge about their industry as well as the market in general in order to do a successful business. Reading newspaper daily keeps them updated with the latest business news. Newspapers such as Business Standard and Economic Times are recommended for them.

• Value of newspaper for working professionals

In order to stay ahead of the competition, one must be well aware about the latest happenings around the world. This is a good way to expand knowledge which is essential for professionals working in any domain. A well-read and learned person is looked up to and respected by everyone around. This enhances their chances of growth at work.

• Value of newspaper for students

Students are especially asked to read newspaper daily. This is because it offers them numerous benefits. Firstly, it improves reading skills. It also helps in developing good writing skills since it enhances vocabulary and improves grammar. Besides, it is one of the best ways to increase general knowledge which is helpful while giving competitive examinations. Games such as crossword puzzles and Sudoku test their analytical and observation skills as well as their knowledge.

• Value of newspaper for retired people

Newspapers hold great value for the retired people. These are in fact read the most by these people. One of the reasons for this is that these people are from the time when there was no internet. Newspaper was the only source of news during that time. So, they are habitual to it. Even though many of them have learned how to use the internet, they still prefer newspaper over e-news. Most of their leisure time is spent in reading newspaper.

Conclusion

Newspapers have a lot to offer to everyone. These are available in different languages and at a cost effective price. These can thus be picked and read easily anytime and anywhere.

Essay on newspaper advantages and disadvantages – essay 5 (600 words)

Introduction

Newspapers are easily accessible in the market. These economical pieces of paper encompass news from around the world. Most urban households in our country have subscribed to newspapers to receive their daily dose of news. These have been a part of our society since decades and hold their charm even in the age of e-news.

Advantages of newspapers

Newspapers offer numerous advantages. Here is a look at the various advantages offered by them:

• All the information under one roof

Newspapers provide all the information under one roof. You do not have to go looking for the latest news elsewhere if you have subscribed to a general-interest newspaper. These newspapers are strategically divided into various sections such as current affairs, international news, business, sports, health, entertainment, etc. Each section covers news pertaining to its field. So, every important happening occurred in any field in any part of the world is available here.

• Source of entertainment

Newspapers do not just contain serious news they can even be a source of entertainment. They contain news from the entertainment industry. They also have a section that includes puzzles, Sudoku and other such games to entertain you.

• Available in various languages

Newspapers are available in various languages with those in Hindi and English language being more readily available in our country. So, you can pick a newspaper in the language you are well-versed with to gain knowledge about the latest happenings.

• Easy to access and read

Newspapers are cost-effective and easily available in the market. You can read these anywhere and anytime without straining your eyes.

• Enhances vocabulary and grammar

Reading newspaper regularly can help enhance vocabulary over the time. It is also a good way to improve grammatical skills.

Disadvantages of newspapers

While newspapers offer numerous advantages, they also have their set of disadvantages. Here is a look at the various disadvantages of newspapers:

• Wastage of paper

Millions of newspapers are printed each day utilizing several million pieces of paper. In today’s times, when everything has gone online and we are advised to switch to e-bills to save the paper used on paper bills, why is so much paper being wasted on the newspapers? News can easily be read online.

• Can be time wasting

Most people who read newspaper have the habit of reading it in the morning with their cup of tea. This can be a waste of time. Instead of getting on with more productive tasks in the morning hours, people are glued to the newspaper to find out what others have been doing.

• Stale news

In the era of internet and news channels, newspapers seem to offer stale news. We get to know about the latest happenings around the world within minutes. Newspaper provides the same news after a day. We already know the details about various events even before the newspaper is printed.

• Twisted facts

Different newspapers are influenced by different political parties. Thus, the facts stated in the newspapers can at times be twisted. These are twisted to suit the interest of these parties.

• Hamper work

While reading newspaper regularly is a good habit however many people who read these on a daily basis get addicted to them. This addiction can hamper their work as they read through the entire paper before they begin with any other task.

Conclusion

Thus, newspapers offer both advantages and disadvantages. Providing information and entertainment, enhancing reading skills and improving grammar and vocabulary are some of the advantages while wastage of paper and misrepresentation of facts are some of the disadvantages. It has been seen that the advantages offered by newspapers outweigh the number of disadvantages. The age old habit of reading is thus being followed even today.

When Boris Johnson’s article in The Spectator1 caused controversy a week ago, it raised questions not only about the ethical position of politicians involved in journalism, but also about the freedom of the media and its relationship with regulators and governmental bodies. Boris Johnson is a much- derided figure, often attacked for his looks and manner rather than his views and actions. In a radio interview for the BBC, for example, Paul Bigley (Ken’s brother) accused him of being a “self- centred, pompous twit”2 and belittled him for his appearance and waffling manner despite the valid points in the article, and subsequent apology.

This tact was followed by newspapers almost without exception; The Times, for example, started their article with a quote from Michael Howard denouncing Johnson’s writing as “nonsense from beginning to end,”4 a comment in the Liverpool Daily Post recommended that he ‘got life insurance,’5 and an article on the BBC website6 provided quotations only from those against the MP. This is in direct contrast to what the same website suggested was the general public opinion.

On the ‘Your Views’7 section, nineteen out of twenty- two comments support Johnson’s opinion, ranging from those in general support to people from Liverpool criticising their fellow Liverpudlians; suggesting that the media was either being sensationalist or deliberately opposing a Conservative- who, it should be noted, did not even write the article. The true author, Simon Heffer, was barely mentioned and has ‘no plans to issue an apology;’8 further evidence that it was the character of Johnson rather than his article that caused so much disagreement.

This is supported by a comment in The Independent which noted that Johnson was not the first social commentator to challenge Liverpool’s reaction to the beheading. On Sunday the 10th of October, Dr Anthony Daniels challenged the town’s reaction for an ‘estranged son “whose attachment to Liverpool was so great that he was planning to live in Thailand. “‘9 Dr Daniels, however, was not featured in any newspaper or criticised for his comments. This calls into question the role of MPs in the media; whether it is possible for them to be both decision makers and public commentators.

Though not the first editor to become an MP- Iain Macleod and Dick Crossman have both managed it in the past- as both the Financial Times and The Guardian Student pointed out, in ‘bowing down to Mr Howard’s edict’10 Johnson put political ambition over journalistic independence. This not only undermines Johnson’s validity as a public commentator but also the doctrine of press freedom. Enshrined in the US Constitution in the First Amendment and by ‘Supreme Court precedent,’11 the press is often perceived in America as the ‘fourth branch of government,’ providing a check and balance to the judiciary, executive and legislative.

Though in Britain the branches are less divided, the same principle should stand to provide effective restraints; hence the ongoing debate over the Lord Chancellor’s position in all three branches of Government. When an MP becomes involved in the media, therefore, its independence is called into question. It seems unlikely, for example, than an MP could comment fairly on the actions of a body he or she works for. The reaction to Johnson’s article proves that MPs working as journalists do not have the same freedom as journalists not also working as MPs.

This challenges the validity of a ‘free media’ that can be influenced so easily despite supposedly having complete freedom of speech. Often heralded as an indicator of democracy, Britain’s press is perceived to be one of the freest in the world. “Freedom,” however, can be interpreted in many ways. In the United Kingdom, for example, though the media can in theory print anything there are moral and bureaucratic restrictions. Seven companies, four of which account for 90% of sales, own the entire national press and media ‘moguls’ such as Rupert Murdoch control many publications.

Murdoch himself owns the News of the World, The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times. This may have influenced their synonymous attack on Johnson’s article which was published in The Spectator, owned by one of Murdoch’s rivals the Barclay brothers- who, as commented upon in The Times, have ‘not raised the Liverpool editorial’12 with Johnson, revealing their ongoing faith in having a politician as an editor whilst others are questioning it. The ownership of chains of newspapers has implications on their bias and impartiality.

Murdoch’s politics, for example, are generally right- wing, though he apparently favours republicanism over monarchy and is said to have refused a British peerage. His influence is apparent in the papers he owns. In February 1998, for example, The Sun, which had consistently attacked Labour’s plans for the Millennium Dome suddenly changed tack and threw its weight behind the project. It seems no coincidence that Murdoch’s BSkyB had recently made an investment in the Dome. 13 It is, however, impossible for any form of media to be truly unbiased.

Humans, by their nature, are influenced by what they read and who they see, and inject personal opinion into articles or reports without intending to. In the United Kingdom The Times is typically seen as a left- wing paper, The Telegraph as right- wing, and The Independent as the most unbiased paper. These stereotypes rarely hold true, however, with The Times’ editorial often being more lenient towards the Conservatives. This may have more to do with the fact that the media often opposes whoever is in power, whoever they are, with no regards to traditional stance.

Of the articles about Johnson, the most balanced viewpoint was from The Guardian Student. From the very start it offers views for and against the article; even the headline, “Boris is ‘sorry’ for tactless own goal”14 presents Johnson as apologetic whilst also implying he made a blunder. Throughout, it keeps this balanced viewpoint with quotations from those supporting him followed by those against; contrasting articles in The Times15 which present tirades of criticism. The Guardian Student article is an exception, however.

Though often not as transparent as headlines in tabloids such as The Sun or The Daily Star, broadsheets in the Western world show clear bias without obvious governmental controls. This may be seen to affect politics. In a poll conducted in America in 1992, for example, 89% of 1400 members of the national media surveyed voted for Clinton in that same year. 16 Though it is certain this would have influenced the journalists’ articles, it is debateable whether the media dictated the public’s mood or vice versa.

In 1997 when The Sun declared “It’s The Sun Wot Won It” due to its support of the Labour party, it was questionable whether they actually influenced the public or merely responded to what the public was urging them to print. Despite the obvious bias, however, the media of the Western world is still typically liberal in viewpoint, with it rare for an outlet to present controversial or minority views. The views of the BNP, for example, are rarely, if ever, supported in the media. The reason for this comes down to money.

The public are unlikely to buy a paper if it is known to publish racist, xenophobic or controversial views, even if they are just the expression of free speech (though The Sun comes close on occasion, printing sensationalist headlines with unsubstantiated evidence17). Constantly looking for ways to increase revenue, papers are therefore unlikely to publish minority views if it is the majority that they are aiming for. Minority views are more often only heard when their exponents, such as Abu Hanzar, are being persecuted or when comedians are chastising them.

Billy Connelly and Doug Stanhope, for example, as criticised in the Warwick Boar18, regularly use controversial, politically incorrect material under the guise of jokes. Connelly joking about Ken Bigley, for example, did not receive the criticism that Johnson did despite being more tactless and insensitive. Freedom of press, however, is not truly understood unless compared to non- Western countries. In ‘Last Seven Days’ (a Warwick- based informal political discussion group), for example, both a Russian and a Chinese student commented that the freedom of the press is not appreciated in Britain.

In Russia, using restrictive legislation and exerting financial pressure through the government and government- related companies, the Kremlin “gained nearly total control of the broadcast media in 2003. “19 Many Russians, as commented upon in the World Press Review, support restrictions on the press. 20 This has resulted in a media consistently supporting the Russian government and President, as evident in the translation of articles from Moscow News which celebrate nuclear weapons test launches as ‘landmark events.

An article on the same event in the USA or the UK is likely to have included criticism of the demand and use of nuclear weapons. The general perception of the media in much of the Western world is that they have a great degree of freedom. Whilst this is true if compared to countries such as Russia, China or Iraq, there are still pressures on journalists to produce articles with a particular slant or viewpoint. It could be said, for example, that the restrictive policies typical of countries ruled by dictatorship have been replaced by the “dictatorial” media barons such as Rupert Murdoch and the Barclay brothers.

The governmental restrictions, meanwhile, are more likely to be whips or party leaders trying to pander to public opinion rather than imposing party policy, as was displayed by Michael Howard over Boris Johnson’s article. I also witnessed this during work experience at the House of Commons, where there were daily meetings for all opposition MPs to discuss the previous day’s press coverage, and the majority of Theresa May’s (MP, Windsor and Maidenhead) work was to attract the attention of, or respond to, local and national media.

The relationship between the press and politicians is complex, with politicians trying to get in the media, and journalists often only willing to cover a minority of issues for personal, political, or financial reasons. When politicians, such as Boris Johnson, become directly involved in the media, further restrictions and pressures are placed on the medium. Therefore though the media, in particular in Britain, is supposedly free from constraints, in reality there are numerous limits on what journalists are willing to write.

There are certain negative roles of Pakistani media . Medal Is negatively manipulating the Interests of the people. People of Pakistan are yet not critical / educated enough to realize this manipulation / twisting of facts. There is a famous dictum that “a lie spoken 100 times becomes greater than a truth” Pakistani media is also blamed for overwhelming negative exaggeration. It glossaries issues, resorts to negative exaggeration of matters, newspaper headlines are depicting violence, etc all this demoralizes the nation.

At times news are given without authentication / confirmation. Unethical material / photographs / scenes are shown on our media promoting popularization. Medal Is damaging basic fiber of our nation and has created a crisis of miss identification. Our initial investigation into the topic of truth manipulation began by conducting a ‘cultural probe’, followed by an extensive literature review from various sources. Further primary methods such as surveys, questionnaires and focus groups may be used to further enhance our learning and knowledge.

User testing will be used during the design development stage to determine if the target market is receptive to NY developed outcomes. Our aim is to equip the public with knowledge as to the ways and means the media uses to Influence their opinions. This will open up the option for our target market to form their own opinions on Issues, rather than taking the political or social stallion at TTS alliance. t TN ten meal wellness to Insult II upon I Following on from semesters group discussions, we begin by discussing and looking into issues concerning our views and perceptions of communication.

Self-promotion and publishing, via the forming of new media outlets such as You Tube, My space, Face book and web logs has recently provided an alternative to the traditional way of receiving news information. The idea of creating and selecting the kind of information we wish to enrich ourselves with has steadily become more attractive as of late. With such a dynamic flow of information happening around the globe, North Korea somehow stands out in its shelter.. We, as a eastern society, on the other hand are exposed to various kinds of information on a daily basis.

Up to 3000 advertising messages per day to be precise. We cannot walk around a block without being attracted to buy a certain product, use form of service, or have a particular view. There is an absolute abundance of options. But to choose? Who is it to say that our source of information does not choose our information for us? Are we, despite having freedom of choice, not at all This idea formed the basis of our selected topic of research and led to the exploration of truth manipulation in the current media landscape.

AIMS & OBJECTIVES Firstly to create awareness amongst the public about techniques employed by media corporation to spin truths and push their political and social agendas and opinions upon society. Then to equip the audience with necessary means in order to defend themselves against truth manipulation in the current media landscape. The objective is not to dictate views or opinions but to encourage a critical perspective when listening to, reading and taking in news and current affairs information.

We would like to encourage the audience to think for themselves, form their own opinions and draw logical conclusions from the media they absorb. PURPOSE, NEED & SIGNIFICANCE As a consumer driven society, the public are often immature to the variety of ethos employed by media giants in order to influence opinions to support with their own agendas. Many of these cooperation’s have continuously dishonored their responsibility to serve public interest and raise unbiased awareness of news and current issues.

As time progresses, and sophistication in technology becomes more and more advanced, consumers are becoming more at risk to truth manipulation as they do not nave ten addle TTY to Keep up Witt meal movements I Nils provokes ten meal giants with the opportunity to force their opinions and as a result the unsuspecting public come more susceptible to the success of the medias deeds. This is a demoralizing factor in today’s society, as society puts a certain amount of trust into the media and hope that what they are delivering is authentic and unaltered information rather than issues that have been fictitious to benefit secondary needs.

This is where the public are being misled. What is needed to overcome these troubling issues is a raise in public awareness. Propaganda and truth manipulation must be exposed so the public are able to see that the information they receive is not necessary the whole truth. Once this occurs, e as a society will be better equipped to form our own opinions, and perhaps even regain some power over media giants. Grassroots is where this movement must begin and it is our aim to assist such a cause. RESEARCH METHODS This project centers around research and investigation.

In order to absorb and analyze as much information as possible on the chosen topic of truth manipulation, we have decided to employ several vastly different research methods. Initial investigation began by conducting a ‘cultural probe’. This method is a first- hand data gathering attempt. The exercise involved using five people to participate in series of news, media and communication related activities. The aim of this method is more about gathering inspiration than information. The outcomes and results of this method are outlined below in the section entitled ‘Cultural Probe Results’.

Secondary research took the form of a literature review, as included on the following pages. Each group member selected or was assigned a series of literature and information sources to investigate and report. Sources included documentaries, films, publications, Journals, articles, case studies and electronic resources. Both global and local issues were explored. This form of research aided a better understanding of our topic, and helped us form individual and collective opinions of the issues arising. The outcome is the following argumentative essay.

At the point of writing this research proposal, third and fourth methods of investigation are being discussed. Further primary methods such as surveys, questionnaires and focus groups may be used to further enhance our learning and knowledge. User testing will be used during the design development stage to determine if the target market are receptive to any developed outcomes. Major meal corporation’s use tenet power Ana meal outlets to portray an oaten hidden political or social agenda. To do so they spin and manipulate truths, molding information to suit their cause.

Authenticity of information is lost owing to this trend, and it has become increasingly difficult for the public to separate fact from fabricated fiction and false, misleading information. The media has a role to portray true and relevant information and so serve public interest. This idea is seemingly lost on many media giants who are more focused on profit and swaying opinion than delivering a realistic and reasonable account of rent affairs and issues. This goes against the Journalistic promise to honor societies right to true and honest information.

This essay will discuss in depth, the techniques both Tabloids and Broadsheets employ to present the information in their respective newspapers. The definition of a Tabloid is a small sized paper with many pictures, whilst a Broadsheet is generally a larger sized paper with a focus more on text than pictures. Size is not the only topic that will be covered in the essay; this essay will also explore the use of language of a paper, the main conventions of a paper such as The Headline and puffs, the use of visual effects such as pictures, adverts and special features such as double page spreads.

The title poses the question of “how information is presented in Tabloid and Broadsheet newspapers”. From the Masthead to the Article the reader is inundated with information, this comes in many forms depending on the paper and its format. Tabloids utilize a number of methods for the transfer of information; this could include the use of Headlines, pictures and use of Language. The use of pictures in Tabloids is crucial to their success and popularity.

Like most points the use of Pictures is important but is complimentary to another aspect of Tabloids and would not have nearly the same amount of effectiveness without the other conventions of the paper. The expression that a picture is worth a thousand words is not to be underestimated when examining tabloids. Tabloids often pick their pictures specifically for the type of story they want and more importantly the stance they want to take for this story, for example the picture featured in the Daily Express 6 September 2005 depicted two heavily armed police officers in the recently devastated city of New Orleans.

This greatly complimented the article which even though reported on the recent disaster of Hurricane Katrina focused more on the lack of security forces in the area and the actions police had to take to keep control over the general populous. The picture itself did give the reader a feeling of the type of place New Orleans now was, that being a very dangerous one, and so in that sense the picture succeeded in rousing some sort of emotion in the reader before even having set about reading the text. The picture was very sensationalist as was the language and so the two complemented each other perfectly.

This use of pictures to complement articles by giving the reader an insight on the article subject is common practice by both Tabloids and Broadsheets. But it is Tabloids who take it one step further and use pictures to stir emotions within the reader which to some extent subsidises and even does away with the need for emotive language within the article but not altogether. As pictures still do in many cases support the text. Everywhere we look on a paper we are consciously or subliminally gathering information.

When a reader sees a masthead such as that of The Sun they have already gained information on the kind of paper it is and therefore what kind of stories it features. The Sun’s masthead for example with it’s big and bold white font set on a bright red background suggests that the paper is cheerful, not too serious and is a light read. This information can be gathered simply by the connotations that the actual masthead emanates as well as the simple preconception that the reader has from hear say and maybe previous experience of the paper.

One of the main aspects of Tabloids is their use of Headlines and Sub-titles. Tabloids are shrewd in the art of Headlines, they are artful manipulators of language and this is one of the main “weapons” in their “armoury”. The Headline is one of the first things a prospective customer sees when browsing through the racks of papers, if the headline sounds appealing then hopefully the paper will be just as good, a lot of Tabloid sales depends on their headlines. Tabloids use such techniques as puns, rhetorical questions, alliteration, assonance and more.

These techniques make a headline appealing to the reader and therefore make the paper more appealing, for example, “Runaway Roadent Rescued” this is a pun regarding the story of a hamster finding its way onto a road and being rescued by a passer by. This play on words is typical among Tabloids but that particular quote was from the 25 September 2005 Sun newspaper. This is directly linked to the use of language in newspapers and also the type of information in newspapers as the headline dictates what the article will be and vice versa.

By far the most relevant part of the Tabloid is the news or information which is represented by its use of language. Language plays a critical role in the composition of a Tabloid. As with headlines, techniques such as puns and alliteration are common place within the articles of such Tabloid papers as The Sun and The News of The World. The type of language used in Tabloids can be most easily defined as Sensationalist. This is when the journalist or newspaper use lurid and often exaggerated material in this case, as its general style to gain public attention or sales. This comprises all writing techniques exploited to gain readership.

Being sensationalist might also include focusing on one side of the article as is the case with the article from The Daily Express 6 September, in which the article was focused mainly on the action of the police and on the aggression posed to George W. Bush by The Louisiana Senator; ” yesterday threatened to punch President Bush if he repeated his accusation that the local sheriffs had failed in their duty… “, this type of focus is another common characteristic of many tabloids who cannot seem to give an unbiased judgement on any situation. In most Tabloids you would find such words and phrases as; “living hell”, “boozy” etc.

It is not uncommon for Tabloids to coin their own phrases for events, these phrases sometimes get adopted by the mainstream media and sometimes even broadsheets, for example: the very recent events about Roy Keane and his propose move from Manchester United has hailed a new nickname for him thought up by tabloids, The Sun “Don’t leave Keano” as its headline. While in October 2, 2005 The Observer its opening statement on the story was “Whatever the future for Keano, Manchester United… ” There is a great difference between the average article lengths of Broadsheets and Tabloids.

Generally Broadsheets would have the longer more analytical articles whilst Tabloids would stick to their more bias based short articles unless the subject matter is about a scandalous celebrity in which case you would be lucky to see such an article in a Broadsheet unless it really was big news, whilst Tabloids would devote a two page spread no doubt with a big compromising picture of the celebrity in question. The language used is casual, colloquial and often slang. This is how we would talk when addressing friends and so in using colloquial language the Tabloids are only reinforcing their friendly, cheerful image.

Opening paragraphs are common place and another main convention in all papers. Their purpose is to give the reader a quick summary of the article topic whilst simultaneously introducing the article. Opening paragraphs do not differ very much between Broadsheets and Tabloids apart from the type of language used in them. Tabloids generally have more action orientated opening paragraphs, a good example of this would be in The Daily Espress September 6; “BATTLE-hardened Iraq war veterans were among 40,000 troops patrolling America’s stricken Deep South last night as the rule of law at last began to be reimposed.

This as an opening paragraph was very action orientated, in the quotation itself please note the “BATTLE”, the first word being in block capital letters, this was the newspaper itself wishing to obviously highlight this feature. This is not uncommon in Tabloids whose readers skim through the article at best and rely more heavily on the opening paragraph as an insight into the article itself, this action orientated opening was fully intended by the Tabloid and was there to catch the reader’s eye with its Capital letters and its manipulative placing.

Broadsheets generally keep their opening paragraphs brief but use more narrative techniques. In The Daily Telegraph, September 6 the article starts of with a quote and goes on to describe the scene following Hurricane Katrina; ” as the familiar battered blue Buick station-wagon of her neighbours lumbered into their water-logged street for the first time in over a week. ” This type of writing is familiar in Broadsheets who introduce the article in a more composed way so as to avoid both bias and proceed to the analytical approach that many Broadsheets take in their articles.

Vocabulary in both Broadsheets and Tabloids vary depending on the paper. Generally Tabloids arguably have a more primitive use of vocabulary while Broadsheets have a more developed use of vocabulary. Quite simply Broadsheets use longer and more complicated words than Tabloids but Tabloids have an excuse. The average reader of a Tabloid is arguably Middle to Lower class, people who want a light read with not too much analysis and intense storytelling which is what papers are, storytellers.

So the Tabloids mitigate their vocabulary so as not to offend any lower class readers who did not get the same standard of education as the average reader of The Times for example who is probably from a Middle or Upper class family and might have gone to a good Grammer or Public school therefore receiving a higher quality of education than his Sun reading counterpart. This is all a generalisation and therefore not a totally accurate view on society and who reads what paper, it is a mere illustration of the typical reader of certain Newspapers.

Broadsheets on the other hand have an extended use of vocabulary and therefore one can conclude that the average Broadsheet reader is probably not poorly educated and therefore of at least a high lower class background. But the one aspect of all this that is an anomaly is that Tabloids use their language in a more manipulative and therefore intellectual way. The ability to use such techniques as puns and alliteration in an article is a very advanced use of language. This shows that even though on surface Tabloids use less sophisticated language they are really very shrewd manipulators of language.

Such as the Tabloid the ever closer to extinction Broadsheet is a newspaper, and as the name suggests its main purpose is to inform the reader of yesterday’s events. This is a big problem for Broadsheets, the fact that we now have twenty four hour news stations working tirelessly round the clock to give the news to the public the minute it happens is posing a threat to Broadsheets. Tabloids on the other hand rely on their light read and fun loving image to sell papers, but Broadsheets have an ever growing task ahead of them. As with most papers the masthead is the first factor that gives off information.

With The Daily Telegraph for instance, the paper gives off the connotations of being honest, conservative, traditional and important news not to mention being daily. All of these features make up the image of the paper and obviously that is the image that most people get when thinking of The Daily Telegraph with its traditional but automatically recognisable font. This is correlated with the use of language in a paper as the masthead is an indicator of the general readership of a paper which determines the type of language used in the paper. Comparable to Tabloids the Broadsheet sells on its Headlines and subtitles.

Instead of using puns and word play to attract customers it uses comparatively normal headlines and rarely utilizes puns but on occasion does use alliteration. Broadsheet Headlines are a lot more narrative than those of Tabloids, the story rather than relies on opinion and sensationalism, e. g. “New Orleans was living hell” and “Families go home to pick over the remnants of ruined lives”. The former of the two quotations is from The Daily Express while the latter is a headline from The Daily Telegraph, both of whom were some might say surprisingly reporting on the same story, The New Orleans disaster.

As the quotations illustrated, Tabloids make use of a variety of techniques when composing their Headlines while Broadsheets generally simply tell the reader the subject matter of the article in more sophisticated methods than as was described. This is directly linked with the language used in Broadsheets as the Headline is an indicator of the complexity of the language in the article. The language used in the Articles of a Broadsheet like The Headlines differ to those in a Tabloid. Whilst in Tabloids you would expect to find colloquial and rather simple use of language, Broadsheets are very different in this way.

They are analytical in their approach to the subject and without any bias unlike Tabloids. Broadsheets use more complex language with a more narrative style of writing rather than the sensationalist style you would find in a Tabloid. There is also a great contrast in the coverage of a story. In the Tabloid the article was firmly set around the law enforcement in New Orleans centring mainly about issues of action, as well as being very brief partly because there is only so much coverage you can give to the security forces when there is a noticeable lack of them.

In the broadsheet article covering exactly the same story, The New Orleans disaster, the article is focused more on the victims and their loss post hurricane period rather than the security situation. The article is analytical offering a post hurricane analysis of all the key individuals to do with the matter. This is complemented by the more sophisticated use of language. The length of the Article is also a lot longer than that of the articles in Tabloids. Tabloids generally report directly on the story while Broadsheets analyse the story.

A good example of this would be the recent hijacking of a British tank in Iraq. The Tabloids reported on the story itself and on how the soldier involved was a hero, while The Broadsheets analysed the whole episode, reporting on the story, analysing on why it happened, how it happened giving a step by step account on the days proceedings and the consequences of those events. Tabloids usually hone in on a single story while Broadsheets try to give an analysis on the “bigger picture”. The differences between Tabloids and Broadsheets are wide and varied.

Tabloids are a modern creation, created to contend with magazines rather than the traditional news, they are popular newspapers simply because to find the news the average person can simply turn on the television and any relevant stories will be on. This is how Tabloids can be so successful in today’s markets, they do not bother competing with giving the news instead they give opinion and stories the public want, another reason why Tabloids spend so very much money on exclusive scoops such as the recent wedding of Katie Price (Jordan, Glamour model) and Peter Andre (pop-singer). Broadsheets on the other hand are a victim of circumstance.

The world has been changing in the last century and they have been slow to pick up on this, this is a simple answer to their dwindling sales, but they are good at what they do. They give out opinion as well but for the reader’s benefit, it is often thought provoking and welcome by the reader, not subliminal and unknown like the case is with Tabloids. Broadsheets are sophisticated newspapers who give the news in its best possible way, refined and with a touch of sophistication. In conclusion the way information is presented in Tabloids and Broadsheets are varied and quite unique to their respective formats.

Tabloids are cunning and develop their stories through their many techniques. Broadsheets are equally if not cleverer than tabloids and still retain their dignity and self worth, but they are fighting a losing battle against todays on the spot news broadcasting. They still have a devoted readership and hopefully a growing one but in the media world it truly is survival of the fittest and Broadsheets are only now realising that evolution is the answer even if it does mean the alienation of a small percentage of their readership.

It was 9 o’clock in the morning when I heard the news that Aliens were going to invade our planet. As unlikely, as this sounded, I knew it to be true the moment I heard it. I had already seen the evidence. Please excuse me; I guess I am rushing ahead a bit. It would probably be better if I started from the beginning.

It started 10 months ago when I was working at the Jodrell Bank radio telescope. I was a scientific researcher at the base; and a specialist in radar research. Some of my colleagues had been getting weird results from their observations and I had been asked to double check the validity of their findings.

These weren’t the only weird happenings either. Scientist from different parts of the planet researching both climate and animal behaviors were also reporting a wide variety of anomalous data.

The climate was changing, there were resent reports that a tornado struck the south-east of England. That wasn’t the only weird occurrence in weather that had happened; a few weeks later there was another report that a snowstorm had hit West Africa.

Alongside all of this there had been rumors of country leaders having meetings discussing the strange events that had been happening.

Occurrences after occurrence still leaders around the world were making up lies and excuses, over 100 nuclear power plant had been struck by lightning and earthquakes spontaneously.

Haunted by all of these occurrences and happenings, I found it hard to sleep. Even when I could sleep, I was disturbed by weird recurring nightmares. Still, my research work was proving to be equally unsettling. No matter what test I performed, I could find no data that would allow me to dismiss the results drived by my Colleagues.

As these findings indicated many anomalous objects were present in near-near Earth orbit. I found myself called in to the office of observation director himself, and as I looked through the images that the Hubble telescope was giving me I noticed weird looking objects that were hovering Earth orbit, by the time I could show the images to my head director we were quickly stopped and ordered to leave the premises. While I tried to go back to get the images as prove I was immediately stop and guided outside of the building.

After that incident I was sent home, I had a conversation with my head director telling me that the workplace was being closed for illegal experimenting. The government closed Jodrell bank Telescope and announced that we had secret bases.

I worked there for 13 years and had never encountered any secret bases were experiments were performed. Why did the government really close my workplace?

Day after day I started to realize that my colleagues were rapidly but slowly losing contact. Until one morning when I was mysteriously called by one of my colleagues to watch a broadcast acknowledging the existence of other life forms and their invasion of our planet.

While listening to the event, I suddenly thought ”why has the news turned black? ”I thought that they were having technical difficulties so I changed to the next channel and when I did it turned out the same as the channel before. The whole screen just plain black while. At the same time, I was confused, a bright light made me cover my eyes, and a shape appeared with the way it spoke. I knew it to be a face but it wasn’t a recognizable face and one that I have never encountered. The shape and figure of the life form was unforgettable. It breathed softly and spoke gently. I understood: “People of earth, we are concerned that your world leaders have been dishonest and created your worst nightmares, bringing destruction and violence upon you. I will give you your last choice of renewing and establishing the disturbance you have caused.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing; we were so loud that we caused concern upon our cosmic neighbors. They had taken us as threat to the galaxy. This is one big step for human beings.

I choose the website of Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan to analysis. The site clearly states Gleaners mission – Nourishing Communities by Feeding Hungry People, on the heading with the company’s icon and also in the first “What we do” text chunk. From the information provided, I found that it serves three audience segments: donators, volunteers, and partner agencies.

From my perspective, the donators group is the one the organization mostly to target, because compare to other groups, the organization provides exhaustive introductions about donation and put them on a more easy-to-grasp place. For instance, three out of five homepage text blurbs and the first picture comes out in the homepage are all about donation The website groups related items into different menus and links. However, the link name and the hierarchical order are confusing to me. The main menu arranges information as Home, Take Action, Events/food Drives, End Hunger And Partner Agencies.

For the first sight, people will not understand what the End Hunger section means and will have to search. Besides, I think the End Hunger and Events/food Drives sections should be before the Take Action and Partner Agencies. Because people need to see the organization’s mission and approaches before making a donation or partner decision. Moreover, the website does not do efficient in terms of web navigation. Different audiences have to click back and forward among different links to get all the information they want.

The website’s menu put donation and volunteer together into the submenu of Take Action; It puts some of the partner agent information strangely into the End Hunger section; Besides, the “Need Food Now” which links to Gleans partner agencies occurs twice at the top-row menu and the right column header within a screen length. This duplicate link is unnecessary since to find the information, you do not even need to roll your mouse. The bottom-row menu provides some site navigation about jobs and contact information but does not list any helpful information on location or site map.

All these designs make the presentation distracting and inefficient. When I look into its content, I find the information is periodically updated, however, not fresh. The last update news is in October. I volunteered with Gleaner on the first Saturday of November and wanted to see our volunteer pictures on the website. It is clearly promised on website, the volunteer section that the pictures will updated per week. However, it seems that the company ate its words. Since the news is not newest, current audiences will feel disappointed and the prospective audiences may lose their interest to keep looking at the site.

Despite the fact that some information is not easy to access for certain audience, the information content itself is helpful. For example, when I go to the Bag Hunger event link, I can find a very attracting event poster, the event date, location, contact information and even a calendar which brings you to previous and upcoming events. The website is written in a consistently professional and friendly tone. It invites interaction with email newsletters, Facebook, Twitter, mobile and visiting tour. Most of its texts maintain pleasing, easy-to-read line length, use the font size and color that are easy to read from the background.

The line spacing is consistent and easy on the readers’ eyes as well. The text is balanced with vivid illustrative graphics and bulleted lists. The graphs in the website are really powerful. They are adorable and creative in design. When surfing the site, I even stored some pictures in my computer. But a problem about them is the size. They are so small that I have some struggles to catch the words in the picture. Thus the small size kills the informational effectiveness of the pictures. Glearners’ Food Bank has its headlines and page title clear, very simple but still to the point.

So it saves the readers’ time and keeps them interested. Its name and logo are on every page and links to the homepage. The internal links provides identification for all pages with both heading and a short text that explains the purpose of each page. For the Donation site, you can see a description that “You can help feed our hungry neighbors today with your donation of funds or food to Gleaners”. For the volunteer, it has “View a list of current volunteer activities”, “View our Volunteer Scrapbook to see some of the thousands of volunteers who assist Gleaners every year” clearly states the purpose.

The heading also contains a search with an advanced searching option. I tried the search by Wayne State University, and hoped to find their volunteer picture in the scrapbook. But the search gave me twenty unrelated Wayne community, Wayne annual report things. It did not work adequately. On a whole, I will trust the website with my information because it presents its information in a professional way and also because it is a member of many reputable charity organizations.

Even though from my perspective, some items are grouped overlapped and they lack strong logic drive, most of the words are really simple and informative. To make the website look better, I suggest the following:

• Make the images larger and easy on the reader’s eyes *
• Delete the duplicate hyperlink “Need Food Now”
• Change the “End Hunger” to a more clear and understandable title
• Arrange the menu into a logic order –put End Hunger and Events/Food Drives sections before Take Action and Partner Agencies
• Make sure the content is current and keep its weekly update promise

Takes time and implies careful attention looking below the surface to find the motivation and context as well as what assumptions are involved and what is not there. Criticism: A close analysis of a text resulting in evaluation. O A close analysis and judgment of something Not always negative, you can evaluate a text and be positive. Illnesses both positive negative or even neutral feedback o Not Just taking something at face value, you’re talking critically o Looking innate the surface Critical Questions you might ask. What are the implicit and explicit assumptions in this article and are they reasonable? How reliable is the source of this argument bias/who is the source What’s the purpose of this argument/ goal/ consequences? Why is this argument being made? What context or motives might have prompted it?

Barnett and Bedaubs Components of Critical thinking Imagination Analysis Evaluation Examples that require critical thinking Riddles Argument A course of reasoning Making a case in favor or against something A critical claim with support and reasoning Example mastery Text Any sort of artifact that can be studied for Information Speech Essay novels Movies, TV shows, songs, press release, corporate annual report Anything that uses communication to get their point across. A one sentence summary of your argument.

Will make a claim about the text you’re looking at, it should take a position and then it should provide reasoning for that position. Summarizes your overall argument with both your position and reasoning. Rhetoric The strategic use of symbols to persuade o But it doesn’t always have to be to persuade, it can be used to teach o Doesn’t eve to be words it can be pictures Rhetoric is the argument People that use rhetoric o Advertisement o Politicians Finding the available means of persuasion in a given equation. Aristotle definition)

Most important thing to remember while editing o USE A DICTIONARY Media criticism How they portray certain parts of society I. G How they portray movies Criticism of the news and media The way that system constitutes what we consider to be news 3 questions Where does news come from? Who decides what you see/hear/read? What are the functions of fact and opinion 2 classic studies 1. Warren Breed 1995 “Social control in the newsroom” a. . News is produced by reporters . Reporters are directed/influenced by . Editors Newspaper policy 2. Other reporters 3. Reporters learn from by osmosis iii. They read how other reporters write They are steered by Editor preferences b. The desire it see their stories be “news” c. And the desire to succeed.

Sacred Cow Comes from the religion Hinduism o They hold cows sacred News media are often hesitant in publishing anything that will portray any person that is well-liked in the community or support the newspaper/media financially in a negative way. O Local figure 0 Joe Property 2. David Manning White, 1950 a. The “Gate Keeper” study I. There are a series of “gate keepers” 1. Main source of control of what ends up being reported and what doesn’t end up eyeing reported it. Each has the power to define what is or isn’t news iii. If the gate keeper rejects a “story, “the work of all those who preceded him in reporting and transmitting the story is negated” ‘v. Decisions are 1. Highly subjective 2.

Based on experiences, attitudes, expectations of gate keeper Facts vs.. Opinion in the news Opinion writing in the newspaper o Editorials 0 Official statements of the news paper Responses from of the reader. Columns/opinions/ Pieces/pop-De Essays gathered from other media outlets or the public Do not reflect the opinion of the newspapers outside opinions Front page news part 3 Rhetoric Fact represents an extended metaphor that is to contrast the way in which we perceive and believe in what is reality. The thesis behind his allegory is the basic tenets that all we perceive are imperfect “reflections” of the ultimate Forms, which subsequently represent truth and reality.

The Matrix o The movie suggest that if people were given the choice they would choose to know the truth o Shallowness of Rhetoric Slogan We poked you in 84 will poke you again in 86 o Plato had a problem with this since it lacked knowledge Dialectic: Discussion or debate, the way that Aristotle wrote Georgia Difference Among Gorgons, Aristotle, and Plato: Plato was Aristotle teacher and firmly disbelieved in rhetoric and hated calling it a sham and cookery while Aristotle had a better understanding of rhetoric and wrote the most important book over it. Georgia was a sophist and a teacher of rhetoric whom Plato wrote about in order to make him sound stupid. O Socrates gets Georgia to admit that there are two types of persuasion Knowledge (convoy some type of knowledge) 0 Belief without knowledge Scarcities gets Georgia to admit rhetoric is belief without knowledge