Yr 11 NEWS: USES & GRATIFICATIONS

PREP Two questions. Post answers on your blog.
1. Explain one of the uses and gratifications of online news using Blumler and Katz's theory.
Use the online version of The Observer (below) as an example in your answer.

2. Below the online version is The Observer paper version Sunday 8 December 2019.
In 5 bullet points, pick out examples of 'tabloidization' as well as examples that show that The Observer is still a 'quality broadsheet'.

Yr 10 NEWSPAPERS

PREP Read Media Studies text book from page 101 Convergence to page 104 Active and Passive audiences.

In this lesson, our discussions started with you introducing a media topic that we relate it to an aspect of our exams: one of you had seen a film this week so we watch its trailer - a trailer is a marketing tool to sell the film - and we pick out how this trailer advertises the film. 

For instance: 

• through famous talent (like Lego movie using voice actors of famous people that the target audience loves and admires: Chris Pratt, Morgan Freeman Elizabeth Banks, Will Ferrell; the ad break uses famous actors like Lenny Henry, Vinny Jones)
• through humour (the Lego movie ad break parodies several familiar TV adverts "Warner Bros jumps on trend of remaking famous scenes with bricks by recreating ads for Premier Inn, BT and Confused.com" writes The Guardian.
• through references to other films made by the same director ("from the director of...")

We look at a1960s edition of The Observer, one of our set texts and complete our viewing of the Aberfan disaster clip on Netflix's The Crown (S3, E3). 

We draw attention to some of the camerawork and the ways in which people are represented in addition to following the narrative 

• the use of CU to show characters' feelings and reactions 
• the use of high angle shots to emphasise the sheer volume of tiny coffins)
• the use of the Queen's profile and the immobility of her face to suggest her distance

We compare the 1960s The Observer with a print edition from this week:

• the skybox with soft news, celebrities and popular culture exemplifies its 'tabloidization'
• its massive pictures with bright colours contrasts with the  monochrome
• we also note the serif / sans-serif fonts of the masthead title

Examining an online version of The Observer offers examples of interactivity. How many can you recall?
Two key terms today: convergence, conglomerate

Yr 11 NEWS WEBSITE

PREP Write your first draft of your news article. Publish on your blog.

Yr 11: NEWSPAPERS - MEDIA LANGUAGE

You have revised newspaper terminology and are ready for your test.