NEWSPAPERS
TABLOID VS BROADSHEET
Ms Brennan English
MTSM
The first newspapers were all called broadsheets,
because they used large, wide sheets of paper for
their pages. Tabloid newspapers were traditionally
smaller and squarer in shape than the broadsheet
papers.
These two types of paper have quite different written
styles. Your style, material and layout will be affected
by the kind of paper you are writing for.
Recently, some broadsheet newspapers have reduced
the size of their pages to make them easier to read,
particularly on trains! However, they are still classified
as broadsheet papers because of the style of
journalism within them.
EXAMPLES
STYLES
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More formal
Metaphors rather than puns
Rhetorical questions
More complex sentences (look for
sentences separated by lots of
commas, semi-colons etc.)
Puns sometimes used, although
more subtle
Statistics
Descriptions of people tend to
relate to personality or position in
society
Politician’s comments often
included, with a commentary by the
journalist
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Informal
Use of puns
Use of alliteration
Exaggeration for effect
Slang
Colloquial language (chatty)
Informal names used
Short, snappy sentences
Heightened language (over the top)
Brand names
Adjectives often carry sexual
overtones
 A focus upon appearance
 Frequent use of elision e.g. won’t,
don’t.
Banner Headline for
lead article
MAST HEAD – name of
the newspaper
LEAD
ARTICLE:
BS written in
columns
TB very short
overview
PHOTO:
TB illustrates
lead article
caption
ADVERTISEMENT
SECOND FRONT
PAGE ARTICLE
Contents list
Headline, dramatic
& sensational:
usually contains
pun/alliteration, takes
up most of page.
HEADLINES
 What makes the perfect headline?
Ideally, a headline should:
 Be more formal
 grab the attention of potential buyers
 be easily remembered
 Broadsheets usually use longer, more informative headlines
 Tabloids use specific techniques to make their headlines eye
catching:
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*
Puns – Supermarket chiefs are sorry for mis-steak!
Alliteration – bookies take a bashing
Clichés – zoo lets the cat out of the bag
Slang – Punters pull of €2 mill sting
Rhyme – Simon’s Age Rage
HEADLINES
LOOK AT THE TWO FOLLOWING HEADLINES AND INDICATE
WHICH TYPE OF NEWSPAPER THEY SUIT AND WHY:
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French Lorry Drivers
Blockade Port
Outrageous! They’re
holding us hostage
Formal language
No emotion
Simple statement of fact
No exclamation mark
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BROADSHEET
Emotive language
Alliteration
Use of exclamation mark
No clear indication as to
what the story is about
 Use of abbreviation
TABLOID
CREATE YOUR OWN
For each of the news topics below create a headline for
a broadsheet and a tabloid newspaper:
 Ireland is to go through another cold winter, with two months
of snow expected
 Katie Taylor wins gold for Ireland
 A gang use a JCB to rob an ATM machine
 Three die on roads over the weekend
 Famous celebrity couple announce their divorce
ARTICLES
A Headline
Comments/interview from
eye witnesses
Sub Headings
ARTICLES
Picture with caption
Expert opinion
At the start
of the article
Main facts
Background
Information
Analysis
Quotes
At the end of
the article
It is important that
your article does
not show any bias
and reports only
substantiated facts
Throughout your article you need to answer
each of the following questions
What
happened?
Who was
involved?
When did
it happen?
Where did
it happen?
How did it
happen?
STYLE – tabloid or broadsheet – WHY?
PENSIONER BRUTUALLY BEATEN
A lonely pensioner was brutally beaten up by a mugger, just
yards from her own front door. All she had on her was £7.00.
“I was just walking home from my weekly lunch at the local Day
Centre,” says widow Mary Evans, 86, of South Court, Devenish.
It wasn’t even dark, only 3pm on a September afternoon. And
this isn’t a big city. Are we safe anywhere these days?
Not safe in our own streets
D.C. Matthew Johns of Green Lane Police Station, Wilborough
said, “This is a really nasty attack on a defenceless old lady. It’s
not even as though she had anything on her worth stealing.”
So, now we can’t even feel safe in our own street. When are the
government going to wake up and realize they’ve got to do
something about it? After all, we’re the ones who put them
there. Shouldn’t they earn their keep by looking after us and
making sure that old ladies don’t have to live in fear?
STYLE – tabloid or broadsheet – WHY?
Random Street Crime is Rising
A national survey conducted by the Police Federation reveals that
our streets really are less safe than they were ten years ago.
The recent, well-publicized attack on an elderly pensioner, Mrs
Mary Evans, aged 86 of Devenish, brought the issue of street
muggings back to the public’s attention. The publication of this
report will simply confirm what many ordinary people have felt for
some time: that police efforts to control street crime have failed.
“It is now a matter of urgency that the government should recognize
that it is its responsibility to tackle this issue. It cannot be right that
the elderly should have to take their lives in their hands every time
they step beyond their own front doors,” said Help The Aged’s
spokesperson Helen Smith.
“We claim to be a civilized country, yet it seems that our streets are
not as safe as we like to think. Perhaps it’s time to reassess the
priorities of the police force and target the unglamorous side of
community policing: drugs seizures are undoubtedly important, but
so is the day-to-day safety of vulnerable members of society.”
SHORT SENTENCES AND PARAGRAPHS THROUGHOUT
STYLE – tabloid or broadsheet – WHY?
EMOTIVE WORDS
DIRECT SPEECH
PENSIONER BRUTUALLY BEATEN
PERSONAL DETAILS GIVEN
A lonely pensioner was brutally beaten up by a mugger, just yards
from her own front door. All she had on her was £7.00.
“I was just walking home from my weekly lunch at the local Day
Centre,” says widow Mary Evans, 86, of South Court, Devenish.
It wasn’t even dark, only 3pm on a September afternoon. And this
isn’t a big city. Are we safe anywhere these days?
SUB HEADING
Not safe in our own streets
D.C. Matthew Johns of Green Lane Police Station, Wilborough
said, “This is a really nasty attack on a defenceless old lady. It’s not
even as though she had anything on her worth stealing.”
So, now we can’t even feel safe in our own street. When are the
government going to wake up and realize they’ve got to do
something about it? After all, we’re the ones who put them there.
Shouldn’t they earn their keep by looking after us and making sure
that old ladies don’t have to live in fear?
USE OF CONTRACTIONS
RHETORICAL QUESTION
STYLE – tabloid or broadsheet – WHY?
DIRECT SPEECH
GRAMMATICAL ACCURACY
PERSONAL DETAILS GIVEN
Random Street Crime is Rising
A national survey conducted by the Police Federation reveals that our streets really
are less safe than they were ten years ago.
The recent, well-publicized attack on an elderly pensioner, Mrs Mary Evans, aged 86
of Devenish, brought the issue of street muggings back to the public’s attention. The
publication of this report will simply confirm what many ordinary people have felt
for some time: that police efforts to control street crime have failed.
“It is now a matter of urgency that the government should recognize that it is its
responsibility to tackle this issue. It cannot be right that the elderly should have to
take their lives in their hands every time they step beyond their own front doors,”
said Help The Aged’s spokesperson Helen Smith.
“We claim to be a civilized country, yet it seems that our streets are not as safe as
we like to think. Perhaps it’s time to reassess the priorities of the police force and
target the unglamorous side of community policing: drugs seizures are undoubtedly
important, but so is the day-to-day safety of vulnerable members of society.”
SOPHISTICATED SYNTAX &
FORMAL VOCABULARY
SENTENCE STRUCTURE
To Kill a Mockingbird Article
Please ensure that you:
1) Have a clear understanding of the
facts of
the situation
2) Plan carefully who the expert
opinion comes from and what they are going to say.
3) Plan also for the eyewitness accounts of those
involved in the story – if necessary imagine
that as a journalist you interviewed those
involved.
CHECKLIST
 Lay out the front page of your paper correctly
 Write an appropriate headline and use subheadings
 Ensure that you maintain the correct style through out –
tabloid or broadsheet
 Include a picture and caption
 Remember to keep your sentences quite short.
 Include comments/direct speech from the eye witnesses &
the opinion from the expert – do not include the questions
 Read over – check your expression and spellings
 Put in 100% to ensure that your newspaper front page and
article looks realistic!!