Characteristics of Tabloid Newspapers

Characteristics of Tabloid Newspapers What is common between Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky, Paris Hilton, Poonam Pandey and Rakhi Sawant. If one has to answer this question from a mere factual point of view, he might falter. This is due to the fact that all these people (and many more like them) strike the common chord of the term Tabloidization. Defining tabloidization might be a little difficult, but if we want to check it out from a birds eye view, it will be the massive changes that have taken place in mainstream media over past few years. The factual meaning, however, comes from the word tabloid, which refers to a particular size used by the British newspapers (23.5 in by 14.75 in). Because of the extensive use of such sized newspapers, we can say that the British print media is tabloidized, quite literally. The typical form of tabloid is marked by two major and distinct features: it devotes relatively less importance to issues of economics, politics and society and focuses more on diversions like sports, scandals and popular entertainment. This new category of journalism and media is believed to be of great consequence, atleast to the practice of journalism at large and it is important to understand the reasoning behind it. In this article we will try to understand how the tabloids function, the historical background and the effect it has on the serious media and on the society. Historical background: The existence of tabloids can be traced back to the first part of the 20th century in Britain. United States and rest of the Europe were a little late to catch up but during the late 30s and post world-war 2 eras, tabloids started to grow here as well. The Daily Mail and Daily Mirror, published by Hammersmith and Rothermere, were the first tabloids in Britain, which were soon followed by the likes of The Sun, published by the Murdoch group and currently Britains highest selling tabloid. In other developing countries, like China and India, the tabloid movement is growing and the growth has been especially rapid in last 10 years or so. Historically, tabloids have existed alongside other quality papers, so to say. But, in recent years, we have been experiencing a glaring gap between serious media and tabloids. We will be using the term serious media only as to be able to emphasize tabloidization as a phenomena which is not looked upon in a very positive manner, specially because of the features mentioned above. Characteristic features of tabloids: One of the main characteristics of tabloids have been that they have always been brash and loud, they have used sensationalism as a medium to engage the readers and give preference to anything and everything that arouses and titillates public interest. The most interesting part about tabloids is that the journalism covers the nuances of the fantastic and the crazily invented which the consumers are not only aware of but also accommodate the same in their reading strategies. Sex, scandals, celebrity, nightlife, glamour, horror, sting operations and probing into the personal lives of people are the areas frequented by the tabloids. Another common aspect across all tabloids is the extensive use of posters and photographs, and usually the reporting lines are used as fillers. Most of the tabloids publish pictures of naked/semi-naked models on page 3 or 5 (Mid-day have them on page 2, known as the Mid-day mates). And other prominent stories include crime, sex, sensational news items, parties, celebrity remarks etc. however, it is wrong to assume that they dont carry other serious news such as politics, economics and other news of national interest, but the tone used is highly personalized and the reporters are opinionated. Such reporting does not provide any scope of objective and analytical reasoning being reported and fostered. Probably the only thing it efficiently does is to teach people to take sides. During the times when a media agenda needs to be set, tabloids will usually do the most myopic possible job. And it doesnt end there; tabloids also have the tendency of juxtaposing reality and fantasy in order to arouse interest and even at times, mislead their readers. There are recorded instances of these tabloids carrying reports of alien attacks etc. The Sun went as far ahead declaring the first inter-galactic treaty being made when they carried a cover page picture of ET shaking hands with President Clinton. Reasons, Consequences and Effects: If we analyse tabloidization from a simple perspective, we will see that it is actually a very simple phenomenon. It is only a transition being driven by market forces from being driven by public agendas. But, if someone has to analyze it in a deeper way, then one must understand the political, economical and social reasons behind the growth of this trend. Tabloidization has coined new terms, junk food and rag sheet for example, but what we can see is the fact that all these have derogatory connotations, primarily due to the fact that issues that concerns the citizen are thrown on the back-burner, while scandal, entertainment and lifestyle has taken the centre-stage. This has definitely harmed the relationship between mass media and politics and current affairs. We will look into a few reasons behind it phenomenon. People want media to be more personalized, more interactive, and by juxtaposing the serious news and the tabloid, private and public spheres are getting connected constantly. This also portrays the shift in peoples outlook and justifies the declining audience for traditional news agenda. Media itself has become more and more corporatized, which had lead to shaping of news in order to be able to cater to the taste of audiences. Like any other corporate business, revenue maximization has given way to the populist agenda. It has become a trend in the competitive industry, especially in a free market. Declining circulation is another major concern. The increasing use of internet news, which massively deploy the tabloid strategy. The worst possible effect of tabloidization is that it fails to serve the prime function of journalism, which is to inform the people about the issues which concern the public interest. As a direct consequence of tabloidization, we can see the change in priority in terms of time-slots; prime-time is no longer news and current affairs, it more about creating a spectacle. Even though the classical definition of journalism does not talk about covering and reporting facts related to politics, economy or other issues of public interest only, they can even choose to cater to the section of people who are looking for content that suits popular taste and public interest. But tabloids are not only accused of sensationalizing news and blowing things beyond proportion but also for publishing and broadcasting information which is not verified and an unbiased opinion is seldom offered. This defeats the very purpose of journalism where the journalist should be seeking the truth and should not be offering a story tailored to suit the preferences of the readers/viewers and advertisers. Justifications: Despite having such negative connotations, there are justifications as well. Some believe that tabloidization (like talk shows) is a boon as they present different lifestyles and cultures which help in human integration. And some argue that is offers an alternative reality and helps utopian and emancipating fantasies. On a very Indian context, it can be compared to the existence of channels like Aaj Tak and India TV, who are actually thriving despite the fact that they are nothing but tabloidized version of news channels. People prefer tabloids as hard news is at times difficult to digest and its impersonal nature doesnt interest them. Tabloidization and journalism: The definition of Conclusion: It is very difficult to reach a common consensus and brand tabloidization good or bad. On one hand, it is almost utopian to expect private media corporations to behave like public service units, especially in a consumerist world, and on the other hand we can debate whether the right of reader/viewer to truthful information is being violated or not. On a broad level, news agenda being more entertainment driven is understandable, but it becomes unacceptable when news is transformed into an entertainment package. The tabloids are engaged at the level of our deepest needs for safety and security and they constantly make us feel vulnerable (Sansani, for example). This is done in order to capture the attention and drive the public agenda through the media agenda. The fact that one third of American still believe that Saddam Hussain was responsible for the September 11 attack, is a glaring example of their success. It might have been better if the tabloids would only have existed alongside the serious news, but unfortunately (or fortunately!!) the line between the two seems to be blurring, and with the dropping demand for traditional media and astronomical rise in media consumption through the digital mediums, the situation will only become more complex. To conclude, we can only say that tabloidization follows the mantra of: Tickle the public, make them grin, The more you tickle, the more youll win

history of lacrosse Essay -- essays research papers fc

Lacrosse is the oldest team sport in North America, having been played by Native American tribes long before any European had even set foot on the continent. A century after European missionaries discovered the game played by Native Americans, they began to play it themselves, starting in the 18th century. From there, it evolved and grew in popularity from a very savage game that resembled war, into what it is today, a recreational sport played widely in America and other countries. As U.S. Lacrosse literature aptly puts it "Lacrosse is a game born of the North American Indian, christened by the French, adopted and raised by the Canadians, and later dominated by the Americans.† When the first people of America started playing lacrosse centuries ago, the game served many purposes. It was played to amuse the Creator, to train young men for war, and to settle disputes between tribes (Source B). The game was played by tribes in all parts of the United States and Canada; it was played by the Mexican Kickapoo in Texas, the Seminole in Florida, the Bungi in Manitoba, the Cherokee in Tennessee, and the Passamaquoddy in Maine (Source B). The game was called Baggattaway, meaning they bump hips by the Algonquin tribe, and Tewaarathon, meaning little brother of war, by the Iroquois tribe (Source B). In the earliest times of American Indian lacrosse, the game had few rules, if any. Lacrosse games would last for days, stopping at sunset and continuing the next day at sunrise. The fi...

Monster: Literary Technique and Major Characters Essay

1. Title of the book: The title of the book is Monster. 2. Author’s name: The author of the book is Walter Dean Myers. 3. The year the piece was written: Monster was written in 1999 and published by HarperCollins. 4. Major Characters: The major characters of the story are; Steve Harmon, Kathy O’Brien, and Sandra Petrocelli. 5. Setting(s) of the story: The two settings are: The Detention Center and the Courthouse. Both of these settings are in downtown New York, and events and ideas from one setting transfer to the other. 6.Positive/Negative: In Monster, Sandra Petrocelli is considered or portrayed as negative due to her reasoning and her actions. One example of the negativity of Petrocelli is on page 21 when she refers to both Steve Harmon and James King as â€Å"monsters†. Another way she is portrayed as negative is through the many people she brings to the stand. She attempts to relate the already convicted felons with the innocent-until-proven-guilty James King and Steve Harmon. 7. Literary Techniques: 1. One literary technique used in Monster is foreshadowing. When Steve  says that prison is â€Å"being alone when you are not really alone and about being scared all the time† at the beginning of the story (page 4), it foreshadows the horrible emotional state he will live through both during the trial and even after it’s over. 2. Another literary technique is symbolism, also in the beginning of the book (page 7). Steve uses the blanket to symbolize comfort and safety from the trial and the decision of the jury. His inmate says: â€Å"Ain’t no use putting the blanket over your head, man. You can’t cut this out; this is reality. This is the real deal. † This makes him realize how serious his case is, and as a young man, he does not feel ready to give up his adolescence and his innocence. 3. The last literary technique is a metaphor, and is found right before he jury reaches a verdict (page 269). Myers uses a metaphor in showing Steve’s emotions by writing: â€Å"My case fills me†. In reality, it would mean that he is literally filled by his case, but that isn’t what he means. He means that his case is all that he thinks about: that there are no thoughts or feelings inside of him that do not pertain to his case. 8. Theme Statement: The theme statement of Monster is: Never judge a book by its cover, because it may not fully grasp the message of the content inside. 9. Personal Response: A connection I can make between the text and my own life is that I sometimes befriend someone who is not a perfect role model. I often get judged by who I hang out with and the things that those people do and say. This is how Steve is viewed during the case due to the fact that he knows James King and several other people that Sandra Petrocelli (Assistant District Attorney) calls to the stand. 10. Memorable Quotes: 1.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Most people in our community are decent, hardworking citizens who pursue their own interests legally and without infringing on the rights of others. But there are also monsters in our communities-people who are willing to steal and kill, people who disregard the rights of others. † This quote was said by Sandra Petrocelli (Prosecutor) and was directed towards the jury as part of her opening statement. This quote is significant in several ways, the first being the impact it had on Steve Harmon and his â€Å"movie†: Monster. Another way it was significant was through the minds of the jurors. It was significant because she attempted to isolate them from other people as an effect of their alleged prosecutions; despite the fact that they are innocent until proven guilty. 2. â€Å"I wish Jerry were here. Not in jail, but somehow with me. What would I say to him? Think about all the tomorrows of your life. Yes, that’s would I would say. Think about all the tomorrows of your life. † This quote was written down by Steve inside of his journal. He is debating what he would say to his younger brother Jerry if he was there with him. It is immensely significant due to the fact that he is writing down the advice he wished he had taken himself. He is finally starting to realize that his life (or most of it) may be spent in jail, and he is trying to keep that from happening to his brother. 3. â€Å"They take away your shoelaces and your belt so you can’t kill yourself no matter how bad it is. I guess making you live is part of the punishment. † This quote was written down in his journal as part of his â€Å"movie†. In this part of the story, he is yet to realize the severity of his case and the effect it could have on his life. It is significant because it shows how oblivious he is to what could actually happen to him.

How to Conjugate the French Verb Vaincre (to Beat)