Introduction to Newspapers

1) What type of news can you typically find in a tabloid newspaper?

Tabloids tend to feature shorter articles and include more photographs. They report on major news, but also include a lot of showbiz gossip, entertainment and sport.

2) What type of news can you typically find in a broadsheet newspaper?

Broadsheet newspapers traditionally tend to be more serious, have smaller fonts, more advanced use of language and less photography

3) If someone is left-wing, which political party are they likely to support? Which newspaper would they be likely to read?

Left-wing = Labour = Daily Mirror

4) If someone is right-wing, which political party are they likely to support? Which newspaper would they be likely to read?

Right-wing = Conservative = The Times

5) Why has there been a decline in newspaper sales in the last 20 years?

Whilst still popular, since the 1950s, there has been a gradual decline in newspaper sales due to TV news programmes and, more recently, the growth of digital news through websites and social media.

6) Why is a free press important in a democracy like the UK?

A free press implies that journalists (those that write for newspapers) and newspaper editors can edit content free of intervention from Government influence. More than a third of the world’s population live in countries where there is no press freedom. Journalists are often imprisoned if they disagree with the Government, social media channels are not allowed, non-democratic countries often control access to information and employ state-run news organisations.