Friday 28 November 2014

Vocabulary and language used

I have been analyzing newspapers in order to compare and contrast the types of vocabulary used in local, broadsheet and tabloid newspapers. By doing this, I plan on gaining an insight into how newspapers are targeted at different audiences based on the way they use words and phrases.

Tabloid newspapers are often said to be harder to write for compared to broadsheet and local newspapers because of the vocabulary used that is used. Tabloids use writing techniques such as informal and colloquial language (also including the use of slang and puns), short sentences with few clauses, exaggeration for deliberate effect, adjectives that sometimes carry a subtle sexual overtone, alliteration and a focus on appearance and public image. The size of the text used in the articles is often slightly above the average test size of 12 in order to possibly make the article look longer than it actually is. When writing for a tabloid newspaper a writer will often have to select vocabulary with less syllables or that is considered informal in order to appeal to a wider audience. For example, by using shorter words and phrases a writer opens up his target audience to people of a much wider age and background, meaning more people are going to be interested in reading the articles as they can easily understand what information is being projected to them. As seen in The Daily Mail, there is a fewer text on the front page as the majority of the space is taken up by adverts, images and the headline and vocabulary used in this article is chatty and informal.




In contrast, broadsheet newspapers use writing techniques such as formal language, using rhetorical questions and metaphors instead of puns, complex sentence structure (often featuring many commas and semi colons), statistics, information on a person's position in society over their looks and analysis of interviews by the writer to explain the response rather than just having the response featured. the size of the text used in the articles is often slightly smaller than the average size 12 in order to get more information into one article and give the reader as many details as possible. When writing for a broadsheet newspaper a writer will often be a lot more free with what he is allowed to write with his vocabulary and opinions. Broadsheet newspapers feature a much wider variety of sophisticated vocabulary that would appeal to the higher classes in society or people who have received a higher standard of education. For example, broadsheet newspapers tend to feature words with more syllables and sentences with more clauses which shows how the sentence structure in a broadsheet is also very different to that of a tabloid. As seen in The Guardian, there is a lot more text featured on the front page as the article is trying to get as much information across as it can in the space it has on the front page. Also there is less space for the masthead and adverts as well as the language used being more formal.



However, local newspapers are more similar to tabloids than they are broadsheet. They feature very short sentences and very repetitive vocabulary which could be used to keep the stories brief and easy to read in order to keep the audience engaged for long enough to get the key points across. They don't carry the subtle sexual overtones or exaggeration for effect like tabloids do they but they do limit their vocabulary and try to keep things short and to the point. Local newspapers don't share many qualities with broadsheets newspapers as they are very different; the formality and language techniques such as metaphors are lacking in local newspapers as they don't try to engage the reader with thought because they're just trying to get across information. Whereas a broadsheet newspaper which tries to bring across a message (or opinion of the writer) using information. As seen in The Halstead Gazette, just like the tabloid there is a lot of space taken up by adverts and images as well as the vocabulary used being short and slightly informal. But like the broadsheet there is a lot of information being put across in the short amount of text featured, outlining the article inside.



In conclusion, in my final piece I will have to make sure the language I use must be informal enough to come across as accurate and well written like in a broadsheet but formal enough to not seem colloquial and chatty like in a tabloid.

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