The Language of Newspapers

El inglés en los medios de comunicación

The Language of Newspapers
• National and International newspapers do convey information about everyday events
that affect our daily lives.

• Newspapers can be influential: they can affect the way we think about international
events and national politics by presenting issues in a certain way.

• The editor of a newspaper will seek to present the world in a certain way so that the
intended audience identify with the paper’s viewpoint.
• Editorials
• Opinion Articles

• Although their function is referential, entertainment has become equally important in

the battle to win readers.

• Different types of people buy different types of papers.

– Ideology & Socio-Cultural Level

• Broadsheets tend to be associated with educated professional people

• Tabloids are associated with the traditional working class.
• The middle-market papers fall somewhere between the two.

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The Language of Newspapers
– Ideology:
• The ideology or point of view of its owner and its editor dictates the kinds of
stories printed and the political or moral slant transmitted to the reader.
• This can lead to bias (favouring one viewpoint over another), which is
evident in the lexical choice and in the selection or exclusion of particular
stories

– Types of newspapers:
• Tabloid are called the “popular” or “gutter” press
• Broadsheet “serious” or “quality” press.

– Linguists are interested in the kinds of language different newspapers choose, to

attract their intended audience.

• The news values of a newspaper govern the kind of stories which editors
print.

• The choices made are ultimately based on what will sell newspapers, both to
readers and to intended audience.

• Headlines & Reports

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The Language of Newspapers
• Three kinds of headlines:

– The main headline will be larger than the others and may occasionally
be in colour to draw attention

– The strapline or overline is the secondary headline that appears

above the main one - it is used to provide extra information or to clarify
the main headline

– The sub-headline follows the main headline, and qualities or elaborates

it.

• Just as the selection of news items and the balance of photographs to text
differs between broadsheets, compacts and tabloids, so too do the
headlines.

• While the broadsheets may aim for a factual interpretation of an event, the
tabloids may look for sensation.

• The choice of words for headlines is affected by the ideas to be expressed,

the kind of reader associated with the paper, and the paper's house style.
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The Language of Newspapers

• Action stories

– Action stories often package news as entertainment -

they create stories from dramatic incidents.

– Their structure is chronological and they tend to focus

on the human results of an event.

– The introduction establishes what has happened; the

news lead develops the narrative chronologically; and
the conclusion often pro-vides some kind of
assessment or evaluation 5
The Language of Newspapers

• Statement and opinion stories

– Statement and opinion stories deal with issues rather than just narrative.

– They attempt to summarise an argument and to provide readers with

key information.

– Although a report may be triggered by a specific event, the event will

only be the starting point for a wider consideration of related issues. In
other words, such reports give readers more than just a chronological
human interest story.

– The introductory paragraph usually presents the reader with the most
important news points and with supporting direct quotation where
appropriate. The rest of the report summarises further points and
develops the argument. The conclusion draws all the points together.

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The Language of Newspapers
• Running stories

– Journalists make the most of an ongoing story because they

hope that once their readers have become interested they will
continue to buy the newspaper to keep up to date with new
findings.

– Tabloids in particular will sensationalize and dramatize stories to

keep old readers and attract new ones.

– A running story requires the journalist both to report on new

information and to recap on what has happened so far.

– This ensures that readers can keep up to date and understand

any new developments in context
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What to look for in newspapers?

Register

– What is the mode?

• Written

– What is the manner?

• formal or informal relationship between participants (journalist and
reader)?
• ideology?
• function (to inform, persuade, entertain, etc.)?

– What is the field?

• subject matter?
• journalist's approach?
• linked to the audience, purpose, and context?

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What to look for in newspapers?

Lexis
Headlines
• What is noticeable about the style?
– easily readable? simple?
– appropriate?
– impact created?

• What are the connotations of words chosen?

• What kinds of modifiers are used?

• What point of view or ideology is conveyed?

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What to look for in newspapers?
Lexis
Reports
– Are the words chosen formal or informal?

– Are the modifiers used to express precise detail or to make the report
emotive
• or sensational?

– How are participants named?

• use of titles? use of first names or surnames?
• use of abbreviated, familiar names?

– What are the connotations of words?

• nouns to describe people and things?
• verbs to describe actions and processes?
• associations
• What kinds of adverbials are used?

– What kinds of adverbials are used?

• time? place? manner?
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What to look for in newspapers?
Grammar
Headlines

– What is the structure?

• NP?
• simple/compound/complex sentence?

– Do the straplines and subheadlines explain or qualify

the main headline?

– Is the passive voice used?

– Is there any ambiguity?

• accidental?
• intentional, to create humor or to add interest?
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What to look for in newspapers?
Grammar
Reports
• Is the sentence structure varied?
– simple/compound/complex? variety?

• Are there any initial-position conjunctions?

– to create a conversational tone?
– to control the length of sentences?

• Is there any direct speech?

– ordinary or authoritative speaker? formal or informal tone?
– to add weight to an argument or to give ordinary people’s views?
– to vary the pace?

• Is there any indirect speech?

– to summarize formal speech?
– to paraphrase the speaker's words and make them more fluent?

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What to look for in newspapers?
Style

• Is the sentence organization designed to influence the reader?

– marked themes to highlight a clause element other than the subject in the initial position?
– foregrounding of adverbials to provide extra information?
– passive voice to alter the position of the object for emphasis?
– are by + agent included or omitted?

• Are there any literary devices?

– metaphors and similes to establish a narrative atmosphere or to make the report
– more dramatic or the abstract issues concrete?
– symbolism to force the reader to make connections?
– clever or comic puns?
– unusual or unexpected words or descriptions?

• Is there any sound patterning to underpin meaning, create humour or make a report more memorable?
– Alliteration
– rhythm or rhyme?

• Are there any rhetorical devices?

– antithesis juxtaposing words or key concepts for dramatic effect or contrasting
– particular viewpoints?
– listing building to a climax or an anti-climax, creating emphasis or developing
– serious or comic tone?
– patterning to emphasize important attributes or contrasts?
– repetition of words, phrases or clauses to highlight key points and make the report more dramatic or
noticeable?

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What to look for in newspapers?

• Sources:

• Are there any official sources giving authority to

evidence? police? emergency services? courts?
investigating bodies? the government?

• Are there any unofficial sources that allow ordinary

people to have a voice?

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What to look for in newspapers?
• Typographical features:

– Does capitalization attract readers?

– Is there any variation in print size to draw readers into

the report?

– Is colour used, drawing on wider symbolic

associations to enhance meaning?

– Do images dramatize or support the story?

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