Temple Media Project

Temple/London Fall 1999
A Psychological Profile of British Media

Within London, news consumer’s have more choices in terms of high-brow, mid-brow, and tabloid news than several cities in the United States, such as Philadelphia which provides the public with two large-circulation newspapers, The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Daily News. Initial observations by the class felt there may be more tabloid news in the United Kingdom, but were unsure because the greater variety in newspapers and therefore, the apparent amount of tabloid news may have been misleading. Is the news in London more ‘sensational’ as a rule or is the perception of this caused by a larger tabloid market than the students are accustomed to?

The upmarket dailies in London consist of The Times, The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, and The Guardian. The midmarket papers available are The Daily Mail, and The Daily Express. Finally the downmarket papers are The Daily Mirror, The Sun, and The Daily Star (Tunstall pp. 8). Within each sub-grouping, which is determined by social status and class, headlines and front-page stories of one issue will be analyzed for seriousness. Serious news will include political events, crime, world events, business news, and discussion of social problems. Less serious or tabloid news will include reporting on celebrities, the royal family, and human-interest stories. The front-page is of primary concern because it is most often used to attract readership. Of course, the page 3 girl of The Sun and The Star cannot be denied as less serious news and central to readership; while being off the front page will be left out of the study, it is nevertheless worth mentioning. The page 3 girl is inside the first page of the paper and appears each day, nude or semi-nude.

Prisons chief urges release of Bulger killers, a story detailing the statement given by Sir David Ramsbotham recommending that two young killers of a toddler should be released at the age of eighteen. The article discusses the ramifications of Ramsbotham’s statement, he is the chief inspector of prisons, and it also discusses the criticism that ensued. (Political crime)

Trade Battle Goes to Brink an article regarding developments in the French ban on British beef. (Political)

The photo across the fold is of protestors with a sign stating, Don’t Rape Our Beach with the story title, DiCaprio film-makers face storm over paradise lost. The story examines the struggle between environmentalists and 20^th Century Fox over an ecological mess some say was left on a beach by the movie company. (Environmental but packaged in a celebrity fashion)

Below the fold is the small story, It’s all over: United Out of Cup regarding the decision by Manchester United (football team) not to defend their title. (Sport)

Interestingly, there is an advertisement for Old Speckled Hen ale and a small comic on the bottom-fold of front page.

Photo of a weeping family surrounded by police officers, the title is in large, bold letter, Weeping For Their Loved Ones. This is a story detailing the anguish and reaction of the families of those involved in a major Paddington station train crash who were visiting the site three days after the crash had occurred. The story is continued on page two where a photograph of a note is placed, the note read, ‘Come home Daddy, I love you, Claire’ the caption for the photo reads, From the heart: The poignant message left at the entrance to Reading Station. (Social reaction to an event)

The top one-third of the paper is a ten million-pound lottery promotion. The bottom two-thirds is titled Champion. The story is about Lennox Lewis becoming the undisputed champion of boxing. (Sport)

Photo of Indonesian troops leaving East Timor, it is taken from a distance with a large naval vessel in the background. Numerous headlines cover the front-page all are very small in font. (International event)

Those With Much to Gain Heavily Financed Exhibit a story regarding the financial backing of Sensation a controversial art exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. (Arts and business)

Milosevic Ignores His Scars and Stubbornly Presses On describing the ruined nation of Kosovo five months after NATO bombings and the continued strong-hold of the government. (International politics)

Moving Slowly Toward Energy Free of Carbon a story regarding a trend in lower-carbon fuels that, if sped up, can help the environment. (Environmental)

A Calamitous Era Plays Out Quietly for East Timor covering the end of Indonesian control over East Timor. (International event)

Displays a photograph of witches in ceremony in a suburban backyard. The title is, Witches Cast as the Neo-Pagans Next Door which is a story examing the growth of witchcraft in the United States. (Social covered in a human interest format)

Getting Sick on the High Seas: A Question of Accountability? a look at the illnesses on cruises, the medical attention available, the qualifications of the doctors and a discussion. (Social)

The Pitfalls of Choosing a Long-Distance Plan which was a discussion of the merger between MCI and Sprint, two of the three largest long-distance operators. (Local business)

U.S. Nuclear-Capable Arms were in Cuba in the ’62 crisis an article detailing that the U.S. had stored nuclear weapons in twenty-seven countries, and that, the government itself was not always aware of their location. (Political history)

Campaign Finance Bill Dies in Senate an account of a Republican filibuster on legislation of campaign funding. (Government and politics)

A photograph is above the fold of elderly male sifting through trash after N. Carolina flooding. Story detailing life after the natural disaster and government aid. (Human interest)

Below-the-fold, Naomi Post A Quiet Advocate an article about the wife of the then-candidate now mayor- who works for the city. (Human Interest)

Booed in Phila., Pianist Cancels N.Y. Performance reporting on the cancellation by Ivo Pogorelich at Carnegie Hall one week after he was booed in Philadelphia. (Arts and Entertainment)

Front-page title, Who Took Blazin’ Blue? "Cops eye an inside job in disappearance of one of their own horses" An illustration of a wooden stable with a large white cutout of a horse is displayed on the full front page. (Local event)

It does not seem as though any of the newspapers from either nation across class lines refrains entirely from sensationalism on the front-page. The high-brow papers from London display photographs with Don’t Rape Our Beach displayed prominently. The New York Times features witches on the front page, indicating they feel the issue of witches worshipping is of high importance. The mid-level paper The Express has an incredibly sentimental story designed to tug at heartstrings and the tragedy itself is not identified until the second page, up to that point it is description of the scene and the family reaction. The Philadelphia Inquirer displays a story rooted in the 1962 crisis on the front-page as well as the sad photo of an elderly man looking at the remains of his possessions after a natural disaster. Both the tabloid papers are sensational in every construction, as is their nature. It seems that to keep both sophisticated advertisers and good circulation rates, it is the nature of high-brow papers to sensationalize. The greater amount of choice in low-brow sensational journalism on the London newsstands seems to be so bold and overwhelming, it overshadows the comparable serious journalistic papers that are offered. Also, in the United States, tabloids are typically reserved for supermarket and drug store check-out lanes, within the United Kingdom they are placed alongside the ‘serious’ newspapers. Does this mean that the English rely upon the low-brow tabloids for serious news coverage?