Question

Compare and contrast the two newspaper articles. Explain the similarities and differences in each article’s point of view about the incident and the rescue of the passengers.

Answer 1

Similarities and differences in each article’s point of view about the incident and the rescue of the passengers for two newspaper is given below.

Explanation:

Comparing two newspaper articles, one from a tabloid and one from a broadsheet will convey the different techniques that tabloids and broadsheets use to present stories.

Tabloids are papers like ‘The Sun’, ‘The Mirror’, ‘The Daily Mail’, ‘The Express’ and ‘The Star’. In contrast to these are broadsheets like ‘The Times’, ‘The Guardian’ and ‘The Daily Telegraph’. Broadsheets are often known as the ‘quality press’ being more informing and formal in the manner they convey information and news stories.

The issue of Prince Harry’s drink and drugs scandal. The two papers are ‘The Observer’ and ‘The Mail on Sunday’ and both issues are dated Sunday 13th January 2002. I want to concentrate on the ways in which the articles are presented at surface level by visual appeal and other such devices and also the ways that each paper has approached this human-interest story of a royal acting irresponsibly. ‘The Mail on Sunday’ is a tabloid paper. For the purpose of this essay I am going to entitle it article 1.

Tabloid papers have general characteristics dissimilar to those of broadsheets. Both papers are produced for different audiences ‘The Observer’ is aimed at the middle class, well educated and business people. ‘The Mail on Sunday’ is aimed at a younger audience and people less dependent or interested in hard news. This is the main factor that results in the contrasts of the two papers. Article 1 in ‘The Mail on Sunday’ is the cover story of the paper. The article itself runs through pages 1,2 and 3.

Here, page 1 is the most vital, capturing the reader’s interest. The article takes up half of the page, the other half being given over to an advert for a horoscope insert magazine that comes free with the paper and also a Thomas Cook giveaway deal. The article itself is made up almost half and half by headline and photogra

A theme is created hinting that the paper is good for those who don’t want to take time over reading facts, just want to be given an image outline of the story. On pages 2 and 3 this image is carried on through but to a lesser extent. Approximately one sixth of the pages are taken over by the title. On top of that another third of the two pages is given over to photographs and captions and another quarter by articles of no relevance to the topic such as the weather and how The Mail On Sunday should have been voted the newspaper of the year.

The rest of the two pages consists of approximately three full columns of text however these columns have been split up and strung across the pages filling space in-between the photographs.

The front of the title is traditional, easy to read, large and bold. Upper case letters are used throughout to give an even and readable look to the title. The second thing that attracts the reader is the photograph to the right of the headline. In the picture Prince Harry is holding a tankard, which by the images behind the Prince and the clothes he is wearing has clearly been one at a polo competition or something similar.  

The caption underneath simply states that the Prince had been drinking at a pub, it doesn’t explain that the picture is nothing to do with this but simply leaves it to the reader’s assumption. The text is the last thing to catch the eye of the reader. The first eight lines are used to explain in brief the content and scandal of the article. The last four lines begin the main article. There is only a short section of the article on the front page

Over the page the headline again attracts the reader, Trouble at the Rattlebone Inn. This time lower case letters are used and an association is made with the keyword in the title ‘Trouble’ and the image that our eyes are drawn to next of a full length colour image of the Prince on page 3. The photograph shows a smartly dressed adult looking Prince and quickly detracts from the innocent and young image people may have of him. Directly to the left of this picture is another of an alleged lover,

The picture of the older woman again portrays an image of Harry being older and less innocent. On page 2 there are two black and white photographs that are not as appealing as those on page 3 but are more informative of the situation, showing the pub and actual evidence of Harry drinking. In deep contrast to this is article 2 from ‘The Observer’. Here the front page is twice as big and the Prince Harry piece is not the only headline news.