Newspaper: Editorial Comment

 

Similarities:

• Small masthead at the top
• Column style
• Text bases (no images)
• Authoritative, persuasive tone
• Subheading that outlines opinion
• Based on current stories
• 2/3 different comment articles

Differences:

• The guardian's comment takes up about half the page but the daily mail's comment only takes up about 1/4
• The daily mail's comment is on page 16 but the guardian is on page 26 which could be because the guardian has more news stories to talk about so it is later on in the newspaper whereas the daily mail's comment could be more important to the readers so it is nearer the front
• There is a more formal structure in the guardian then the daily mail
• The guardian has more detail but it doesn't have a clear opinion it just gives both sides of the point/argument and lets the reader decide whereas the daily mail has a clear opinion and tries to persuade the reader
• The daily mail's comment is soft news but the guardian's comment is hard news
• Formal language is used in the guardian and complex and emotive language, compared to the daily mail that uses emotive language and is more abrupt, has a stronger opinions and uses a sharp tone
• Both papers are biased towards their own political ideology; the daily mail is right wing and the guardian is left wing. However, the guardian is more objective than biased as it is more factual.

Uses and Gratifications theory:

It is suggested that the uses and gratification theory has to fulfill one of the following need when we choose a form of media:

Identify - being able to recognize the product or person in front of you, role models that reflect similar values to yours, aspirations to be someone else. For example people are able to identify with a newspaper as the paper has the same political views as themselves.

Educate - being able to acquire information, knowledge and understanding.For example, people will read a news paper to keep them updated and educated on recent news.

Entertain - what you are consuming should give you enjoyment and also some form of 'escapism' enabling us to forget our worries temporarily.

Social Interaction - the ability for media products to produce a topic on conversation between other people, sparks debates.