Online News- Audience

Audience

Explain the effect of technology on print newspapers 
Technology allows the audience to be familiar with the modernistic side of the guardian. The younger audiences that are technologically dependant allows the print newspaper to breach a mass audience of older and younger audience as the younger audience are more likely to read the newspaper if it is excess-able on a phone(convergence). As circulation is dipping, print copies are becoming too expensive to print so therefore by technology being advanced for print newspapers it allows the print newspaper to gain revenue despite the decrease of print newspapers being bought. On technology the advert space is endless due to links and separate tabs to be open whereas the print newspapers allows minimal space for adverts which makes the ads less detailed and may attract less audience.

- ABCD1 NRS SOCIAL GRADE 
-More male 

Online layout 

•The print Observer has sections that are designed to appeal to different types of readers. However they are not as clearly separated as they are in the print edition.

The homepage includes these sections at the top of the page under the different headings.(appeal to news hungry reader)

The homepage features these towards the bottom of the pages, under ‘reviews’(appeals to culture consumer)

The homepage carries a ‘sport’ section about two-thirds of the way down the page.(appeals to sport fan: written in stereotypically masculine style)

The homepage spreads this across several sections, meaning that it’s much more prominent on the website.(lifestyle material)

-Colours of different tabs (reflect stereotypes) 

- Variety of sections (reflect Scotts trust values)

•Although The Observer online follows the structure of the print edition, there is a greater prominence for the lifestyle, food and sport sections that are otherwise kept out of the main section of the print newspaper.

•Also a higher proportion of photography and headlines on the homepage compared to the front page.

- The prominence of the lifestyle,food sport sections online show how the newspaper have taken into consideration the general target audience of online websites therefore appealing more for the younger and more youthful generation as they are more technology dependent so by the newspaper being accessible online it is more accessible to them and therefore will be more likely to read it. The audiences differ from online to print as the target audience for print newspaper will appeal more to 'hard news' rather then the interest of lifestyle and culture which will appear to the youthful audience that read online news. 

Website- Provides detailed description of story.(appeal to news hungry audiences that read hard news) 
Twitter- Only gives header of story 
Instagram - doesn't advertise story (as would not appeal to target audience on instagram)






Active audience- Internalise the story and act on it 
Passive audience- Sit back and don't respond

• Traditionally, people who read audiences were passive. They could choose what newspaper to buy and could always write to the editor, but would accept the messages.
• Online newspapers attract a far more active audience. The website itself has little user-generated content and audiences are limited to responding to journalists…although they can do and tend to debate!
• The Twitter and Instagram feeds offer content for response.
• Remember that neither is moderated, there is much more opportunity for trolling on these feeds, but they encourage a shorter audience attention span which can discourage debate.

Regulation: 

• Online news not regulated unless online site actively signs up to the regulator
• Print editions are regulated 
• Twitter and Facebook are not regulated (free speech)
• Disadv- fake news cant be spotted (appoint editors that have same political views to overcome)

Clickbait-Sensational headline to attract audience }

-- Online versions of websites tend to different from the print version, as thy take on more online attributes (clickbait). For example it tends to be much more celebrity/gossip focused.

--The Observer online follows the structure of its print edition, but there is far more prominence on lifetstyle, food and sport. These areas don’t tend to dominate the front cover of a print edition. There are also more images/use of photography on the homepage. 

Contemporary Stories

Changes in gender roles/rise of feminism

    Increasing role of women in politics and journalists. This follows the impact of 1970s feminism.(HISTORICAL:no female journalists and only female reported was Margret Thatcher )

Changing attitudes to sexualities

Increasing visible role of LGBT community and politicians in the public life and news. There’s an acceptance of different sexualities.(HISTORICAL:LGBT not accepted therefore only heterosexual relations / people where advertised)

Multiculturalism

The change from a white society in which racism is normal, to one that encourages and supports different racial and ethnic groups.(HISTORICAL:Inequality between races therefore only white ethnicity was represented )

Celebrity culture

Popular culture around celebrities – people who are famous for being famous (HISTORICAL:Celebrities weren't celebrate as much, only music was advertised. House wives did the cooking so no need for cooking recipes/ ads)

Consumerism

The expectation that people will aspire to ‘better themselves’ by buying goods and services (clothes, holidays, cars, houses), which marks their identity. This is evident on front pages and online.

Some people also reject consumerism.(HISTORICAL:Wasn't as popular as people didn't have disposable income/ not a lot of money)