Analyse the following front pages. Use denotation and connotation techniques.

The Sun front page

Denotation – describing exactly what you can see:

The newspaper masthead is in red, the font is simple and bold, and includes the price 20p. The masthead of the paper is on the top left,

next to the masthead is a picture and headline advertising a story inside the paper, advertising a personal interest story about Anastasia.

The headline is, ‘Sling your hook’ above a large close up picture of the subject of the story. The headline is in WOB (white on black) and there is a subheading underneath at an angle. At the bottom of the page is a response to the headline, ‘And take your mates with you.’

Denotation will help you to make sure you have notes of everything you can see, and will ensure that you don’t miss out any elements of the text.

Connotation – describing how these elements of design, text, and image affect the reader.

The use of the colour red for the masthead, which normally signifies danger and emergency, suggests that the content may be important, shocking, and of immediate interest. This encourages the reader to buy, thinking that the news stories will be startling and important.

The simple bold font of the masthead suggests that the information inside the paper will be no frills, bold and simple.

The headline uses a visual pun, ‘sling your hook’. This is an expression meaning to tell someone to go away; in this case it also refers to the hook worn by Abu Hansa. It is typically politically incorrect as we would not normally draw attention to a person’s disability, however the Sun expects its readers to be extremely patriotic and therefore willing and able to take a joke about an ‘enemy’ of Britain.

The continued sub heading ‘PS And take your mates with you’ leads the eye down the page and completes the sentence started by the headline.

The reference to Anastasia encourages the reader to investigate the inner pages of the paper for ‘lighter’ human interest stories.

Look at the following newspaper front pages and analyse them using the same techniques. You may use bullet points in your answers.

You are now going to look at a current news story and write your own reports. One should be a broadsheet, and one a red top tabloid.

Use the techniques you have applied to your analysis to guide you.

You may create entirely new titles if you wish – The Daily Planet – Galaxy – Globe etc. Make the title fit the type of paper, tabloid or broad sheet – explain your choices

Design a masthead – this can be a rough drawing, but you must be able to explain the reasons for the design features

Rough out a front page – with headline – image and text

Your newspaper story

Remember all the facts must be in the first paragraph

Always use full names – Trevor not Mr McDonald Use quotation from the major sources Headline – make use of alliteration, wit, puns

and get in all the facts Descriptive writing, can be there – but keep the

flowery stuff for the final paragraph

Here’s your story:

 You are in: UK

Front Page World 

UK 

Thursday, 21 September, 2000, 16:55 GMT 17:55 UK ITV News At Ten returns

England Northern

Ireland Scotland 

Wales UK Politics 

Business Sci/Tech 

Health Education 

Entertainment Talking

Point In Depth 

AudioVideo 

The BBC's Greg Wood"Few people expected to see News At Ten broadcast once more" real 56k

The demise of News At Ten sparked controversyThe ITV network has bowed to pressure and is restoring ITN's 10pm news bulletin for at least three nights a week. It will form part of a package of measures to be introduced in the New Year. The late regional news will stay at 11.20pm, and the 10pm ITV Nightly News will be extended from 20 to 30 minutes during the general election. The 6.30pm bulletin is unchanged. But the BBC has said it has no intention of

In a sense the News At Ten has come back home

Stewart PurvisITN chief executive

Steve Perkins of the ITC"This is the best arrangement for viewers" real 28k

Gerald Kaufman, Culture, Media and Sport committee"An unhappy episode that has ended in an unhappy way" real 28k

changing its plans, announced in August, to move the Nine O'Clock news to 10pm in light of ITV's announcement. ITV dropped its 10pm bulletin in March 1999. But ITN chief executive Stewart Purvis said the latest changes represented a good settlement. "It gives ITV the flexibility it requires, but it gets back its 10 o'clock slot. The challenge now is to the BBC, as to what they are going to do next. "In a sense the News At Ten has come back home. It means more people are going to see the work you produce and I'm sure everyone is in favour of that." 'No long term solution' He added: "We recognise that ITV has got to have the flexibility which it needs in the very commercial environment it's working in." But the BBC said it was difficult

to believe the move was a serious long term solution. "There's hardly a channel in the world that doesn't have its main evening news at a fixed time, five days a week," a spokesman said in a statement. "Under this proposal, ITV's commitment to news is clear, the 20 minute nightly news will be scheduled at 10pm - except on the two nights it's not. This will confuse everyone, especially the viewers." It also pointed out that ITV's new proposal would mean the regional news might not be broadcast until after midnight if ITV decided to play a movie at

ITV's commitment to news is clear, the 20 minute nightly news will be scheduled at 10pm - except on the two nights it's not.

BBC statement

10.20pm. "That's hardly the commitment to regionalism that the ITC claims," the spokesman said. The new arrangement has been attacked by Labour MP Gerald Kaufman, chairman of the Commons Culture Committee. He said: "It is deplorable that we are getting back News At Ten when it may not be News At Ten at all and when it will only be 20 minutes." TV regulator the Independent Television Commission (ITC) had ordered ITV to move its 11pm news forward an hour because of low ratings. The row over ITV's news programmes was sparked when the broadcaster dropped its popular

I think this is an unhappy end to an unhappy episode

Gerald Kaufman MP

News At Ten bulletin. The ratings of ITV news have dropped by one million, 14% of the audience, since News at Ten was scrapped. ITV was due to go to court next week for a judicial review of the order that it should move its late evening news programme. The independent network initially refused to move the news slot but was then ordered to do so by the ITC.

NEWS AT TEN

News at Ten is returning to ITV1 on January 14, 2008

Trevor McDonald returns to anchor the new-look bulletin alongside Julie Etchingham. The presenting team, including Mark Austin, will continue to bring you the top storiesSPECIAL REPORT

PLAY VIDEO

A new beginning

Watch an exclusive video report on News at Ten. James Mates examines the archive to highlight how the programme covered the stories like Vietnam, the Berlin Wall's fall and putting man on the moon...

PRESENTERS

Trevor McDonald"Like everyone at ITN I am delighted that the News at Ten is back and I'm especially pleased to be involved in its re-launch. I look forward to it greatly."

Julie Etchingham"I'm delighted to be joining News at Ten. It's an iconic programme with an extraordinary history, and a genuine place in people's affections. It will be an

honour to work with Trevor, and to be part of its comeback as a fresh, new programme."

Mark Austin"News at Ten was part of my life for many years when I was a foreign correspondent. It's great that it's back where it belongs in the schedule. I look forward to being part of its return."

INTERVIEWS

PLAY

Back to business

Trevor McDonald explains why he's so pleased to be back - and why he feels News at Ten is Britain's most important news programme

PLAY

A new face

Julie Etchingham talks about growing up with the old News at Ten - and what it feels like to be part of the new-look team

PLAY

Austin's powers

Mark Austin on life as a globe-trotting correspondent and award-winning presenter - and why he now has the best of both worlds

PRESS RELEASE

Read the full News at Ten press release for more information on Trevor McDonald's return to the ITV News studios