Newspaper Comparisive Analysis

The Daily Telegraph Wed 16/09/2009

Issue No 47,989

The masthead of the newspaper is written in calligraphy. This older style of font appeals to an older audience. The masthead connotes that the target audience of the newspaper are old, aged around 40+. Also, the word ‘telegraph’ connotes that the newspaper is aimed at older people because telegraphs are an old form of communication. There is no colour in the masthead. This makes it look a lot more sophisticated as colour connotes youth. Also, colour printing wasn’t around when The Daily Telegraph began. The masthead is centre aligned at the top of the page. This makes it seem more important as it takes up a lot of space and is in the middle of the audience’s focus.
The slogan of the newspaper is ‘Britain’s best-selling quality daily’. The word ‘Britain’ being in the slogan makes the newspaper seem patriotic so would appeal to a patriotic audience, who are generally older. By stating that it is ‘best-selling’, the newspaper seems to be more prestigious.
There are two kickers side by side at the top of the page. The colours used in the kickers are blue and yellow. Secondary images are used in each of the kickers, connoting what the articles are about. The fonts used in the kickers are quite masculine because of the sharp edges. This, along with the colours, would make the newspaper appeal to a male audience.
The main image on the front cover is Keith Floyd, a TV chef from the 1980s. An older audience would remember him and might have been fans of his cooking. This would attract their attention to the newspaper rather than other newspapers on the stand. The colours of the clothes that he is wearing and the background of the main image are similar to the colours used in the kickers. Also, the clothes that he is wearing are quite sophisticated. They are the sort of clothes that would be worn by an older, middle class audience, which is the target audience of the newspaper. The pose of the chef makes him look dominant and happy. This would appeal to people because it is a pleasant picture.
The main article headline is bigger and bolder than all the other headlines on the page. This connotes that it is the most important article in the newspaper. Also, it is about cars, which are stereotypically associated with males rather than females.
There is an article on the cover about the Conservative Party urging to “scrap 49 out of 51 benefits”. This makes it seem as though voting for the Conservatives will result in people losing their benefits. A lot of older people rely on benefits if they are unfit to work, so this is an article that might interest an older audience. There is another article about Premium Bonds, which were common in the 1950s and 1960s, so an older audience would know more about them than a younger audience.
There is a small cartoon with a caption. This brings a lighter hearted element of fun to the newspaper because most of the articles are about serious issues, so the cartoon relaxes the mood. It would also draw in a younger audience.
There is a large advert of a Cartier watch. It is a men’s watch, so appeals to a male audience. It appeals to higher class people because of the price of Cartier watches being quite expensive.

The Daily Telegraph Thu 22/10/2009

Issue No 48,020

There are two kickers side by side at the top of the page. The colours used in the kickers are purple and orange. Secondary images are used in each of the kickers, connoting what the articles are about. The fonts used in the kickers are quite feminine because of the soft edges. This, along with the colours, would make the newspaper appeal to a female audience. One of the kickers mentions that there is a “free DVD” of an Alfred Hitchcock film. Alfred Hitchcock, being a filmmaker from the 1940s, would instantly appeal to an older audience as opposed to younger people. Also, the buzz word (“free”) would make the kicker stand out and attract more attention.
The main image on the front cover is of Luise Rainer, an actress from the 1930s. A young audience might not know of her but an older audience, although they might not have seen any of her films, might have heard of her before. This could be enough to attract their attention to this newspaper rather than other competing newspapers. The colours of the clothes that she is wearing and the background of the main image are similar to the colours used in the kickers. Also, the clothes that she is wearing are quite classy. They are the sort of clothes that would be worn by an older, middle class audience, which is the target audience of the newspaper. The pose of the actress makes her seem like a dominant and powerful woman. This pose would appeal to women because it makes them seem more superior and challenges the patriarchal ideologies that are usually associated with texts aimed at an older audience.
The main article headline is bigger and bolder than all the other headlines on the page. This connotes that it is the most important article in the newspaper. Also, by mentioning that “Tori’s will ‘shame’ Britain”, the headline reinforces the patriotic feel of the newspaper. It is also a biased headline, so the readers of the newspaper might be swayed to turn against the Conservative Party.
There is an article on the cover about the NHS discriminating “against elderly patients”. This is an article that older people would want to read more than younger people because it affects them more, which makes the newspaper appeal to its target audience. There is also another article about womb transplants, which women would be more interested in than men. The appeal to women is similar to other aspects of the front cover, such as the colour scheme, feminine fonts in the kickers and the main image of a dominant female.
There is a small cartoon with a caption. This brings a lighter hearted element of fun to the newspaper because most of the articles are about serious issues, so the cartoon relaxes the mood. It would also draw in a younger audience.
There is a large advert of Tiffany & Co. earrings. These appeal to a female audience, although they could attract some males who might want to buy them for someone else. They appeal to higher class people because of the price of Tiffany & Co. earrings being quite expensive.