Employees of RBS in Harrogate have suffered a massive blow this month after they were informed of a potential 500 job losses between now and 2012, as part of a National programme to cut 3,500 jobs.
The Royal Bank of Scotland is one of the ten biggest businesses in the district, but now will suffer a loss after it was announced that RBS’s Back Office Support Centre, Cardale Park will be closed by the end of the year.
The effected employees mainly work in retail, business, or the customer service departments with also some call centre staff. A handful of the ex-office workers will be offered similar jobs at Advent Brain, who bought the majority if RBS’s Global Merchant Services earlier in the year, but there will still be a huge group of unemployed workers.
Andrew Jones, Harrogate MP, has expressed his shock over the Job cuts, he has pleaded with RBS to reconsider the closing down of the office. He is worried about the effect of the closure on local economy and is concerned for the employees and their families.
Derek Wilson, 47, is an IT technician at the offices, “I really have no idea what I’m going to do now, it isn’t easy to get a job at my age, and I still have a family to support.” The employees at Cardale Park have already started to clear out their offices in preparation for the closing of the office in early December.
Draft 2
Employees of RBS in Harrogate have suffered a massive blow this month after they were informed of a potential 500 job losses between now and 2012, as part of a National programme to cut 3,500 jobs.
The Royal Bank of Scotland is one of the ten biggest businesses in the district, but now will suffer the loss after it was announced that RBS’s Back Office Support Centre, Cardale Park will be closed by the end of the year.
The affected employees mainly work in retail, business, or the customer service departments. Some call centre staff will also be affected. A handful of the ex-office workers will be offered similar jobs at Advent Brain, who bought the majority if RBS’s Global Merchant Services earlier in the year, but there will still be a huge group of unemployed workers.
Andrew Jones, Harrogate MP, has expressed his shock over the job cuts. He has pleaded with RBS to reconsider. He is worried about the effect of the closure on local economy and is concerned for the employees and their families.
Derek Wilson, 47, is an IT technician at the offices, “I really have no idea what I’m going to do now. It isn’t easy to get a job at my age, and I still have a family to support.” The employees at Cardale Park have already started to clear out their offices in preparation for the closure in early December.
Wednesday, 29 September 2010
Monday, 27 September 2010
Article 6
There has been lots of excitement among fashion savvy teens over the last few weeks as we draw nearer to the opening of two major high street shops.
Primark and Topshop/Topman are on track to be opened by the end of the year. Both will be on Cambridge street, Primark in the old Bhs building and Topshop where Boots used to be.
Bhs closed down when Arcadia sold the lease to the building, as it was hard trying to compete with M&S down the road. Boots relocated to the bigger site, where Woolworths was, before the company went into administration in 2008.
There has been some speculation about Primark coming to Harrogate as some think the town is too upmarket to have a discount clothes shop, and it would lower the tone of the town centre. But these worries may not come to light as Primark will have to raise their prices due to rise in the cost of cotton.
Saturday, 25 September 2010
Article 5
Valley Garden Boating Pond
A new attraction in the Valley Gardens has popped up over the summer holidays.
The boating pond in valley gardens has often stood empty, with only leaves floating on the surface. But now thanks to a new enterprise, those taking a stroll in the park can rent a remote controlled boat and take to the waters.
Ideal for children who are bored of the play park, the boats cost £1.50 for 6 minutes, with 6 colours to choose from they are the perfect accompaniment to an ice cream from the café.
Thursday, 23 September 2010
Article 4
Harrogate’s home-grown hero
Donald Simpson Bell VC will be remembered at a service in France later this month, 10 years after a memorial was dedicated to him near where he was killed during World War One.
Donald Bell grew up in Harrogate; where he attended Harrogate Grammar School and later in life went on to teach in the town. During his time teaching he played amateur football for Crystal Palace, Bishop Auckland and Newcastle United. In April 1913 he left teaching behind and turned professional and started playing for Bradford.
But by the end of 1913 the shadow of war was looming so with the like many young, fit men at the time Bell joined the army. In November, 1913 Bell signed up to the 9th Battalion Yorkshire regiment, also known as The Green Howards.
Bell later became the first professional footballer to earn the Victoria Cross, the highest honour in the British and commonwealth armies, after his bravery at the battle of the Somme in 1916.
On the 5th of July Bell and the other members of his regiment were pinned down by a German machine gun near the town of La Boiselle. Bell charged out into open ground, throwing grenades at the machine gun nest, he singlehandedly captured the machine gun nest and saved the rest of his regiment. The same bravery lead to Bell’s death 5 days later in a similar situation.
He was killed at Contalmaison which became know as Bell’s Redoubt, and in 2000 became the location for a memorial, which was organised by the Friends of the Green Howards Museum. The friends of the museum, the Professional Footballers’ organisation and relatives of Donald Bell will return to Bell’s Redoubt in 2 weeks, 10 years after the memorial was erected. They will be joined by Buglers from the Yorkshire Corps of Drums and Reverend Clive Artley, who will lead a wreath laying ceremony.
For more information on Bell visit our website.
Draft 2
After audience feedback I have decided that there is too much background information on Bell fo this article to be on the first of second page, so I have cut down the text so there is less background information and more information about what is happening currently rather that in the past.
Harrogate’s home-grown hero
Donald Simpson Bell VC will be remembered at a service in France later this month, 10 years after a memorial was dedicated to him near where he was killed during World War One.
Donald Bell grew up in Harrogate and later in life went on to teach in the town. In November, 1913 Bell signed up to the 9th Battalion Yorkshire regiment, also known as The Green Howards.
On the 5th of July Bell and the other members of his regiment were pinned down by a German machine gun near the town of La Boiselle. Bell singlehandedly captured the machine gun nest and saved the rest of his regiment. The same bravery lead to Bell’s death 5 days later in a similar situation.
He was killed at Contalmaison which became known as Bell’s Redoubt, and in 2000 became the location for a memorial. The organisers and relatives of Donald Bell will return to Bell’s Redoubt in 2 weeks, 10 years after the memorial was erected. They will be joined by Buglers from the Yorkshire Corps of Drums and Reverend Clive Artley, who will lead a wreath laying ceremony.
For more information on Bell visit our website.
Donald Simpson Bell VC will be remembered at a service in France later this month, 10 years after a memorial was dedicated to him near where he was killed during World War One.
Donald Bell grew up in Harrogate; where he attended Harrogate Grammar School and later in life went on to teach in the town. During his time teaching he played amateur football for Crystal Palace, Bishop Auckland and Newcastle United. In April 1913 he left teaching behind and turned professional and started playing for Bradford.
But by the end of 1913 the shadow of war was looming so with the like many young, fit men at the time Bell joined the army. In November, 1913 Bell signed up to the 9th Battalion Yorkshire regiment, also known as The Green Howards.
Bell later became the first professional footballer to earn the Victoria Cross, the highest honour in the British and commonwealth armies, after his bravery at the battle of the Somme in 1916.
On the 5th of July Bell and the other members of his regiment were pinned down by a German machine gun near the town of La Boiselle. Bell charged out into open ground, throwing grenades at the machine gun nest, he singlehandedly captured the machine gun nest and saved the rest of his regiment. The same bravery lead to Bell’s death 5 days later in a similar situation.
He was killed at Contalmaison which became know as Bell’s Redoubt, and in 2000 became the location for a memorial, which was organised by the Friends of the Green Howards Museum. The friends of the museum, the Professional Footballers’ organisation and relatives of Donald Bell will return to Bell’s Redoubt in 2 weeks, 10 years after the memorial was erected. They will be joined by Buglers from the Yorkshire Corps of Drums and Reverend Clive Artley, who will lead a wreath laying ceremony.
For more information on Bell visit our website.
Draft 2
After audience feedback I have decided that there is too much background information on Bell fo this article to be on the first of second page, so I have cut down the text so there is less background information and more information about what is happening currently rather that in the past.
Harrogate’s home-grown hero
Donald Simpson Bell VC will be remembered at a service in France later this month, 10 years after a memorial was dedicated to him near where he was killed during World War One.
Donald Bell grew up in Harrogate and later in life went on to teach in the town. In November, 1913 Bell signed up to the 9th Battalion Yorkshire regiment, also known as The Green Howards.
On the 5th of July Bell and the other members of his regiment were pinned down by a German machine gun near the town of La Boiselle. Bell singlehandedly captured the machine gun nest and saved the rest of his regiment. The same bravery lead to Bell’s death 5 days later in a similar situation.
He was killed at Contalmaison which became known as Bell’s Redoubt, and in 2000 became the location for a memorial. The organisers and relatives of Donald Bell will return to Bell’s Redoubt in 2 weeks, 10 years after the memorial was erected. They will be joined by Buglers from the Yorkshire Corps of Drums and Reverend Clive Artley, who will lead a wreath laying ceremony.
For more information on Bell visit our website.
Sunday, 19 September 2010
Questionnaire Analysis
Using a questionnaire I have researched the aspects of a newspaper that attract my target audience the most.
Out of 32 of the people I asked, 20 of them regularly bought local newspapers, these included The Harrogate Advertiser, Yorkshire post and the York press, some of those who didn’t buy them regularly they commented that a relative sometimes bought them. 24 out of 32 thought that £1 would be the most appropriate price for a local newspaper, 8 people thought that 50p would be appropriate and no one ticked £2. This suggests that people expect local newspapers to have quite a bit of content, which would be worth £1, but not as much as national newspapers which are normally more expensive. The results also show that weekly newspapers are more popular, this means that people like to know about news that has just happened not, something that happened a week ago.
Out of 32 of the people I asked, 20 of them regularly bought local newspapers, these included The Harrogate Advertiser, Yorkshire post and the York press, some of those who didn’t buy them regularly they commented that a relative sometimes bought them. 24 out of 32 thought that £1 would be the most appropriate price for a local newspaper, 8 people thought that 50p would be appropriate and no one ticked £2. This suggests that people expect local newspapers to have quite a bit of content, which would be worth £1, but not as much as national newspapers which are normally more expensive. The results also show that weekly newspapers are more popular, this means that people like to know about news that has just happened not, something that happened a week ago.
Overall Hard news was the most popular type of article, then Human interest, then Entertainment and then sports. This shows that the balance between hard news and human interest is important as they are the most popular. Entertainment and sports are less popular but it is still important to have them so to keep a broad appeal. Out of the other aspects that attracted people to local papers, a range of articles was most popular, again showing that good composition is important when attracting an audience. The next popular was a clear and organised layout, when creating my newspaper I will make sure the pages a clear and easy to read.
Finally from my results it is shown that most people prefer the traditional layout for a newspaper as it is easy to read, and with multiple articles on the front page, so there is more to read. Those who didn’t like the traditional layout thought that it was boring and would like to see something new.
Article 3
Get your skates on
After success of temporary skate parks in the summer holidays, Harrogate council have been looking for an appropriate site for a permanent placement.
The council is awaiting planning permission for a permanent skate and BMX park, designed by specialists Gravity Engineering, to be built on a prepared site in Valley Gardens. There were previous plans for a possible park here but they were cancelled in 2008 after public opposition.
£14,000 has been put a side for the park which will be erected along side the tennis courts so not to spoil any of the green and open spaces. So far the park is on track for a January opening, but the plans could still be amended after consultation with local skaters.
Audience Feedback:
Catchy headline, this makes it sound interesting.
The article follows the contents pyramid.
The opening is good as it answers who, what, where, when.
The background info is good
Some points that should be improved:
Re-word the first sentence, so it's more like an intro and add a few more words to sentences so they make more sense.
Draft after audience feedback:
After success of temporary skate parks in the summer holidays, Harrogate council are planning on providing a permanent site for Harrogate skaters, Bmxers and rollerbladers.
The council is awaiting planning permission for a permanent skate and BMX park, designed by specialists Gravity Engineering, to be built on a prepared site in Valley Gardens. There were previous plans for a possible park in the Gardens but they were cancelled in 2008 after public opposition.
£14,000 has been put a side for the park which will be erected along side the tennis courts so not to spoil any of the green and open spaces. So far the park is currently on track for a January opening, but the plans could still be amended after consultation with local skaters.
After success of temporary skate parks in the summer holidays, Harrogate council have been looking for an appropriate site for a permanent placement.
The council is awaiting planning permission for a permanent skate and BMX park, designed by specialists Gravity Engineering, to be built on a prepared site in Valley Gardens. There were previous plans for a possible park here but they were cancelled in 2008 after public opposition.
£14,000 has been put a side for the park which will be erected along side the tennis courts so not to spoil any of the green and open spaces. So far the park is on track for a January opening, but the plans could still be amended after consultation with local skaters.
Audience Feedback:
Catchy headline, this makes it sound interesting.
The article follows the contents pyramid.
The opening is good as it answers who, what, where, when.
The background info is good
Some points that should be improved:
Re-word the first sentence, so it's more like an intro and add a few more words to sentences so they make more sense.
Draft after audience feedback:
After success of temporary skate parks in the summer holidays, Harrogate council are planning on providing a permanent site for Harrogate skaters, Bmxers and rollerbladers.
The council is awaiting planning permission for a permanent skate and BMX park, designed by specialists Gravity Engineering, to be built on a prepared site in Valley Gardens. There were previous plans for a possible park in the Gardens but they were cancelled in 2008 after public opposition.
£14,000 has been put a side for the park which will be erected along side the tennis courts so not to spoil any of the green and open spaces. So far the park is currently on track for a January opening, but the plans could still be amended after consultation with local skaters.
Thursday, 16 September 2010
Article 2
Harrogate climbing centre
Since opening at the beginning of the year Harrogate Climbing Centre has enjoyed a wealth of keen climbers joining up to make use of the brand new facilities.
The centre has a range of different sized walls with different difficulty climbs, ranging from the children’s wall to the largest, which is 14metres, for experienced climbers. There is also a bouldering room, full of smaller climbs that don’t require a harness. The centre also has the luxury of an indulge café, where you can buy a drink or a sandwich after a hard days climbing.
The centre provides a range of different activities, including kids clubs (5-17years), corporate events, arrangements for birthday parties and various lessons. Experienced climbers can also get qualifications that allow them to teach climbing. These include the single pitch award, which allows a climber to teach climbing outdoors and the climbing wall award which allows them to teach on manmade structures.
Joel Hart, 18, only started climbing this summer and has already signed up for a 26 week pass says: “Climbing here is really fun, it’s great workout and much more interesting than going to a gym”
Prices for the climbing wall start off at £5 for an under 18 session all the way up to £360 for an annual pass. You can also hire out a range of equipment for a small fee and you can go on the walls unsupervised if you are over 18 and can show you are a competent climber.
Draft 2
Since opening at the beginning of the year Harrogate Climbing Centre has enjoyed a wealth of keen climbers joining up to make use of the brand new facilities.
The centre has a range of different sized walls with multiple difficulties, ranging from the children’s wall to the largest, which is 14metres, for experienced climbers. There is also a bouldering room, full of smaller climbs that don’t require a harness. If you don't think climbing is your thing, or you are waiting for a friend the centre has the luxury of and Indulge cafe, where you can get a sandwich or a drink.
The centre provides a range of different activities, including kids clubs (5-17years), corporate events, arrangements for birthday parties and various lessons. Experienced climbers can also get qualifications that allow them to teach climbing. These include the single pitch award, which allows a climber to teach climbing outdoors and the climbing wall award which allows them to teach on manmade structures.
Joel Hart, 18, only started climbing this summer and has already signed up for a 26 week pass says: “Climbing here is really fun, it’s great workout and much more interesting than going to a gym”
Prices for the climbing wall start off at £5 for an under 18 session all the way up to £360 for an annual pass. You can also hire out a range of equipment for a small fee and you can go on the walls unsupervised if you are over 18 and can show you are a competent climber.
Since opening at the beginning of the year Harrogate Climbing Centre has enjoyed a wealth of keen climbers joining up to make use of the brand new facilities.
The centre has a range of different sized walls with different difficulty climbs, ranging from the children’s wall to the largest, which is 14metres, for experienced climbers. There is also a bouldering room, full of smaller climbs that don’t require a harness. The centre also has the luxury of an indulge café, where you can buy a drink or a sandwich after a hard days climbing.
The centre provides a range of different activities, including kids clubs (5-17years), corporate events, arrangements for birthday parties and various lessons. Experienced climbers can also get qualifications that allow them to teach climbing. These include the single pitch award, which allows a climber to teach climbing outdoors and the climbing wall award which allows them to teach on manmade structures.
Joel Hart, 18, only started climbing this summer and has already signed up for a 26 week pass says: “Climbing here is really fun, it’s great workout and much more interesting than going to a gym”
Prices for the climbing wall start off at £5 for an under 18 session all the way up to £360 for an annual pass. You can also hire out a range of equipment for a small fee and you can go on the walls unsupervised if you are over 18 and can show you are a competent climber.
Draft 2
Since opening at the beginning of the year Harrogate Climbing Centre has enjoyed a wealth of keen climbers joining up to make use of the brand new facilities.
The centre has a range of different sized walls with multiple difficulties, ranging from the children’s wall to the largest, which is 14metres, for experienced climbers. There is also a bouldering room, full of smaller climbs that don’t require a harness. If you don't think climbing is your thing, or you are waiting for a friend the centre has the luxury of and Indulge cafe, where you can get a sandwich or a drink.
The centre provides a range of different activities, including kids clubs (5-17years), corporate events, arrangements for birthday parties and various lessons. Experienced climbers can also get qualifications that allow them to teach climbing. These include the single pitch award, which allows a climber to teach climbing outdoors and the climbing wall award which allows them to teach on manmade structures.
Joel Hart, 18, only started climbing this summer and has already signed up for a 26 week pass says: “Climbing here is really fun, it’s great workout and much more interesting than going to a gym”
Prices for the climbing wall start off at £5 for an under 18 session all the way up to £360 for an annual pass. You can also hire out a range of equipment for a small fee and you can go on the walls unsupervised if you are over 18 and can show you are a competent climber.
Article 1
NEW BUILDING, NEW BEGININGS
As the sun rises over Harrogate Grammar School, new shadows are cast upon the field. The new sixth form building was swiftly erected over the year, and was finished over the summer holidays, and is now become an integral part of the school.
The school got building permission in 2008 and construction started in late 2009. £2 million was put into the building, which has resulted in eight new rooms, which includes a high tech computer suite and a lecture theatre that seats 300.
The new building has meant the removal of the temporary classrooms that were put up in 2006 and were thought to be an eyesore. The sixth form students are very happy about this, Alex Thompson, year 13 said “The new rooms are much better than the old temporary rooms, they are better equipped and much warmer”. The school hopes that the new building will lead to collaborations with other schools, community wide projects, concerts and academic lectures.
The building work last year disrupted lessons with loud drilling and banging, but the head Richard Sheriff assures that it was all worth it as the space is much needed for the growth in the sixth form population.
As the sun rises over Harrogate Grammar School, new shadows are cast upon the field. The new sixth form building was swiftly erected over the year, and was finished over the summer holidays, and is now become an integral part of the school.
The school got building permission in 2008 and construction started in late 2009. £2 million was put into the building, which has resulted in eight new rooms, which includes a high tech computer suite and a lecture theatre that seats 300.
The new building has meant the removal of the temporary classrooms that were put up in 2006 and were thought to be an eyesore. The sixth form students are very happy about this, Alex Thompson, year 13 said “The new rooms are much better than the old temporary rooms, they are better equipped and much warmer”. The school hopes that the new building will lead to collaborations with other schools, community wide projects, concerts and academic lectures.
The building work last year disrupted lessons with loud drilling and banging, but the head Richard Sheriff assures that it was all worth it as the space is much needed for the growth in the sixth form population.
NEW BUILDING, NEW BEGININGS
As the sun rises over Harrogate Grammar School, new shadows are cast upon the field. The new sixth form building, which cost £2 million, was swiftly erected over the year, and was finished over the summer holidays, and is now become an integral part of the school.
The school got building permission in 2008 and construction started in late 2009, which has resulted in eight new rooms, which includes a high tech computer suite and a lecture theatre that seats 300.
The new building has meant the removal of the temporary classrooms that were put up in 2006 and were thought to be an eyesore. The sixth form students are very happy about this, Alex Thompson, year 13 said “The new rooms are much better than the old temporary rooms, they are better equipped and much warmer”. The extra space has also meant the hallways are much less crowded in between lessons and during break and lunch.
The new building is just one of many new additions to the school, in the last few years the school has had a completely new library complete with lots of extra space and computers, the boys changing rooms and other sports facilities have been re-furbished, and are currently raising money for Astroturf to replace the now weathered and old shale pitch.
The school hopes that the new building will lead to collaborations with other schools, community wide projects, concerts and academic lectures.
The building work last year disrupted lessons with loud drilling and banging, but the head Richard Sheriff assures that it was all worth it as the space is much needed for the growth in the sixth form population.
After a grand opening last month the new building has already hosted an international fair, which featured stalls selling food from all over the world, a talk by Joanne Harris, the Author of the novel Chocolat, and various music and drama performances in the forum.
The building itself is now finished but some areas around the block are still cordoned off to allow grass to grow back after being turned into a muddy building site.
Wednesday, 15 September 2010
Semiotic Analysis
Semiotic analysis of Yorkshire Evening Post front coverThe Yorkshire evening post starts straight away in giving a neutral, conservative representation of the Yorkshire area, by having a blue masthead. This suggests the paper is trying to keep a broad appeal. The rose in the masthead gives a feeling of Yorkshire pride, and the paper is showing off that it’s from Yorkshire.
The website under the masthead shows that the paper is up to date and modern, plus this is a valuable source of further information. The date next to this is very important, the customer needs to know if they are buying the paper for the correct day, this should always be included on the front cover.
The blue banner with the large ‘WIN’ attracts readers to the paper and the competition, the colour and the large bold font really stand out against the rest of the plain newspaper. The red text underneath connotes danger, which is backed up by the “shock”. This attracts people to the story as it stands out on the page.
The headline for the main article is a pun, as the story is about funding cuts on repairing roads, puns in headlines are used to make the story standout. They also give a light hearted edge to a more serious story. The seriousness of the story is shown in the big text size chosen for the headline, this makes it more dramatic. The image of the young girl makes the paper seem family focused and concerned with issues that effect all ages. Finally the advert at the bottom the local advertisement shows that the paper supports regional companies, this could create a broader appeal.
The layout of the front cover is traditional and conventional, there is no colourful headlines written in bubble writing and there are no comedy headlines, this means the paper come across as serious and trustworthy.
Analysis of second pageBoth the main articles on the second page have been continued from the front page, this is so people buy the paper and keep on reading from the front page, it also means the longest articles in the paper can be broken up and given more space. This makes them easier to read. The other articles are quite small and don’t take up much space. They also don’t draw focus from the main, and slightly more important articles. The articles are split up with thin lines to make sure there is no confusion between the articles. Finally the images continue the idea of representing a happy, and diverse community.
Semiotic analysis of Harrogate Advertiser front cover
Like the Yorkshire Post, the advertiser is trying to keep a conservative look with a blue masthead. This means the paper can have a broad appeal, and not only appeal to certain people. “voice of the town since 1836” on the mast head shows that the paper is for the people of Harrogate and tries to report on issues that only effect them. This is like the rose on the Yorkshire post, it is trying to make the paper personal to Harrogate citizens. The website URL and the small section explaining the online exclusive content is showing that the paper is up to date and modern, this will help the paper appeal to a larger audience as lots of people have access to the Internet.
The main photo on the front cover goes with a article about the Majestic hotel re opening after a fire, the images shows the smiling staff outside the building. The smiling people makes the newspaper seem more friendly but also represents the paper’s focus on the Harrogate community, and is trying to show them grouping together even after a fire. This and other human interest articles balance more depressing hard news, such as deaths and job losses. For example the the main article on the front page is about a motor bike crash that ended in a death, the headline used the adjective 'grim' to describe the death toll of bikers who've died in crashes, this makes it sound very serious and that the crashes were quite gruesome. The Advertiser is using the idea that bad news is good news to try and sell more papers, as consumers like to read about tragedy just as much as light hearted news. This composition will help sell more copies.
The small section about the newspaper being made from recycled paper is another step the newspaper will have taken to appeal to a wider audience as some people will only buy things that are environmentally friendly, plus this makes Ackrill media group look good in general.
The layout of the front cover is traditional and conventional, there is no colourful headlines written in bubble writing and there are no comedy headlines, this means the paper come across as serious and trustworthy.
Second page
The main value that this page addresses is composition, the types of articles are well balanced between hard news, human interest and entertainment. Different people like to read different types of articles, so it is important to have the mix. The photos are again bright with smiling people, and show the vibrancy of the community, the image of the inside of the hotel also show a hint of the wealth that there is in Harrogate, so represents the town accurately.
Monday, 13 September 2010
Draft of Questionnaire
Questionnaire on local newspapers
Age: 20-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 60+
Gender: Male Female
Do you regularly buy local newspapers? (If so, which ones?)
Yes No
......................................................................................................................................
What do you think is a reasonable price for a local newspaper
50p
£1
£2
Other.............................................................................................................................
Which type of articles do you prefer (Number 1-4, 1 being preferred)
Hard news (serious stories)
Human interest (more light hearted stories)
Entertainment
Sport
How frequent would you want a local newspaper to be released?
Weekly
Fortnightly
Monthly
What features of a newspaper attract you the most? (You can tick more than one)
A good range of articles
Big masthead
Clear and organised layout
Photos
The price
Other ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Would you buy more than one copy of a newspaper if there was an article personal to you?
Yes No
Do you prefer multiple articles on the front page, or only one or two?
Multiple One or two
Why? ............................................................................................................................
Do you like the traditional layout for a newspaper?
Yes No
Why? ............................................................................................................................
Age: 20-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 60+
Gender: Male Female
Do you regularly buy local newspapers? (If so, which ones?)
Yes No
......................................................................................................................................
What do you think is a reasonable price for a local newspaper
50p
£1
£2
Other.............................................................................................................................
Which type of articles do you prefer (Number 1-4, 1 being preferred)
Hard news (serious stories)
Human interest (more light hearted stories)
Entertainment
Sport
How frequent would you want a local newspaper to be released?
Weekly
Fortnightly
Monthly
What features of a newspaper attract you the most? (You can tick more than one)
A good range of articles
Big masthead
Clear and organised layout
Photos
The price
Other ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Would you buy more than one copy of a newspaper if there was an article personal to you?
Yes No
Do you prefer multiple articles on the front page, or only one or two?
Multiple One or two
Why? ............................................................................................................................
Do you like the traditional layout for a newspaper?
Yes No
Why? ............................................................................................................................
Tuesday, 7 September 2010
Proposal
I will create a local newspaper that focuses on the news and issues in the Harrogate town area with the main aim of keeping the town informed. It will be an ultra local newspaper, so i will not deal with national issues, unless I am reporting on how they have an impact on the local area. Through the newspaper I am to represent the Harrogate area as a busy, vibrant community with lots of events and things going on. I will have a wide range of articles from entertainment to local politics, so the newspaper will appeal to a wide audience, from teenagers to the elderly and people of all economic backgrounds and beliefs. The paper will stay politically neutral so that it will attract a bigger audience. The ideology I will have will be conservative so to keep a broad appeal. Harrogate is seen as an unusually wealthy Yorkshire town with a very white middle class population, so I need to take this into account in the construction of the newspaper. The paper will be written in a formal but friendly style, and the speech used will follow the conventions of other newspapers. Like all the other newspapers in Harrogate my paper will be produced by Ackrill Media Group, this will ensure that it will have a good reputation from the start.
Research skills
Research in the media is mainly used to find out about audiences, for example how much media they consume and in what ways. This helps producers meld their products to their audience by finding out what attracts them.
There are different types of research that I could use to find information to help create a newspaper that would attract my target audience.
Quantities
This is based on numbers and statistics. For example asking a range of people if they buy news papers and recording the results as a tally would be quantities research. But it is more valuable on a large scale, BARB used 4485 homes to represent the viewing of 23 million homes. Because of the wide range of households used the researchers can assume there will be a certain amount of households watching a certain programme.
Qualitative
This is asking people to explain their views and opinions, and is normally focused on a small focus group. Eg asking the group whey they buy newspapers or why they like a certain new paper.
Primary
This is your own original research
Secondary
This is using the findings of others
Methodology – how to carry out research
Questionnaires, surveys and interviews are the most popular methods, but they have to be organised appropriately. The questions have to be thought about carefully, the questions could be open, where the interviewee can give a detailed answer and the interviewer can gather lots of information. Or the answers can be closed, which can normally be answered with one word so to be direct.
My questionnaire will be used to research the type of articles my target audience prefer to read about and how it should be set out, also I will research what other aspects attract my audience. I will use a mix of Quantitative and Qualitative research so to find various statistics about local newspapers but also asking people to explain why and what. I will test out my questionnaire with a pilot, where I will give out the questionnaire to 3 of my target audience (families, 30+ and the elderly in local area) So I can make sure the questions are clear and set out properly. Once the questionnaires have been filled I will present the data with pie charts and a written analysis of the research.
Research in the media is mainly used to find out about audiences, for example how much media they consume and in what ways. This helps producers meld their products to their audience by finding out what attracts them.
There are different types of research that I could use to find information to help create a newspaper that would attract my target audience.
Quantities
This is based on numbers and statistics. For example asking a range of people if they buy news papers and recording the results as a tally would be quantities research. But it is more valuable on a large scale, BARB used 4485 homes to represent the viewing of 23 million homes. Because of the wide range of households used the researchers can assume there will be a certain amount of households watching a certain programme.
Qualitative
This is asking people to explain their views and opinions, and is normally focused on a small focus group. Eg asking the group whey they buy newspapers or why they like a certain new paper.
Primary
This is your own original research
Secondary
This is using the findings of others
Methodology – how to carry out research
Questionnaires, surveys and interviews are the most popular methods, but they have to be organised appropriately. The questions have to be thought about carefully, the questions could be open, where the interviewee can give a detailed answer and the interviewer can gather lots of information. Or the answers can be closed, which can normally be answered with one word so to be direct.
My questionnaire will be used to research the type of articles my target audience prefer to read about and how it should be set out, also I will research what other aspects attract my audience. I will use a mix of Quantitative and Qualitative research so to find various statistics about local newspapers but also asking people to explain why and what. I will test out my questionnaire with a pilot, where I will give out the questionnaire to 3 of my target audience (families, 30+ and the elderly in local area) So I can make sure the questions are clear and set out properly. Once the questionnaires have been filled I will present the data with pie charts and a written analysis of the research.
Monday, 6 September 2010
News Values
There are 12 main factors which govern the agenda of newspapers.
Frequency
The more similar the frequency of the event is to the frequency of the news the more likely it is to be recorded. E.g. if a murder happens quickly and is solved quickly it is more likely to be reported than one that has a story that evolves over weeks.
Amplitude
The size of the event affects the amount of media attention it receives.
Unambiguity
The simplicity of a story will make it more attractive to the media, as it will be easier for a journalist to investigate.
Meaningfulness
News audiences are more interested in culturally relevant stories so they are more likely to make it into a newspaper.
Consonance
Events that meet are expectations are more likely to make the news just as much as….
Surprise
Events that are surprising are more likely to make the news.
Continuity
News that continue to carry importance will appear regularly in papers
Composition
News papers try to balance the types of stories used, so not to have too many depressing hard news articles.
Reference to elite nations
Major western countries are more likely to get into the news than 3rd world countries.
Reference to elite persons
Events with celebrities and politicians will be popular.
Personalisation
Events that effect lots of people are more likely to be personal to lots of people so are more likely to make the news.
Negativity
Bad news makes good news.
Plus a more modern addition
Actuality
An event with video or audio evidence is more likely to make the news.
There are nine golden rules of news 'speak', these are:
1.KISS
-Keep It Short and Simple, 16-20 words in a sentence, simple/ ordinary, everyday language.
2. Reading for speed
- Headlines, cross heads to break the story up, narrow columns and short words.
3.Never use three words when one will do.
-e.g. In the first instance = firstly
4.Don't repeat yourself.
-e.g. Uniquely Special could just be special.
5. Use active verbs.
- e.g. Burglars took the dog = active
6. Use Puns.
7.Make the story personal.
8. Categorise people.
- e.g. Blond, 17 years old, Harrogate Grammar School student = Heidi Merrin
9. Things to avoid:
a) Clichés
b) Being too chatty and gossipy
c) Unnecessary foreign or American phrases.
Headline Language
TONY TO MEET HIS PHONEY - Rhyme and informality
EMMA POOPED - Slang/ Coloquial
JACKO'S FAMILY ALBUM - Abriviation
LEFT HOLDEN THE BABIES - Pun
GIFT THRIFT AT XMAS - Abriviation
SKIPPER KEVIN SPANKS SPURS WITH SUPER STRIKE - Alliteration
BIRDBRAIN BURGLAR KIDNAPS PET PARROT - Alliteration and pun
More Language
Reported Speach - No speach marks as reported tells the reader what has been said.
Dynamic Speach - Speach within speach marks, direct from source.
Opening sentences/paragraphs - must answer all the questions of who, what, where, when and why, in a short and snappy way so that key questions can be answered quickly.
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