Know the construction and content of news articles (U7: P3, M2)

P3 (U7): Describe the structure and purpose of different news articles.

Print article
Three children among victims of Allen Mall shooting in Texas

This article was reported on in the print newspaper, The Guardian. The story tells the devastating truth about this tragic event, providing readers with the facts of what occurred in Texas and some context on the victims as well as the attackers- trying to understand why this happened. Interestingly, this story is serious reportage due to the criminal nature of the story and is a serious matter for audiences to be made aware of. 

The crime article would be targeted toward an audience aged 18-45 due to the violent nature and details of the article. The article uses graphic images and language such as "automatic rifle with bullets" which would not be appropriate for an audience below this age group. It likely won't target a specific gender as the event would impact everyone but men might be more likely to read the article as they are further desensitized to violence and therefore won't be negatively affected by the scary details of the events. Interestingly, this article is not targeting a specific race or ethnic group as all races were affected in the shooting and therefore would find this story of general interest. Finally, the class of people most impacted by the shooting was lower/middle-class individuals who would have the means to shop in the mall where the attack took place. 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fmarkham%2Fstatus%2F1655206466075213827&psig=AOvVaw3-9a-fbzxzE0mwl4Gnu2pR&ust=1683923440883000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CBEQjRxqFwoTCJjf2eaN7v4CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAJ

This article was found within the first 10 pages of the newspaper as it is a serious story for the readers to grow knowledgeable about but was not a headline article due to the story occurring in America, not Britain. The story takes place in Texas and therefore is for informative purposes rather than actually impacting any individuals in the UK which is why it's not the first report. Additionally, the story is important to be aware of but will not directly impact the individuals picking up the print publication in London. 

The Texas Mall shooting was reported on by The Guardian as this news provider reports on stories from around the world. The online report was structured into paragraphs in order to allow audiences to hold their attention and remain engaged throughout the article. Each paragraph focuses on a different part of the story, the paragraphs focus on one topic and each break introduces a new section to add extra details or context to the article. 

The mode of address refers to the tone of the article and how the text addresses the audience, this article is serious and for an older demographic, therefore using a formal and direct tone. Within the article, it uses a varied vocabulary as the audience has a good understanding of more sophisticated words. A younger target audience might not understand some of these words which acts as a protector against exposing them to the violent nature of the article's details. Furthermore, the article will use formal language as this is serious reportage and therefore must be reported on in a matter-of-fact way, not sugar-coating the truth.
The article's use of speech is found throughout the story as the writer interviews Steven Spainhouer, an ex-police officer whose son was at the mall, to get additional details on the shooting. Spainhouer was the first responder to the scene and used to be a police officer therefore he was able to share relevant opinions on the event, with additional facts, about the situation, from his time on the force.
Sentence structures used here are short and to the point, this creates emphasis about the point being reported. Additionally, it allows your reader to remain engaged with the information being told as it is broken down into a manageable size that readers can easily process. 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/08/texas-mall-shooting-us-army-witness-gun-control-laws

IPSO is the current regulatory body for newspapers within the UK, it has an editor's code which all publications must abide by and if they receive any complaints this will be investigated in line with the regulators' values. One example of this which relates to the Texas shooting would be the accuracy and privacy of the article, the writer must ensure all information reported is accurate and doesn't provide readers with false information as this can become dangerous. Additionally, the writer must respect the privacy of those involved, and if a victim wants to remain anonymous then the writer must respect this otherwise it can cause legal issues later. This unethical act would be an intrusion into the grief or shock of the shooting and therefore investigated by IPSO. The regulatory body will enforce its values unto newspapers such as The Guardian by making the publication publish corrections if any information initially reported is inaccurate.

Online news
UK police face backlash over the handling of anti-monarchy protest video

In this online news article, reported on by CNN, the audience is able to learn the details of the negative events which transpired on Saturday during the coronation in London. The article details the event and reports on how police have poorly handled protests which occurred during the King's coronation- quoting police officers to further the audience's understanding of the story. This would come under serious reportage as the story has a criminal feature to it and also mentions the royal family which is an impactful group in the UK.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/07/uk/police-protesters-arrested-coronation-ckc-gbr-intl/index.html

In this CNN article, the dangerous activities discussed would be targeted toward a more mature target audience of 20+ year-olds as this likely impacts them more greatly. The target audience for CNN is generally 25-34-year-olds via this online news platform of the news provider. Therefore, the story will pertain to the audience and become more successful. Additionally, this age group are prominent individuals within the world of protesting and often are involved with these demonstrations, this article makes them aware of the potential dangers of taking part. The article doesn't target a specific gender, race, or ethnicity in its language or topic as it will affect all groups and therefore they should all read the article to improve their awareness. In this article, the lower class is more prominently targeted as they are more outwardly against the monarch and therefore have a higher chance of participating in these demonstrations and being impacted by the police who act forcefully. The imagery used within the online article isn't graphic but instead there to help readers visualize the setting and therefore can appear appropriate for any audience.

Interestingly, this article would likely appear on the front page or at the top of an online news provider's website as it is very relevant to the current events occurring in Britain. The story will be of great relevance for those who watched or attended the coronation and therefore will appear prominently on the online news provider to inform those closely involved. Additionally, this will help inform those who were not at the coronation of the dangerous events that took place. 

The UK police faced backlash from the public and this was reported on by CNN, the multinational news provider that used its online platform to report the story through a paragraphed article to inform readers with additional details. Paragraphs are used to split up the points being told in the article so readers are able to clearly differentiate between points and skim the article without missing out on too much information.

Police facing backlash is a serious issue that the majority of the UK population will want to be informed on, therefore the language used in this article has been kept simple so a range of audiences is able to understand the story. The seriousness of the event must be reported correctly and mustn't stray away from the topic, the mode of address used must be direct and formal. Keeping the tone formal will show the severity of the article and prove to readers that this is an issue we are currently battling in the UK and it will be dealt with in a serious fashion. 
Interestingly, the use of speech within this article has been taken from statements by police or quotes written about the protest via Twitter. This doesn't appear to be an impartial article as the protestors were not given the luxury of sharing their side of the argument regarding police handling but were only quoted as saying anti-monarchy statements which were posted before the event. The Guardian article uses personal biases here as they don't present an equally argued article and therefore will likely lose a level of credibility.
The sentence structure used within this article is short in order to get the point across without deviating from the subject. This structure is used to hold the reader's attention and enables audiences to easily pause and come back to the article at a later time without forgetting the information previously consumed.

The regulatory body for online newspapers is IPSO, they cover all news-related content and ensure news providers adhere to the ethical code of the regulator. Within this news story, they would need to ensure there are no occurrences of harassment or discrimination. If writers or photographers have been found harassing witnesses for information in order to gain exclusive details about the event then this would not be in line with IPSO's ethical values and would need to result in further action from the regulatory body. IPSO has a 24-hour harassment advice line in which victims could contact the regulatory body if they felt harassed by the staff of the news team and this would lead to major consequences for the individuals involved. Furthermore, the online news provider will need to copyright all images and information within their website in order to avoid plagiarism from competing news providers.

P

Social media- Snapchat article
Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard

The Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard trial became viral in 2022 while the two celebrities argued against the defamation they had spoken about one another. This was a viral case that grew majorly popular amongst a younger demographic and was soon reported on via social media platforms such as Snapchat. It detailed the event by providing background information and facts about the current trial. This general interest story was reported on a variety of platforms, especially social media due to the celebrity nature of the case but also discussed more serious issues such as criminal activity due to the breach of the defamation act.

This celebrity-focused article is primarily aimed at a young demographic of those aged 18-25 who would enjoy the celebrity gossip-driven article. Although this was a serious issue, most social media reports wrote their articles in a way that focused on the gossip side of the story to make it more appropriate for the audience. A female audience was primarily consuming these articles due to the gossip-driven nature of the article- typically females are more intrigued by celebrity drama and therefore were targeted as the primary audience for this story. The images from the courtroom have been included to aid the visuals of the story and better help audiences understand the trial. There was no specific targeting toward a racial or ethnic group however white people might have been inadvertently targeted as they relate or identify with the white people portrayed in the article. Finally, higher-class people might find the article more appealing as they can better relate to the story due to the large sums of money dealt with in this story and therefore will be part of the primary reader group. 

The celebrity case would appear high up on the news story page of Snapchat as the target audience would view the relevant article here. However, the same article would appear much later if it were being reported on within a formal newspaper as it is a general interest story that readers of a newspaper would find less significant. On the Snapchat social media platform, this story will appear high up on the page if the user is interested. This platform uses an algorithm to determine what its users are interested in and will therefore promote a story such as this by placing it high up on the page to interested individuals.

This news article was published on social media, specifically Snapchat, and therefore did not use a traditional article structure. Each slide of the story uses a different image with a short sentence about the event to appears as a paragraph although it is only one line in a large font. This is done to maintain the young audiences attention and ensure the story doesn't appear with an overwhelming portion of text.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-us-canada-61633236

The mode of address used for the celebrity trial article was an informal tone to best appeal to the youthful target audience. This tone appears more personal and helps readers to relate better with the story, this audience will grow bored with the article if it was simply stating facts. However, by using rhetorical questions and 'fun' language they will feel as if they're gossiping with friends and therefore more thoroughly enjoy the article.
Using speech within this article was essential as the entire trial was streamed live to viewers so the article provided a summary of the story and using quotes would provide the missing context. These quotes were easy to obtain due to the streaming of the trial, interviews or paraphrasing was made obsolete for the writer. Additionally, real quotes helped bring impact to the story.
Finally, sentence structure was mostly kept short but there were some longer sentences which provided additional details for the readers. Using longer sentences helps readers visualize the event and gain a greater understanding of the relevance of the point.

IPSO alongside the Snap Chat team would regulate this news article. The content found online and via social media platforms is often found to be inaccurate or exaggerated in order to gain views so IPSO would need to regulate this information in order to protect the young audience from false and potentially harmful information. Due to the celebrity feature as well as the platform it has been published on, this story will reach a young demographic and it is down to IPSO to ensure these individuals don't consume false information. The regulatory body can do this by taking down the article as a whole and instructing the writers to correct the information if they want the article put back up.

M2 (U7): Analyse the linguistic conventions used within different news articles.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65527487

Headlines are an essential component of any news article, no matter where it appears. This allows it to gain attention from the targeted audience and aims to entice these individuals to grow interested and therefore read further into the article. 
The first news article uses the following headline; "Three children among victims of Allen Mall shooting in Texas". This headline is well written, using emotive language in order to pull the reader in "Three children" makes the reader feel further emotions toward the situation due to the innocence implied when referring to children. Additionally, the noun "victims" implies the story is reporting a violent attack later confirmed by "shooting" which piques the curiosity of the audience and encourages them to read on. Interestingly, the headline proves informative for readers as it details facts about the location and nature of the event. Within the article, there are no additional headlines throughout the paragraphs- this would add a further level of guidance for readers but was not deemed necessary in this article.
In this news story provided by CNN, the headline reads as follows; "UK police face backlash over the handling of anti-monarchy protests". This headline is perfect for the article beneath, it provides just enough information without giving away the details which will be revealed if the audience decides to continue reading. The headline appears controversial for audiences and therefore will better entice people to read about the issue. Using the "monarchy" within the headline shows the readers that the story is current as it relates to the recent coronation, encouraging readers to keep up with current events. Throughout the article, there have been no sub-headings used as they would disrupt the flow of the story which is fast-paced.
The celebrity gossip story reported on Snapchat uses the headline; "What now for Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard?". This headline has been well written by the news provider as it offers minimal information but does present a pressing question that readers will likely wish to discover. The use of the rhetorical question here is to get inside the audience's head and ensure they can't stop thinking about the answer, therefore reading the article. There are limited details shared within this headline which could be an issue but for this story it wasn't, the trial was a viral sensation so the desired reader would know exactly what was being referred to here. Finally, within the article sub-headings do sporadically appear throughout in order re-inform readers about where in the story they are up to, this is beneficial as the article appears across different slides and it can be easy to forget. This acts as a way to re-jog the reader's memory and easily navigate their way through the online article.

Paragraphing within a news article must be split in order to break up the story and clearly separate the answer to the following questions; who, what, where, when, why, and how. This allows the story to flow easily and gives the reader a greater comprehension of the information being reported.
The first article is faced paced due to the criminal nature, it had to be written quickly to warn and inform the public of the event as it could be dangerous. The writer will need to answer the 5 W's in a matter-of-fact way and likely won't provide context as it would waste time for both the reader as well as the writer who would need to carry out extensive research in order to provide this. In this article each small paragraph answers a question.
Who: the victims of the shooting as well as the suspected shooter, Mauricio Garcia
What: a mall shooting
Where: Allen Mall, Texas
When: 6th May 2023
Why: this is a tragic event which must be reported to warn citizens
How: unknown

The next article is also fast-paced as it looks at potential criminal allegations but the writers had more time to research and investigate the claims, this provided a higher level of overall accuracy for the event. Paragraphs were well-focused and short in length to provide accurate facts about the incident. Writers in this article used more resources to report on the story, providing journalistic integrity for the readers as they aim to produce a fair and balanced argument within the article. This allowed the questions to be more carefully thought out and answered throughout the paragraphs.
Who: anti-monarchy protestors and UK police officers
What: police inappropriately handling the situation with protestors
Where: Westminster Abbey
When: 6th May 2023
Why: this is a relevant story to the readers 
How: unknown
The final article doesn't use paragraphs in the traditional way as it is distributed via a social media platform. This story is told in short sentences which provide, 'to the point' information for the readers by keeping the story limited to only the necessary facts. The writers are able to avoid unnecessary or repeated information as they have an extended period to accumulate research and write the article due to the less urgent nature of the story. However, despite the short structure for information within the article, the 5 W's are still prominently featured and answered within the report.
Who: Johnny Depp and Amber Heard
What: a televised defamation trial
Where: Virginia 
When: April- June 2022
Why: the celebrity ex's gained a high profile from this case and fans were invested
How: an initial interview with Amber Heard claiming sexual abuse by her ex husband

The use of economy within journalism refers to the impact a news report has on the community involved in the story. This relates to the potential backlash, boycotts, or sometimes improvements a group sees after being featured in a news article.
In my first article, "The Texas mall shooting" the use of economy would be negatively impacted after reports featured in the news. A moral panic is likely to occur after an event such as this due to the unsettling actions reported within the article. Members of the community will be afraid to shop at the Allen Mall and this will ultimately poorly affect the businesses here, resulting in a temporary drop in the local economy. 

The "anti-monarchy" protests might gain traction from this level of news coverage and therefore sway others into sharing the same values. If a large enough group advocate for anti-monarchy then this could reduce the overall level of tourists seen in Britain as people begin to actively oppose the monarch. This will lead to a major recession for the British economy as a huge revenue is generated from tourists visiting the monarchy each year. Therefore, news coverage of this event will negatively impact a large percentage of the British population as the economy suffers.
The "Johnny Depp" case is unlikely to have massive impacts on the economy due to the primary gossip-focused approach of the article. However, it could have negative impacts on his career as well as his ex-wife's as members of the public 'choose sides' as they often do in rivalries. If a large portion of an audience dislikes one of the celebrities due to the trial, it'll result in a boycott of their work in films. This will negatively impact personal income and possibly the film company's revenue for the film.

The mode of address refers to how an article is written, and the tone which comes across from the writing. An article will use language to fit a specific tone for the target audience, using the correct tone will improve the audience's response as they further enjoy the writing. Additionally, the mode of address according to elaborated code is the language used by well-educated people, more formal and technical words. Whereas restricted code is the language used by friends and family, informal, basic, and sometimes slang. The mode of address will differ depending on the subject of the article. 
The mode of address used within the "Texas Mall shooting" story was more serious and formal, therefore the use of elaborated code can be identified here. This article had a serious theme of violence to it and therefore using informal language would be inappropriate and possibly offensive toward the victims and their families. 
The "anti-monarchy" story uses an elaborated code as the mode of address due to the serious matter discussed within the article, The mode of address uses formal language and structuring in order to appeal to the story's target audience who are likely to be highly educated. This use of formal language indicates a more professional newspaper article which audiences will further trust to provide reliable information. 
Finally, the "Johnny Depp" case uses restricted code within the Snapchat news article as this is what best appeals to their intended readers. The primarily young target audience will be less educated and prefer to use more informal language as they read this genre of news, it enables them to 'switch off' and not overthink as they consume the article. Additionally, this allows the writers to use more slang/ informal language which they couldn't typically use in other areas of writing. 

Direct speech refers to direct quotes within a news article, this can be recognised within an article through the use of speech marks within the writing. Reported speech is when the quote has been paraphrased in order to make more sense within the article or bring a higher level of exaggeration into the writing. 
The first article uses direct quotes in order to bring a level of accuracy and emotion into the news story. Interestingly, the use of direct quotes such as "I felt for a pulse.." helps bring attention to the severity of the story and makes the article feel more surreal for the reader as the words are true and haven't been paraphrased for dramatic effect.
In the monarchy protests article, there has been a combination of direct and reported speech used. This is due to the lack of permission obtained from interviewees to be directly quoted as well as a lack of interviews carried out on the scene. The direct quotes have been primarily obtained from police officers on the scene, showing a level of bias within the report. However, the writer used direct quotes from Twitter as well, to balance the argument but due to the lack of interviews, a lot of the report has been paraphrased such as "Frazer told the BBC the police were tasked with balancing people’s right to protest with overseeing an international event on the world stage."
The Johnny Depp trial wouldn't usually use direct quotes as this would be difficult to obtain due to the celebrity status of the individuals featured in the story. However, the trial was televised for the public which made it public domain to quote from within news articles via Snapchat for example. Within this news article, using direct quotes makes the story appear more credible to viewers, and the quotes are often taken out of context in order to make the story more interesting for readers. 

The use of commas and differing sentence structures within a news article will impact how it is received by the readers as they find it more or less challenging to read as the story changes flow. Using short sentences appears more impactful whereas using more detailed complex sentences will help audiences gain a greater understanding of the story.
The "Texas Mall shooting" uses short, fact packed sentences within the article in order to get the point across in an efficient way. Over complicating the story will make readers lose interest quickly as they are in search of the facts, not the backstory. Interestingly, the use of commas helps to break up the sentence and allows the reader to take a pause in reading. Commas help the flow of a sentence by adding extra details for the reader to learn about and feel further informed.
The "anti- monarchy protests" article has a mixture of sentence lengths in order to provide both a factual report as well as provide some context behind the reasoning for the event. This gives readers an all round understanding and therefore keeps them properly informed. The short sentences used here are to inform audiences of the facts whereas the longer sentences are here to provide additional details and insight into the story.
"Jonny Depp vs Amber Heard" has used mostly long sentences within the article as its primary purpose is to provide an insight into the trial and maintain audience engagement. The longer length sentences provide important details regarding background context as well as opinions about the story, giving audiences a better overall view of the story. This article will help audiences to form an opinion on the trial and therefore decide their stance.

A skyline within a newspaper provides a summary for readers, this allows the audience to understand what they're about to read and what will be included in the article. The skyline seen below was used in the Dallas, Texas shooting story and provides vital information for readers as they begin to skim the page for an interesting story.

Articles: links

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/07/uk/police-protesters-arrested-coronation-ckc-gbr-intl/index.html
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/08/texas-mall-shooting-us-army-witness-gun-control-laws
https://story.snapchat.com/p/564e0212-a5f1-416d-b979-995e5a681f99/3189922227916800/1426305580382208?share_id=OJ/Q