Tabloids
Classification of British Tabloids
Red Top British TabloidsRed Top British Tabloids are tabloid newspapers in the United Kingdom that generally have red mastheads. Red top tabloids generally signify a more sensational style of journalism and perhaps that is indicated by the use if color red in the masthead of the newspaper.
Black Top British TabloidsBlack Top British Tabloids are tabloid newspapers in the United Kingdom that are marked with a black masthead. Generally the Blacktop tabloids are considered a less sensational and more serious form of the British press. The Black color differentiated these tabloids from the sensational Redtop tabloids.
Reasons for the Success of British Tabloids
No matter how many people point fingers and frown upon the British tabloids it is a fact that the British Tabloids are popular and successful. There is a demand for compact news dose with minimum and peppy text and eye-catching pictures and the British tabloids are giving the readers just that. Here are some of the reasons the British Tabloids are alive and kickin…
British Tabloids: Combating the New Media Wisely
Print media all over the world is facing serious competition from the new media be it the Internet or Television and no one is geared up for the competition better than the tabloids. The New media has the power to supplant the print, and hence the tabloids have achieved what the mainstream broadsheets are still struggling with – creating a readership niche. Also most of the British tabloids have embraced the new media instead of competing with them and hence have their e-versions or online editions of their daily tabloid editions.
British Tabloids: Getting the Format Right
The British Tabloids have maintained a compact format, which is rather convenient for the reader to pick up, read and carry as well. The text is minimum and is supplemented with appropriate pictures. The entire format stresses more on the visual appeal rather than the textual content.
British Tabloids: No Hypocrisy
Yes, the British Tabloids wear the sensationalism tag with pride and accept that they are profit driven and aim for good business at the end of the day. The readers want sensational news, the tabloids give them just that – hot sensational news garnished with a lot of spice and dollops of entertainment. British Tabloids do not compete with the serious broadsheets instead; they have carved a niche for themselves. They have their own readership segment that is large enough to keep them going in the business as well.
Prominent British Tabloids
The Sun
Launched in: September 15, 1964
Owned by: News Corporation (Rupert Murdoch)
Readership:3.126.866 copies daily (As of October 2007)
Masthead: Red-top Tabloid
The Sun is perhaps the most popular tabloids that is published in the United Kingdom as well the Republic of Ireland. Owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, the Sun has the highest circulation of any English daily newspaper with as many as 3.126.866 copies daily in October 2007. Some of the Regular interesting features include the Page Three Girl which is highly criticized for being rather pornographic. The Paparazzi pictures are commonly featured on the front page. Although the Sun heavily banks on celebrity news from several fields, gossip concerning the British monarchy and soap opera storylines for its content, the British tabloid features serious news stories about issues like domestic abuse, pedophiles and security scandals.
The Daily Mail
Launched in:1896
Owned by:Daily Mail and General Trust PLC
Readership:2,400,143 ( As of 2007)
Masthead Black-top Tabloid
Originally started as a broadsheet in 1896, The Daily Mail switched to the tabloid format in 1971. The Daily Mail, Britain’s oldest tabloid is not only the second biggest selling daily newspaper but it also has the 12th-largest circulation in the world among English-language dailies. It is a black top tabloid, which introduced a Sunday title in 1982 that was known as the Mail on Sunday. As of October 2007 the circulation figures by the Audited Bureau of Circulations show gross sales of 2,400,143 for the Daily Mail which is an increase of one third over the sales figures 25 years ago, when it sold 1.87 million copies a day.
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