[00:53.01]HAZEL:Tom, could I ask you for some advice, please?
[00:57.03]TOM:Yes of course, if you think I can help. What's it about?
[01:01.94]HAZEL:It's my first media studies assignment, and I'm not sure how to go about it. You must have done it last year.
[01:09.84]TOM:Is that the one comparing the coverage of a particular story in a range of newspapers?
[01:15.41]HAZEL:That's right.
[01:16.29]TOM:Oh yes, I really enjoyed writing it.
[01:19.39]HAZEL:So what sort of things do I need to compare?
[01:22.72]TOM:Well, there are several things. For example, there's the question of which page of the newspaper the item appears on.
[01:30.78]HAZEL:You mean, because there's a big difference between having it on the front page and the bottom of page ten, for instance?
[01:38.46]TOM:Exactly. And that shows how important the editor thinks the story is.
[01:44.67]Then there's the size — how many column inches the story is given, how many columns it spreads over.
[01:53.14]HAZEL:And I suppose that includes the headline.
[01:56.26]TOM:It certainly does. It's all part of attracting the reader's attention.
[02:00.69]HAZEL:What about graphics — whether there's anything visual in addition to the text?
[02:06.20]TOM:Yes, you need to consider those, too, because they can have a big effect on the reader's understanding of the story — sometimes a bigger effect than the text itself.
[02:16.79]Then you'll need to look at how the item is put together: what structure is it given?
[02:23.05]Bear in mind that not many people read beyond the first paragraph, so what has the journalist put at the beginning?
[02:32.05]And if, say, there are conflicting opinions about something, does one appear near the end, where people probably won't read it?
[02:41.06]HAZEL:And newspapers sometimes give wrong or misleading information, don't they?
[02:46.82]Either deliberately or by accident. Should I be looking at that, too?
[02:51.72]TOM:Yes, if you can. Compare what's in different versions, and as far as possible, try and work out what's true and what isn't.
[03:01.66]And that relates to a very important point: what's the writer's purpose, or at least the most important one, if they have several.
[03:12.20]It may seem to be to inform the public, but often it's that they want to create fear, or controversy, or to make somebody look ridiculous.
[03:23.25]HAZEL:Gosh, I see what you mean. And I suppose the writer may make assumptions about the reader.
[03:30.36]TOM:That's right — about their knowledge of the subject, their attitudes, and their level of education, which means writing so that the readers understand without feeling patronised.
[03:42.11]All of that will make a difference to how the story is presented.
[04:23.26]HAZEL:Does it matter what type of story I write about?
[04:27.21]TOM:No — national or international politics, the arts Anything, as long as it's covered in two or three newspapers.
[04:36.17]Though of course it'll be easier and more fun if it's something you're interested in and know something about.
[04:42.74]HAZEL:And on that basis a national news item would be worth analysing — I'm quite keen on politics, so I'll try and find a suitable topic.
[04:52.93]What did you choose for your analysis, Tom?
[04:56.10]TOM:I was interested in how newspapers express their opinions explicitly, so I wanted to compare editorials in different papers, but when I started looking, I couldn't find two on the same topic that I felt like analyzing.
[05:12.74]HAZEL:In that case, I won't even bother to look.
[05:15.51]TOM:So in the end I chose a human interest story — a terribly emotional story about a young girl who was very ill, and lots of other people — mostly strangers — raised money so she could go abroad for treatment.
[05:30.55]Actually, I was surprised — some papers just wrote about how wonderful everyone was, but others considered the broader picture, like why treatment wasn't available here.
[05:42.99]HAZEL:Hmm, I usually find stories like that raise quite strong feelings in me! I'll avoid that.
[05:50.37]Perhaps I'll choose an arts topic, like different reviews of a film, or something about funding for the arts — I'll think about that.
[05:59.58]TOM:Yes, that might be interesting.
[06:01.68]HAZEL:OK, well thanks a lot for your help, Tom. It's been really useful.
[06:06.11]TOM:You're welcome. Good luck with the assignment, Hazel.
