Production lesson 6

After receiving feedback from my teacher, I decided to redesign my layout for the paper, using the original ideas but with a different format to prevent it looking too blocked. After beginning to redesign my work, I had to first create my logo in Illustrator due to the original looking pixilated when scaled larger:

As you can see, the one on the left looks far better than the original

I was then able to experiment with drop shadows, transparency tools and gradients to produce a better quality logo:

I've then placed the new logo document into my new layout:

My teacher also suggested varying my fonts to ensure my title stands out, therefore the 'EXPRESS' is now in bold.

Over half term I plan to take images for my cover story and double page spread, as well as my website photographs. I'm aiming for something similar to images I found whilst researching:

Newspaper Screenshots 2

Website design

I've decided to use Wordpress to create my site as I can incorporate a blog. I'd like to show the progression of the papers release using the blog to advertise my Newspaper. I've also used Dreamweaver for the coding:


.clear {
height: 1px;
clear: both;
}

.clear_footer {
height: 50px;
clear: both;
}

#footer {
height: 50px;
position: relative;
background-color: #948C75;
}

#footer_content {
color: #fff;
width: 990px;
line-height: 50px;
margin: 0 auto;
}

#footer_content ul {
list-style: none;
padding: 0;
margin: 0;
}

#footer_content ul li {
display: block;
float: left;
margin-right: 20px;
}

#publisher_logo {
height: 50px;
float: left;
margin-right: 20px;

Another application I use was photoshop and InDesign to create the images seen on my website:

Work Experience - Express News 4U

I've recently been working for a web based company called the Symbios Group that specialise in website advertising, production etc. From this I was given the opportunity to design a website basis for my newspaper. It took me 8 hours to produce and I am able to regularly update the site through Wordpress and Dreamweaver:

http://www.expressnews4u.co.uk/

I took screenshots to show my production progression: 



Screenshot 2





Screenshot 3



Screenshot 4

It's also combined with a blog which I am deliberating weather or not to incorporate a newspaper blog to update 'potential' readers of the progression of the papers production and eventual release. A marketing scheme almost. This could be beneficial for the overall appeal of the paper as it's integrating with online activity (Web 2.0) and allowing people to comment and discuss: 



Screenshot 5 Blog



Production screenshots

These images show the progression of my newspaper cover design:

Screenshot 1

Screenshot 2

Screenshot 3

Screenshot 4

Screenshot 5

Production lesson 5

As it's going to be a first issue it has to emphasize the paper's release. I would like to incorporate a banner or maybe 'badge' on the cover to project this.
I also need to take a few factors into account:
Advertisements
Price
Date
Images
Main cover story

With regards to the price I researched other popular daily tabloids:

The Sun: 30p
The Daily Mail: 50p
Daily Express: 40p
Daily Star: 30p

The average price seems to range from 30-40p. I feel as I'm targeting a younger audience, I have to take debt, the recession and education funds into account and therefore I'll price it at a reasonable price of 30p.

The advertisements have to be relevant to my target demographic as well as competitions they'll find interesting and worth purchasing.

I've decided to release the paper in May as it co-insides with my coursework deadline.

Production lesson 4

Here is my finished logo and title:

I can now begin creating my newspaper layout.

Production lesson 3

I felt the logo should 'express' my initial idea of coffee and therefore possible include a icon. I found various styles that could inspire a design online:

Some of the icons I like include: 

This associates with a younger demographic and modern society as it's an on the go expresso

This has a nice design but I feel it's too hectic and detailed for my logo

It links well with the general theme however it's too clean and doesn't fit the colour connotations

I've also experimented with different fonts: 

Academy Engraved LET

I feel this font style doesn't represent a youthful tone and also looks quite degenerate and familiar for most newspapers. Therefore I won't be using it.

Monotype Corsiva

I like the italic style, however again it exudes an archaic feel. Therefore I won't be using it.

Century Gothic

I really like this font as it's simple and easy on the eye. It also has a stylistic quality with the calligraphy. I'll probably use this for my title.

Ariel Narrow

I don't like this as much as century gothic, however I believe it works well alongside it, and therefore I'll use it as my regular writing font for articles etc.

Production lesson 2

I've created a Facebook group and invited twenty people who all fit the age criteria. 10 girls, 10 boys to guarantee it's not gender specific:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_164677276897171

The feedback I'd received was extremely helpful towards my decision of a name. The most popular choice was 'Express News'. I also preferred this title and from the response of my target audience, I am confident it's a sensible decision. I also posted the image of my favorite colour scheme which I found on the colour lovers website:

The majority of people liked this arrangement of colours, however one particular response indicated it should be brighter. I've acknowledged this, but decided to stick to brown warm colours that resemble or evoke an idea of breakfast coffee. I would like my newspaper to have a semantic field of mornings to co-inside with young people waking early for work, education etc and needing a wake up call. A newspaper on the go...

I feel there's a gap in the market for a paper that 'caters' for the youth of today. Something that can be entertaining but also informing without criticising the younger generation. However I've reframed from making the audience too degenerate by over advertising the age group with bright youthful colours or an age specific name as I feel that will almost be patronising.
With this response I've also developed a slogan to coincide with the 'on the go' theme:
"Your morning dose"

Production Lesson 1

The first thing I've decided to focus on is my paper's ABC'S. I feel the best way to create a popular, successful print publication will be by using social networking sites such as Facebook, and word of mouth to receive constructive feedback from my target audience of teens to young adults. I feel as I'm categorized within this age group, I am best able to create and understand what they want in a paper.

To begin with I need to decide on a name for my paper that will attract a youthful audience. I've come up with four possibilities:

Relevant News
Express News
The Morning Dose
Current

I need to start by creating a Facebook page, and invite 15 females, and 15 males to vote on their preferred name. I can enquire on a preferred icon, content, and how much they'd pay. I've decided already for the paper to be a morning release as it can help with fast paced, early starts. An on the go read.

Here are some of the colour schemes:

1.

2.

3.

4.

As it's print I also need to take into account the pantone colour:

colour palette 1: 

colour palette 2:

colour palette 3:

colour palette 4:

Portsmouth News Website

Pre-Production Lesson 3- Analysis of 'The News' Print

Over the past week I've collected six issues (Tuesday 5th-  Monday 11th October 2010) of the publication to compare their designs to determine whether that have significant changes or similarities. This will then help me decide on important factors of the production process that I need to incorporate into my layouts later on.
The main sections I focused on included the headlines, language features, content, images, basic layout and advertising:

Price: 48p

Caption: IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU

By using contraction 'IT'S' makes the text seem more casual and conversational for the reader. By using the personal pronoun 'YOU' it isolates the reader creating a sense of individual speciality. Black is simple and is the continuity colour throughout the paper.

The colour connotations for the title are significant to the location of the paper. As Portsmouth is situated by the sea and prominently linked to the navy, the logo is written mainly in blue. The icon of a boat in the centre is an obvious and clear association with the cities history and therefore presents the reader with something they can relate and respond positively too. Finally the font is simple and not targeting a specific age group etc. allowing a larger demographic range.
Also a a marketing scheme they include a sentence "Newspaper of the Year" which shows it's critically acclaimed and therefore worth purchasing. Also as it's written in red it stands out against the white background. 
The main headlines all consisted of local news automatically given it proximity and prominence:
"Taser used in CO-OP knife raid drama"(Gosport- Conflict news)
"Dinosaur fire was an accident"(Southsea- Destruction and currency)
"Taxi driver guilty of sex attacks"(Portsmouth-impact) 
"Tragedy of mum who died in sleep" (Waterlooville- Loss of life)
However there were headlines that branched out to national news but remained focusing on important issues that affect Portsmouth's naval influences:
"The wrong message"(Senior naval officer today criticised the government over strategic defence review- impact and consequences)
"Hands off our Navy, David"(' The News'Hands of our navy campaign- currency)
Although the stories differ in categories of newsworthiness, they still have a defining connection which is 'local'. All this variation in headlines and topics allow the paper to be more versatile and therefore interesting for their readers. 
The language devices also contribute to the overall appeal of the headlines. For example, hyperbolic lexis such as 'Tragedy' and 'Drama' accentuate the content and add a dramatic quality which draws an audience in. Also the use of a metaphoric figure of speech 'hands off' creates a noble, proud feeling for the city as it's 'defending it's Navy'.
The images used for the titles are another important addition to any paper, as it presents a visual insight into the story; 'a picture says a thousand words'. Issues 4, 5 and 6 all placed an image on the right hand side of the text and consisted of an above the waist photography of the focal person involved.  All the covers, apart from one, placed the text within the boundaries of the image:

Issue one broke the norm as the image was too small to include text. Instead they chose to place a large competition advertisement above to fill space. (GET YOUR SECOND DISNEY BOOK JUST £2.99 TODAY)

Personally I feel 'The News' incorporates too many advertisements, as the paper and website look too busy. However just like the website, the print paper also has significant adverts that link to the surrounding area. For instance in issue 1, there is a chance to 'WIN TICKETS TO POMEY V WATFORD'.

I'll probably choose to include some advertisements, but not to this extent as I want the page to remain clear and focus more on the stories.

The layout for all the front covers remain relatively the same:

The first two pages include information detailing the contents of the paper including World news, Your views, comments, agenda, daily essentials, Business, Classified, Family notices, Public notices and Sport, as well as page numbers. It also has 'The Guide' which focuses on what's going on in Portsmouth. This could possibly be a way for the newspaper to target a younger demographic. The weather has an entire column and specifies not only local, but national and international forecasts. Finally it consists of more advertisements and usually the cover story on page 3 and other smaller news articles.








 

BBC News Volcano erupts in south Iceland

Pre-Production: Lesson 2

'The News'
The ABC of a news publication provides detailed information about the circulation, distribution and attendance, as well as any other necessary data.

After downloading it's media package, I've been able to determine certain factors of the paper. It's produced by  'Portsmouth Publishing & Print Ltd' who are also responsible for the distribution of other local papers within the area such as the 'Journal', 'Petersfield Post', 'Hayling Islander', 'The News Sports Mail', and finally 'The Guide 2'. All are released either weekly or monthly, and 3 out of 6 are free of charge.

'The News' is a daily tabloid from Monday to Saturday, established in 1877, and consists of three editions (Portsmouth,  Fareham & Gosport, and Havant & Waterlooville). It also releases a Sports edition on Saturday afternoons founded in 1903; both costing 45p each.

It's profile is said to be similar to the local population and subsequently appeals to all type of people within the community. Generally you find with the technically advancing industry, younger generations aren't associated with reading newspapers. However 'The News' has seen an increase in readers aged 15-24 years over the last few years. Possibly due to it's integration with the internet or involvement in youthful advertisement. One example is October 6th issue that gives readers the chance to 'WIN A CHRISTMAS PARTY FOR 10' in association with the HaHa grill and bar. An image of a group of mixed gendered youths is shown with alcohol in hand. This attracts the 'student' life from the area.

As quoted in the media package, it's the 'premier source of reference' for local information including leisure activities, jobs, property, public notices as well as promotional offers that stimulate readers into purchasing the paper regularly, creating a growth in their established audience. For example in October  5th issue they had a competition to 'WIN TWO TICKETS TO SEE POMPEY V WATFORD'. By using the colloquial abbreviated term 'Pompey' it's connecting with their target demographic and regional  public interest as it's the cities football team.

On the paper's media package home, you are also shown what's available for advertisement for the online publication:

This helps when I start designing the layout for my web based  production. I can then decided on the appropriate sizes, products etc. Some product examples from national companies I found on the website include:
Interios
Edinburgh Festivals 
Date Me today
As well as local advertisements from smaller businesses:
Virtual Wedding Hampshire
Newspaper Sales
Jobs Today Portsmouth







Statistics show that 67% of local adults turn to 'The News' for their source of information and spend over 31 minutes reading an issue. Supplements, offers, area relevant news and advertising all contribute to the production, distribution, attendance and therefore profit sales of the paper.

Pre-Production: Local Newspaper Lesson 1

As I've chosen to create a local newspaper for my A2 coursework, I need to answer the following questions to give me a better understanding of the production and distribution of a local Newspaper. As I'm based in Portsmouth I'll also be analyzing 'The News' which is the local paper. 

What is newsworthiness? News values? bias?

When determining what story/article is appropriate for the news there are certain factors and criteria that should to taken into account. These could also increase or develop the worthiness of your news. Firstly you need to examine the impact and consequences of your story or event; people respond more to life altering consequences as well as highly significant.
Then there's the involvement of conflict. As a species, human beings are fascinated by examples of conflict, because without this there would be no initiation of drama of literature within the story. It can vary from the smallest disagreement involving minimal people, to a large incident concerning large populations.

Loss of life/property destruction is also deemed newsworthy. The provocation of an emotion such as sadness or despair is a powerful tool when writing a story. It also allows the attended demographic to sympathise and relate to what they're reader, as the subject is a collective human experience. However when focusing on a story involving both incidences, loss of life will be the main focus as it's more influential and important.
Proximity and prominence are also key points to take into account. How close, geographically is the news? and are the people involved more prominent characters in society i.e famous? If so that then instigates newsworthiness.
Timeliness and currency are ways keep an established demographic but maintaining relevance and exclusivity with regards to news. With ongoing stories involving long periods of time it's essential to keep things up to date.
Finally the novelty is a defining factor to take into account when deciding newsworthiness. Any deviation from the norm is automatically referred to as appropriate and valuable.

It's a common accusation that news readers/writers are bias, however despite the journalists idea of 'objectivity' they are influenced by all elements that merge to create their story. For example interviewers, photographers, editors, and others writers. Evidently the majority of news within the media cannot be defined as neutral or unbiased; not differing from their reliability though.

What is a local newspaper?

I believe the term 'local' is defined by a region or community. A person's local paper is the combination of information regarding their surrounding area as well as national and international affairs/ entertainment/ poltics etc. It also includes advertisment that can vary  from small companies to large conglomorates. My local paper is the Portsmouth news as that's my current location:

 'The News' Media Package

You can then have national newspapers that are sold and distributed to audiences all over the country:

What is human interest?

You find much of the news is focused on presenting facts and statistics, which unless you have a keen interest in the subject, can become boring. This is where human interest fits in with continuing a demographic. By closing in on a specific figure in society, be it a famous figure, politician, disaster victim etc, it can encourage a reader emotionally in presentation of the news. It creates a focal 'object' (Person, culture, group of people etc) to target our feelings and views more specifically. It's creates empathy between the audience and the story, generally intending to garner sympathy or awareness in the process.