Media Coursework A2 Level For my A2 media studies course work portfolio there is a choice to produce a news paper, a short film or a film trailer. I have chosen to produce a news paper which will include the front page and an inside page. I have chosen the newspaper option as I feel it is the best choice to match my interests and skills. As preparation work I produced a short film title “package” and a newspaper front page based around a local band. From this I gained the understanding of what goes into the production of both and can make an educated decision to choose the newspaper. So I am going to be producing a local newspaper, to be aimed at a young demographic and focus mainly on music news relating to the local scene.
Representation:
The paper is going to be a local paper and so will be a representation of the area it is designed for and reporting on. The stories will be local and so represent the local community and be relevant to them. It is going to be aimed at a younger audience and so as well as representing the local area the paper will also represent youth culture, style and tastes. Another not so apparent representation is that it will represent the different music styles and the attitudes and fashions that come with them, such as indie and metal which both are prevalent in the area but have different styles and values.
Institution:
It will be a local paper and so can be compared to other local papers in and around the area such as the London Lite and the News Shopper. It will follow certain conventions that these follow. It will have a tabloid layout as it is mainly an entertainment based paper and will convey the impression it is easy to pick up and read. Also like the before mentioned papers it will be free. This means it will feature a lot of advertising as this will be the main funding for the paper.
Values:
It will have to adhere to certain values that are common throughout the newspaper industry and within local papers. Firstly it will need a bleed area around the outside to allow the print to not run off the page based on the speed of print for newspapers. Also it should feature a clear Mast head so it is easy to pick out the title of the paper. Below this the date is needed so the audience is aware of how new it is, how relevant it will be to them and if looking back at older copies be able to attach a date to it. Papers have to be careful that the material they produce os not overly offensive to its audience, it it caused offence or upsets readers this can be damaging to its market. Also the pictures included are expected to be clear and good quality to create a professional look and make it more enjoyable for the reader.
Audience:
My newspaper will be aimed a younger demographic aged about 13-20 in the local area of Bromley. This is the age group most involved wit the local music scene and so it will appeal to them most. It will be open to all kinda of teenagers in this demographic as it will not have limiting factors such as be aimed at a specific race or only focus on specific genres, it will be open to all ideas and styles so any youngster with a love for music and read it and enjoy it.
Language:
Most of the information in the paper will be conveyed with text and so not feature symbols of signs. However some will be present, for example the imagery used will represent the articles and adverts and either show excitement and entice the audience or if done badly put them off, as it will feature a young up and coming band the photo will be of people of like ages to the audience will will make them relate to it and be more likely to read it. Also I am going to use slightly unorthodox font for the masthead, tis will set it aside from other local papers and fit better with the youth market, it won't just go with the conventions but create its own style as much of the music featured and audience reading will.
Ideology:
The ideology of my paper will be to give youth a positive view in a world where they are often criticised. The bad parts of youth culture is often highlighted in modern news alienating younger readers. My paper will focus on teenagers working for positive outcomes and doing good things in their life based around music offering role models for young readers and giving those involved self realisation of their talents and potential as well as giving readers options of social events showcasing this.
Narrative:
As I am making a newspaper narrative does not fit perfectly with explaining it. For my main story the narrative is of a local band moving on from numerous local shows and various battle of the band victories to making the leap to the national stage. It is the first gig out of London in York and I will gauge their thoughts, hopes and feelings through this time. This however will not be the only news story in my paper so their will be multiple narratives in my work. The sub story will feature another local band who have put the tours on hold to write their next album with an interview and insight to what expect.
Genre:
the genre of my newspaper can be considered as a local news paper. It can be classified as this by conforming to certain conventions. It will be free and feature a lot of advertising for funding, also it will cover local news instead of looking at a larger scale such as national news which also means features such as up coming events and weather can be included. It shall be music themed and so will be different to the alternative local newspapers so some parts will not fit with the conventions of a local newspaper but more with a music magazine such a NME with band interviews and concert reviews.
