Tabloids and Broadsheets used to be easily distinguishable, but recently broadsheets have become much more like tabloids (the most obvious difference being colour photos). Even though there is a cloud around the media at the moment some surveys show that the public trust what they here in the news more than they trust their own government!
Another difference between tabloids and broadsheets is how they present news. Whereas a broadsheet would take a subject like climate change seriously with giving us data, figures and information, a tabloid paper links into celebs and gossip (in this case a well known supermarket).This is because (generally) readers of tabloids like to be told about subjects close to there lives whereas broadsheet readers like to learn bits of new information. When talking about the environment in general, The Guardian Online has a very large section devoted to the it, whereas The Sun only has major stories relating to the environment.
Broadsheets have even started reporting about how tabloids report things such as climate change with "only 1.8% of tabloid coverage written by specialist correspondents".
Recently though with news such as the credit crunch and subjects that effect our lives in the short term have taken over the newspapers, both in the broadsheet and tabloid.
The decrease of related stories could be due to one of two reasons:
1) The total number of stories has increased, with the same number, or more, related to climate change or,
2) Simply the number has decreased
Could this mean that the media is losing interest in the subject and concentrating on present topics, or could this mean that the public is losing interest in the subject and the media is just trying to satisfy the publics needs?
The irony with newspapers is that no matter how much they report, discuss or try to teach people about climate change or sustainability, all the major newspapers are printed on unsustainable, unrecycled paper. That's why all of the major newspaper companies, and the majority of the smaller companies, now publish online articles (but surely they can't be called newsPAPERs anymore!?). Which leads to a problem: where does the electricity to power the computers come from? would it be more sustainable to print newspapers and turn off computers, or stop printing newspapers and use the computers?
Further Reading:
C4 accused of falsifying data in documentary on climate change
Media attacked for 'climate porn'
Encyclopedia of Sustainable Development
2 comments:
NUtectonic...
I like this bit
"Could this mean that the media is losing interest in the subject and concentrating on present topics, or could this mean that the public is losing interest in the subject and the media is just trying to satisfy the publics needs?"
who is the main driver then? The public or the media? If the media want to make money ...then it's the public.
It's no surprise that tabloids don't cover climate change issues. It's quite difficult to justify a Girls Aloud photo session astride a melting iceberg..and without celebrity endorsement there isn't a story.
Poniesponies is not necessarily saying that there is a link between tabloids and low educational attainment either.
Similarly sustainable development is all about doing extra work (recycling, switching off lights etc), giving up good stuff (cars,holidays, christmas lights, meat) and arguably having to spend more money/plan ahead etc.
Not really the Brand-Ross loads of laughs lifestyle is it?
Tsunamis up to thirteen miles high is very very unlikely!
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