The i case study: Blog tasks
1) What is the front page story on the 31 January edition of the i and how is it presented?
The front page story is primarily focused on the 'UK's leap into the unknown', going into detail about how the UK will be leaving the European Union after 47 years of membership. There are also topics covered such as interest rates in England as well as trade relations between Europe and America.
2) From your analysis of your phone photos of The i, what other stories and topics are covered in this edition of the i? You can alos access the selected pages here if you login to Google using your Greenford details. You should address the following pages in addition to the front page:
3) Media language: Write an analysis of the construction of the i front page: Page design, font, text, images, conventions, hard news/soft news, news values etc.
The front page is definitely what you would call a form of hard-news as it offers us an insight into UK Politics and what will be occurring with Brexit and the impact it'll have on the UK as leaving the European Union could result in very detrimental outcomes. On the front page alone there are 5 images being used which shows how this newspaper has a major focus on it's images, which could show it relies more on graphical aspects to convey news. The page design itself is very simple and effective as it gives the reader a clear understanding of what stories will be covered within the newspaper, which'll determine whether the reader will be intrigued or not. By having 'UK's leap into the unknown' is very eye-catching as it is a topic/event that will affect everyone who lives in the UK.
4) Narrative: How is narrative used in this edition of the i? Look at the selection of news: is there an ongoing narrative? How is narrative created by the paper to engage an audience? Can you link Galtung and Ruge's News Values theory to the use of narrative?
The ongoing narrative used throughout the newspaper is the story of Brexit as well as the PM Boris Johnson and what he'll be doing in the process. They constantly go back to this same narrative to make sure the reader is engaged and more willing to read through the paper in its entirety 5) Audience and ideology: What ideologies are present in the text? Is the audience positioned to respond to stories in a certain way?
I think the I newspaper's political stance is very centred as they try to offer a balanced viewpoint of both sides without trying to reinforce one side more than the other.
The i: introductory reading
Look at the following articles to give you the background on the i newspaper:
BBC News website: Independent launches new 20p newspaper called i
Campaign magazine: Independent to launch first quality daily newspaper for 25 years
The i launch campaign and success
Read this Marketing Society case study on the launch of the i newspaper and answer the following questions:
1) What was the research that led to the launch of the i newspaper?
Research had shown that there was still a strong desire for quality info in the print format but that consumers were increasingly time poor.
2) How did i target readers and lapsed readers of quality newspapers?
The I targeted readers by by combining strong design with high quality content and opinion in a manageable size at the right price.
3) What was the target audience and why was this attractive to advertisers?
The I targeted a professional ABC1 audience. I was an attractive proposition for advertisers as the marketing mix was key to a successful launch. Advertisers were also able to target their products to the correct audience.
4) What were the statistics that proved the i newspaper was a success - and that it hadn't 'cannibalised' (taken readers from) other newspapers?
By the end of 2011 i was the fastest growing daily with a circulation of 170,436 and little cannibalisation of The Independent. No other national newspaper reported a significant decline, proving that i has genuinely grown the newspaper market.
5) What was the background to the i newspaper's launch?
The reason for the I newspapers launch was due to a serious decline in the newspaper market on both a national and global scale for over 20 years. In the UK the market declined by 21% between 2007 and 2009.
6) What were the objectives for the i newspaper launch?
The I would only be deemed a success if it achieved the following objectives:
• Reach a circulation figure of 150,000
• Avoid cannibalisation of The Independent (182,412 at i launch (source: ABC Avg.Net UK circulation October 2010)
• Reach a combined Independent and i average circulation figure of 340,000
• Increase ad revenue growth for the business and achieve majority ad volume in the quality marketplace
7) The Independent saw an opportunity in the print newspaper market. How did potential i readers view other newspapers and what product did they want?
Potential I readers stated that 'The Metro' was an ideal size for a commute but the editorial content was too simplistic, slow and celebrity- focussed. Similarly, they viewed the midmarket titles (The Daily Mail and The Express) as being the right size, but too opinionated and biased.
8) What were the five key principles of the i?
The I was produced with five key principles in mind, these were:
1) High quality content
2) Aesthetically pleasing design
3) Balanced comment/opinion
4) Manageable pagination
5) Affordable price
9) How was the newspaper launched?
Phase one ran from 25th October 2010 to 15th January 2011 and began with a highly focused national outdoor campaign to generate initial awareness coupled with a radio campaign on LBC. The Independents teams also visited 12,000 retail outlets as part of a London focused distribution drive. Phase two was designed to react to the findings of the research at the end of the initial stage of launch.
10) List three statistics quoted in the final section 'Achievements' to demonstrate the success of the i newspaper's launch.
The i newspaper Factsheet
Read Media Factsheet #189 The i Newspaper - Industry Case Study. You can access it from our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive or download it here via Google using your school login details. Answer the following questions:
1) Summarise the 'Origins' section of the factsheet.
The Origins section explains how when the newspaper first launched the whole market was in decline. However there was stil a desire for the quality journalism offered by print newspapers. The owners of the Independent took the decision to launch an innovative paper that combined strong design and high-quality content and comment in a compact tabloid size. The section also explains the targeted demographic which is ABC1 which proved desirable for advertisers.
2) How has the i newspaper's ownership changed over the last 10 years?
The owner of the Daily Mail bought the I newspaper and website for £49.6m from JPI media on 29th November 2019.
3) Look on page 3 of the factsheet - Theoretical application. What are the three main ideas from Hesmondhalgh and how do they link to the i newspaper?
1. Cultural industry companies aim to minimise risk and maximise
audience through vertical and horizontal integration and/or
by formatting their cultural products (through the use of stars,
genres and serials). The I newspaper effectively utilises this as the use forms of integration in order to maximise their audience.
2. The largest companies now operate across a number of different
cultural industries.
3. The radical potential of the internet has been contained to some
extent by its partial incorporation into large, profit orientated set
of cultural industries.
4) What does the factsheet suggest are the four key ideas from Curran and Seaton?
1. The media is controlled by a small number of conglomerate
companies that own a large number of smaller companies. These
large conglomerates are driven by the logic of profit and power.
2. Media concentration inhibits and limits variety, creativity
and quality.
3. Media production is driven by profit not the noble creation
of art – media producers seek to make films, newspapers, TV,
music, radio, online content for the gain of profit. As a result, the
creativity will suffer and media products become homogenous,
formulaic and repetitious (take a look at the recent films –
reboots, genre films, prequels, sequels = products that have more
guaranteed profit than original content).
4. More socially diverse patterns of ownership help to create the
conditions for more varied and adventurous media productions.
5) Which of Curran and Seaton's ideas apply to the i newspaper? How?
I think the first one applies as the I newspaper is controlled by the Daily Mail s they were the eones who bought the newspaper making them own the smaller company (The I). The Daily Mail is also driven by the logic of profit and power.
The i ownership history
Johnston Press buys the i
Read this article from the website Hold The Front Page on the announcement of the Johnston Press purchase of the i newspaper - and the closure of the Independent. Answer the following questions:
1) How much did regional published Johnston Press buy the i for?
£24 million
2) What reasons were provided by Johnston Press CEO Ashley Highfield for buying the i?
Highfield stated that by buying the I it would be a 'transformational acquisition' due to the fact that it would add to the print industry by a large amount, moving it forward. He additionally stated that it's a highly regarded paper.
3) The comments below the article are overwhelmingly negative. Choose three comments and explain how they criticise Johnston Press and the purchase of the i newspaper.
'A complete kick in the teeth for myself and other JP workers facing redundancy.' - A huge amount of workers would be facing redundancy due to this purchase and will be out of a job over something they had no control over.
'So he is making redundancies across the UK but somehow manages to find 24m to buy another newspaper when they’re in decline!!! Nice boot in the teeth to those losing their jobs Ash.' - Another complaint about redundancies and criticising whether the 'decline' is really that big of a deal as he was still able to buy another newspaper for 24million.
Read this article from the Guardian on the Daily Mail and General Trust buying The i newspaper and website. Answer the following questions:
1) How much did DMGT buy the i for?
£49.6 million
2) Why did the then Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn protest against the deal?
He believed the UK national newspaper industry was becoming increasingly controlled by "two billionaire press barons".
3) What did new owner Lord Rothermere say about the political direction and ideology for the i?
He said that he wouldn't seek to influence the "politically independent editorial style" of the I or shift it in the direction of the rightwing position the Mail titles held.
inews.co.uk - the i newspaper website
Go to inews.co.uk and analyse the stories currently featured:
1) What are the top five stories? Are they examples of soft news or hard news?
NHS being 'charged millions' to use ExCeL London for Nightingale hospital - Soft news
2) How is the homepage designed? Do you see similarities with the print edition?
Designed to keep you up to date with current news on a range of topics as you scroll down the page as there is a variety of different stories catered towards different groups of people who are looking for info on certain things. They use a lot of images as well which is similar with the print edition
3) Are there examples of ‘clickbait’? What are they?
Yes there definitely is use of clickbait as one of the story titles is, Sky asks viewers if female sports presenters are 'sexy' or 'good looking'. However when you click on the article it explains how the female presenters were actually complaining about this poll as it was out of line.
4) To what extent do the stories you have found on inews.co.uk reflect the values and ideologies of the i newspaper?
I believe that they reflect the values and ideologies of the newspaper as they cover the same topics and stories in the same way and share information as they normally would.
5) What similarities and differences are there between MailOnline and the i newspaper website?
Both newspapers have a heavy focus on the political aspect of the UK however I would say that the I attempts to not be as biased in their newspaper possibly because of their target demographics.
Now read this Business Insider feature on the launch of the i newspaper website (which coincided with the purchase of the newspaper by Johnston Press). Answer the following questions:
1) The interview with Johnston Press CEO Ashley Highfield features the claim there will be "no clickbait". Does your analysis of inews.co.uk support this claim?
My analysis doesn't support this claim because just like most newspapers the I definitely utilises clickbait in order to gain more clicks to produce more profit from their audience.
2) He states the website will "stick very closely to the brand values of the i". What are these?
High quality content
Aesthetically pleasing design
Balanced comment/opinion
Manageable pagination
Affordable price
3) How does he claim inews.co.uk will differ from online rival Buzzfeed?
He plans on having their audience actually go and visit the website instead of them just getting the inf from outside sources such as social network pages.
4) What audience does Highfield want the website to target?
Unlike Buzzfied, Highfield wants the I to focus on an older and more affluent audience as 'they are more loyal in print, but also because they tend not to ad block and they're the people with the money'
5) Why is the millennial audience less attractive?
Highfield states, "I think the obsession with millennials is starting to pale as they haven't got any money because they've all got student loans and because they all ad block."
Extension tasks
In order to develop a comprehensive understanding of all things i, you may want to read the following articles.
The i turns five
Read this collection of quotes and messages in the Independent to celebrate the i newspaper's fifth birthday. Answer the following questions:
1) Read Nick Clegg's message ("thoughtful, independent-minded and liberal (with a small 'l')...") What does this tell us about the values and ideologies behind the i newspaper?
It tells us that the newspapers ideologies are aimed a lot more to the left but also a bit central which is very different to other newspapers which are usually right wing focused.
2) Why might one of the readers suggest that switching from the Daily Mail to the i has meant their "blood pressure has returned to normal"?
They suggest the 'blood pressure has returned to normal' in order to show that the I's way of reporting news is a lot more informative and neutral instead of the Daily Mail's way of doing thing, like being right wing.
3) Choose three other messages from readers. What do they suggest about the audience pleasures provided by the i newspaper - why do readers love it?
4) Scroll down towards the bottom of the article. What are the campaigns that i have run since their launch in 2010?
These campaigns highlights how the I is a progressive newspaper open to new values and constantly evolving to cater towards changing audiences. The readership of the newspaper I would say would be liberals as they are very accepting and open to new ideas.
6) What did the critics say when the paper was first launched? Why did many think the paper would fail?
It was also stated that 'not only will I fail, it will leave The Independent in even worse shape. People believed the paper would fail because due to the huge decline in the newspaper industry which meant things like readership and circulation would also fall which would probably affect the I.
7) Choose three quotes from the critics' reviews and discuss whether these viewpoints remain valid today.
“i for ill-conceived and, ultimately, ill-fated”
I think that the I has actually had some success especially since being bought by the Daily Mail as they have further boosted the newspaper.
"Not only will i fail, it will leave The Independent in even worse shape"
I don't believe this remains valid as the I didn't really fail as audiences enjoyed this new type of newspaper because of how it brought a new sense of freshness.
"Will people rushing to work take the trouble to stop and pay 20p for it rather than pick up their free Metro?"
I think this is true because many people would rather just quickly pick up a free edition of a newspaper especially if they're in a hurry to get somewhere on time instead of hassling over which newspaper they should pick up.
8) Look at the bestselling front page stories from 2011-2015. What do these tell us about the i's values and ideologies - and what do we learn about i readers?
By looking at these bestselling front page stories it is evident that there is a heavy political focus to the newspaper as you'd expect, however it is also important to take notice of how it seems to be quite left wing centred which further connotes to the liberal readership of the newspaper. They also show how the newspaper is very diverse with what they have been putting out over the years, ensuring the readers never feel like the paper is too repetitive.
Additional reading
Read this editorial from the Independent (original parent paper for the i) regarding their royal coverage. How does this approach differ to the Daily Mail?
There is a whole lot of detail put into this ensuring the readers not only understand what is being talked about but also the history behind it. I feel like it is quite conversational as well as you read through it in its entirety. They also make sure that the info given is specific and accurate.
The front page story is primarily focused on the 'UK's leap into the unknown', going into detail about how the UK will be leaving the European Union after 47 years of membership. There are also topics covered such as interest rates in England as well as trade relations between Europe and America.
2) From your analysis of your phone photos of The i, what other stories and topics are covered in this edition of the i? You can alos access the selected pages here if you login to Google using your Greenford details. You should address the following pages in addition to the front page:
- Pages 2-3 - On page 2 we see a wide variety of different stories that allow the readers to be informed on different topics. For example when looking at the Politics we see a story about Bernie Sanders being the favourite to become the Democratic Party's presidential election nominee. Page 3 features an interview on Fenn Rosenthal the songwriter. On the right hand side of the page we also see more focus on the UK's leap of faith, relating back to the front cover.
- Pages 6-7 - Page 6 focuses on the cover story and going into deep detail on the UK and Brexit with a detailed article by Nigel Morris. There are also key statistics on the page such as the EU membership in numbers. This page alone shows the political focus the I newspaper has. Page 7 shows more statistics such as the result of the 2016 British referendum, estimated number of EU nationals living in the UK. The main aspect of this page is 'society', going into how parties and vigils are to mark the end of a 47-year bond.
- Pages 10-11 - Page 10 maintains focus on Brexit as we see comments on how Scotland is leaving the European Union however it won't be for long. Nigel Morris has another article in which he talks about the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. Other articles include 'Trade talks advice from a hostage negotiator' and 'Brexit 50p coins enter circulation. Page 11 still maintains the strong political aspect of the newspaper as it features Boris Johnson and how Britain can't bank on it's 'special relationship. At the bottom of the page it also talks about how 'Remain-supporting MEPs take to the streets for a farewell EU bash.
- Pages 14-15 - Page 14 shows a more diverse look of the newspaper as wwe se topics such as fashion and sports talked about, however there is still that lingering focus on politics such as comments on Brexit day arriving and Labour having great strides to make. There is also a Lief In Brief on former radio presenter Peter Hobday and his life. Page 15 is a whole feature on Stephen Bush a 'resigned Remainer'.
3) Media language: Write an analysis of the construction of the i front page: Page design, font, text, images, conventions, hard news/soft news, news values etc.
The front page is definitely what you would call a form of hard-news as it offers us an insight into UK Politics and what will be occurring with Brexit and the impact it'll have on the UK as leaving the European Union could result in very detrimental outcomes. On the front page alone there are 5 images being used which shows how this newspaper has a major focus on it's images, which could show it relies more on graphical aspects to convey news. The page design itself is very simple and effective as it gives the reader a clear understanding of what stories will be covered within the newspaper, which'll determine whether the reader will be intrigued or not. By having 'UK's leap into the unknown' is very eye-catching as it is a topic/event that will affect everyone who lives in the UK.
4) Narrative: How is narrative used in this edition of the i? Look at the selection of news: is there an ongoing narrative? How is narrative created by the paper to engage an audience? Can you link Galtung and Ruge's News Values theory to the use of narrative?
The ongoing narrative used throughout the newspaper is the story of Brexit as well as the PM Boris Johnson and what he'll be doing in the process. They constantly go back to this same narrative to make sure the reader is engaged and more willing to read through the paper in its entirety 5) Audience and ideology: What ideologies are present in the text? Is the audience positioned to respond to stories in a certain way?
I think the I newspaper's political stance is very centred as they try to offer a balanced viewpoint of both sides without trying to reinforce one side more than the other.
The i: introductory reading
Look at the following articles to give you the background on the i newspaper:
BBC News website: Independent launches new 20p newspaper called i
Campaign magazine: Independent to launch first quality daily newspaper for 25 years
The i launch campaign and success
Read this Marketing Society case study on the launch of the i newspaper and answer the following questions:
1) What was the research that led to the launch of the i newspaper?
Research had shown that there was still a strong desire for quality info in the print format but that consumers were increasingly time poor.
2) How did i target readers and lapsed readers of quality newspapers?
The I targeted readers by by combining strong design with high quality content and opinion in a manageable size at the right price.
3) What was the target audience and why was this attractive to advertisers?
The I targeted a professional ABC1 audience. I was an attractive proposition for advertisers as the marketing mix was key to a successful launch. Advertisers were also able to target their products to the correct audience.
4) What were the statistics that proved the i newspaper was a success - and that it hadn't 'cannibalised' (taken readers from) other newspapers?
By the end of 2011 i was the fastest growing daily with a circulation of 170,436 and little cannibalisation of The Independent. No other national newspaper reported a significant decline, proving that i has genuinely grown the newspaper market.
5) What was the background to the i newspaper's launch?
The reason for the I newspapers launch was due to a serious decline in the newspaper market on both a national and global scale for over 20 years. In the UK the market declined by 21% between 2007 and 2009.
6) What were the objectives for the i newspaper launch?
The I would only be deemed a success if it achieved the following objectives:
• Reach a circulation figure of 150,000
• Avoid cannibalisation of The Independent (182,412 at i launch (source: ABC Avg.Net UK circulation October 2010)
• Reach a combined Independent and i average circulation figure of 340,000
• Increase ad revenue growth for the business and achieve majority ad volume in the quality marketplace
7) The Independent saw an opportunity in the print newspaper market. How did potential i readers view other newspapers and what product did they want?
Potential I readers stated that 'The Metro' was an ideal size for a commute but the editorial content was too simplistic, slow and celebrity- focussed. Similarly, they viewed the midmarket titles (The Daily Mail and The Express) as being the right size, but too opinionated and biased.
8) What were the five key principles of the i?
The I was produced with five key principles in mind, these were:
1) High quality content
2) Aesthetically pleasing design
3) Balanced comment/opinion
4) Manageable pagination
5) Affordable price
9) How was the newspaper launched?
Phase one ran from 25th October 2010 to 15th January 2011 and began with a highly focused national outdoor campaign to generate initial awareness coupled with a radio campaign on LBC. The Independents teams also visited 12,000 retail outlets as part of a London focused distribution drive. Phase two was designed to react to the findings of the research at the end of the initial stage of launch.
10) List three statistics quoted in the final section 'Achievements' to demonstrate the success of the i newspaper's launch.
- on launch day the i was stocked in 37,000 retail outlets nationally. Three months later the number was 44,000 (equal to The Daily Mail) with 7,000 coming from independent retailers.
- The Independent guaranteed advertisers a combined (i and The Independent) circulation of 340,000. It delivered 346,410
- i has also achieved success through daily interaction with readers and now has a facebook following of over 18,000 and a twitter following over 34,000 i’s was the fastest growing newspaper for 2011
The i newspaper Factsheet
Read Media Factsheet #189 The i Newspaper - Industry Case Study. You can access it from our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive or download it here via Google using your school login details. Answer the following questions:
1) Summarise the 'Origins' section of the factsheet.
The Origins section explains how when the newspaper first launched the whole market was in decline. However there was stil a desire for the quality journalism offered by print newspapers. The owners of the Independent took the decision to launch an innovative paper that combined strong design and high-quality content and comment in a compact tabloid size. The section also explains the targeted demographic which is ABC1 which proved desirable for advertisers.
2) How has the i newspaper's ownership changed over the last 10 years?
The owner of the Daily Mail bought the I newspaper and website for £49.6m from JPI media on 29th November 2019.
3) Look on page 3 of the factsheet - Theoretical application. What are the three main ideas from Hesmondhalgh and how do they link to the i newspaper?
1. Cultural industry companies aim to minimise risk and maximise
audience through vertical and horizontal integration and/or
by formatting their cultural products (through the use of stars,
genres and serials). The I newspaper effectively utilises this as the use forms of integration in order to maximise their audience.
2. The largest companies now operate across a number of different
cultural industries.
3. The radical potential of the internet has been contained to some
extent by its partial incorporation into large, profit orientated set
of cultural industries.
4) What does the factsheet suggest are the four key ideas from Curran and Seaton?
1. The media is controlled by a small number of conglomerate
companies that own a large number of smaller companies. These
large conglomerates are driven by the logic of profit and power.
2. Media concentration inhibits and limits variety, creativity
and quality.
3. Media production is driven by profit not the noble creation
of art – media producers seek to make films, newspapers, TV,
music, radio, online content for the gain of profit. As a result, the
creativity will suffer and media products become homogenous,
formulaic and repetitious (take a look at the recent films –
reboots, genre films, prequels, sequels = products that have more
guaranteed profit than original content).
4. More socially diverse patterns of ownership help to create the
conditions for more varied and adventurous media productions.
5) Which of Curran and Seaton's ideas apply to the i newspaper? How?
I think the first one applies as the I newspaper is controlled by the Daily Mail s they were the eones who bought the newspaper making them own the smaller company (The I). The Daily Mail is also driven by the logic of profit and power.
The i ownership history
Johnston Press buys the i
Read this article from the website Hold The Front Page on the announcement of the Johnston Press purchase of the i newspaper - and the closure of the Independent. Answer the following questions:
1) How much did regional published Johnston Press buy the i for?
£24 million
2) What reasons were provided by Johnston Press CEO Ashley Highfield for buying the i?
Highfield stated that by buying the I it would be a 'transformational acquisition' due to the fact that it would add to the print industry by a large amount, moving it forward. He additionally stated that it's a highly regarded paper.
3) The comments below the article are overwhelmingly negative. Choose three comments and explain how they criticise Johnston Press and the purchase of the i newspaper.
'A complete kick in the teeth for myself and other JP workers facing redundancy.' - A huge amount of workers would be facing redundancy due to this purchase and will be out of a job over something they had no control over.
'So he is making redundancies across the UK but somehow manages to find 24m to buy another newspaper when they’re in decline!!! Nice boot in the teeth to those losing their jobs Ash.' - Another complaint about redundancies and criticising whether the 'decline' is really that big of a deal as he was still able to buy another newspaper for 24million.
'Amazing…JP plead poverty, yet can find the money for this despite all of the cutbacks, redundancies, and lack of spending on hardware and software.Just how many trainees could you hire for that amount of money? How many receptions could you re-open? How many laptops could you replace so they can cope with 21st Century digital demands.' - Criticism of Johnston Press as they believe that the 24m could be used for other matters which can be improved very easily with just a bit of time and logic instead of just splashing cash on another newspaper.
DMGT buys the iRead this article from the Guardian on the Daily Mail and General Trust buying The i newspaper and website. Answer the following questions:
1) How much did DMGT buy the i for?
£49.6 million
2) Why did the then Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn protest against the deal?
He believed the UK national newspaper industry was becoming increasingly controlled by "two billionaire press barons".
3) What did new owner Lord Rothermere say about the political direction and ideology for the i?
He said that he wouldn't seek to influence the "politically independent editorial style" of the I or shift it in the direction of the rightwing position the Mail titles held.
inews.co.uk - the i newspaper website
Go to inews.co.uk and analyse the stories currently featured:
1) What are the top five stories? Are they examples of soft news or hard news?
NHS being 'charged millions' to use ExCeL London for Nightingale hospital - Soft news
Keir Starmer says 'serious mistakes' have been made over coronavirus testing- Soft news
Michael Gove urges people to stay at home as Sunday is set to be hottest day- Soft news
UK sees a coronavirus death every two minutes, as 708 people die in a single day - Hard news
People with caring responsibilities now eligible for furlough, says government - Hard news
2) How is the homepage designed? Do you see similarities with the print edition?
Designed to keep you up to date with current news on a range of topics as you scroll down the page as there is a variety of different stories catered towards different groups of people who are looking for info on certain things. They use a lot of images as well which is similar with the print edition
3) Are there examples of ‘clickbait’? What are they?
Yes there definitely is use of clickbait as one of the story titles is, Sky asks viewers if female sports presenters are 'sexy' or 'good looking'. However when you click on the article it explains how the female presenters were actually complaining about this poll as it was out of line.
4) To what extent do the stories you have found on inews.co.uk reflect the values and ideologies of the i newspaper?
I believe that they reflect the values and ideologies of the newspaper as they cover the same topics and stories in the same way and share information as they normally would.
5) What similarities and differences are there between MailOnline and the i newspaper website?
Both newspapers have a heavy focus on the political aspect of the UK however I would say that the I attempts to not be as biased in their newspaper possibly because of their target demographics.
Now read this Business Insider feature on the launch of the i newspaper website (which coincided with the purchase of the newspaper by Johnston Press). Answer the following questions:
1) The interview with Johnston Press CEO Ashley Highfield features the claim there will be "no clickbait". Does your analysis of inews.co.uk support this claim?
My analysis doesn't support this claim because just like most newspapers the I definitely utilises clickbait in order to gain more clicks to produce more profit from their audience.
2) He states the website will "stick very closely to the brand values of the i". What are these?
High quality content
Aesthetically pleasing design
Balanced comment/opinion
Manageable pagination
Affordable price
3) How does he claim inews.co.uk will differ from online rival Buzzfeed?
He plans on having their audience actually go and visit the website instead of them just getting the inf from outside sources such as social network pages.
4) What audience does Highfield want the website to target?
Unlike Buzzfied, Highfield wants the I to focus on an older and more affluent audience as 'they are more loyal in print, but also because they tend not to ad block and they're the people with the money'
5) Why is the millennial audience less attractive?
Highfield states, "I think the obsession with millennials is starting to pale as they haven't got any money because they've all got student loans and because they all ad block."
Extension tasks
In order to develop a comprehensive understanding of all things i, you may want to read the following articles.
The i turns five
Read this collection of quotes and messages in the Independent to celebrate the i newspaper's fifth birthday. Answer the following questions:
1) Read Nick Clegg's message ("thoughtful, independent-minded and liberal (with a small 'l')...") What does this tell us about the values and ideologies behind the i newspaper?
It tells us that the newspapers ideologies are aimed a lot more to the left but also a bit central which is very different to other newspapers which are usually right wing focused.
2) Why might one of the readers suggest that switching from the Daily Mail to the i has meant their "blood pressure has returned to normal"?
They suggest the 'blood pressure has returned to normal' in order to show that the I's way of reporting news is a lot more informative and neutral instead of the Daily Mail's way of doing thing, like being right wing.
3) Choose three other messages from readers. What do they suggest about the audience pleasures provided by the i newspaper - why do readers love it?
JOSHUA POVEY, ESSEX: 'Congratulations – I am 90 years ahead, going towards my 96th birthday. I only became an i reader this year and would not change, as I find your reporting accurate and well-balanced.' - Shows how the I is very accurate neutral and that they enjoy the simplicity of the I newspaper.
NICK CLEGG, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER 2010-2015: 'Congratulations to i on reaching its 5th birthday. The newspaper has been innovative, informative and entertaining in its first five years and I look forward to its continuing success in the years to come.'. - Highlights how the newspaper not only provides you with useful news (surveillance) but it also provides the entertainment needed to keep your readers engaged.
NIGEL FARAGE, UKIP LEADER: 'Congratulations to everyone at i. It’s a great read and that rarest of things, a thoughtful, independent-minded and liberal (with a small ‘l’) newspaper that takes politics and current affairs seriously.' - The paper ensures that the readers are updated with current affairs in an effective way a they take it very seriously. It is s if it's the newspapers duty to supply this to their readers without fail.
4) Scroll down towards the bottom of the article. What are the campaigns that i have run since their launch in 2010?
iVote (ongoing)
Encourages mass voter registration and hosts political iDebates around the country – so far in Cardiff, Manchester, Edinburgh, Leeds and Bournemouth. Support for Bite the Ballot, the youth-activism movement which managed to sign up 441,696 people to vote in one week.
Back to School (ongoing)
Encourages people to return to their old state schools to give pupils inspiration and advice on careers. Partner charity Future First now has 140,000 alumni signed up.
Homeless Veterans appeal (2014)
Campaign for ex-servicemen and women who have fallen on hard times, organised with The Independent and Evening Standard. It raised £1.3m for Veterans Aid and ABF The Soldiers’ Charity.
Elephant Appeal (2013)
Working with charity Space for Giants, the campaign raised £575,000 to combat the poaching crisis that costs the lives of 100 elephants a day, killed for their ivory.
Child Soldiers (2012)
Helping former child soldiers rebuild their lives, supporting Unicef UK’s projects. The campaign raised £270,000.
5) What do these campaigns tell you about the values and ideologies behind the i newspaper? Do they also tell you something about the readership of the i?These campaigns highlights how the I is a progressive newspaper open to new values and constantly evolving to cater towards changing audiences. The readership of the newspaper I would say would be liberals as they are very accepting and open to new ideas.
6) What did the critics say when the paper was first launched? Why did many think the paper would fail?
It was also stated that 'not only will I fail, it will leave The Independent in even worse shape. People believed the paper would fail because due to the huge decline in the newspaper industry which meant things like readership and circulation would also fall which would probably affect the I.
7) Choose three quotes from the critics' reviews and discuss whether these viewpoints remain valid today.
“i for ill-conceived and, ultimately, ill-fated”
I think that the I has actually had some success especially since being bought by the Daily Mail as they have further boosted the newspaper.
"Not only will i fail, it will leave The Independent in even worse shape"
I don't believe this remains valid as the I didn't really fail as audiences enjoyed this new type of newspaper because of how it brought a new sense of freshness.
"Will people rushing to work take the trouble to stop and pay 20p for it rather than pick up their free Metro?"
I think this is true because many people would rather just quickly pick up a free edition of a newspaper especially if they're in a hurry to get somewhere on time instead of hassling over which newspaper they should pick up.
8) Look at the bestselling front page stories from 2011-2015. What do these tell us about the i's values and ideologies - and what do we learn about i readers?
By looking at these bestselling front page stories it is evident that there is a heavy political focus to the newspaper as you'd expect, however it is also important to take notice of how it seems to be quite left wing centred which further connotes to the liberal readership of the newspaper. They also show how the newspaper is very diverse with what they have been putting out over the years, ensuring the readers never feel like the paper is too repetitive.
Additional reading
Read this editorial from the Independent (original parent paper for the i) regarding their royal coverage. How does this approach differ to the Daily Mail?
There is a whole lot of detail put into this ensuring the readers not only understand what is being talked about but also the history behind it. I feel like it is quite conversational as well as you read through it in its entirety. They also make sure that the info given is specific and accurate.
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