Blog tasks: The Times Case Study - Audience and Industries

 Audience

1) What are the main audience demographics for The Times newspaper? Add as much detail as you can.

The main audience demographics for The Times newspaper is commonly older people with over half the Times newspaper audience aged +55.

2) What aspects of the front page of the Times CSP edition suggest that their readers are likely to be more educated and interested in hard news rather than entertainment?

The front page of The Times (CSP edition) targets an educated, ABC1 demographic through a formal, authoritative tone and high-brow content. Key aspects include in-depth, serious political or economical stories, sophisticated language, traditional masthead, and, on some issues, a nuanced approach to topics rather than tabloid-style sensationalism, which is hard news content for the higher educated individuals.

3) Times readers are mostly over 55 years old. Why is this and how is this reflected or challenged by the design and news stories in the CSP pages we have studied?  

This is because, The times include a lot of information which is hard news and there is less images, aimed at societies of higher education and advanced mindsets. This is challenged as the design and news stories in the other stories are quite easy to read and can entertain other demographic groups.

4) What are the main audience pleasures offered by the Times? Use Blumler & Katz Uses and Gratifications theory.

Personal Identity 

Entertainment 

Surveillance  

Becoming an active participant 

5) Why might a reader enjoy this CSP edition of the Times? Use Blumler & Katz Uses and Gratifications theory categories and write as detailed an analysis as you can.

The reader might enjoy this CSP edition of the Times as it's authorative, in-depth and political information which appeals to AB-AD audience.

Industries

1) Who owns the Times? Write the name of the company AND the billionaire who owns the company.

The Times is owned by News Corp Uk and the billionaire who owned the company was Rupert Murdoch.

2) What was the The Times's circulation in 2019? How many papers did the Times used to sell back in the 1990s? You can find all of these statistics in the blogpost above.

The Times's circulation was approximately in 2019 it was 376,000, down 12% in a year and much lower than the high point of over 800,000 in the 1990s. 19,

3) How has the Times reacted to the decline in print sales and the growth of the internet? Watch the two videos above for more on this.

The Times have successfully moved towards a multi-platform landscape. Also The Times have produced a social media strategy to drive the increase growth of their social media profiles.

4) What does IPSO stand for and what is IPSO's job?

IPSO - INDEPENDENT PRESS STANDARDS ORGANISATION

- Their job is to regulate the UK's publication of newspaper and industry.

5) Why do some people want stronger regulation of British newspapers? Look at the information above on newspaper regulation to find out more on this.

Calls for stronger regulation of British newspapers are called for by long-standing concerns regarding unethical journalism, the inadequacy of self-regulatory companies (such as IPSO), and the need for greater accountability for the public demands.