The I case study: Blog tasks
The I case study: Blog tasks
Work through the following tasks to complete your case study on the i and specifically the 21 September edition of the newspaper.
The i analysis: Friday 21 September
Use your notes from the lesson to answer the following questions.
1) What are the front page stories on the 21 September edition of the i?
The front page stories on the 21 September edition of the i are: The Salzburg Disaster, The future of Iraq, Fashion trends for 2019, UK plan to save species, Aubameyang at the double in Arsenal win, An octopus takes ecstasy, How Britain's climate is changing?, police end 3 year manhunt, Emma Stone on her Netflix show, Christine and the queens album and I hate the word rebellion.
2) From your analysis in class, what other stories and topics are covered in this edition of the i? You should address the following pages:
Page 2
On this page, it is talking about how 17-24 years old want to drive but it is quite dangerous at the same time due to their age.
Page 3
On page 3 there is a man named Adam Sherwin who is a gay speaker who is very influential in what he says. There is also a letter on the page which references classical music and Brexit.
Pages 5
On page 5 they are talking about the amount of money that is spent on animals and animal projects which save them. There is also some debates that take place about fake news.
Page 6-7
This page is about the Salzburg disaster. It tries to be balanced but is anti-Brexit. Leading Brexiters - European view on Brexit and there are some french quotes from the French President. The news tries to give a balanced perspective.
Pages 11
This page is about the Royal Family story. It is surprising that it is not near the front. This article is quite small and only has 2 pages and 2 blocks of text. Also on this page there is an article about student fees.
Page 15
On page 15 there is an article about the mercury prize. There is another article about Alexa technology which is about the speaking device that Amazon had invented. Also the term "views-paper" is mentioned which is referring to 12 publications.
Page 16
On page 16 there are overviews and opinion from other newspapers. There is a section an important person who has died that week. There is a quote of the day section. And all of the newspapers that give their opinion are from all different countries to show the i as a centralised paper.
Page 18
On page 18 there are letters that are written from people who read the i. The letters are about their opinions on the latest edition of the i and what they think of some of the stories in the paper and the news that is taking place. around the world
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.
In terms of the construction of the front page it has a bar-code and a price on it. The price of the newspaper is 60p. The main story on the cover is about Brexit. There are also references to other pages to create enigma codes. There is an advertisement at the bottom which is about dream destinations with British Airways. The headline of the stories are short and straight to the point. There is a combination of hard and soft news on the front page. The front page is structured like a website. The logo is on the left hand side of the page. There a pictures with captions underneath. All the news is layed out in boxes just like the website. There is a combination of red, black and grey fonts used.
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?
The way that narrative is used in this edition of the i is that there is an ongoing narrative. The story and the main headline of the newspaper is about Brexit. Brexit is a topic that will be talked about for a long time because it is the future of the UK in terms of if they will leave the EU or not. The pictures are creating narrative because they are colourful and attracting the audience to make the readers want to tread it. Also, the title of the story is quite short so it makes people want to read on to see what the story is about.
5) Representations: Are any stereotypes reinforced? Is the audience positioned to respond to the stories in a certain way? What contrasts can you find with the Daily Mail here?
There were some stereotypes that were subverted. For example there was a speaker who was gay was very influential in his speech. And people accept that in today's society. Some stereotypes are reinforced such as the main headline only had white people on it. Some of these stereotypes compared to the Daily Mail is very different and has changed due to owners changing.
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
BBC News website: Johnston Press to buy i newspaper for £24m
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?
The research that led to the launch of the i newspaper was Despite the newspaper market’s widely reported decline, The Independent held an unshakable belief in consumer desire for quality print news. Under the new ownership of the Lebedevs, it took the bold decision to launch into this market a new, paid-for newspaper designed around evolving consumer needs. Research had shown that there was a strong desire for quality information in the print newspaper format but that consumers were increasingly time poor. i, the UK's first quality daily newspaper to hit newsstands in almost 25 years, went on sale on Tuesday 26 October 2010.
2) How did i target readers and lapsed readers of quality newspapers?
i targeted readers and lapsed readers of quality newspapers, combining strong design with high quality content and opinion in a manageable size at the right price. It was designed to grow the market rather than cannibalise it.
3) What was the target audience and why was this attractive to advertisers?
Targeting a professional ABC1 audience, it was an attractive proposition for advertisers because they were the ones interested in the newspaper.
4) What were the statistics that proved the i newspaper was a success - and that it hadn't 'cannibalised' (taken readers from) other newspapers?
The distribution drive was evident as The Independent teams visited 12,000 retail outlets. It was also backed by a strategic PR campaign that targeted all key broadcasters to ensure rolling news and feature coverage for the first 48 hours of launch. The second phase of launch activity involved a significant marketing push involving TV, print and digital. The results are clear to see. By the end of 2011 i was the fastest growing daliy with a circulation of 170,436 and little cannibalization of The Independent.
5) What was the background to the i newspaper's launch?
The newspaper market has been experiencing a decline both on a national and global scale for over twenty years. In the UK alone, the market slumped 21% between 2007 and 2009. Countless online news sources and the dramatic rise of freesheets, such as The Metro, have added to what was always an intense competition for readership.
6) What were the objectives for the i newspaper launch?
The launch of a national newspaper is a huge undertaking, and The Independent had aggressive targets for its new title. 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 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?
The UK newspaper market had failed to adapt optimally to changes in news consumption habits and The Independent saw a big opportunity. Yet, research by The Independent showed that there is still an appetite for for a physical, paper product. The Independent felt that a different type of newspaper was needed. One designed with the 21st century reader in mind. The Independent identified three potential types of readers:
1) lapsed readers of qualities
2) new newspaper readers
3) people
8) What were the five key principles of the i?
1) High quality content
2) Aesthetically pleasing design
3) Balanced comment/opinion
4) Manageable pagination
5) Affordable price
9) How was the newspaper launched?
There were 2 phases to the newspaper being launched. In phase One, This phase 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 Independent’s teams also visited 12,000 retail outlets as part of a London focused distribution drive. The launch was supported by press ads and vouchers/sampling in sister paper The Evening Standard and 60 tube stations and train stations nationwide.The ATL activity in Phase Two was designed to clearly spell out the benefits of the paper. Phase Two 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.
"At the end of phase one, the title had a circulation of 60,000 and following the boost in activity during the second phase of the marketing campaign, the circulation rose to 167,944 by the end of February."
"Within three months of the paper’s launch a significant result had been achieved with retailers – 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. These results were very much due to heavy engagement and relationship building with retailers."
"i has helped drive the market share of Independent Print from 11% December 2010 to 22% December 2011 NRS early estimates reveal 368,000 readers. 2.3 readers per copy and 73% ABC1 readers confirmed the i as a quality newspaper with a quality audience."
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?
Th message from Nick Cleggs tells us that the ideologies and values behind the i newspaper is that they like to excel and make their news and short to the point and don't want to make people bored. So it takes politics seriously and reports it well. It tries to give a balanced point of view. It is a newspaper that has survived well for 5 years even though a lot of newspaper companies are shutting down.
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"?
This is because the Daily Mail is very right wing and reports things from only one point of view. Also the way they report the news, it is like they chuck a whole lot of news at you in one go and you won't really understand what is going on in the story. Then people get pressurised because they want to do other things bu they want to catch up on the news but the news stories in the Daily Mail where they get there news from is to long. If you compare that to the i the articles are quite short and to the point so it doesn't put peoples blood pressure up to read all of it. Also, they give a balanced argument and different viewpoint about politics.
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?
Boris Johnson: A success story in modern newspapers deserves a birthday drink.
David Cameron: I love i. It’s a good read and handy size. When I’m not cycling, it’s the perfect read from Finsbury Park to Westminster by train.
Gerry Pimm: Only just started reading i. Love it. Proper news, no junk like other papers.
The audience pleasures that the newspaper provides for the audience is personal identity, diversification surveillance. It is a paper that people learn things from.
4) Scroll down towards the bottom of the article. What are the campaigns that i have run since their launch in 2010?
iVote (ongoing)
Back to School (ongoing)
Homeless Veterans appeal (2014)
Elephant Appeal (2013)
Child Soldiers (2012)
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?
Also it tells you that the values and ideologies of the i newspaper are different. They don't just focus on politics. They focus on things like helping the homeless, children getting in to the army, helping animals and doing projects, and helping young kids in their education.It tells you that the readership of i is scattered from young to old because it supports most age groups.
6) What did the critics say when the paper was first launched? Why did many think the paper would fail?
The Independent has opted to create an additional brand aimed at increasing its overall market share and complementing its existing title. Except that won’t happen. For all the talk of a new brand for a new target segment, i is actually going to be produced by the same journalists that work on the current paper. The reality for The Independent is that it cannot afford to actually create and deliver a distinct product for this segment. And even if it could, this elusive target segment wouldn’t buy it anyway. Not only will i fail, it will leave The Independent in even worse shape. Like most companies launching a “sister brand” to alleviate poor sales, The Independent is about to learn that the last thing it needed was a new brand. At its launch last week, there was much debate about exactly what i actually stood for. Can I suggest irrelevant, ill-conceived and, ultimately, ill-fated.
7) Choose three quotes from the critics' reviews and discuss whether these viewpoints remain valid today.
The Independent lays an egg – but will i fly?
Can i crack the newspaper market?
i lives up to its name – it’s a digest of its big brother
I think that these points are not valid today because they have been proved wrong because the newspaper has been very successful and has survived.
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?
It tells you that the values and ideologies are good and they have a combination of them because the audience are appreciating different pages and it tells you that readers have different interests and people still read the rest of the paper.
Johnston Press background and research
Read this history of Johnston Press and the news of its impending break-up from veteran Guardian media correspondent Roy Greenslade.
1) How did the company begin?
The company had began Among the thousands of titles founded in towns and cities across Britain was the Falkirk Herald, which was soon acquired by a local printing business run by Archibald Johnston. He, and the two sons who followed him as head of the firm, were not moved to buy more titles. Owning a paper in one’s own area brought its own rewards. The Herald campaigned successfully for Falkirk to be granted municipal borough status, and the consequent creation of a more democratic and efficient political system benefited the whole community. From 1882, Archibald’s youngest son, Frederick, was the Herald’s publisher for 53 years. He gradually improved the paper’s status, its profitability and its circulation before founding an offshoot, the Linlithgow Gazette, to serve the neighbouring county.
2) What did Johnston Press do in the 1980s and 1990s?
Johnston Press in the 1980s and 1990s had decided to expand. Then, in 1962, Frederick Johnston III joined the business. Known to everyone as Freddy, he is as nice a man as you could ever hope to meet; modest, benevolent, polite to a fault, the very opposite of what people imagine makes a media titan. In his early years at the helm of Johnston Press, his running of the company reflected his personality.
He accepted that expansion was the way to go, but his financial advisers could see that his heart was not really in it, and he also lacked the know-how. They applauded his decision to float the company on the stock market in 1988, achieving an initial value of £22m. But City analysts, pumped up with forecasts about super-profits available from regional newspaper advertising revenue, thought the company should be achieving even more than its £65m valuation by 1994. It must grow bigger, and bigger.
3) List some of the regional newspapers owned by Johnston Press in its history (you may need to research this separately beyond Greenslade's article).
Arbroath Herald
Banbury Guardian
Batley & Birstall News
Bellshill Speaker
Berwick Advertiser
Biggleswade Chronicle
Blackpool Gazette
Bognor Regis Observer
Bridlington Free Press
Brighton & Hove Independent
Buckingham Advertiser
Bucks Herald
Burnley Express
Buxton Advertiser
Carrick Gazette
Chichester Observer
Chorley Guardian
Crawley Observer
Cumbernauld News
Daventry Express
Dewsbury Reporter
Diss Express
Dinnington Guardian
Doncaster Free Press
Edinburgh Evening News
Edinburgh Herald and Post
Eastbourne Herald
East Grinstead Gazette
Ellon Times
Falkirk Herald
Fife Free Press
Fife Herald & Post
Fife Leader
Filey Mercury
Fleetwood Weekly News
Galloway Gazette
Gainsborough Standard
Glasgow South and Eastwood Extra
Green Un (Sheffield)
Halifax Courier
Harborough Mail
Hartlepool Mail
Harrogate Advertiser
Hemel Hempstead Gazette
Hemsworth and South Elmsall Express
Horncastle News
The i
Kilsyth Chronicle
Lanark Gazette
Lancashire Evening Post
Lancaster Guardian
Lancaster Visitor
Lancing Herald
Leyland Guardian
Leamington Courier
Leighton Buzzard Observer
Littlehampton Gazette
Luton News
Lytham St Annes Express
Market Rasen Mail
Malton & Pickering Mercury
Mansfield Chad
Mirfield Reporter
Milngavie and Bearsden Herald[16]
Milton Keynes Citizen
Montrose Review
Morecambe Visitor
Morpeth Herald
Motherwell Times
News Guardian
News Post Leader
The News (Portsmouth)
Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph
Northampton Chronicle & Echo
Northumberland Gazette
Paisley and Renfrewshire Extra (now defunct)[17]
Perth Herald & Post
Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Pocklington Post
Retford Guardian
Rugby Advertiser
Scarborough News
Scotland on Sunday
The Scotsman
Sheffield Star
Sheffield Telegraph
Shields Gazette
Shoreham Herald
Skegness Standard
Spilsby Standard
Stornoway Gazette
Sunderland Echo
Sussex Express
Times & Citizen (Bedford)
Todmorden News
The Visitor (Morecambe, Lancs)
Westend Extra (Glasgow)
West Lothian Herald & Post
West Sussex County Times
West Sussex Gazette
Wetherby News
Whitby Gazette
Wigan Evening Post
Worksop Guardian
Worthing Herald
Yorkshire Evening Post
Yorkshire Post
4) What happened to Johnston Press in the 2000s to the present day?
The Johnston Press in the 2000s to the present day have become huge and a lot of people have invested in the company and the deal with huge figures in terms of buying and selling newspapers in mega deals. A lot of many and debt and they couldn't really pay them because enough people weren't reading the paper. It was also disrupting the banking and financial crisis in 2008.
5) How does Greenslade see the future of Johnston Press - and what might happen to the i newspaper?
Greenslade thinks that Now, inevitably, the company will be broken up. Rival companies, themselves facing eventual extinction, will seek to prolong their lives by acquiring favoured pieces of the Johnston holdings. It is highly likely that some papers will vanish. What, for instance, will happen to Archibald Johnston’s Falkirk Herald? Business was so much less complex in his day, was it not? He thinks that the i newspaper will shut down and vanish like the other ones.
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?
The regional published Johnston Press had bought the i for £24 million pounds which was part of a deal.
2) Who did Johnston Press buy the i from?
Johnston Press had bought the i from Evgeny Lebedev. He is a millionaire who is Russian and in charge of a company called ESI Media.
3) What did the sale signal for the Independent newspaper?
The sale had signalled to the Independent Newspaper that they had to close down their print edition of
their newspaper.
4) What reasons were provided by Johnston Press CEO Ashley Highfield for buying the i?
The reasons that were provided by Johnston Press CEO Ashley Highfield for buying the i was because it will increase and represents a significant growth opportunity for Johnston Press in terms of national print and digital advertising revenue, also allow them to grow digital audiences and revenues through the creation of inews.co.uk and help promote their brand and other newspaper that JP own.
5) 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.
One comment on this article is "So JP have bought something and at the same time killed something off. Wunderbar." They criticise the purchase buy saying that something has been bought and something else had to sacrifice for that to happen which was the Independent print version. Another comment is "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.". They are saying that JP are finding excuses to spend the money on resources for the company saying that they don't have enough and then go and spend it, by buying a newspaper. Final comment is Won’t this look great on Ashley’s CV when he strolls into some other super duper executive role? Meanwhile the jobs of countless journalists smoulder in his wake. Job done." This comment is saying that Ashley won't get a better job when people see that on his CV and he has ruined jobs for Journalists and all that rely's on his shoulders now.
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?
Pittsburgh Synagogue shooting
Philip Green harassment claims untrue
Strictly Come Dancing has thee times ratings of X Factor
MPs want Universal Credit roll out halted
Jamie Oliver says he has no more money to bail out his restaurants
2) How is the homepage designed? Do you see similarities with the print edition?
The homepage is manageable, pictures are used to represent stories and the headlines tell the story as well.
3) Are there examples of ‘clickbait’? What are they?
'Simpsons Ap may be written out'
Jamie Oliver businesses shutting down
Worlds richest people made more money than ever last year
Beyonce urged to withdraw business partnership with Philip Green
4) To what extent do the stories you have found on inews.co.uk reflect the values and ideologies of the i newspaper?
There is a lot of celebrity news here which takes away from the ideologies - there are some political hard news stories. The most popular tab however is mostly soft news.
5) What similarities and differences are there between MailOnline and the i newspaper website?
The website does go on for a small bit but nowhere near as much as MailOnline.
It isn't cluttered with news, it's evenly spaced out with four on a line with little text - just the headline.
It does have the top bar of news topics e.g. lifestyle, sport.
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?
--> No, it does feature quite a bit of clickbait at the start.
2) He states the website will "stick very closely to the brand values of the i". What are these?
High quality content
Pleasing design
Balanced comment/opinion
Manageable layout
Affordable price
3) How does he claim inews.co.uk will differ from online rival Buzzfeed?
It won't chase traffic for the site, it will maintain its political independence.
4) What audience does Highfield want the website to target?
An older and more affluent audience.
5) Why is the millennial audience less attractive?
Students haven't got any money to buy papers as they have student loans and also tend to use ad block which decreases revenue.
Work through the following tasks to complete your case study on the i and specifically the 21 September edition of the newspaper.
The i analysis: Friday 21 September
Use your notes from the lesson to answer the following questions.
1) What are the front page stories on the 21 September edition of the i?
The front page stories on the 21 September edition of the i are: The Salzburg Disaster, The future of Iraq, Fashion trends for 2019, UK plan to save species, Aubameyang at the double in Arsenal win, An octopus takes ecstasy, How Britain's climate is changing?, police end 3 year manhunt, Emma Stone on her Netflix show, Christine and the queens album and I hate the word rebellion.
2) From your analysis in class, what other stories and topics are covered in this edition of the i? You should address the following pages:
Page 2
On this page, it is talking about how 17-24 years old want to drive but it is quite dangerous at the same time due to their age.
Page 3
On page 3 there is a man named Adam Sherwin who is a gay speaker who is very influential in what he says. There is also a letter on the page which references classical music and Brexit.
Pages 5
On page 5 they are talking about the amount of money that is spent on animals and animal projects which save them. There is also some debates that take place about fake news.
Page 6-7
This page is about the Salzburg disaster. It tries to be balanced but is anti-Brexit. Leading Brexiters - European view on Brexit and there are some french quotes from the French President. The news tries to give a balanced perspective.
Pages 11
This page is about the Royal Family story. It is surprising that it is not near the front. This article is quite small and only has 2 pages and 2 blocks of text. Also on this page there is an article about student fees.
Page 15
On page 15 there is an article about the mercury prize. There is another article about Alexa technology which is about the speaking device that Amazon had invented. Also the term "views-paper" is mentioned which is referring to 12 publications.
Page 16
On page 16 there are overviews and opinion from other newspapers. There is a section an important person who has died that week. There is a quote of the day section. And all of the newspapers that give their opinion are from all different countries to show the i as a centralised paper.
Page 18
On page 18 there are letters that are written from people who read the i. The letters are about their opinions on the latest edition of the i and what they think of some of the stories in the paper and the news that is taking place. around the world
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.
In terms of the construction of the front page it has a bar-code and a price on it. The price of the newspaper is 60p. The main story on the cover is about Brexit. There are also references to other pages to create enigma codes. There is an advertisement at the bottom which is about dream destinations with British Airways. The headline of the stories are short and straight to the point. There is a combination of hard and soft news on the front page. The front page is structured like a website. The logo is on the left hand side of the page. There a pictures with captions underneath. All the news is layed out in boxes just like the website. There is a combination of red, black and grey fonts used.
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?
The way that narrative is used in this edition of the i is that there is an ongoing narrative. The story and the main headline of the newspaper is about Brexit. Brexit is a topic that will be talked about for a long time because it is the future of the UK in terms of if they will leave the EU or not. The pictures are creating narrative because they are colourful and attracting the audience to make the readers want to tread it. Also, the title of the story is quite short so it makes people want to read on to see what the story is about.
5) Representations: Are any stereotypes reinforced? Is the audience positioned to respond to the stories in a certain way? What contrasts can you find with the Daily Mail here?
There were some stereotypes that were subverted. For example there was a speaker who was gay was very influential in his speech. And people accept that in today's society. Some stereotypes are reinforced such as the main headline only had white people on it. Some of these stereotypes compared to the Daily Mail is very different and has changed due to owners changing.
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
BBC News website: Johnston Press to buy i newspaper for £24m
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?
The research that led to the launch of the i newspaper was Despite the newspaper market’s widely reported decline, The Independent held an unshakable belief in consumer desire for quality print news. Under the new ownership of the Lebedevs, it took the bold decision to launch into this market a new, paid-for newspaper designed around evolving consumer needs. Research had shown that there was a strong desire for quality information in the print newspaper format but that consumers were increasingly time poor. i, the UK's first quality daily newspaper to hit newsstands in almost 25 years, went on sale on Tuesday 26 October 2010.
2) How did i target readers and lapsed readers of quality newspapers?
i targeted readers and lapsed readers of quality newspapers, combining strong design with high quality content and opinion in a manageable size at the right price. It was designed to grow the market rather than cannibalise it.
3) What was the target audience and why was this attractive to advertisers?
Targeting a professional ABC1 audience, it was an attractive proposition for advertisers because they were the ones interested in the newspaper.
4) What were the statistics that proved the i newspaper was a success - and that it hadn't 'cannibalised' (taken readers from) other newspapers?
The distribution drive was evident as The Independent teams visited 12,000 retail outlets. It was also backed by a strategic PR campaign that targeted all key broadcasters to ensure rolling news and feature coverage for the first 48 hours of launch. The second phase of launch activity involved a significant marketing push involving TV, print and digital. The results are clear to see. By the end of 2011 i was the fastest growing daliy with a circulation of 170,436 and little cannibalization of The Independent.
5) What was the background to the i newspaper's launch?
The newspaper market has been experiencing a decline both on a national and global scale for over twenty years. In the UK alone, the market slumped 21% between 2007 and 2009. Countless online news sources and the dramatic rise of freesheets, such as The Metro, have added to what was always an intense competition for readership.
6) What were the objectives for the i newspaper launch?
The launch of a national newspaper is a huge undertaking, and The Independent had aggressive targets for its new title. 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 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?
The UK newspaper market had failed to adapt optimally to changes in news consumption habits and The Independent saw a big opportunity. Yet, research by The Independent showed that there is still an appetite for for a physical, paper product. The Independent felt that a different type of newspaper was needed. One designed with the 21st century reader in mind. The Independent identified three potential types of readers:
1) lapsed readers of qualities
2) new newspaper readers
3) people
8) What were the five key principles of the i?
1) High quality content
2) Aesthetically pleasing design
3) Balanced comment/opinion
4) Manageable pagination
5) Affordable price
9) How was the newspaper launched?
There were 2 phases to the newspaper being launched. In phase One, This phase 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 Independent’s teams also visited 12,000 retail outlets as part of a London focused distribution drive. The launch was supported by press ads and vouchers/sampling in sister paper The Evening Standard and 60 tube stations and train stations nationwide.The ATL activity in Phase Two was designed to clearly spell out the benefits of the paper. Phase Two 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.
"At the end of phase one, the title had a circulation of 60,000 and following the boost in activity during the second phase of the marketing campaign, the circulation rose to 167,944 by the end of February."
"Within three months of the paper’s launch a significant result had been achieved with retailers – 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. These results were very much due to heavy engagement and relationship building with retailers."
"i has helped drive the market share of Independent Print from 11% December 2010 to 22% December 2011 NRS early estimates reveal 368,000 readers. 2.3 readers per copy and 73% ABC1 readers confirmed the i as a quality newspaper with a quality audience."
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?
Th message from Nick Cleggs tells us that the ideologies and values behind the i newspaper is that they like to excel and make their news and short to the point and don't want to make people bored. So it takes politics seriously and reports it well. It tries to give a balanced point of view. It is a newspaper that has survived well for 5 years even though a lot of newspaper companies are shutting down.
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"?
This is because the Daily Mail is very right wing and reports things from only one point of view. Also the way they report the news, it is like they chuck a whole lot of news at you in one go and you won't really understand what is going on in the story. Then people get pressurised because they want to do other things bu they want to catch up on the news but the news stories in the Daily Mail where they get there news from is to long. If you compare that to the i the articles are quite short and to the point so it doesn't put peoples blood pressure up to read all of it. Also, they give a balanced argument and different viewpoint about politics.
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?
Boris Johnson: A success story in modern newspapers deserves a birthday drink.
David Cameron: I love i. It’s a good read and handy size. When I’m not cycling, it’s the perfect read from Finsbury Park to Westminster by train.
Gerry Pimm: Only just started reading i. Love it. Proper news, no junk like other papers.
The audience pleasures that the newspaper provides for the audience is personal identity, diversification surveillance. It is a paper that people learn things from.
4) Scroll down towards the bottom of the article. What are the campaigns that i have run since their launch in 2010?
iVote (ongoing)
Back to School (ongoing)
Homeless Veterans appeal (2014)
Elephant Appeal (2013)
Child Soldiers (2012)
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?
Also it tells you that the values and ideologies of the i newspaper are different. They don't just focus on politics. They focus on things like helping the homeless, children getting in to the army, helping animals and doing projects, and helping young kids in their education.It tells you that the readership of i is scattered from young to old because it supports most age groups.
6) What did the critics say when the paper was first launched? Why did many think the paper would fail?
The Independent has opted to create an additional brand aimed at increasing its overall market share and complementing its existing title. Except that won’t happen. For all the talk of a new brand for a new target segment, i is actually going to be produced by the same journalists that work on the current paper. The reality for The Independent is that it cannot afford to actually create and deliver a distinct product for this segment. And even if it could, this elusive target segment wouldn’t buy it anyway. Not only will i fail, it will leave The Independent in even worse shape. Like most companies launching a “sister brand” to alleviate poor sales, The Independent is about to learn that the last thing it needed was a new brand. At its launch last week, there was much debate about exactly what i actually stood for. Can I suggest irrelevant, ill-conceived and, ultimately, ill-fated.
7) Choose three quotes from the critics' reviews and discuss whether these viewpoints remain valid today.
The Independent lays an egg – but will i fly?
Can i crack the newspaper market?
i lives up to its name – it’s a digest of its big brother
I think that these points are not valid today because they have been proved wrong because the newspaper has been very successful and has survived.
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?
It tells you that the values and ideologies are good and they have a combination of them because the audience are appreciating different pages and it tells you that readers have different interests and people still read the rest of the paper.
Johnston Press background and research
Read this history of Johnston Press and the news of its impending break-up from veteran Guardian media correspondent Roy Greenslade.
1) How did the company begin?
The company had began Among the thousands of titles founded in towns and cities across Britain was the Falkirk Herald, which was soon acquired by a local printing business run by Archibald Johnston. He, and the two sons who followed him as head of the firm, were not moved to buy more titles. Owning a paper in one’s own area brought its own rewards. The Herald campaigned successfully for Falkirk to be granted municipal borough status, and the consequent creation of a more democratic and efficient political system benefited the whole community. From 1882, Archibald’s youngest son, Frederick, was the Herald’s publisher for 53 years. He gradually improved the paper’s status, its profitability and its circulation before founding an offshoot, the Linlithgow Gazette, to serve the neighbouring county.
2) What did Johnston Press do in the 1980s and 1990s?
Johnston Press in the 1980s and 1990s had decided to expand. Then, in 1962, Frederick Johnston III joined the business. Known to everyone as Freddy, he is as nice a man as you could ever hope to meet; modest, benevolent, polite to a fault, the very opposite of what people imagine makes a media titan. In his early years at the helm of Johnston Press, his running of the company reflected his personality.
He accepted that expansion was the way to go, but his financial advisers could see that his heart was not really in it, and he also lacked the know-how. They applauded his decision to float the company on the stock market in 1988, achieving an initial value of £22m. But City analysts, pumped up with forecasts about super-profits available from regional newspaper advertising revenue, thought the company should be achieving even more than its £65m valuation by 1994. It must grow bigger, and bigger.
3) List some of the regional newspapers owned by Johnston Press in its history (you may need to research this separately beyond Greenslade's article).
Arbroath Herald
Banbury Guardian
Batley & Birstall News
Bellshill Speaker
Berwick Advertiser
Biggleswade Chronicle
Blackpool Gazette
Bognor Regis Observer
Bridlington Free Press
Brighton & Hove Independent
Buckingham Advertiser
Bucks Herald
Burnley Express
Buxton Advertiser
Carrick Gazette
Chichester Observer
Chorley Guardian
Crawley Observer
Cumbernauld News
Daventry Express
Dewsbury Reporter
Diss Express
Dinnington Guardian
Doncaster Free Press
Edinburgh Evening News
Edinburgh Herald and Post
Eastbourne Herald
East Grinstead Gazette
Ellon Times
Falkirk Herald
Fife Free Press
Fife Herald & Post
Fife Leader
Filey Mercury
Fleetwood Weekly News
Galloway Gazette
Gainsborough Standard
Glasgow South and Eastwood Extra
Green Un (Sheffield)
Halifax Courier
Harborough Mail
Hartlepool Mail
Harrogate Advertiser
Hemel Hempstead Gazette
Hemsworth and South Elmsall Express
Horncastle News
The i
Kilsyth Chronicle
Lanark Gazette
Lancashire Evening Post
Lancaster Guardian
Lancaster Visitor
Lancing Herald
Leyland Guardian
Leamington Courier
Leighton Buzzard Observer
Littlehampton Gazette
Luton News
Lytham St Annes Express
Market Rasen Mail
Malton & Pickering Mercury
Mansfield Chad
Mirfield Reporter
Milngavie and Bearsden Herald[16]
Milton Keynes Citizen
Montrose Review
Morecambe Visitor
Morpeth Herald
Motherwell Times
News Guardian
News Post Leader
The News (Portsmouth)
Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph
Northampton Chronicle & Echo
Northumberland Gazette
Paisley and Renfrewshire Extra (now defunct)[17]
Perth Herald & Post
Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Pocklington Post
Retford Guardian
Rugby Advertiser
Scarborough News
Scotland on Sunday
The Scotsman
Sheffield Star
Sheffield Telegraph
Shields Gazette
Shoreham Herald
Skegness Standard
Spilsby Standard
Stornoway Gazette
Sunderland Echo
Sussex Express
Times & Citizen (Bedford)
Todmorden News
The Visitor (Morecambe, Lancs)
Westend Extra (Glasgow)
West Lothian Herald & Post
West Sussex County Times
West Sussex Gazette
Wetherby News
Whitby Gazette
Wigan Evening Post
Worksop Guardian
Worthing Herald
Yorkshire Evening Post
Yorkshire Post
4) What happened to Johnston Press in the 2000s to the present day?
The Johnston Press in the 2000s to the present day have become huge and a lot of people have invested in the company and the deal with huge figures in terms of buying and selling newspapers in mega deals. A lot of many and debt and they couldn't really pay them because enough people weren't reading the paper. It was also disrupting the banking and financial crisis in 2008.
5) How does Greenslade see the future of Johnston Press - and what might happen to the i newspaper?
Greenslade thinks that Now, inevitably, the company will be broken up. Rival companies, themselves facing eventual extinction, will seek to prolong their lives by acquiring favoured pieces of the Johnston holdings. It is highly likely that some papers will vanish. What, for instance, will happen to Archibald Johnston’s Falkirk Herald? Business was so much less complex in his day, was it not? He thinks that the i newspaper will shut down and vanish like the other ones.
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?
The regional published Johnston Press had bought the i for £24 million pounds which was part of a deal.
2) Who did Johnston Press buy the i from?
Johnston Press had bought the i from Evgeny Lebedev. He is a millionaire who is Russian and in charge of a company called ESI Media.
3) What did the sale signal for the Independent newspaper?
The sale had signalled to the Independent Newspaper that they had to close down their print edition of
their newspaper.
4) What reasons were provided by Johnston Press CEO Ashley Highfield for buying the i?
The reasons that were provided by Johnston Press CEO Ashley Highfield for buying the i was because it will increase and represents a significant growth opportunity for Johnston Press in terms of national print and digital advertising revenue, also allow them to grow digital audiences and revenues through the creation of inews.co.uk and help promote their brand and other newspaper that JP own.
5) 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.
One comment on this article is "So JP have bought something and at the same time killed something off. Wunderbar." They criticise the purchase buy saying that something has been bought and something else had to sacrifice for that to happen which was the Independent print version. Another comment is "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.". They are saying that JP are finding excuses to spend the money on resources for the company saying that they don't have enough and then go and spend it, by buying a newspaper. Final comment is Won’t this look great on Ashley’s CV when he strolls into some other super duper executive role? Meanwhile the jobs of countless journalists smoulder in his wake. Job done." This comment is saying that Ashley won't get a better job when people see that on his CV and he has ruined jobs for Journalists and all that rely's on his shoulders now.
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?
Pittsburgh Synagogue shooting
Philip Green harassment claims untrue
Strictly Come Dancing has thee times ratings of X Factor
MPs want Universal Credit roll out halted
Jamie Oliver says he has no more money to bail out his restaurants
2) How is the homepage designed? Do you see similarities with the print edition?
The homepage is manageable, pictures are used to represent stories and the headlines tell the story as well.
3) Are there examples of ‘clickbait’? What are they?
'Simpsons Ap may be written out'
Jamie Oliver businesses shutting down
Worlds richest people made more money than ever last year
Beyonce urged to withdraw business partnership with Philip Green
4) To what extent do the stories you have found on inews.co.uk reflect the values and ideologies of the i newspaper?
There is a lot of celebrity news here which takes away from the ideologies - there are some political hard news stories. The most popular tab however is mostly soft news.
5) What similarities and differences are there between MailOnline and the i newspaper website?
The website does go on for a small bit but nowhere near as much as MailOnline.
It isn't cluttered with news, it's evenly spaced out with four on a line with little text - just the headline.
It does have the top bar of news topics e.g. lifestyle, sport.
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?
--> No, it does feature quite a bit of clickbait at the start.
2) He states the website will "stick very closely to the brand values of the i". What are these?
High quality content
Pleasing design
Balanced comment/opinion
Manageable layout
Affordable price
3) How does he claim inews.co.uk will differ from online rival Buzzfeed?
It won't chase traffic for the site, it will maintain its political independence.
4) What audience does Highfield want the website to target?
An older and more affluent audience.
5) Why is the millennial audience less attractive?
Students haven't got any money to buy papers as they have student loans and also tend to use ad block which decreases revenue.
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