Audience of chosen example (Eg. Daily Mirror)

Audience of chosen example (Eg. Daily Mirror)

Understanding the Audience of the Daily Mirror

Demographic Details

  • The Daily Mirror predominantly targets a working class readership. As such, the content is aimed towards addressing their interests and concerns.
  • Both its news coverage and feature sections have a strong focus on lifestyle content, typically including health, fitness, fashion and relationships.
  • The newspaper targets adults, with a core demographic of readers between the ages of 35-64 years old.
  • Statistically, the gender split of the readership is roughly even, however, certain sections of the paper may target one gender more than the other. For example, the sports pages are more likely to appeal to male readers.

Political Orientation

  • Historically, the Daily Mirror has lent towards a left-wing political standpoint, supporting the Labour Party in most general elections.
  • This political orientation shapes the newspaper’s news values, affecting which stories are selected, how they are presented, and the interpretations promoted.

Readership and Consumption Habits

  • The Daily Mirror is traditionally a print newspaper. However, like many other print media outlets, the Mirror’s readership has moved increasingly online, particularly among younger demographics.
  • The Mirror has adapted to this shift in its audience’s consumption habits, offering content via its website, social media platforms, and even a mobile app.
  • It is important to understand this multi-platform approach as it impacts content, format, and presentation.

Readers’ Expectations

  • Given the newspaper’s political leanings and its working class demographic, readers expect the Daily Mirror to offer critical views of the Conservative Party and supportive views of the Labour Party.
  • Readers also expect a mix of serious, politically important news alongside sensational, tabloid-style stories and sections devoted to lifestyle, entertainment, and sports. -The use of colloquial, conversational language and a focus on human interest stories are also expected features of the Daily Mirror, reflecting its intent to be relatable and appealing to its target readership.

Influence of Audience on Content

  • Knowing the audience is crucial to producing content that retains existing readers and attracts new ones. The Mirror’s content, style, and presentation are all influenced by its understanding of its readers’ interests, political beliefs, lifestyle, and reading habits.
  • With its shift to digital platforms, new audience engagement strategies are employed such as interactive content, real-time updates, video content, and more, to cater to the evolving news consumption habits of readers.