Media language of the form

Media Language of Newspapers

Headlines commonly use terse, succinct language with powerful verbs and adjectives to attract reader interest.
News stories may be written with a formal register, using Standard English, complex sentences and specialised vocabulary.
The use of jargon can establish authority and credibility, but may also alienate some readers. Language must be carefully adjusted to align with the newspaper’s target audience.
Terms of address may reflect the newspaper’s intended audience, with tabloids more likely to use colloquial and conversational language, while broadsheets might employ a more formal, impartial tone.

News articles often adopt the ‘inverted pyramid’ structure where important information is given first, followed by less critical details. This format allows for stories to be cut from the bottom without losing essential details.
The placement of articles, photos, adverts and other content on the page convey priorities and hierarchies of news value.
Headlines and subheadings provide a summary of the story and also serve to attract attention. Subheadings can break up long texts, making them more appealing for reading.
Captions or cutlines give context to photographs or diagrams, acting as a supplement to text articles.
The newspaper’s masthead (title at front page top) and taglines contribute to the overall identity and branding of the publication, helping to establish its personality and reader relationships.

Photos and illustrations have the power to enhance or alter the reader’s interpretation of an article.
The way individuals are depicted in photographs, their poses, expressions and the situations they are in, can strongly influence impressions and convey underlying meanings.
The size and placement of an image can imply its significance relative to text content.
Use of infographics can summarise complex information in a visually engaging and easy-to-digest format.

Font types and sizes can signal the importance of information, create visual interest and guide reader navigation through the page.
Bold and italic styles, as well as the use of coloured text, can be used to emphasise particular points.
The font choice for headlines and subheadlines plays a significant role in setting the visual tone of the news story.
Caption text often has a smaller font size than regular body text, signalling its supplementary role.