Newspapers: The Guardian CSP

The Guardian CSP: Blog tasks

Work through the following tasks to complete your case study on the Guardian newspaper and website. 

The Guardian newspaper and website analysis

Use your own purchased copy plus the notable front pages above to answer the following questions - bullet points/note form is fine. 

1) What are the most significant front-page headlines seen in the Guardian in recent years?

Their Brexit Cover. Another cover is Phone hacking. scandal which brought about the Leveson Inquiry. Finally, Boris Johnson's Partygate scandal

2) Ideology and audience: What ideologies are present in the Guardian? Is the audience positioned to respond to stories in a certain way?

They are very supportive of Labour and oppose the Conservatives. However, the Guardian is even sometimes critical of Labour, especially with their recent tax cuts on benefits for disabled people. Have enraged supporters of Labour as this tax cut is very opposed of the liberal ideology.

3) How do the Guardian editions/stories you have studied reflect British culture and society?

The Guardian's content reflects British culture and society by showcasing a wide range of perspectives, including those of marginalized communities, and by focusing on issues of social justice, political analysis, and cultural trends, while also providing a platform for diverse voices and opinions. 

Now visit the Guardian newspaper website and look at a few stories before answering these questions:

1) What are the top stories? Are they examples of soft news or hard news?

They are a clear example of hard news in the Guardian. Their recent top stories are mostly about Palestine and Israel conflict or Donald Trump, and finally the Ukraine and Russia war.

2) To what extent do the stories you have found on the website reflect the values and ideologies of the Guardian?

I do believe that their stories massively reflect their values and ideologies of the Guardian. As there is a significant amount of hard news and a very progressive point of view on their stories.

3) Think about audience appeal and gratifications: what would an audience enjoy about the Guardian newspaper website?

A reliable, trustworthy, and progressive perspective that many audiences relate with. Surveillance as well. 

The Guardian newspaper Factsheet

Read Media Factsheet #257 The Guardian Newspaper. 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) Who owns the Guardian and what is their ownership designed to achieve? 

the Guardian is owned by GMG. It is designed to achieve to secure the financial and editorial independence of the Guardian and safeguard the journalistic freedom and liberal values.

2) How is the Guardian regulated? Note its very unusual regulatory approach and give examples where you can. 

The Guardian decided not to be a part of IPSO(voluntary regulation). Therefore, they independently regulate themselves..

3) Pick out some key statistics on the Guardian's audience (see beginning of page 2).

 The demographic of the readership is 86% ABC1. Fifty-four percent of The Guardian readers are male, and the average age of the print reader is 54.

4) What are the institutional values of the Guardian? What does it stand for?   

Guardian Media Group is a global news organisation that delivers fearless, investigative journalism – giving a voice to the powerless and holding power to account. Our independent ownership structure means we are entirely free from political and commercial influence. Our values determine the stories we choose to cover – relentlessly and courageously.

5) How is the Guardian's international audience described? See the end of page 2 and pick out some more useful statistics here about their audience.

• 79% men / 21% women

• 89% degree educated or above

• Average age: 44

• 34% are expats

• 66% are daily visitors to the site

• More than 1 in 4 earn €58k+ (in Europe, or $100k+

in the rest of the world)

• 26% have £100k+ in savings and investments

• International business people, who have budget

responsibilities and who travel frequently

• More than 1 in 4 are C-Suite or director level

• 42% are responsible for budget expenditure at work

• 61% travel on business (73% of these take 3+ business

flights a year)

6) Now look at page 3 of the factsheet and the Guardian online. Select a few examples of the different sections of the website and copy them here. 

• Headlines • Spotlight • Sport

• Newsletters • Climate Crisis • Tip us Off

• Take Part • Explore • In Pictures

• Culture • Lifestyle • Video

• Opinion • Editorials and Letters

• From the UK • Around the World

• Most Viewed

7) What different international editions of the Guardian's website are available, and what example stories are provided as examples of this?

The UK edition on April 29th leads with a story about the resignation of the BBC Chair Richard Sharp, who allegedly provided a “secret” £800,000 loan to former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

8) What is the Guardian's funding model? Do you think it is sustainable? 

• The sale of the print newspaper – although it is clear that print news is declining rapidly and the costs associated with print make it less profitable and attractive to advertisers.

• Digital subscriptions – the newspaper offers a range of packages to suit different economic groups.

• Patron support with exclusive offers.

9) What is the Cotton Capital Commission, and how does it link to the Guardian's values and ideologies?

“The Cotton Capital” is investigative journalism, coupled with what amounts to a historical autobiography of the newspaper. it is a fascinating read that utilises a range of literary techniques to tell the story of the newspaper’s past.

10) What audience and industry theories could be applied to the Guardian? How? 

[Blumer and Katz] of information, surveillance, and entertainment. Through many conflicts around the world that many may not know about so the Guardian is there to report that through investigative journalism.

Media Magazine articles

Media Magazine has two excellent features on our newspaper CSPs - a focus on Guardian front pages and a comparison of how the Guardian and Daily Mail cover the same story in different ways. You need to read both articles - MM78 (page 12) and MM87 (page 20) - our Media Magazine archive is here. Answer the following questions:

MM78 - The Guardian

1) What are the Pandora Papers and how does the story fit with the Guardian's ethos, values and ideologies?  

The pandora papers combined with the continuation in iconography, signals a big story, one with many strands that needs to be reported on over a period of time. It is now clearly badged with a name, giving it added status: the Pandora Papers. 

2) Pick out all the key statistics and quotes from the section on the Guardian's funding model. In particular, the fall in paper readership, the rise in digital readership and the number of contributors paying to support the journalism. 

July 2021 sales averaged 105,135 copies per day (down from 248,775 10 years ago). it had 3.5 million readers per day online and 129 million monthly visits.

3) What does it mean when it says the Guardian frames regular payments from readers as a "philanthropic act". 

From donating to the Guardian, millions can benefit from open access to quality news and analysis, regardless of their ability to pay for it. Exposing more corrupt politicians or influencers.

4) What is the Scott Trust and do you think it is a sustainable model for newspaper ownership in the future? 

The Trust operates for profit, but all money is ploughed back into the newspaper. It ensures that editorial interests remain free from commercial pressures. The paper’s journalists, under the terms of the trust, must strive to maintain the liberal traditions and investigative principles upon which it was founded.

5) Why is the Guardian criticised as hypocritical? Give some specific examples here.

Liberalism is entirely compatible with capitalism and so allows its supporters to accrue wealth and power. In calling for a fairer, more equal society, within capitalist structures, it also gets to hold the moral high-ground – a form of power in its own right, and one that can be particularly galling for people on middle or low incomes, forced to engage with some of the more unsavoury elements of life in a capitalist society in order to earn a living.

MM87 - The Daily Mail and the Guardian front page analysis

1) What are the stories featured on the Guardian and Daily Mail on November 10, 2023? 

Rishi Sunak for the Guardian and Prince Harry for the Daily Mail.

2) How do they reflect the values and ideologies of the two newspapers?

Hard news and soft news. One does It for the clicks the other for their integrity.

3) Why does the writer suggest the front-page images on both papers might be exploitative? Do you agree? 

Yea as they do need to attract their audience although Daily Mail is much more shameless when it comes to doing this their front page images do attract a significant audience.

4) What else does the writer suggest regarding the Daily Mail's front-page image of murdered teacher Ashling Murphy? 

As a stand against immigration and how foreigners are the only ones committing these heinous crimes and how deporting all immigrants would make Britiain safer.

5) How does the rest of the Guardian's front page (features on Yoko Ono and Todd Haynes) reflect the values and ideologies of Guardian readers?   

Need page number.