A Comparison of Broadsheets vs. Tabloids

A Comparison of Broadsheets vs. Tabloids

There are two main types of newspaper which are on sale in this

country. The first type is known as broadsheets. Examples of this

include The Guardian, The Teligraph and The Observer. The second type

is known as tabloids and examples include The Sun, The Daily Star and

The Sport. Within the tabloids category is a ‘middle brow’ section,

The Daily Express and The Daily Mail. Which uses elements of both

types of newspapers.

There are many differences between tabloid newspapers, also known as

‘red tops’, and the more highbrow broadsheets. One of the most

obvious differences is the size of the papers. Broadsheets are A1 in

size and tabloids are a smaller A3. The type of information given by

the papers is also very different. Tabloids usually have less

detailed articles and the stories are more sensational and sexual in

content. Also oddity articles which are strange stories such as

‘giant fish eats cat’ are only likely to appear in the tabloids.

Tabloids are also written in a larger font and use simple language,

and the stories are likely to be short and sharp to grab the reader’s

attention. This is because the target audience for the tabloids is

younger and lower class. Broadsheet articles on the other hand are

more political and financial in content and tend to be quite lengthy.

Also the language used is more complex. This is because the target

audience for this type of newspaper tends to be more educated people,

older and of higher class.

Comparing the two newspaper front pages which I have been asked to

consider, one being a tabloid, the Daily Mirror, and the other being a

broadsheet, The Times, there are a number of significant differences.

On the front page of the Daily Mirror there is a lot of detail making

it look very ‘busy’, and it is pictures which are dominant. All the

pictures are of people, and all the subjects are looking straight at