Reading tabloids : tabloid newspapers and their readers

Abstract

Widely read and highly controversial, tabloid newspapers are often criticized for sensationalizing, trivializing and simplifying journalism. At the heart of debates about media standards, they continue to cause concern about the impact of popular news formats on society at large. Yet, there is little research into how tabloid newspapers are viewed by their readers. Why are they popular? What do readers think about tabloid scandals and sensationalism? What is the attraction of celebrity stories? Do readers trust tabloid news coverage? Reading Tabloids examines British tabloid newspapers from an audience perspective. Drawing on focus groups and interviews with readers of the popular tabloids the Sun and the Daily Mirror, as well as incorporating a textual analysis of the two papers, it explores how interpretations take place in an everyday inter-play between the newspapers and their readers. The book offers a new perspective on tabloid journalism, of value to those interested in the press, the news media and popular culture in contemporary society.

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