Blog tasks: The Times case study - Audience and Industries

 Audience

1) What is the main readership demographic for The Times newspaper? Add as much detail as you can.

    The Times target audience is older with over half the audience aged 55+. In terms of social class, they are overwhelmingly in the ABC1 social classes - 62% from social group AB. This means Times readers are likely to be professionals, managers or company owners. They are likely to be in the Succeeder psychographic group.

2) What aspects of the front page of the Times CSP edition suggest that their readers are likely to be more educated and interested in hard news rather than entertainment?

   The front page of the times is of politicians , suggesting that readers of the times like to be well versed in politics and are interested in world affairs.

3) Times readers are mostly over 55 years old. Why is this and how is this reflected or challenged by the new stories in the CSP pages we have studied?  

    This is because most older people want to read news that is interesting to them which is mostly news about the economic state of the world. This reflects in the Times news stories. 

4) What are the main audience pleasures offered by the Times? Use Blumler & Katz Uses and Gratifications theory.

   Surveillance/Information  and Personal Identity 

5) Why might a reader enjoy this CSP edition of the Times? Use Blumler & Katz Uses and Gratifications theory categories and write as detailed an analysis as you can.

  The main reason people might identify personally with the times newspaper is because they endorse the conservative party as they themselves support them, the audience may also identify with  surveillance/information as the times is a broadsheet newspaper which delivers hard news. 

Industries

1) Who owns the Times? Write the name of the company AND the billionaire who owns the company.
 

The Times is owned by News UK (a subsidiary of News Corporation). News Corporation is a conglomerate mostly owned by Rupert Murdoch, an Australian media mogul with many business interests worldwide such as the Fox network in the USA.  

     
2) What was the The Times's circulation in 2019? How many papers did the Times used to sell back in the 1990s?

    he Times circulation in 2019 was 376,000, down 12% in a year and much lower than the high point of over 800,000 in the 1990s. Since 2020, The Sun and The Times have not published their circulation figures, perhaps to prevent knowledge of how many readers they have lost.

3) How has the Times reacted to the decline in print sales and the growth of the internet?

    Moved towards a multi-platform landscape. This means that it publishes and synchronises across its print, desktop and mobile platforms.

4) What does IPSO stand for and what is IPSO's job?

   Independent Press Standards Organisation, it's job is to:

• Regulate 1500 print and 1100 online titles.
• Listen to complaints about press behaviour.
• Help with unwanted press attention.
• Advise publication editors .
• Provide information to the public.
• Provide a journalist whistleblowing hotline.

5) Why do some people want stronger regulation of British newspapers? 

   some people argue that the newspaper industry cannot be trusted to regulate itself using IPSO and that stronger, statutory regulation should be introduced instead. This would also implement the recommendations of the Leveson Inquiry which followed the phone-hacking scandal.