The Parts of a newspaper and its sections Tend to vary depending on the day of the week, frequency and type of publication. However, some of them can be clearly defined, especially those found on the front page, such as the header, the log, logo, motto, and directory (Publications, 1993).
With respect to the sections that may vary according to the date of publication, generally, those editions that are delivered on Sundays are divided into more parts or sections than those that are distributed on any other day of the week, Sunday being the day presented More content to readers.
Typically, a newspaper is divided internally into several sections that can include local news, international news, business and economy, sports, politics, environment, classifieds, interviews, opinion columns, readers' letters, entertainment, art and culture, Events, television guide and society, among others (Soong, 1997).
All sections that a newspaper can have are not mandatory. Some newspapers can count on all these parts and others can ignore them. A newspaper can also be supported by magazines and supplements that supplement you for specific days of the week.
However, most newspapers have a similar structure, the cover tends to be diagrammed in a similar way and inside there is usually a news section (local and international), an opinion section, an entertainment section, a sports section, And finally, one of classified (McMillan, 2010).
Each part of a newspaper in turn is subdivided into other parts. For example, the news section will be formed by news, each with a headline, a photo-report, a caption, an entry and a body.
Different parts of a newspaper
The news section
The news section is usually the first to be found when opening a newspaper. This is because the reason for being a newspaper is to present the current news to the public. It would not make sense to publish a newspaper without news, for this reason, these are the most important of the publication and have a leading place.
The front or front page is one of the most significant parts of a newspaper. In it you can see a summary of the most important news, some stories related to the local community, state or national and international events.
On the front page you can find the showcase, a small part where you will list some relevant news treated in the publication (Academy, 2017).
- Local and international news
The first part of a newspaper is dedicated to national and local news. This news must cover the region or city to which the newspaper is directed. Subsequently, there is an international news section, where the most important news topics are dealt with worldwide.
Within the section devoted to national news, there is a novelty that will be the most relevant of the publication. This news will be dedicated the first pages of the newspaper and will have a leading presence on the front page, where you will be assigned a striking headline and will point out the most important aspects of the news event.
All the news has at its beginning a headline and a small section highlighting the first lines of the text. The headline and the first lines should give the reader clues about the total content of the news, so that he can understand what happens just by browsing the lines.
It is essential to keep in mind that news should always have an objective tone. This is the basis of the ideology of a newspaper, for this reason it becomes essential the presence of sources and witnesses that can give reason of the events that are related and corroborate that the data provided to the reader are certain.
- Photo reports
Within the news section you can find photo-reports. These are the ones in charge of creating images that can support the development of an event. In the case of newspapers, photo-reports are composed of static images.
Photos included in any news should have a caption on the bottom. This is a strip containing a phrase that accompanies each photograph and gives a brief explanation of what is being shown in the image and sometimes includes the name of the photographer.
The opinion section
After the news section you can find the opinion section. The main objective of this section is to provide a style of decentralized reporting where journalists and writers can share their opinions on various issues in the form of editorials.
Editorial journalism allows the writing of columns, whose intention is to persuade the reader to think in a way or to question a particular situation. Publishers can discuss topics related to local, national or international issues.
The opinion section almost always includes articles written by well-known writers or journalists. Likewise, this section includes letters to the newspaper's editors with which readers can generate their own opinions about the issues published in the newspaper. Editorial cartoons are found in this section. (Fink, 1988)
Editorial Cartoons
An editorial cartoon is also known as a political caricature. This illustration is usually a graphic whose content is based on a social or political message that speaks of a current event or personality.
Political caricatures can be found in the opinion section of almost every newspaper, dealing mostly with visual metaphors that seek to explain a complex political situation or try to summarize an event in a fun or emotional way.
The sports section
The sports section of any newspaper contains information related to local and international sporting events. It may include events of minor relevance such as youth and college tournaments, especially in the case of smaller newspapers.
The news related to the national sports leagues are in this section. Sometimes it is emphasized more in some sports than in others, depending on the day of the week in which it is published in newspaper. The most important events are usually found in the weekend editions.
In many newspapers, the sports department is not taken seriously, as it is considered that sport is not serious enough. However, coverage of sporting events has become more important in recent years.
In this way, sports journalism has become an essential element in structuring a newspaper, including team reports, athlete biographies and relevant game statistics. Some athletes even agree to receive reporters from newspapers in order to support their work.
The entertainment section
The entertainment section of a newspaper includes information and articles focused on different cultural aspects. You can find stories related to human interest stories, where social interaction between individuals is discussed from an emotional perspective.
This section presents the current cultural events, addresses the social problems of people, their concerns and achievements in a way that will attract the interest and the sympathy of the readers.
This is where you will find information related to famous people or popular culture. You can see the cinema billboard, find the horoscope, advice columns or different games like crosswords or soups of letters.
Supplements and magazines are sometimes considered extensions of this part of a newspaper, so that you can try deeper topics related to fashion or interviews with local or international celebrities.
Almost always it is here where they deal with topics related to gastronomy, latest trends, music, cinema, theater, fun, among other interests.
The classifieds section
The classified section is considered a form of advertising quite common in newspapers, both printed and virtual. This section promotes and offers different products and services. It is an advertising model that allows individuals or companies to seek buyers and sellers of all types of products.
Classified ads are short essays that do not include images and provide basic information about a product or service and a contact number. Sometimes the contact name, address and a more detailed description of the product can be included. Although images should not be included, you can sometimes include the logo of a company within the publication.
This part of a newspaper receives this name because the different ads contained in this section are grouped by classes.
In this way, there are small titles within the classified section that list the classes of products or services offered. Some common titles may include accounting services, automobiles, job offers, clothing, food, sales, purchases and leases, among others.
The classifieds are different from the boxes and spaces dedicated to advertising different products and services inside a newspaper (the ear), as they do not include graphics and their layout is basic and the same for all ads.
Classified ads can be purchased at low cost. However, in countries like the United States, the general income from the purchase of classified ads amounts annually to 30 trillion dollars.
With the appearance of virtual newspapers, the presence of classified ads on the Internet has increased and the presence of classified in printed media has decreased.
Other Parts of a Newspaper
There are other necessary parts within the structure of a newspaper, useful to ensure its clarity and coherence. Each of these parts makes it possible to deliver information in a readable form to the public. Also, each part fulfills a specific function that helps identify the different within a newspaper.
- Front page
The cover or front page of a newspaper is the most visible part of it. It contains the most important information of the day and serves as an introductory letter to the content of the publication (Press, 2017).
Only the most important news are selected to appear on the front page. Likewise, it is in this part of the newspaper that other important parts of the publication are located, such as the head, ear, date, slogan, logo and information related to those responsible for the publication and the data Of the newspaper.
- The header
The head is essential for the identification of any newspaper. It is always located at the top of the cover and includes the name of the newspaper, its slogan and logo.
- Ear
The ear and ear in a newspaper consists of all the advertisements that readers can find on the cover or front page of the newspaper. These advertisements are usually located at the top and bottom of the cover, giving information about businesses, products and commercial services.
- Stripe Strip
Usually we can find in the bottom or side of the header a strip where the reader is told the date of publication of the newspaper.
- Motto and logo
These two elements accompany the head and reinforce the message that the newspaper wants to give readers and the memory of it.
The motto is located under the head and denotes that attitude differentiating the philosophy of the newspaper. The logo, on the other hand, is the image that identifies the brand of the newspaper.
- Directory and writing team
These two spaces located on the cover of a newspaper include relevant information on the contact information of the newspaper and the team in charge of writing its content.
At the top of the front page we can find the e-mail of the newspaper, its physical and web address, as well as the way to contact the company.
On the other hand, at the bottom of the newspaper can be found the list of those responsible for the editorial staff, which includes the director, deputy director, editors, photographers and technical and administrative staff.
References
- Academy, M.H. (March 18, 2017). Open Highschool Courses. Retrieved from Parts of a Newspaper: openhighschoolcourses.org.
- Fink, C.C. (1988). Editorial Section. In C. C. Fink, Strategic Newspaper Management (page 159). New York: Random House.
- MacMillan, D. (2010). Estimating with the Newspaper. Mankato: Capstone Press.
- Press, C. U. (2017). Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved from the front-page: dictionary.cambridge.org.
- Publications, R. (1993). Newspaper Broken Into Small Parts. In R. Publications, Comprehending the Newspaper (page 3). Greenwood: R.I.C. Publications.
- Soong, R. (December 16, 1997). Zona Latina. Retrieved from Newspaper Sectional Reading: zonalatina.com.