Abstract
This
study examined the influence of graphics in newspaper publication. Previous
research has shown that images used in publications can greatly influence a
reader’s attitude about the content, with large, vivid imaging enhancing recall
and being viewed more favourably. This study sought to find if images used in
the news media can influence readership and preferences. Results of the study
revealed that sufficient evidence exists to support the influence that images
with a caption can exert on readers’ attitudes compared to text only. It also
showed that the graphic qualities exert great influence on engagement levels
than text alone and that images elicit greater affect and attraction.
Emphasis
is being placed on the newspaper design and graphics. Most Nigerian newspapers
have made changes in the appearance of their paper in the hopes of attracting
more readers and holding on to the ones they already have. While research on
publication design has been conducted for quite some time, more research is
being done on the importance of graphics to the survival of newspapers’ growth.
As this contributes to the enlargement of readership leading to more income
scale and popularity.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Graphics,
be it headline, chart, callouts, shapes, graphs, photograph, images, colour,
cut-lines, line, text, plays prominent roles in newspaper and print media
generally, such that it influences readers to purchase a particular newspaper.
Graphics communicates messages even to the illiterates; it also draws the
attention of readers to the most prominent news and issues, especially when
placed on the front page of a newspaper, while it’s also used to set agenda on
what public will debate upon. In fact, the headline scanners and graphics
scanner always find it easy to know the most important news of the day. The
print media industry is a very competitive market where there are varieties of
print materials (Newspapers, Tabloids, Bulletins, Magazine, Handbills, Tracts
etc.).
Therefore,
the print industry, especially the newspaper industry, uses graphics as a
prominent instrument to draw the attention of readers to their paper,
especially when placed on the front page. This however leads the customers to
the purchase of that paper. This mean that graphic communicate message than a
thousand words. More so, in this present dispensation, the role graphics is
playing in the overall appearance of a newspaper cannot be underestimated.
Research has shown that newspapers deploy graphics as a tool to lure readers
into purchasing their various newspapers, which has drawn emphasis to newspaper
design and front page make-up.
Graphics
as imagery helps with visualization. The visualization has some functions such
as to communicate complex data (Wojtkowski & Wojtkowski, 2002 in Segel
& Heer, 2010), to illustrate, and clarify complicated data (Holsanova,
Holmberg, & Holmqvist, 2008). Sometimes a news story looks rigid, then it
needs visualization to give emotional touch (Hanser, Kevitt, Lunney, &
Condell, 2010).
In
present days, visualization is also important to shape meaning (Weber &
Rall, 2016). The other functions of visualization are among others to depict
news story, to support news story, overview function, and decorative function
(Volsdal, 2011). Visual also has the role of telling, explaining and persuading
(Normah & Faridah, 2018). Long news story will be apprehended easily when
it was visualized infographics. With such visualization, people could figure
out and imagine easily the story.
Therefore,
in some cases, the content of visualization should be prepared carefully. The
information content of visualization could be text and its variations,
pictures, and graphics (Holsanova et al., 2008). Visualization can also
emphasize point or value in the news story. In other words, infographic
communicates data to public visually. Graphic is not just a matter of
aesthetic. The content of graphic also has to really describe the news story.
Hence, the making of journalism graphic should involve the journalist as a fact
finder. It is the result of a close collaboration between a graphic designer,
an illustrator, and two journalists (Weber & Rall, 2016).
The
involvement of journalists is needed to describe the story that will be
visualized. It is an interesting thing when readers now prefer visualized news
story. And the question for this paper is whether journalism culture is also shifting
to be more visual with infographic. Visual designers will carry out the making
of graphic, but the material comes from journalists. If journalists have
realized the change in community, there will be a change in journalism. In the
past, journalists wrote news stories with text and explained some events
through text narration.
With
emphasis on graphics, Hartley, (1990) argued that more emphasis is being paid
to newspaper design more specifically, making the front page look good, to
increase reader satisfaction and circulation. More so that the newspaper
industry is a very competitive sector. Graphic design is the art or profession
of combining text, pictures, and ideas in advertisements, publication, or
website. Wikipedia (2015) defined graphic design as a creative process that
combines art and technology to communicate ideas. However, designers work with
a variety of graphic tools in order to convey a message. The main tools are
image and typography while others are shapes, colors, lines, symbols, logo,
cartoons and images.
For
the purpose of this study, the researcher will dwell more on front page
graphics aids such as; masthead, fonts, typography, color, headlines and
photography, which are the common graphical tools available on newspaper front
page. In a critical economic situation, where emphasis is on online
instantaneous news consumption, the print media has been seriously competing
with the online news medium to be able to survive. One basic tactic newspapers
have often used to propel their respective medium is the aesthetic appeal of
front page product, and that is often driven by photographic visuals and design
says Akinrosoye (2011).
Akinrosoye
(2011) observes that visual communication is one of the oldest and most
effective means of transmitting meaning. An ancient Chinese proverb cited in
Akinrosoye (2011) says “One picture is worth a thousand words”. Pictures are
remembered longer than verbal messages. Picture also conveys feeling of reality
and authenticity and pictures may be believed more rapidly than words. Hence
the old saying, action speaks louder than voice. Graphic art as part of visual
communication gain and hold the attention of viewers and if the communication
is interrupted, the message may be readily picked up (Akinrosoye, 2011).
Photography also aids page makeup and adds to the aesthetic value and generally
attracts the attention to a newspaper page. Akinrosoye (2011), while arguing
the source of photograph as a graphic aid, defines photojournalist as a
reporter that gathers news but in picture form.
The
photojournalist captures scenes and event not in words but in a dramatic and
eye-catching picture. While graphic designer is one that works with drawing,
painted photograph, or computer generated images (pictures), they also design
the letter forms that make up various typefaces found in movie credits and TV
ads; in books, magazines and menus; and even on computer screens. Visual images
demand a viewer’s attention. Photos have the ability to convey drama and
emotion and realism in a way that text alone cannot.
Visual images can short circuit higher levels
of cognition and reasoning, because they are more lifelike and easier for the brain
to process. Also, because the brain codes visual and non-visual information
separately, the additional memory coding can increase information recall. By
nature, the visual medium demands receiver’s attention. The news photograph
connects the reader to a story in a way that text alone cannot. Graber (1996)
cited in Katherine (2007) said “combining pictures with words makes the message
more memorable”.
The
overall content of pictures differs in the emotion, immediacy, and environment
captured. These elements of a picture can produce dramatic information, which
are not necessarily conveyed or included through textual information alone.
According to Katherine (2007), Graber attributes his argument to the fact that
the human brain absorbs larger amounts of information when messages are visual.
It is against this backdrop that the researcher examined front page graphics
and readers’ preference of The Punch newspapers.
1.2 Statement of the
Problem
In
recognition of the potency of graphics to attract the attention of readers and
the aesthetics values to newspapers, publishers have continued to beautify and
make their newspapers attractive by using graphics and attention catching
photographs and colours particularly on the front page. The critical question
here is, have these front page graphics (Photographs, colour, masthead,
headlines, fonts, typographies) increased the preference of the readers to a
particular paper? It was sequel to the above question that this study investigates
the influence of newspaper front page graphics and reader’s preference with
particular focus on The Punch newspapers.
1.3 Objectives of the
Study
1.
To ascertain the extent to which readers expose themselves to The Punch newspapers’
graphics.
2.
To determine if The Punch newspapers’ graphics attract readers’ to read the
newspapers.
3.
To know if The Punch newspapers’ graphics have influence on the assimilation as
well as readers’ preference.
1.4 Research Questions
1.
To what extent are readers exposed to The Punch newspapers’ graphics?
2.
Does The Punch newspapers’ graphics attract readers?
3.
Does The Punch newspapers’ graphics have influence on assimilation and readers’
preference?
1.5 Significance of The
Study
The
major significance this study will have is that; it will give newspapers
publishers the idea on how people perceive their product in term of the outlook
of their newspaper, giving them overview of how the design and layout as well
as packaging of their newspaper lure readers to read and buy their product.
This study will also tell newspapers how graphics could increase readers’
preference and sale of a newspaper. Also, students of mass communication and
other related field will know the role of graphics in newspaper production; it
will further enable other researchers to continue from the aspect which this
study has not covered.
1.6 Scope of The Study
The
mental imagery processing model (Staats & Lohr, 1979) states that both
words and images can serve to elicit an emotional response (Scott & Batra,
2003). It is not simply the descriptive words of a news story that stir up a
reader’s sensations. Nabi (2003) notes that pictures have an unquestioned
capacity to arouse emotions, and adds that such emotion may influence attitudes
directly or indirectly by impacting message processing. News stories use images
not only to clarify text, but also because they stimulate emotion in consumers.
Strivers (1994) believed visual images appeal to human beings on an emotions
level and posited the more vibrant, excited, or convincing an image is, the
more likely it will affect an individual. In the marketing context, similar
outcomes are noteworthy.
In
Morris et al.’s (2002) robust study of over 23,000 responses to 240 advertising
messages, researchers found that affect dominates over cognition for predicting
attitude and action, and that “emotional response is a powerful predictor of
intention” (p. 14).Hence, graphics is a very wide and diversified term,
therefore, for the purpose of this study and with much emphasis on newspaper
front page graphics, the word graphics was narrowed to colour, pictures/images,
masthead/logo, typography, text as well as arrangement of the front page
(layout). All these were extensively discussed.
1.9 Definition of Terms
Graphics:
Graphics in this study, as referred to, means; colour, images/pictures,
masthead, typography, and text.
Newspapers/Newspaper:
the use of this word in this study can sometimes mean the publisher of a
particular newspaper or reference to combination of two or more newspapers;
this is largely dependent on the context in which the word is been used.
Paper:
The use of paper in this study may sometimes mean a newspaper or a newspaper
medium or publisher.
Picture/Image:
In this study, the use of picture and image interchangeably mean a still photograph
or any graphical illustration such as chart, map, sign, symbols etc.
Newspaper free readers:
These are people who go to newspaper stands to read newspaper without
purchasing the paper. These set of people reads newspaper for free or pay a
token, usually bellow the price at which the paper is being sold.