BAZA ZNANJA

Kurs: -- English - Upper-Intermediate

Modul: Participle Clauses

Autor: prof. Gordana Matorkić

Naziv jedinice: Tabloiditis

Everywhere, Broadsheets are Shrinking

Tabloid newspapers in many countries are full of topless women and celebrity gossip. But they have also trigged another attraction. Women and younger people find their smaller pages easier to manage, especially on public transport. For years, broadsheets have looked down on tabloids but according to the latest trends, the tabloids are now rushing to downsize. In Britain, both the Independent and The Times have launched small editions and this week German publishers are launching Welt Kompakt, a tabloid version of Die Welt.

The reason? Broadsheets are mostly facing the problem of their circulation decreasing as a consequence of older readers dying and young people choosing other sources for news and entertaining. However, the trend is not entirely new. Spain has no broadsheets left at all and in Italian cities of Milan, Florence and Bologna, their three leading papers switched to tabloid format into 2001.

At Britain's Independent, total circulation has risen by 15% from last year thanks to its small edition. This month the Independent bosses have completely dropped its broadsheet edition. As the World Association of Newspapers informed us, more than thirty papers from around the world are thinking of doing something similar. The representatives of the leading newspapers from different countries have hurled into the Independent's London offices seeking ways to hold on readers.

Can the answer to the misfortunes of the broadsheets really be so simple? Although many readers prefer it, the tabloid format brings other problems, one of which is that advertisers refuse to pay as much for the same fraction of space. Only few popular broadsheet papers are likely to succeed with their small editions, which mostly results from having a relatively young readership. Those with lots of older male readers will risk losing them if they go tabloid – these people tend to object the most. For that reason The Times has had to continue to publish its big edition and thus has kept higher costs of production.

Some broadsheet publishers are trying more ambitious strategy: instead of replacements they are creating tabloids with fresh editorial content – not skimpily dressed celebrities, but articles designed to appeal to younger readers. In that way, the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times have each launched new tabloids aimed at the young.

Nevertheless, tabloids are less than thrilled about quality papers coming to their size. The owners of the tabloids argue that there is value for readers in keeping a clear distinction between the two. Still, as broadsheets seem to shrink, being bigger may become a new and unique selling point. Might tabloids eventually fight back – by going bigger? 

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