Newspaper headlines

If you want to work in any form of media, in my opinion, it's a good idea to read (or at least look at) all the newspapers. If you want to be a graphic designer, it's essential. Newspapers are very quick, immediate, impactful pieces of graphic design. It’s a real challenge to make that important front page look great every day.

Now, it really fucks me off when people slag of The Sun because it’s such an important media icon in our daily lives. It’s pretty much the only newspaper that regularly makes the news, rather than just reporting it. This is an issue that will become more and more important as news media moves from print to digital.

You’ll also find that the people who slag off The Sun inevitably read The Mail or The Express. Ahem.

Graphically The Sun has a tabloid style which is recognised world wide. It has it’s own strong graphic personality or brand. So, if you are a visual person you need to look at all the newspapers. And if you are a sensible person you need to read all the newspapers to even begin to get an idea of a story. Most days I take a detailed look at The Sun, the FT and the Indy. You would be amazed at how the same story can be completely different, or how different papers can leave out massive bits of a story depending on their editorial slant.

OK, what’s all this leading to then? This morning I think we’ve reached a new low point in front page design.

Take a look at this front page from The Daily Express.

Whatever your political views, that headline is a disgrace. It’s not even a proper headline, more like a bad stand up joke. Absolutely no creative or journalistic writing skills have been applied to that whatsoever.

Now look at exactly the same story on The Sun’s front page.

They are communicating to, demographically, a less educated audience and yet it’s done in a much cleverer, much more professional way. And the point is so much better made because of it.

Isn't it funny how, in 2005, The Daily Express’ front page now looks like a Sun spoof? What would Beaverbrook say...

Comments

[Kazumi Baker]

Hi there,
Thanks for the comment on my blog. Yours looks great so far.
So are you going to give yourself a name, even if like mine, it's a pseudonym?
Kazumi

[Jeffrey Warren]

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[Kenny]

that headline is the lowest we have reached, we are back where we were in 1934 with the Mail's "hurrah for the blackshirts".

immigration = benefit fraud = terrorism and the only way the Express readers are being told to deal with it is deportation - the next step will be a headline reading "send em' back, send'em back, they're dirty and smelly and black".

resist the rise of the right

[christian louboutin]

Your articles and photos are really shock me. The pen can be a weapon! You are a talented writer with a pen, and maybe you will be

a great politician with the power given from citizens.