PART 1 Chapter 2 A SOCIAL PHENOMENON
2.4 THE MAIN FEATURES OF TABLOID NEWSPAPERS
2.4.1 Tabloid content
South African tabloids do not look like their American and British counterparts regarding the subjects they cover and the way in which they package information. As Du Plessis of the Daily Sun notes in an interview (Bloom, 2005:19): “We discovered from day one that you could not take great ideas from the rest of the world and just translate them to South Africa.”
Tabloids are traditionally flled with gossip, scandals and the supernatural, superfcial, trivial, bizarre and shocking (Du Plessis, 2005:18; Froneman, 2005:13; Wasserman, 2005a:34; see Allan, 2010:125).
International tabloids concentrate on celebrity gossip, human-interest stories, stories about psychic phenomena, UFO sightings, advice, self-help tips and medical news (Bird, 1992:8; see Allan, 2010:257), whereas South African tabloids have a strong focus on sex, scandal, sensation, sport and crime. Tabloid journalism is therefore sometimes referred to as gutter journalism (see Bloom, 2005:20). Froneman (2006:26) adds that tabloids also offer what he calls “populist politics” – they only cover hard political news if the story has sensational elements, e.g. a certain political fgure or a scandal is involved (see Wasserman, 2011; Allan, 2010:128). Tabloids are traditionally not interested in hard news: they are characterised by personalisation and stories are generally told from a human- interest angle (Allan, 2010:256; see Strelitz & Steenveld, 2005:36; Bird, 1992:8).
The broad list of news topics include agriculture, business, cars, charities, crime, defence, diet/beauty/fashion, disaster/accidents, drugs/alcohol, the economy, education, employment, culture/entertainment/showbiz, the environment, equal rights, gambling, health, housing, human interest, the justice system, local government, media, past events, parliamentary/political news, racing, religion, the Royal Family, science, sex, social issues, social security, space, sport, transport and unions.
(All of these are applicable to South African media, except for the Royal Family. Coverage of events that involve the Royal Family is more typical of European tabloids). Sport, crime, entertainment/showbiz, human interest and sex all fall within the sensational category, whilst the rest are classifed as non-sensational. Johansson (2007:87) adds that tabloids also focus on three textual themes and these are community, gender and celebrity. Using these topics and themes as a framework, as well as those identifed by South African researchers (see previous paragraph), the following common topics covered in South African tabloid newspapers, have been identifed: human- interest/the personal, celebrities, sex/scandal, sport, crime and science/the supernatural (see Allan, 2010:256).
2.4.1.1 Human interest
Audiences are fascinated by the effect of events on the lives of individuals. For this reason, journalists
conduct interviews with grief-stricken families, victims of rape, drug users, wives with unfaithful husbands and HIV/Aids or cancer patients. Audiences are interested in the story behind the seemingly extraordinary events. They want to know why the husband cheated on the wife, how the wife deals with her husband’s infdelity, how it feels to be the only survivor of a terrible plane crash, how a famous singer lives with losing his/her legs or voice. These details interest audiences – they are drawn to how humans adapt to their circumstances. Audiences are thus attracted to ordinary human beings with extraordinary stories. It is for this reason that ordinary gogo’s (grannies) whom no one has ever heard of grace the covers of the Daily Voice and the Daily Sun (Bloom, 2005:17; section 2.3.2.5).
Many researchers are of the opinion that these stories provide tools for the readers to apply to their own lives: they learn from the personal stories of others. Tabloids (and mainstream newspapers) know this. And Stephens (1997:104, 105) asks: Could one blame them for exploiting our interest in personal stories? (see section 2.3.1).
2.4.1.2 Celebrities
Celebrity news is another topic on which tabloids (especially supermarket tabloids – see section 2.3.2.6) frequently report. However, it is interesting to note that the majority of top news reports on celebrities are of ordinary, everyday actions: celebrities relaxing on the beach, doing grocery shopping, going to the hair salon or taking their children to school often make the front page of a tabloid (see Johansson, 2007:113). The coin is thus fipped: audiences are interested in ordinary people with extraordinary stories, but they take just as much delight in reading about “extraordinary” people going about their daily lives, doing ordinary, mundane things. These stories, argues Johansson (2007:114), give readers hope that miracles might happen in their own, ordinary lives. It enables them to dream of a life free from troubles. Society celebrates these stars, and their perfect faces, exquisite outfts, jet- setting lifestyles and strange religions distract readers and offer an escape from their everyday lives.
Despite this “celebration” of stars, audiences take equal delight in the downfall of the famous (see Johansson, 2007:114; Stephens, 1997:17; see section 2.3.1.1). Celebrities are “hunted down and exposed” in tabloid newspapers (Johansson, 2007:114) and in accordance with the moralising tone often employed in tabloids, the newspapers use these stories to establish the boundaries for acceptable behaviour. As Bird (2003a:73; 2003b:34) and Johansson (2007:115) demonstrated in their audience studies, these stories enable readers to experience power and control; for a moment, they are the judges who can condemn the actions of others (see Allan, 2010:128). This behaviour is evident in the news coverage deceased pop star Michael Jackson and soul singer Amy Winehouse received throughout their careers. Audiences adored them, praised them for their talents and even presented Jackson with an Artist of the Millennium award, yet they condemned him for all the plastic surgery he underwent, his odd behaviour and his alleged abuse of younger boys. Winehouse was criticised for her
strange habits and alcohol and drug abuse.
2.4.1.3 Sport
Sport is an important topic in any successful newspaper’s reporting and sport coverage ensures circulation. Johansson (2007:89) notes that the sport sections at the back fll about 30% of tabloids.
Her research shows that this is possibly the readers' favourite part of the paper. Afrikaans-language newspapers boost sales with rugby, whilst English-language newspapers focus on soccer or cricket. The Sunday Rapport boosts its sales every time the Springboks or the Blue Bulls win (Meyer, 2006:24). Kupe (2004:25) notes that the whole media industry thrives on the four Ss: sex, sin, scandal and sport. Sport encompasses all these selling qualities. Even mainstream and quality newspapers cannot deny the newsworthiness of sport and important political news frequently bows before the sport top sellers, rugby and soccer. This was demonstrated in 2008 and 2009 when tabloid and mainstream papers splashed rugby player Joost van der Westhuizen’s sex video scandal on their front pages. Even soccer star Mark Fish’s break-up and make-up made good, full-page copy for a few weeks. South African cricket hero Hansie Cronje’s match-fxing scandal, the court proceedings and his accidental death thereafter, created a stir and received sensational media coverage for years. The thick sport supplements in all newspapers are proof that where news is concerned, sport wears the crown. Sport news guarantees a large audience, and this in turn attracts advertisers (Kupe, 2004:25).
2.4.1.4 Crime
A s mentioned previously (see section 2.3.1.1), sensationalism is viewed as intrinsic to crime, and murders especially are received with much interest by audiences. Recent crime coverage makes it apparent that very little has changed. These include the murders of a young man whose body was dumped in a graveyard in Welkom (he was allegedly killed by an engaged Satanist couple), Anni Dewani whose husband allegedly paid for her to be murdered (while they were on their honeymoon in South Africa), Taliep Petersen (whose wife was found guilty of hiring men to kill him), the promising, rich, Stellenbosch student Inge Lotz (whose boyfriend was the prime suspect for years), as well as baby Jordan (whose father's lover, Dina, was exposed to extensive media coverage for his murder). These murders are unusual, periodical and they all involve the unexpected: moms, respectable boyfriends and wives behave uncharacteristically and the victims are beautiful, promising, talented and vulnerable. These qualities, as well as the emotional appeal and human-interest angle, transformed the stories of ordinary people into top news stories – and then into exclusive interviews with the news tabloid magazine Huisgenoot. Stephens (1997:101) makes the following signifcant remark:
… the stories that develop around these aberrations do offer glimpses of the most emotional aspects of ordinary life, aspects that would not otherwise have been made public, that would not otherwise have demonstrated the requisite uniqueness and prominence to be considered news.
Stephens (1997:99, 100) argues that by creating awareness of crime and punishment, the newspaper sets the boundaries of acceptable behaviour in a community. Sex, human-interest and scandal are often inherent to crime stories and crime news consequently offers the journalist many sensational avenues to explore: “Reports on crime often stand out for the intimacy of the glimpses they provide of lives like that of Mrs. Turner [of ordinary people]. Much news is taken up with public behaviour, but crime news allows journalists not only to consider the lives of individual people – as published gossip does – but to penetrate beyond their public performances, to discuss such matters as 'loose desire' and 'foul lust'.” Some psychologists believe readers identify with the innocent victims, while others argue that readers are more likely to identify with the power and downfall of the guilty (Stephens, 1997:100).
Crime stories oppose good and evil, and therein lies their attraction and it is in these stories, “that the news seem most alive” (Stephens, 1997:101). Research professional and expert Jos Kuper (2011) admits that crime is depressing, but she adds that readers “love” to read it and there is no reason that journalists cannot make it relevant and applicable to the lives of the readers.
2.4.1.5 Sex and scandal
It is not only the tabloids that know that sex sells: the use of sex to sell anything from property to bread has been widely researched. Even mainstream newspapers such as the Rapport and Sunday Sun will not easily part with their back pages that are flled with curvaceous models in tiny bikinis, posing suggestively. Tabloids have pushed the boundaries of the acceptable by publishing the topless page- three girl. The “sexiness” of these photographs is enhanced by the use of language: the girls are often referred to as “busty”, “striking”, “luscious” and “beautiful” (see section 2.3.2.2). Johansson (2007:103) identifes a few characteristics of the British page-three girls: according to her, the girl is usually in her teens or early twenties and blonde with blue eyes. These attributes signify innocence and youth in Western culture. She is also unadorned and wears light make-up and this, in combination with her passivity, conforms “to conventional ideas of femininity”. These girls are happy and their smiles, as well as their looking straight into the camera, invite readers (Johansson, 2007:102). The portrayal of the page-three girls is in sharp contrast to the manner in which sport stars are framed in the back pages. Whereas the girls are passive, friendly and inviting, the mostly male sport stars “are almost always photographed in action; strong, hard and full of ferocious energy. Their faces are caught grimacing, roaring, squirming and concentrating, banning all ideas of passivity or weakness”
(Johansson, 2007:104). Page three is arguably the most famous page in the world – and one that has sparked much academic debate. Rabe (2005:9) is of the opinion that exposing audiences to a topless
girl is irresponsible – especially in a community such as the Cape Flats, where crimes like rape are rife.
Other researchers argue that these images contribute to women’s insecurity in public (Johansson, 2007:100). The page-three girl is not tabloids’ only contribution to sex in the media; columns, jokes and advice are usually devoted to topics on sex.