Layout and positioning of newspapers

Layout of the newspaper front pageThe most important stories tend to be at the start of a newspaper as this will be what appeals to the reader, they are then more likely to purchase the newspaper if the front page contains an interesting story or a subject most people are interested in.

The most local and fascinating story will be in the centre of the front page with a small amount of text next to a large image summering up the key points in the story. Underneath the caption which explains what is in the image there will be a byline which tells readers which page to turn to, to continue reading which encourages readers to buy the newspaper.

Layout of the newspaper first pageWriters tend put stories in order of importance. The first page typically contains a variety of different images to grip peoples attention with a large caption explaining where the photos were taken. This is so that people who live in those areas locally look for people or the place they may recognise.

Like on the front cover there are previews of other stories which are on other pages in the newspaper to encourage readers to flick though the paper coming across other stories they may find interesting to read.

Layout of stories front page

Also on a front cover there tends to be adverts which a lot of people by newspapers for. This is so that they can get coupons to get money off in shops or on theme park tickets etc.

Stories tend to be written in columns making the writing look less lengthy than it spreading across the width of a page. The headlines are also in a large font to catch the readers eye making the chance of them purchasing the newspaper more likely.

Layout of the stories first pageOn the front and first page of a newspaper there always tends to be an informative statistic in a bright large font to make it noticeable to the reader which encourages them to read what the statistic is about. It tends to be a relatable statistic that most people can agree with and have an opinion about.

Almost all newspapers contain fillers, this means as much space as possible always has to be taken up in a newspaper.

Most of the photos on the front and first page is cut so that the main focus is on the person rather than the background. This then grips the readers to the photo more.

The layout of a newspaperAt the back of a newspaper there generally tends to be sport with the sale and rental of houses before this and company advertisements. However on the front or first page there is always commonly a photo of a sports person with a page number informing you of where to turn to.

In the middle of a newspaper the stories become less interesting with more political and smaller stories. These only appeal to a limited amount of people where as at the start of a newspaper the stories are targeted at a mass audience.