Newspaper Marketing Lesson Plan
Exploring the History and the Future of Print Newspapers
May 31, 2007
This lesson plan can be adapted for various age groups and included in a media literacy unit of study.
Important Facts for Discussion:
- "Publick Occurences" - The first American newspaper published in 1690
- "The Penny Press" - Named for the fact that publishers dropped the price to a penny. Made newspapers truly accessible to the masses for the first time. First idea to charge for advertising. Cost of newspapers shifts from subscribers to advertisers.
- The Zenger Trial - John Zenger published articles written by Alexander Hamilton, (under an anonymous name), criticizing the government. He was arrested for refusing to name Hamilton and charged with libel. The courts ruled that the truth is a defense against libel. You can't be charged if the statements are proven true. This set the landmark precedence for "Freedom of the Press."
Key terms:
- Libel: A false, published statement that damages a person's character or reputation.
- Seditious Language: Statements that can incite rebellion against the government.
- Sensationalism / "Yellow" Journalism: Over representing sex, crime and violence to sell papers increase advertising revenue.
- Dissident / Alternative Press: Newspapers used as an outlet for social protest (Emancipation 1830's - Women's Suffrage early 1900's - Vietnam War, Civil Rights 1960's)
- Demassification: The audience is fragmented by the bombardment of different mass media choices. There is no true mass media audience to reach anymore.
- Elitist Perspective: An elitist believes that the media should only include stories that are "hard news" and/or have a benefit or purpose to readers.
- Populist Perspective: A populist believes that the media should just give us what we want even if it is only for entertainment or sensational.
Newspaper Strengths:
- Portability
- Pass along audience
Greater depth
- Investigative/Interpretive reporting
- Larger, skilled staff
- Perceived as "Fabric of Society"
Newspaper Challenges:
- Chain ownership (Gannett largest chain)
- Declining readership (Especially generation Y)
- Declining advertisers due to new media development
The Exercise:
Break student up into groups and give each group a current local newspaper.
- Have them brainstorm a list of articles, features and/or design elements in the local paper that they think are meant to attract the younger audience. (Ex. Use of color or an expanded "Entertainment" section)
- Do you think these content choices are positive or negative? Why? (Have them answer this from both an elitist and a populist perspective.)
Scenario:
Imagine you are a group of newspaper editors for the local paper. Your publisher wants you to come up with ideas to increase the readership in the 18 - 34-year-old group. Each member of the group must come up with one idea to attract younger readers. Each idea should include a different section of the paper.
Each group will then present their ideas to the publisher (the class) and be prepared to support them with examples and reasons for the choices. The class will vote on which ideas it likes the best and which ideas it thinks should be incorporated into future changes at the newspaper.
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