Compare and contrast: target market

There is a close relationship between newspapers and their target audience.

The way a news is presented depends on the newspaper's intention:

(a) to reflect opinions/attempt to appeal to a certain target group (thus, fulfilling the needs and interests of the target audience), and/or

(b) to form opinions/attempt to influence/direct the readers (thus, contain specific semiotic codes and signs).

Hence, I did some background research on the chosen newspapers in order to understand better.

Findings

1. The Guardian: The fact that Christians constitute more than two third of the Britain population (although mainly Anglicans), and this is a newspaper that takes the liberal stance which tends to focus more on individual rights and freedom, it is unsurprising that the newspaper tie this issue to the 2007 case where a Catholic church is barred from using "Allah" in its publications, showing concerns of the religious tensions under the Printing Presses and Publications Act in Malaysia

2. Sin Chew Daily: a Chinese Malaysian newspaper, showed more local images and interviewed a few Chinese politicians (from both the ruling government and opposition) to portray the local lifestyle and suggest how the Chinese community generally view on this matter

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References:

AdQrate Media Exchange. (2014) Sin Chew Daily | Newspaper. [Online] Available at: http://adqrate.com/newspaper/details?id=34&type=1 [Accessed: 27 June 2014].

Guardian Media (2014a) Guardian print readers. [Online] Available at: http://advertising.theguardian.com/guardian-print-readers/ [Accessed: 27 June 2014].

Guardian Media (2014b) Print reader profile. [Online] Available at: http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/documents/2012/08/22/Printreaderprofile.pdf?guni=Article:in%20body%20link [Accessed: 27 June 2014].

Guardian Media (2014c) Audience profiles by platform ppt. [Online] Available at: http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/documents/2012/05/14/Guaaudprofile2.ppt?guni=Keyword:feature-special%20main-2%20main%20trailblock:Editable%20trailblock%20-%20feature:Position1:sublinks [Accessed: 29 June 2014].

Guardian Media (2014d) Guardian website traffic and users. [Online] Available at: http://advertising.theguardian.com/guardian-website-traffic-users/ [Accessed: 28 June 2014].

Ipsos MORI (2005) Voting intention by readership quarter 1 2005. [Online] Available at: http://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/researcharchive/poll.aspx?oItemId=580 [Accessed: 27 June 2014].

Sin Chew Media Corporation Berhad. (2005)  Sin Chew Annual Report 2005. [Online] Available at: http://cdn1.i3investor.com/my/files/dfgs88n/2005/08/30/1449561638-1949415038.pdf [Accessed: 28 June 2014].