MEDIA - GLOSSARY OF TERMS
| Bias | non-neutral information, obvious slanting of facts to sway opinion |
| Broadsheeet | a style of newspaper, also usually indicating its size, e.g. The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, etc., but more an indication of its formal, political and serious news stories. |
| Byline | the name of the writer of the article, e.g. by Jane Smith, usually identified at the beginning of the story. |
| Caption | the explanation that appears below or alongside a photograph |
| Colloquial language | chatty, conversational language, sometimes characterised by the use of slang |
| Columns | the way of dividing up a newspaper page, making it easier to read. |
| Compact | a new description for those broadsheet newspapers that have started to publish a smaller, more manageable version. |
| Direct speech | interviews or quotes reported in speech marks, e.g. Mrs Smith went on to add, "it's a disgrace how few people read newspapers these days." Quotes are used to add proof or evidence to the story. |
| Emotive language | those words, such as 'chaos', 'mayhem', 'vicious', 'ruthless', 'slaughter', etc. that are used to provoke a strong emotional response from the reader. |
| Formal language | complex sentences, no slang, Standard English used. |
| Headline | large title above the article, giving the reader a clear indication of what the story is about |
| Informal language | characterised by short sentences, use of slang |
| Pun | a double meaning or a play on words |
| Rhetorical question | a question asked for effect that does not require an answer. Effective because, if used in headlines, they invite the reader to respond or look further for the answer. |
| Reported speech | quotes which, because of how they are phrased, do not need speech marks, e.g. Beckham then said how delighted he was to be back in England. |
| Sub-heading | appears just below the headline, in bold type, giving a bit more detail about the article, tempting the reader to continue reading. |
| Tabloid | a style of newspaper, also usually indicating its size, e.g. The Sun, Mirror, etc., but more an explanation of its informal, sensational stories. |