Tabloid 30985 225328722 2008-07-13T03:11:50Z Toobsie 2741117 /* As a sensational, gossip-filled newspaper */ {{dablink|This article is about the newspaper size. For tabloids that report on sensationalistic stories, see [[supermarket tabloid]]s}} {{dablink|For the tabloid paper size, see [[paper size]]s}} [[Image:NewspaperSizes200508.jpg|thumb|right|'''Newspaper''' sizes in August 2005. ''[[Le Monde]]'' is in the [[Berliner (format)|Berliner]] format. ''[[The Guardian]]'' was (until September 2005) in the British [[broadsheet]] format, whereas the ''[[Daily Mail]]'' is a tabloid, and ''[[The Times]]'' a "[[compact (newspaper)|compact]]". ''[[Berliner Zeitung]]'' and ''[[Neues Deutschland]]'' are of sizes between broadsheet and Berliner. A piece of white [[A4 paper size|A4]] paper is placed in front for scale.]] A '''tabloid''' is a [[newspaper]] industry term which refers to a smaller newspaper format per spread; to a weekly or semi-weekly alternative newspaper that focuses on local-interest stories and entertainment, often distributed for free (often in a smaller, tabloid-sized newspaper format); or to a newspaper that tends to emphasize [[sensationalism|sensational]] crime stories, [[gossip column]]s repeating scandalous innuendos about the personal lives of celebrities and sports stars, and other so-called "[[junk food news]]" (often in a smaller, tabloid-sized newspaper format). As the term "tabloid" has become synonymous with down-market newspapers in some areas, some papers refer to themselves as "[[Compact (newspaper)|Compact]]" newspapers instead. The tabloid newspaper format is particularly popular in the [[United Kingdom]]. A tabloid format newspaper is roughly 17 by 11 [[inch]]es (430&nbsp;mm × 280&nbsp;mm) per spread. This is the smaller of two standard newspaper sizes; the larger newspapers, traditionally associated with 'higher-quality' journalism, are called [[broadsheet]]s (although some British 'quality' papers have recently adopted the tabloid format; ''[[The Guardian]]'' being the exception by adopting the Berliner format). A third major format for newspapers is the [[Berliner (format)|Berliner]], which is sized between the tabloid and the broadsheet. ==History== The word "Tabloid" comes from the name given by a pharmaceutical company to a painkiller sold in compressed tablet. The connotation of ''tabloid'' was soon applied to other small items and to the "compressed" journalism that condensed stories into a simplified, easily-absorbed format. The label of "tabloid journalism" (1901) preceded the smaller sheet newspapers that contained it (1918). An early pioneer of tabloid journalism was [[Alfred Harmsworth]] (1865–1922), who amassed a large publishing empire of halfpenny papers by rescuing failing stolid papers and transforming them to reflect the popular taste, which yielded him enormous profits. Harmsworth used his tabloids to influence public opinion, for example, by bringing down the [[World War I|wartime]] government of [[Prime Minister]] [[Herbert Henry Asquith]] in the [[Shell Crisis of 1915]]. ==International use== {{Merge|Compact (newspaper)|date=November 2007}} ===United States=== This style of [[journalism]] and newspaper publishing has been exported to various other countries, including the [[United States]]. The daily tabloids in the United States&mdash;which date back to the founding of the ''[[New York Daily News]]'' in 1919&mdash;are generally much less overheated and less oriented towards scandal and sensationalism than their British counterparts. With the exception of the [[supermarket tabloid]]s (see below), which have little mainstream credibility, the word "tabloid" in the U.S. can refer more to format than to content. The tabloid format is used by a number of respected and indeed prize-winning American papers. However, since its initial purchase by [[Rupert Murdoch]] in 1976, the ''[[New York Post]]'' has become the exemplar of the brash British-style tabloid in the US, and its competition with the ''Daily News'' has become newspaper legend. Prominent US tabloids include nationally the Metro, locally, the ''[[Philadelphia Daily News]]'', the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'', the ''[[Rocky Mountain News]]'' in Denver, the ''[[Boston Herald]]'', the ''[[New York Observer]]'', ''[[Newsday]]'' on New York's Long Island and ''[http://www.examiner.com/ The Examiner]'', which is a free newspaper published in San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. (''Newsday'' co-founder [[Alicia Patterson]] was the daughter of [[Joseph Patterson]], founder of the ''New York Daily News.'') ===Europe=== The biggest tabloid (and newspaper in general) in [[Europe]], by circulation, is [[Germany]]'s ''[[Bild-Zeitung]]'', with around 4 million copies (down from above 5 million in the 1980s). Although its paper size is bigger, its style was copied from the British tabloids. In the [[United Kingdom|UK]], three previously broadsheet daily newspapers&mdash;''[[The Independent]]'', ''[[The Times]]'', and ''[[The Scotsman]]''&mdash;have switched to tabloid size in recent years, although they call it "[[compact (newspaper)|compact]]" to avoid the down-market connotation of that word. Similarly, when referring to the down-market tabloid newspapers the alternative term "red-top" (referring to their traditionally red-coloured mastheads) is increasingly used, to distinguish them from the up-market compact newspapers. In the [[Netherlands]], several newspapers have started publishing tabloid versions of their newspapers, including one of the major 'quality' newspapers, [[NRC Handelsblad]], with [[Nrc.next|NRC•Next]] in 2006. Two free tabloid newspapers were also introduced in the early 2000s, '[[Metro International|Metro]] and [[Sp!ts]], mostly for distribution in public transportation. In 2007 a third and fourth free tabloid appeared, '[[De Pers]]' and '[[DAG (newspaper)|DAG]]'. In France the Nice Matin, a popular Southern France newspaper changed from Broadsheet to Tabloid on April 8 2006. They changed the printing format in one day after test results showed that 74% liked the Tabloid format compared to Broadsheet. In Denmark conservative newspaper [[Berlingske Tidende]] shifted from Broadsheet to Tabloid format in 2006. ===Other countries=== In the [[People's Republic of China]], [[Chinese tabloid]]s have exploded in popularity since the mid-1990s and have tested the limits of press censorship by taking editorial positions critical of the government and by engaging in critical investigative reporting. In [[Canada]], many of the [[Sun Media]] newspapers are in tabloid format. There is also [[The Province]], which is a tabloid in British Columbia, and has no connections to Sun Media. The Canadian publisher [[Black Press]] publishes newspapers in both tabloid (10 1/4" wide by 14 1/2" deep) and what it calls "tall tab" format, where the latter is 10 1/4" wide by 16 1/4" deep, larger than tabloid but smaller than the broadsheets it also publishes.<ref>http://www.bcnewsgroup.com/BlackPress/advertising/ratecards/2007_Island_Retail.pdf</ref> When a tabloid is defined as "roughly 17 by 11 inches" and commonly "half the size of a broadsheet," confusion can arise because "Many [[broadsheet]]s measure roughly 29½ by 23½ inches", half of which is roughly 15" x 12" not 17" x 11". In Oman, [[TheWeek]] is a free, 48-page, all-colour, independent weekly published from Muscat in the Sultanate of Oman. Oman’s first free newspaper was launched in March 2003 and has now gone on to gather what is believed to be the largest readership for any publication in Oman. Ms Mohana Prabhakar is the managing editor of the publication. TheWeek is audited by BPA Worldwide, which has certified its circulation as being a weekly average of 50,300. In [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], the weekly English-language newspaper ''[[The FINANCIAL]]'' switched to a compact format in 2005 and doubled the number of pages in each issue. Other Georgian-language newspapers have tested compact formats in the early 1990s. In Russia and Ukraine, major English language newspapers like the Moscow Times and the Kiev Post use a compact format. In Argentina, one of the country's two main newspapers, [[Clarín]], is a tabloid and in the Southern Philippines, a new weekly tabloid, The Mindanao Examiner, now includes media services, such as photography and video production, into its line as a source to finance the high cost of printing and other expenses. It is also into independent film making. In Australia - The Advertiser, [[Herald Sun]], [[The Daily Telegraph (Australia)|Daily Telegraph]], [[The Courier Mail]] (All News Ltd papers), [[The West Australian]] In India - [[Mid-Day]] and Afternoon are the leading tabloids. Mid-Day is particularly known for publishing sensationalizing stories about celebrities. ==As a weekly alternative newspaper== The more recent usage of the term 'tabloid' refers to weekly or semi-weekly newspapers in tabloid format. Many of these are essentially straightforward newspapers, publishing in tabloid format, because subway and bus commuters prefer to read smaller-size newspapers due to lack of space. These newspapers are distinguished from the major daily newspapers, in that they purport to offer an "alternative" viewpoint, either in the sense that the paper's editors are more locally-oriented, or that the paper is editorially independent from major media conglomerates. Other factors that distinguish "alternative" weekly tabloids from the major daily newspapers are their less-frequent publication, and that they are usually free to the user, since they rely on ad revenue. As well, alternative weekly tabloids tend to concentrate on local- or even neighbourhood-level issues, and on local entertainment in the bars and local theatres. Alternative tabloids can be positioned as [[upmarket]] (quality) newspapers, to appeal to the better-educated, higher-income sector of the market; as [[middle-market]] (popular); or as [[downmarket]] (sensational) newspapers, which emphasize sensational crime stories and celebrity gossip. In each case, the newspapers will draw their advertising revenue from different types of businesses or services. An upmarket weekly's advertisers are often organic-grocers, boutiques, and theatre-companies while a downmarket's may have those of trade-schools, super-markets, and adult-services, both usually contain ads from local bars, auto-dealers, movie theaters, and a classified-ads section.<ref>http://www.twindx.com/uploaded/Daily%20Express.jpg</ref> == As a sensational, gossip-filled newspaper == <!-- This section is linked from [[British Army]] --> {{wikinews|An interview with gossip writer Michael Musto on the art of celebrity journalism}} The term "tabloid" can also refer to a newspaper that tends to emphasize topics such as [[sensationalism|sensational]] crime stories, astrology, [[gossip column]]s about the personal lives of celebrities and sports stars, and [[junk food news]]. Often, tabloid newspaper allegations about the sexual practices, drug use, or private conduct of celebrities is borderline defamatory; in many cases, celebrities have successfully shown that tabloid stories have defamed them, and sued for [[libel]]. It is this sense of the word that led to some entertainment news programs to be called [[tabloid television]]. Tabloid newspapers are sometimes pejoratively called the '''gutter press'''. ''Supermarket tabloids'' are large, national versions of these tabloids, usually published weekly. They are named for their prominent placement along the checkout lines of [[supermarkets]]. Supermarket tabloids are particularly notorious for the over-the-top sensationalizing of stories, the facts of which can often be called into question. These tabloids - such as ''[[The Globe (tabloid)|The Globe]]'' and ''[[The National Enquirer]]'' - often use aggressive and usually mean-spirited tactics to sell their issues. Unlike regular tabloid-format newspapers, supermarket tabloids are distributed through the magazine distribution channel, similarly to other weekly magazines and mass-market paperback books. Leading examples include ''The National Enquirer'', ''[[Star (magazine)|Star]]'', ''[[Weekly World News]]'' (now defunct), and ''[[Sun (supermarket tabloid)|Sun]]''. The oldest supermarket tabloid known to date was the American "Daily News" in 1919;{{Fact|date=June 2008}} if it didn't have news to publish, it would simply make up a story, have the newspaper staff stage a photograph, then use an editing technique called the ''[[composograph]]'' to combine the fake image with a real one.{{Fact|date=June 2008}} Most major [[supermarket tabloid]]s in the U.S. are published by [[American Media (publisher)|American Media, Inc.]], including ''[[The National Enquirer]]'', ''[[Star (magazine)|Star]]'', ''[[The Globe (tabloid)|The Globe]]'', ''[[National Examiner]]'', ''¡Mira!'', ''[[Sun (supermarket tabloid)|Sun]]'', ''[[Weekly World News]]'' and ''[[radar (disambiguation)|Radar]]''. Tabloid newspapers in Britain, collectively called the "tabloid press", tend to be simply and sensationally written, and to give more prominence than broadsheets to [[celebrities]], sports, crime stories and even [[hoax]]es; they also more readily take a political position (either [[left-wing]] or [[right-wing]]) on news stories, ridiculing politicians, demanding resignations and predicting election results. The term '''red top''' <ref>[http://www.visualeditors.com/forum/archive/news-international-red-tops-sweep-the-board-2447.htm "News International red tops sweep the board"]</ref> refers to tabloids with red [[nameplate]]s, such as [[Sun (newspaper)|The Sun]], the [[Daily Star (United Kingdom)|Daily Star]], the [[Daily Mirror]] {{Fact|date=February 2008}} and the [[Daily Sport]], and distinguishes them from the '''black top''' {{Fact|date=August 2007}} [[Daily Express]] and [[Daily Mail]]. Red top newspapers are usually simpler in writing style, dominated by pictures, and directed at the more sensational end of the market. == Tabloids in [[popular culture]] == *In the ''[[Scooby-Doo]]'' prequel series ''[[A Pup Named Scooby-Doo]]'', the ''National Examiner'' was frequently referred to by Freddie Jones. *A number of episodes of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' feature the ''[[Media_in_The_Simpsons#Newspapers|Springfield Shopper]]'', which often carries sensationalist-type headlines (e.g., "Woman Weds Ape"), often in response to the previous scene. Such headlines are often placed in lieu of legitimate news headlines, with the secondary headline either being regular news featuring a smaller [[Point (typography)|point-sized]] headline, or one commenting either on the upper headline or on journalism in general. == References == {{Unreferenced|date=October 2006}} {{reflist}} == External links == {{Wiktionary}} *[http://www.robbmontgomery.com/docs/wef.html A lecture on modern tabloids] by Robb Montgomery at The World Editors Forum *[http://website.lineone.net/~mauricefisher/Johnsons%20of%20Hendon/Johnson%20Year%20Book.html Wellcome trademark 1884] [[Category:Newspapering]] [[Category:Printing]] [[Category:Genericized trademarks]] [[de:Tabloid (Zeitungsformat)]] [[es:Tabloide]] [[fr:Tabloïd]] [[id:Tabloid]] [[it:Tabloid]] [[nl:Tabloid]] [[ja:タブロイド]] [[no:Tabloid]] [[nn:Tabloid]] [[pl:Tabloid]] [[pt:Tablóide]] [[ru:Таблоид]] [[fi:Tabloidi]] [[sv:Tabloidformat]] [[th:แท็บลอยด์]] [[tr:Tabloid]] [[zh:小報]]