Just as there are conventions about how we spell, punctuate, or lay out a formal letter, so there are established conventions about how the front page of a daily newspaper is presented.
These conventions include:
Each feature of the front page has a term, including the solus ad, which is the only display advertisement carried on the front page, and the pointer, which points the reader to the rest of the story on another page.
Consider the layout, and the ways that the verbal and visual features are combined to convey meaning and communicate ideas, feelings, and information, on the front page of a daily newspaper like The Press.
It is informative for students to compare one front page with that of a different daily newspaper and with the front page of a newspaper published in the past. Students may then appreciate the interrelationships of verbal and non-verbal features and the opportunities that changing technologies provide for manipulating layouts. They may also wish to explore layouts that may be used in the future.
| conventions | placement | infographics |
| masthead | bylines | boxes |
| headlines | dateline | solus ad |
| crossheads | captions | pointer |
Exploring language content page
Published on: 07 May 2009
