Tabloid

     From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

A tabloid is both a paper size and a term for the style of the newspapers that — especially in the United Kingdom — tend to use that format. Tabloid is the smaller of the two standard newspaper sizes; the larger newspapers are called broadsheets. The name seems to derive from a pharmaceutical trademark meaning compressed tablet, and has been applied to other small things.

There are two distinct uses of the term today. The more recent usage, actually deriving from the original usage, is to refer to weekly or semi-weekly alternative papers in tabloid format. Many of these are essentially straightforward newspapers, publishing in tabloid format. What principally distinguishes these from the dailies, in addition to their less-frequent publication, is the fact that they are usually free to the user, relying on ad revenue, as well as the fact that they tend to concentrate more on local entertainment scenes and issues.

In its traditional sense, tabloids tend to emphasise sensationalal stories and are reportedly prone to create their news if they feel that the subjects cannot, or will not, sue for libel. In this respect, much of the content of the tabloid press could be said to fall into the category of junk food news.

This style of journalism has been exported to the United States and various other countries. In the People's Republic of China, Chinese tabloids have exploded in popularity in since the mid-1990s and have tested the limits of press censorship by taking editorial positions critical of the government and for engaging in critical investigative reporting.

Since 1999 all major US supermarket tabloids (as distinct from local newspapers in the tabloid format; i.e., the Enquirer, Star, Globe, Examiner, ¡Mira!, Sun, and Weekly World News) have been under single ownership, which some readers fear has undermined the tabloids' traditional competitiveness and has significantly altered their editorial policies and news coverage.

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.

Table of contents

1 Famous United Kingdom tabloids 2 Famous United States tabloids 3 Famous Australian tabloids 4 Famous German tabloids 5 Famous Japanese tabloids 6 External links

Famous United Kingdom tabloids

• The Sun – http://www.thesun.co.uk/
• The Daily Mirror – http://www.mirror.co.uk/
• The Daily Mail – http://www.dailymail.co.uk/
• The Daily Express – http://www.express.co.uk/
• The Daily Star – http://www.dailystar.co.uk/
• News of the World – http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/
• The Sunday People – http://www.people.co.uk/
• The Daily Sport – http://www.dailysport.co.uk/ (WARNING: the Daily Sport's website includes pornographic material on the front page)

Further, The Independent, a broadsheet in terms of content, began producing a tabloid-size version of its main paper in October 2003. The Times followed suit the following month. The idea is to appeal to commuters who can read the smaller paper more easily on public transport.

Famous United States tabloids

• English
  • Supermarket tabloids
    • The National Enquirer – http://www.nationalenquirer.com
    • Weekly World News – http://weeklyworldnews.com/
    • The Star – http://starmagazine.com/
    • The Globe
    • The Examiner
  • Local daily newspapers
    • New York Post
    • New York Daily News
    • Newsday
    • Chicago Sun-Times
    • Boston Herald
• Spanish
  • ¡Mira

Famous Australian tabloids

• The Daily Telegraph
• The Herald Sun
• The Sunday Times
• The West Australian

Famous German tabloids

• Bild-Zeitung – http://www.bild.de/

Famous Japanese tabloids

• Yukan Fuji
• Nikkan Gendai

External links

Association of Alternative Newsweeklies