Newspaper Masthead

I have begun to research and analyse local newspaper mastheads. This was so I could gain a broader idea of what a masthead involves, for example the colour scheme, the font and the size.

When defining the masthead it is known as the title block or logo, identifying the newspaper at the top of the front page. Sometimes an emblem or a motto is also placed within the masthead.

A national newspaper such as ‘The Sun, The Mirror and The News of the World’ also known as ‘The Red-Tops’ are often set into a block of red print, these are categorised by their style and the use of red font. This does not apply to local newspapers as the content and national awareness is different to a national newspaper.

In the context of a web page, a masthead or imprint refers to the header at the top of a page which contains a text title and often identifies the name of the website, serving a similar purpose to the masthead on a print publication. I researched the three local newspapers within our area.

The first is The Halstead Gazette.

Although this uses the same ‘red top’ colour scheme, it is not known as a red top as it is not a national newspaper. This is possibly the reason the masthead is ironically black and red, as national newspapers are known as ‘red tops’ specifically for this reason. The font is relatively formal, and the use of the word Gazette is bigger as this is the word they want to stand out.

The second is the Braintree and Witham Times.

This is also uses colour along side the prominent colour black, the use of the colour green is because Braintree’s District Council uses the colour scheme of green and black, relating the local paper to the local council. Braintree is the more prominent word over Witham as this is the bigger town, and will therefore sell more copies if this town is mentioned, as other surrounding villages will recognise and be interested in the town’s news.

The third is the Suffolk Free Press.

This means that it has free democratic press meaning it has the right to report any type of news rather than the paper being free itself. Once again the use of colour is alongside black. This font is less formal than the other two, as the font is more described as ‘bubble’ writing, perhaps less like a local newspaper would be expected.

All three papers have their own distinct identity, as in they all have different names, and they are not all called for example the Suffolk Times or the Halstead Times. This is represented through the words ‘Gazette, Times and Free Press’ being bigger, and the more prominent lettering. This is to represent their own identity throughout the area.