Headlines, Pictures and "The Fold"

When a newspaper is presented in a stack or on a stand, all anyone can see is the top half of the front page above "the fold". On this top half you are presented with both headlines and photographs, but they may not go together... they might even be telling a fictitious story. I believe that newspapers are using the layout of their front page to, not only, sell papers, but to add another dimension to the framing wars. I analyzed the front pages of the New York Times, The State and The Wall Street Journal for the week of March 15. It seems The State and WSJ have something to say...

Mechanics of a Front Page

Headlines
Headlines come in font sizes ranging from 18 (1/4 in.) to 72 (1 in.). Although these measurements may seem small, they are huge in print.

Display
the central front page image is large, sometimes exceeding 5x7 in. This picture is in color and often emotionally charged. the other images on the front page are significantly smaller (1x1.5 in.).

Layout
How the stories of the day are position on the paper establish their importance. Obviously, the biggest, most-centralize headline will be seen as the most important news of the day. "The Fold", as I like to call it, is the midpoint of paper. the biggest display and headlines are always above the fold.

Apples and Oranges

Looking at the front page of any newspaper, one would assume that the biggest headline goes with the biggest picture and that picture would not only be above the fold, but close to the display. It is just the opposite. Both The State and The Wall Street Journal manipulated its layout, headlines and displays to alter the news. I've rewritten the headlines to capture how they appear at first glance.

"Mark Sanford Crying": the State- Friday, March 19

The Headline states "Sanford admits no wrongdoing" and the biggest graphic is of Mark Sanford crying... no.. It's William Palmer in a totally unrelated story. This layout makes it seem that Sanford is admitting no wrongdoing in his adultery. the man has his eyes covered in the picture, so it's hard to tell who he is at first glance. the Headline is font size 63 (7/8 in.) and the picture is 5X7.5 in.

"War with China": The Wall Street Journal- Monday, March 15

The headline reads, "China Talks Tough to U.S." Then the display shows the most bad-ass bunch of American action heroes running with guns. those soldiers are in Afghanistan, but that story is on A10. It seems as if WSJ is trying to fuel Chinese/American tensions. The headline is font 36 (1/2 in.)

"China Steals Our Medicine": The Wall Street Journal- Wednesday, March 17
The two unrelated headlines read together as "Business Sours on China; Lilly Hit in Massive Pill Heist." Sounds as if China is steal pharmaceuticals from Ely Lilly. the other headline should be below the fold. I think WSJ has something against China... Twice in one week? the headline font is 36 (1/2 in.)

"Dems Get Health Care Votes by Force":
Wall Street Journal- Thursday, March 18
The closest headline to the display reads "Democrats Hunt Votes For Deals on Health". this interpretation makes it seem as if the Democrats are dragging innocent people by force, against their will, to approve health care. the display is of a Cuban protest. The display title is tiny (less than 2/8 in.) compare to the unrelated headline right next to it (almost 3/8 in.)

The Wall Street Journal vs. the New York Times

In my analysis, I found that the New York Times didn't do any funny headline/display tricks. In fact, their headlines never exceeded 18 point font (2/8 in.). The Wall Street Journal is a conservative newspaper and it all seems to make sense.

Final Remarks

Copy editors strategically position each headline and each display in every paper. the front page is the most important part of a newspaper. People can see the front page of a newspaper without even buying it. This is a crucial battleground in the framing wars because newspapers take up real estate. You can avoid seeing a website, but you can't avoid glancing a newspaper.