THE IMPACT OF GRAPHIC PRESENTATION IN NEWSPAPER PRODUCTION: A CASE STUDY OF THE TIDE NEWSPAPER AND BEACON NEWSPAPER.

THE IMPACT OF GRAPHIC PRESENTATION IN NEWSPAPER PRODUCTION: A CASE STUDY OF THE TIDE NEWSPAPER AND BEACON NEWSPAPER

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1   BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Graphic presentations have a powerful impact on a viewer’s attitude, and this impact cannot be created by text alone. In a newspaper context, the presence of a photograph will significantly alter the consumer’s attitude toward the framed issue. Graphic presentation is not just doing any drawing you like. There are conventions and various styles and techniques that are used. Graphic presentation as the name suggests is communication using graphic elements. These elements include symbols such as glyphs and icons, images such as drawings and photographs, and can include the passive contributions of substrate, color and surroundings. It is the process of creating, producing, and distributing material incorporating words and images to convey data, concepts, and emotions. The field of graphic presentations encompasses all phases of the graphic communications processes from origination of the idea (design, layout, and typography) through reproduction, finishing and distribution of two- or three-dimensional products or electronic transmissions

Houston, Childers, and Heckler (1987) noted that little research examined the effects of nonverbal message elements on consumer information processing. They also proposed that the nature of pictorial stimuli suggests that pictures can be used effectively to embed expectations within a message or news. If this is true, there are many implications for advertisers and news producers alike. For instance, Singh, Lessig, and Kim (2000) show that advertisers use pictures for several reasons, including getting attention. In newspapers, visuals have proven to be a crucial connection point, and Moses (2002) noted that graphics, photographs, and headlines get far more attention from readers than text does. In a marketing saturated environment, winning the consumer’s attention is half of the battle. Furthermore, the mere association of a product with a positively evaluated stimulus like an attractive picture, regardless of the picture content, may be sufficient to alter attitude toward the product “without any rational belief change preceding the effect” (Harris, 1983).

If it is understood how consumers react to pictures in the marketing context, insight can be gained into how photographs serve to influence news consumers. Advertisement and news practices appear to be predicated on the belief that vivid information is more persuasive than pallid information, with vividness typically viewed as a characteristic of the stimulus; hence; pictures are vivid and verbal statements are pallid (Kisielius & Sternthal, 1984). Persuasion is usually measured by asking subjects to make attitudinal judgments about the message promotion. Within the advertising and news framework, one can study the impact of images in relation to influencing consumer perception and attitude.

THE IMPACT OF GRAPHIC PRESENTATION IN NEWSPAPER PRODUCTION: A CASE STUDY OF THE TIDE NEWSPAPER AND BEACON NEWSPAPER