Impact of graphic elements, content elements and layout on sensationalism of newspaper articles

Stanojević, Marija. (2017). Impact of graphic elements, content elements and layout on sensationalism of newspaper articles. PhD Thesis. Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu, Department of Information Science.
(Poslijediplomski doktorski studij informacijskih i komunikacijskih znanosti) [mentor Boras, Damir and Brautović, Mato].

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Abstract

Scientific contribution of this dissertation is in developing critical understanding of sensationalism as a phenomena rooted in Croatian daily paper and editor policy, with identifying graphical-visual (size of the photo, presence of feature, color of the headline), and content (content of the photography, correlation between content of the photography and content of the headline, content of the feature, type of the headline) elements of sensationalism. Study on graphical-visual elements is significant, for its influence on perception of headline as a sensational, though it is not sensational in its content. Due to complexity of the research and need to validate the results accurately, research in this thesis is conducted using triangulation method. Four types of triangulation were used: triangulation of the data (i.e. use of different data sources); research triangulation (i.e. use of different profiles of researchers); theoretical triangulation (i.e. use of multiple paradigms and perspectives in interpretation of data) and methodological triangulation (use of multiple methods and techniques of research). The complexity of the problem and subject of research required complex progressive research in three stages. Content and graphical-visual elements of sensationalism were detected using focus group and content analysis. Most prominent elements were examined using method of experiment, by using Tobii X60i, system for eye movement tracking. The main hypothesis is confirmed – the color emphasized headlines were first observed and watched longer than neutral ones. Also, the first auxiliary hypothesis was confirmed in the manner that content sensationalist (negative or explicit) headline was observed for longer period in comparison with the neutral headline containing the same visual-graphical elements. The second auxiliary hypothesis was confirmed with results that indicate that photographs that are not in compliance with the content, or are negative and provocative, have slightly longer period of gaze. The significant difference appeared in speed of notification of those photographs in comparison with neutral and non-sensationalistic photographs. The dissertation contributes to critical understanding of the sensationalism and it's definition as a way of reporting or presenting an information that doesn't need to be sensational in origin but can be artificially created and thus decoded by recipient as a sensation because of its graphical-visual and/or content elements.

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