Press photographs in The Times

Abstract

This dissertation is an examination of the use of press photos by The Times. An empirical study is preceded by a chapter on the historical perspective of the development of newspapers and press photography and an article on the editorial policy of The Times. The study provides a potential basis for an analytical look at the message content of press photos in the local newspaper industry. Based on a sample of two composite weeks, the first part of the study looks at how photos feature throughout the editorial layout of The Times. This part of the study analyses statistically (by frequencies and percentages) how space is distributed, what sizes of photos are used and their orientation and format, the use of colour and black and white photos, and whether photos accompany articles or appear independently. The second part of the study is based on a census of the 1993 issues of The Times. 1993 was chosen because the present editorial team was appointed as from January 1 of that year. This part focuses on the front and back pages, analysing statistically (by frequencies and percentages) the thematic content of the photos, comparing the proportional distribution of local and foreign themes.