Coursework Research: Newspaper Terminology

Here are some examples of terminology that is commonly used in newspapers both national and local, many of these terms will likely be used in my coursework:

• Attribution: A line identifying the source of the quote.
• Banner A wide headline extending across the entire page.
• Banner Ad: An advertisement across the top or bottom of the page.
• Border: A rule used to form a box that is usually used to edge a photograph or paragraph.
• Boldface: A heavier, darker weight of font that is usually used to add emphasis.
• Broadsheet: A full-size newspaper, measuring 14 by 23 inches.
• 'Butting Heads': Headlines from adjacent stories that collide with each other, this should be avoided and it is also known as tombstoning.
• Byline: The reporter's name, usually at the beginning of a story.
• Caption: A line or block of type providing descriptive information about a photo that is used interchangeably with the cutline. 
• Column: A vertical grouping of text; it is also called a leg.
• Continuation line: Type telling the reader that a story continues on another page.
• Cutline: A line or block providing descriptive information about a photo.
• Deck: A small headline running below the main headline; another term for this is a drop head.
• Downstyles: A headline style that capitalises only the first word and proper nouns.
• Drop Head: A small headline running below the main headline; it is also known as a deck.
• Ear: Text or graphic on either side of a newspaper's flag.
• Feature: A non-hard news story (e.g. a profile or a quiz) that is given special design treatment.
• Filler: A small story or graphic that is used to fill space on the page.
• Flag: The name of a newspaper as it's displayed on page one; it is also called a nameplate.
• Font: All the characters are in one size and weight of a typeface, for example Times New Roman.
• Hammer head: A headline that uses a big, bold word or phrase for impact and it also runs a small but wide deck below it.
• Header: A special label for any regularly appearing section, i.e. a page or a story; another term for this is a standing head.
• Headline: Large type running above a story to summarise its contents.
• Index: An alphabetised list of contents and their page numbers.
• Jumpline: Type telling the reader that a story is continued from another page.  
• Kicker: A small, short headline headline that is placed above a larger headline.
• Leg: A column of text.
• Liftout quote: An enlarged quote taken from a story, this is often done using bold or italic fonts.
• Logo: A word or name that's stylised in a graphic way; used to refer to standing heads in a newpaper.  
• Lowercase: Small characters of type that contain no capital letters.
• Margin: The space between different elements, e.g. stories.
• Masthead: A block of information, including staff names and publication data, often printed on the editorial page.
• Nameplate: The name of a newspaper as it's displayed on Page One, it is also known as a flag.
• Photo credit: A line that tells readers who took the photo.
• Pull quote: Another term used to describe a liftout quote.
• Quotes: Words spoken by someone in a news story, commonly used for liftout or pull quotes.
• Serif: The finishing stroke at the end of a letter; type without these decorative is called the sans serif.  
• Silhouette: A photo where the background has been removed leaving only the main subject.
• Tabloid: A type of newspaper that is roughly half the size of a broadsheet.
• Teaser: An eye-cathing element of text or part of a picture that promotes a item inside the magazine.
• Tombstoning: Stacking two headlines side by side so that they collide with each pther ; also known as bumping or butting heads.
• Underscore: A line below a line of text.
• Uppercase:  Type that only uses capital letters.
• Weight: The boldness of any type of text; based on the thickness of its letters.
• White space: Areas of a page that are free of any text or pictures.