Newspapers were once delivered every morning to most houses in the UK. It was a tradition for people to read the daily news while they ate breakfast and drank tea.

Since the internet arrived and 24-hour news channels began, there is less need for a written copy of the day’s events. But they can still be a valuable tool for you.

Newspapers are great for improving your English, at the same time as finding out about local and national events. Plus, you can find TV guides, games, fashion information and much more inside.

English newspapers are all very different. So you must choose which one to read depending on what you want to find in it.

For a selection of British newspapers, check out our "Find a..." section.

Regional and National

There are both regional and national newspapers. Regionals are great for getting local news stories, finding out about events, as well searching for items for sale in the ‘classified’ sections. These publications are often very important in their areas. They are aimed at the local people so you can learn a lot about your area by picking it up.

National newspapers are all very different in style and content. You can buy the same one every day, or choose a different one for every mood. They range from the very serious and informative to the completely useless.

The British press is in two sections: ‘tabloids’ and ‘broadsheet’. They are called this because the tabloids were originally smaller in size than the broadsheets, but now most are the same size. The big difference now is that the broadsheets are the ‘serious’ newspapers.

Here is our quick guide:

Tabloids

The Sun – this newspaper focuses greatly on celebrities and sport. If you want to read the gossip about Posh Spice and David Beckham as well as find out what is going on in the world, then this is for you.

The Sunday Sport – Beware! Only buy this if you don’t want a newspaper but want to see some naked girls and read about made-up news events (which are admittedly sometimes funny).

The Star – Page three usually has a picture of a topless girl and there is lots of information about pop-stars and TV celebrities. This is good for a bit of fun but doesn’t have much real news.

The Daily Mail – The UK’s most Conservative (right-wing political group) tabloid. This paper is aimed at middle-class professionals who have a family and the average 2.4 children. Only read this if you can’t get any sleep. (ed- too vitriolic?)

The Daily Express – This is similar to the Mail in its politics and readership. It is also famous for covering stories on Lady Diana despite her death now being 11 years ago. This really is boring to read.

Broadsheets

These are the best choice if you want to find serious and interesting news and features. However, you will need to have a good standard of English or be interested in improving your current level.

The Guardian – Arguably the best all-round newspaper. It tries to cover everything: it includes good UK and world news, entertainments sections, lifestyle and travel supplements, film and TV guides and more. This is a good choice if you want truly interesting content.

The Independent – The newspaper for grown-ups. It is probably the best for political news, and is also the most likely to give a fair account of the truth rather than just one side. This is also the one to read if you are interested in the protection of the environment.

The Times – This newspaper was once highly-regarded in Britain. But now ownership has transferred to mass-media owner Rupert Murdoch, many comments have been made about its ethics. But it is still a good read if you want to find out the events of the day and much more.

The Telegraph – This is the most conservative or right wing broadsheet. It is right wing in its politics – i.e. it openly supports the Conservatives and their leader David Cameron. It is also right wing in its views and opinions – meaning that family values, religion, strict action on criminals etc. are high of importance. This and the fact that it is also aimed at the older reader, means it can be a bit old-fashioned and boring!

The Financial Times – This is a serious newspaper, which is concerned mainly with business and finance in the UK. It does also contain good quality news, but is aimed at people who want to know everything there is to know about money, politics and the economy.

All of the above newspapers now have their own websites too. These are all worth a visit if you want to read your news online.

Circulation

The tabloids are the most popular newspapers by a long way. They appeal to the masses by covering the popular news at the moment – often the latest to happen on Big Brother! Below are listed the numbers they sold January 2010 per day.

The Sun
3,006,565

The Star

779,376

The Daily Mail
2,120,347

The Daily Express
674,640

The Guardian

302,285

The Independent
185,815

The Times
508,250

The Telegraph
691,128

The Financial Times

390,315

The paper you choose to have tucked under your arm can say a lot about who you are. In fact, many people in the UK may even buy a particular newspaper to give them a better image. For example, according to the Guardian’s own figures, their readers are ‘affluent, professional and well qualified’. So, if you carry one of these, you might just give people the idea that you are successful. However, if you carry the Sunday Sport, you may give them a very different impression!

By Matt Taylor

USEFUL WORDS

Types of Newspaper
a daily – published every day (e.g. The Times)
a broadsheet – large pages, serious news (e.g. The Guardian)
a weekly – published once a week (e.g. The Times Educational Supplement (TES))
a national newspaper – news about the whole country (e.g. The Telegraph)
a local newspaper – news about one area of the country (e.g. The London Evening Standard)
a tabloid – small pages, lots of pictures, not much serious news (e.g. The Sun)

Sections of a Newspaper

headline = the main title/story on the front page
supplements = separate magazines included with the newspaper
feature = an article or set of articles devoted to a particular topic
classified ads = pages of advertisements in different categories
obituaries = descriptions of the lives of famous people who have just died
leader/editorial = an article giving the newspaper editor’s opinion
agony columns = sections in the paper or magazine that deal with readers’ private emotional problems
review = a report which gives an opinion (e.g. about a book, film, play)

Journalism Roles
“I’m in charge of a newspaper or magazine” – She’s an editor.
“I write articles about news” – He’s a reporter.
“I follow and take photos of famous people” – He’s a member of the paparazzi.

GRAMMAR SPOT

Reported Speech
There are several reporting verb patterns you can use.  Here are some common ones that you may see in newspapers:

Verb (+ that)

accept, admit, advise, agree, announce, believe, claim, complain, confess, decide, deny, expect, explain, insist, know, predict, promise, repeat, reply, say, suggest

e.g. The Prime Minister agreed (that) more money was needed to complete the project.

Verb + object (+ that)

assure, inform, reassure, remind, tell, warn

e.g. The company assured employees (that) their jobs would be safe.

Verb + to + infinitive

agree, claim, demand, guarantee, offer, propose, refuse, threaten

e.g. Britain has offered to help with the emergency aid programme.

Verb + to + -ing form

admit, confess

e.g. He confessed to being at the murder scene.