“Westside Today” and “Gazette Newspapers”: Comparative Characteristics Essay (Critical Writing)

The comparison between two newspapers, Westside Today that comes out in Malibu Beach and Gazette Newspapers, which is the Downtown Gazette, have yielded some interesting results. The differences and unique qualities of each newspaper refer to the demographics, social make up, population background—in general, the local culture of the community. The popularity of newspapers depends on the predominance of certain groups in the area, the values that have established themselves in that particular community and the ability of the newspaper to interest the reader by effective information presentation and transfer (Willis 38).

When analyzing Westside Today, it is obvious the easy-to-access headline divided content. The front page allows for a quick overview and selective reading, which enables a person to flip to the articles they are interested in without looking through the whole newspaper. The news on front page is mostly business, economy and national matters related. Topics such as local business news, crime updates, Obama’s administration and mayoral debates all have a common nature in economy and politics. This is due to the fact that people in the area are interested in the way they are governed and they take an active part in the process. As Malibu is located near one of the most beautiful beaches in United States, people are interested in settling here or opening a business, so it is reasonable to expect news that relate to that. The movies filmed here and settings used for videos, show how this area is very popular and this explains the interest people have in the region. The direct link on the title page labeled “stocks” takes the reader to the current values on the market. Such quick access to financial information is another link to the business world and attention people pay to the market fluctuations. Several headlines in relation to crime statistics confirm the community’s interest in safety. Under the link titled “about us”, first line acknowledges that this is a newspaper that centers on movies, business and politics. The general atmosphere of the paper and this particular department reinforce the effect that people in Malibu are very much preoccupied with interesting and irregular lives. Westside Today comes out in Bel-air, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and Palisades and this shows that areas which are known for their style and high “rolling” are represented in the newspaper. People who live in these areas are middle and upper class and the newspaper markets directly to that type of audience (“Westside Today”).

Another newspaper collection that is rather popular are the Gazette Newspapers. It includes several issues of different newspapers that come out in the local mini-regions; they are Grunion, Downtown and Uptown gazettes. The issue of Long Beach can be considered somewhat similar to the Westside Today. Long Beach is one of the largest cities in the Southern United States and is well-known for its maritime theme, oil industry and technology businesses. People in this area are even more business oriented. The first common page has an advertisement for dining places on the beach but the rest of headlines are related to business and politics. One of the predominant themes includes attractions that can be found at Long Beach and ways people can involve themselves and participate in the community matters. The pictures and advertisements for cafés, restaurants, concerts and community events create a leisure and holiday atmosphere. After reading the newspaper, a person wants to get to Long Beach and relax in the sun. In comparison to Westside Today newspaper, the theme is more “vacation” oriented. People in the area are seen as more laid back and expecting to be entertained. This might be due to the fact that Westside Today comes out in several densely populated and upper class areas where people are interested in gaining more financial independence, whereas Gazette Newspaper, uses business and the world of economy to lead into relaxation and enjoyment of freedoms acquired through successful businesses and lifestyle. One of the interesting links of the front page is access to the “Arrest Logs.” The newspaper provides a list of all recently arrested people and the charges laid. This is extraordinary for a newspaper because it creates a personal and private connection with the reader. The statistics of crimes show that predominant numbers of people are involved in many forms of theft and drug or narcotic use. This is fascinating to analyze because it shows that people here are very laid back and all they want to do is experiment with their mind or get access to easy money, probably to use it for drugs. Of course, this might be an overrepresentation of the types of activities people are involved in but nonetheless, it is evidence that pertains to the partial make-up of the community (“Gazette Newspapers”).

In conclusion, both newspapers are centered on business and leisure time. They greatly represent the community and general atmosphere of the area, at the same time being informative and useful to readers.

Works Cited

Gazette Newspapers 2013. Web.

Westside Today 2013. Web.

Willis, William. Surviving in the Newspaper Business: Newspaper Management in Turbulent Times, New York, United States: ABC-CLIO, 1988. Print.