Lesson

Elements of a Newspaper

Look at the sample front page below to get an idea of the elements of a newspaper. Be sure to roll over all of the dots to get the information.

You may also want to download the Parts of a Newspaper handout.

The numbers above indicate a part of the newspaper:

1. Banner teaser: a feature just above or just below the banner that gives reader a sneak peak of what's inside the newspaper on a given day.
2. Banner: the title bar on the front page; it has the name of the newspaper, date, town, etc.
3. Photo: a color or black and white photographic image used to get attention or add detail to a related article.
4. Column: the design method in which articles are lined up on a page for ease of reading.
5. Headline: the title of an article; headlines appear in larger, bolder print to grab the eye.
6. Byline: line of print that identifies the author or source of the article.
7. Graphic: any non-photographic element like divider lines, shading, artwork, or charts. Graphics can be informative (a line graph or diagram) or decorative (a flower motif on the Garden page).
8. Sidebar: a specialty column, usually set off to the side of the page, that contains spin-off stories related to a main article or shorter pieces of interest in a related category.
9. Caption: information in small print that identifies subjects in a photo and describes its significance.
10. Copy: the body of the article; the news story itself.