Multimodal news texts spacial location (based on the BBC and CNN online news)

Abstract

The article highlights some specific features of the BBC and CNN online news texts location on the corresponding web pages. The effective arrangement of the news content boosts readers’ perception and willingness to deal with the information provided by the multinational news channels BBC and CNN. To properly analyze the message positioning, one has to consider the spacing methods, i.e. margins, padding, the width of the text, interlines intervals, text alignment (from left to right text-align – horizontal one, from top to bottom or vice versa text-align – vertical one, diagonal or free text-align), the necessary graphemes or lexemes span, text segmenting. The BBC news texts placement depends directly on the topics being covered. Within the scopes of HOME, NEWS, SPORT sections and all their subsections the news content is aligned in the left part of the web page, the “white space” includes the peculiar margin and interline interval. All of these help break the massive texts down into logical meaningful segments to alleviate the information perception, analysis and remembering. The WORKLIFE, TRAVEL, FUTURE, CULTURE section texts are center-aligned with equal margins and specific initial letter design and represent the popular science and entertainment content. The majority of the CNN news texts is located in the left web page segment and is horizontally aligned with the white space after a series of syntagmas. The CNN Style texts are center-aligned and the first three lines of each message are indented so as to place the initial letter of the first word encompassing those lines. To conclude, the BBC and CNN news texts spacing goes in line with pragmatic and stylistic character of the news content, graphic and design facilities make the texts readable, interface uncluttered and provide an overall aesthetically pleasing experience. All of these add additional value to the meaning potentials generated through the integration of both verbal and non-verbal modes.