Understanding the Use of Media Aesthetic Elements in the Guardian Post and the Post Newspapers, Cameroon

Abstract

. Abstract: This study seeks to understand the use of media aesthetic elements in The Guardian Post and The Post Newspapers in Cameroon. The use of aesthetics in newspapers is vital to appeal readership. The qualitative research design considering a mixed method of qualitative content analysis and in-depth interview was applied to study the issue. Purposive sampling was used to select two private English language newspapers owing to their practicalities and expertise in the application of aesthetics in producing the newspapers as well as the high solicitation of these newspapers for information, wide coverage and readership across Cameroon. Findings reveal that the two newspapers use bold lead stories, layout, balance, contrast, proportion, unity, typography, photographs and colour in the presentation of news and other editorial materials to attract clients with colour presented as the most used aesthetic technique employed by both newspapers not only to attract customers but to create contrast and to communicate additional information on news stories as well as to present a unique identity of the newspaper. The study further reveals that even though aesthetics is used to attract readers, what keeps the readers loyal to a newspaper is not mostly the beauty but the contents of the newspaper.