Synergy
commercial requirements’, whilst on the macro
level it ‘can be seen as a social phenomenon both
instigating and symbolizing major changes to
the constitution of society’.
Esser’s study focuses on the micro level of the
tabloidization process, meaning ‘a change in the
range of topics being covered (more entertain-
ment, less information), in the form of presenta-
tion (fewer longer stories, more shorter ones with
pictures and illustrations) and a change in the
mode of address (more street talk when address-
ing readers)’. He argues that the nature, evolution
and relative predominance of tabloidization
varies between America, the UK and Germany;
thus it is an ‘extremely problematic term’ and can
‘therefore only be analysed with reference to the
respective media cultures and journalistic tradi-
tions’ of the countries in question.
For example, tabloidization has never taken
hold in Germany to the extent that it has in
the UK; in part because, as far as sex scandals
are concerned, Germany has a strong privacy
law that ‘also protects public fi gures’. He cites
research evidence showing that extensive cover-
age of scandals can increase public disillusion-
ment with public life, hence the fears which
many commentators have ‘that a shift towards
sensation, emotion and scandal may have some
negative eff ects on democracy’ (see journal-
ism: phone hacking).
Currently the term tabloidization is used to
describe what many critics see happening both
to the serious, broadsheet newspaper, and to TV
news, in the sense that they are ‘getting more
and more like the tabloids’, matching them for
populist content and design, and demonstrat-
ing the same fascination for covering the lives
and antics of celebrities. In other words, the
accusation is that while the tabloids – in the UK
referred to as the ‘red tops’ – are already dumbed
down, the dumbing-down process is actually
what is happening to traditionally serious media.
See topic guide under language/discourse/
narrative.
▶Rodrigo Uribe and Barrie Gunter, ‘Research note:
the tabloidization of British tabloids’, European Jour-
nal of Communication (September, 2004); Martin
Conboy, Tabloid Britain (Routledge, 2005); Anita
Biressi and Heather Nunn, eds, Th e Tabloid Culture
Reader (Open University Press, 2008).
Tactics and strategies Th ese terms are used in
a number of contexts within the media, culture
and communication fi eld. Th e term tactics refers
to the varying activities that can be undertaken
within a strategy. A strategy refers to the
intentional co-ordination of activities; tactics,national radio programmes in the US were
transmitted from Hollywood. See topic guides
under media history; media technologies.
Synergy The establishment of relationships
between differing areas and/or organizations
within the cultural and media industries that
allow for greater efficiency in the production
and promotion of two or more cultural/media
artefacts. An example of synergy is when the
launching of a new fi lm is accompanied by the
promotion of a wide range of related merchan-
dise. Conglomerates (see conglomerates:
media conglomerates) are in an enviable
position to take advantage of the benefits of
synergies.
Examples of synergic partnerships have
multiplied until they have become a norm, and
involve a range of sponsors and benefi ciaries;
thus McDonald’s burgers and fries synergize
with Disney movies while Coca-Cola synergizes
with Harry Potter books and fi lms. Perhaps the
classic synergic relationship is between sport
and big business, though the arts and business
are not far behind. See product placement.
Syntactics A branch of semiology/semiotics;
the study of the signs and rules relating to signs,
without reference to meaning.
Syntagm See paradigm.
Syntax Th e combination of words into signifi cant
patterns; the grammatical structure in sentences.
T
Tabloid, tabloidese, tabloidization In
‘“Tabloidization” of news: a comparative analysis
of Anglo-American and German press journal-
ism’ (European Journal of Communication,
September 1999) Frank Esser writes that the
term ‘tabloid’ orginally referred to a pharma-
ceutical trademark for the concentrated form of
medicines as pill or tablet: ‘Th is narcotic tabloid
eff ect and the fact that it is easy to swallow have
been readily transferred to the media.’
Th e term, in the UK, is used to refer to the
size of a newspaper (in comparison with the
broadsheet format), but in general ‘tabloidese’
describes the nature of news content and style.
Esser quotes Marvin Kalb, Director of the
Shorenstein Centre on the Press, Politics and
Public Aff airs at Harvard University: tabloidese
is characterized by ‘a downgrading of hard news
and upgrading of sex, scandal and infotainment’.
At the micro level, states Esser, tabloidization
‘can be seen as a media phenomenon involving
the revision of traditional newspaper and other
media formats driven by reader preferences and