Analysis of the Visual and Textual Processingof Political News in Slovak Tabloid Newspapers

Compared to other liberal-democratic countries, tabloid journalism is a relatively recent phenomenon in Slovakia, having begun to take shape in the early 1990s. Despite the fact that the tabloid press has been developing in our region for only a few years,it has already acquired distinctive characteristics that set it apart from non-tabloid media. A unique aspect of Slovak tabloids is their coverage of political issues, which differs from political coverage in Slovak non-tabloid media. The specific approach of the editorial teams in tabloids makes the political news coverage different not only in terms of topics but also in terms of other typical features, including visual and textual treatment. In this study, we focused on identifying typical features of political topics, especially in terms of thematic, textual and visual presentation, which we consider characteristic of the political content of Slovak tabloids.Since there are only two tabloid dailies in Slovakia, the research will focus on political topics in the Nový Čas and Plus JEDEN DEŇ magazines. In order to identify the specifics of political topics in tabloid newspapers, the analysis includes two non-tabloid dailies, SME and Pravda, which published in Slovakia. We chose these two non-tabloid dailies for their subject versatility.The specificity of political topics in the Slovak tabloid press is determined through an analysis of media content focused on political issues, followed by a comparison with the treatment of political topics in selected non-tabloid dailies. The analysis based primarily on a quantitative research methodology aimed at identifying the characteristics of political news coverage. The subsequent comparative analysis of tabloid and non-tabloid dailies will answer the questions of how and to what extent political reporting differs in the Slovak tabloids Nový Čas and Plus JEDEN DEŇ, and what specific characteristics distinguish them. Key words:tabloid,non-tabloidmedia,newspaper,politicalnews, specifics