Entry points and reading paths on newspaper spreads: comparing a semiotic analysis with eye-tracking measurements

Abstract

The aim of this article is to compare general assumptions about newspaper reading with eye-tracking data from readers’ actual interaction with a newspaper. First, we extract assumptions about the way people read newspapers from socio-semiotic research. Second, we apply these assumptions by analysing a newspaper spread; this is done without any previous knowledge of actual reading behaviour. Finally, we use eye-tracking to empirically examine so-called entry points and reading paths. Eye movement data on reading newspaper spreads are analysed in three different ways: the time sequence in which different areas attract attention is calculated in order to determine reading priorities; the amount of time spent on different areas is calculated in order to determine which areas have been read most; the depth of attention is calculated in order to determine how carefully those areas have been read. General assumptions extracted from the socio-semiotic framework are compared to the results of the actual behaviour of subjects reading the newspaper spread. The results show that the empirical data confirm some of the extracted assumptions. The reading paths of the five subjects participating in the eye-tracking tests suggest that there are three main categories of readers: editorial readers, overview readers and focused readers.