Task 3: Magazine and Audiences

Task 3: Magazine and Audiences

15 Key Words

1. Target Audience - The people that the magazine is aimed at to attract
2. Niche - A small target audience
3. Differentiated - How magazines are different due to their different audiences
4. Masthead - The name of the magazine
5. Pull Quote - A small quote from an interview with a celebrity that is featured in the magazine
6. Codes - How we make sense of things e.g. blood=death
7. Conventions - Rules followed by magazines
8. Ideologies - A powerful idea
9. Left Third - The most populated section of the front cover due to how they are stacked
10. Plugs - Extras to attract the reader to select the magazine e.g. competition
11. Puffs - How the front cover is attractive
12. Anchor - A caption that fixes the meaning of an image
13. Archetype - A character that is often repeated and is instantly recognisable to the audience
14. Composition - How the front cover is laid out 
15. Genre - media products classed as being similar

500 word analysis of a magazine front cover

The pink colour scheme suggests this magazine is aimed at the female audience and with the addition of yellow, also gives the impression of a summer theme. The age range is late teens to 20’s because of the fashion ( the ‘bralets’ that are advertised) that is show in both a plug and puff format. Furthermore, the use of Jessie J also suggests a younger audience because her career as a modern pop star makes her appeal to the market that would stereotypically listen to her music. The main coverline has a black text box with white writing to make it sound out. There is also two pull quotes’, one in the bottom left corner reading “It’s a festival-express yourself” from a stylist, suggesting an element of fun to this addition. The other quote is in the top right corner “Shoes=my 9-5” “I’m paid to shop”. This also adds a sense of relaxation and fun. The main image of Jessie J in a colourful playsuit with shoes that are not colour coordinated and her hair down in its ‘natural’ state also shows the theme of fun. Furthermore, the advertisement ‘Composure joins Team Jessie’ also advertises the TV show The Voice, on which she was a celebrity coach, and is implying to their audience that they are supporting Jessie by buying the magazine. The relaxed font that looks like someone’s handwriting also adds to the idea of fun, which ties in with the summer clothing range that they are trying to promote. The price of £2 suggests that this magazine is aimed at all audiences, and not a specific class as it is a cheap magazine. The price is also more obvious than most magazine prices (which are mostly in small print around the barcode), again giving the magazine an inclusive feel. The circle of clothes at the bottom of the page (a puff) advertises a taste of the things mentioned in the magazines main article, and implies that there is more information on clothes inside. The left third in this case contains the main story (an interview with Jessie J) and ‘nail arts gets sporty’ in bold writing, also implying that it is a main story. The highlighting of the words ‘sporty’ and ‘#dreamjobs’ in bright yellow also makes them stand-out, showing that they are main stories in the magazine. Conventions of the magazine cover include the use of pink, which is typical to a female magazine. The concept of the fashion clothes displayed is also typical to a female magazine.