Conventions of a Magazine

Research into the typical conventions of a pop magazine

Masthead

A pop magazine always includes a masthead which is specifically used to stand out to the reader and their eyes will automatically be drawn to this on the magazine if it is used correctly. The masthead is a vital area of the magazine which needs to be well thought about as it will be a memorable part of the front cover.

Background Image

A second convention that is used in a pop magazine is the background image which includes a popular celebrity and then an eye-catching story. This is used mainly to draw in the attention of readers who want to find out the latest gossip and what is going on in celebrities lives right now. The celebrity which is featured on the front cover of the magazine has to fit in with the genre of the magazine otherwise you will be attracting the wrong audience. This is a vital part of magazine designing and when I go to design my own magazine I need to ensure that I have done this correctly.

Cover Line

The cover lines on this magazine are on the left hand side. From researching magazines in this genre I can see that many feature cover lines. Some magazines simply state the names of the other artists that will be featured in the magazine but other magazines list different stories. This is a useful thing to add to a magazine as not everyone will be interested in the main story and therefore this can determine whether they will still pick up the magazine or not.

Colour Scheme

The colour scheme is used to appeal to the target audience and the style of the magazine that it is. A pop magazine aimed at a teenage audience would typically include the colours pink, white, purple and grey which create a girly atmosphere.

Page Numbers

Page numbers are an essential part of a magazine so that the reader knows exactly where they are in the magazine and they need to be clearly visible so that when a reader flicks through the magazine they can easily find what they are looking for. On the contents page, I think it is helpful to include page numbers on the photos that are featured on the page so that the readers know what article they relate to.

Exclusives

An exclusive is typically in pops magazines and this encourages readers to pick up the magazine, knowing they wont have read the story in a previous magazine as the company would pay the interviewees and buy the story so it can not be sold elsewhere.

Colloquial Language

Another typical convention is the use of colloquial language, which suits the target audience which is usually younger and teenage girls, and this makes the magazine less formal.

Initial/Drop Caps

A pop magazine tends to feature initial/drop caps which are large capital letters at the beginning of the first paragraph, they usually drop into text below the first line and are used again as a technique which engages and catches the readers attention.

Conclusion

After looking at these different conventions it makes me more confident for when I come to create my own magazine, as I know what is expected of a pop magazine and the types of

things I need to include, for example the large image is the most important followed by the

masthead as these are the two main areas that catch the readers attention most.