Unit 14Within magazines, there are many different genres. The codes and conventions of a magazine help distinguish the different types of magazines. In this report I will highlight 6 different genres and evaluate the different conventions that make up these magazines.

Section 1: Genres

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The first genre that I am going to evaluate is the fashion genre. The purpose of this magazine is to entertain and inform people on latest trends within fashion, what the best outlets are etc. The target audience for this magazine is typically a younger female audience aging between 16 and 25. The fashion industry is very popular with around 65.15 million people with the industry grossing around $42,297 per annum. Therefore, fashion magazines are highly competitive and compete for profit levels thus they use influential celebrities on their cover as seen in FIG 1. With the use of Beyonce.

My next genre of magazines are Sports magazines. These magazines, along with fashion magazines are there for the purpose of entertainment and information regarding various sports. However, the magazines are more focused on informing and will contain articles of information around the world of sports and give updates on Sports news etc. Similarly, to fashion magazines, sports magazines will also typically have a famous celebrity as the central image on the cover page in order to promote sales and attract readers who may be fans of the celebrity.

This magazine comes from the magazine “Billboard” which is a in the music genre. The purpose of said genre of magazine is to update and inform people on the latest trends and information within the music industry such as top songs or top artists for the month etc. The target audience for these magazines are young teenagers and early twenties that actively keep up with the latest music. The idea of this magazine is to reach this demographic of males and females aged 16-25. However, music magazines can be a prime place to find information and promotions of upcoming concerts etc.

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People Magazine is a prime example of a magazine that falls into the genre of ‘Gossip’. Gossip magazines are typically revolved around celeb lives. The magazines purpose is to entertain and therefore has a very laid-back format. Gossip magazines usually have articles on the front cover that are enticing that attracts the demographic of young women. This is due to the articles within the magazine; articles based on attractive men or famous women and the struggles they live with etc.

My next genre will be health. This magazine specifically is aimed at men between the ages 20-45 and aims to promote healthy living who may not be in the best shape. The purpose of this magazine is to inform and educate people on how to be healthy; this may include workout routines of celebrities, dietary information etc. These magazines include celebrities in their magazine and on the front cover to promote sales but furthermore to persuade people to take part in exercise. This is due to the belief that if people follow the steps in the magazine, they will look like these celebrities that will be in the perfect shape.

The last genre that I will be evaluating is cooking. These magazines take a step away from the status quo and don’t typically have a celebrity as the central image on the front cover. However, these magazines will usually have food, recipes or cooking equipment as the central image. An important purpose of this magazine is to entertain by appealing to the target audience which is typically middle- aged women. Another reason as to why this magazine entertains is that it gives the reader activities and recipes to follow. However, another purpose of this magazine is to educate on different cooking styles etc. It can further be used to promote associated products such as utensils or ingredients.

Section 2: Relationship between target audience of magazines with a specific genre

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The demographics for Vogue magazine are predominantly female. The percentage of females that read the magazine is 80% female and only 20% men. Furthermore, the magazine targets a young audience with 69% of readers being from the age 16-34. Research indicates that most readers are high income and above average earners {76%}. From my own research I have found that the fashion within this magazine is crucial to the magazine. The celebrities on the cover page are females and wearing the latest, expensive fashion. This is a result of the editors of the magazine manipulating the magazine in order to include the interests of readers in order to retain regular readers, attract more and potentially promoting clothes companies or make-up companies etc. The adverts that appear within the magazine are also targeted towards this demographic and will not include adverts for discount retailers such as Primark etc.

The demographics for this magazine is heavily dominated by a male audience in comparison to Vogue magazine. The number of male readers was recorded as 16,125 in comparison to just over 4,000 female readers. In addition, the median age for readers was slightly older with 37.7 years. From my own research it is clear that more of the younger audience interacts with the magazine through their web magazine instead of the print format. Moreover, the target audience is reached perfectly within this magazine due to the target audience being sports fans and all the articles within this magazine being sports related. The front cover will include articles from a variety of different sports in order to reachy a variety of different sports fans.

Section3: Codes and Conventions of magazine covers

What are the codes and conventions of a magazine?

Masthead – This is the Title Block for the magazine, this is typically the most appealing part of the magazine and must grab the viewers attention.

Menu – This is a brief list of al the items within the magazine Pugs – These are positioned in the top left and top right hand corner of a magazine, they

stand out and are usually the prices and logos etc. Secondary Lead – This is usually a brief summary of a popular article within the magazine.

The secondary lead will be enticing but will only contain a small amount of information – enough the make the reader want to read more.

Sidebar – This is an extra box next to the main feature of the magazine Spread – This is an important story or a popular one that covers more than one page Stand First – This is put in place to ‘sell’ a feature to the reader. It appears after a headline Splash – This is the main story that appears on the front page of the magazine. This will have

a headline and will also include a photo Strapline – Subheading Tag – This categorizes the reader’s interest by using certain words to engage them such as:

exclusive, New or Sensational Box out – Coloured box behind text to make text stand out By-Line – Name of the reporter Caption – Text underneath image explaining the picture Credits – The author is usually credited in the form of a beeline Crosshead – Subheading that shows in the body of the text Exclusive – Means that the newspaper and no one else can cover the story. The paper pay

the interviewees and but the story so no one else can use it. Feature – Usually a human interest but not ‘news’ – will typically come as a spread Headline – Main statement, largest and boldest font describing the main story Kicker – Story that stands out from the rest of the page Lead story – main story, usually a splash Lure – used as a marketing device, it’s a word or phrase that makes the reader want to view

the inside.

Masthead: The masthead is the title of the magazine. Due to the magazine being a popular magazine, the masthead is positioned behind the central image because it is so easily recognisable. Above the masthead it also has ‘Canada’s No1 Fashion and Beauty magazine’. In addition, the colour of the Masthead is in contrast to the colour

Main cover line: The main cover line on this magazine and is consistent among many popular magazines appears to be the name of the celebrity that appears as the cover

Codes and conventions of fashion magazines

Masthead: The masthead is the title of the magazine. Due to the magazine being a popular magazine, the masthead is positioned behind the central image because it is so easily recognisable. Above the masthead it also has ‘Canada’s No1 Fashion and Beauty magazine’. In addition, the colour of the Masthead is in contrast to the colour

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Cover image: They have used an image of famous celebrity Demi Lovato. The image is centralised and makes it feel more personal as if she is looking directly at the audience due to her looking at the camera. The colour of her outfit fits with the colour of the magazine and fits in with tone of the magazine.

Main cover line: The main cover line on this magazine and is consistent among many popular magazines appears to be the name of the celebrity that appears as the cover

There is no barcode that appears on the front page. This will be to make the front page appear more clean and professional looking. The barcode will typically be at the back of the magazine if it is not on the front

Cover Line: This cover line is a typical cover line that appears on many entertainment magazines. It acts as an advertisement for other products that are related to the magazine, in this case; fashion. The text is larger in order to stand out to the reader and promote the magazine by suggesting the celebrities wear clothes for under $100

Fashion magazines contain general codes and conventions that are found within most fashion magazines. These include articles about fashion and what the latest trends inf fashion are, popular and upcoming fashion designers. The magazine itself will be laid out in a different format to other magazines. The Masthead, being the most important typically includes a photo of the model for the magazines such as Kylie Jenner on the front of the Glamour magazine and Beyoncé on the front of Vogue. This is also, where the Title Block goes however; sometimes the magazine can afford to cover the title block of the magazine due to the audience already knowing what the magazine is. Vogue are prime examples of using this. In addition, the main image of fashion magazines is a central image that dominates the rest of the front cover; this is typically a famous person so it grabs the reader’s attention. However, sometimes it can be items of clothing etc. The main cover line is the second biggest text on the page besides the title; it is easily recognisable and stands out due to the font typically being bold and placed specifically on the page to stand out. On fashion magazines, it typically uses the name of the model that appears on the front cover of those magazines. Fashion magazines effectively use codes and conventions to promote their magazines due to the influence that famous people have on other among society, even if people were not that enticed by fashion

Vogue magazine is an example of a fashion magazine that has been established since 1916. This magazine is one of the most prominent magazines in the fashion industry and links to a high society and class including examples of celebrities. There are different versions of the Vogue magazine such as the British and American edition. The British Vogue is the most profitable British magazine and the most profitable version of Vogue besides the American and Chinese version.

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Glamour is another example of a women’s fashions magazine published by Conde Nast publications. The magazine was founded in 1939. It was established originally in the USA but since then has published in various countries including Italy, Germany, Spain, Russia, Poland and others. The magazine is a monthly publication unlike news magazines, which typically are weekly.

they may be enticed to buy the product just because a celebrity they admire appears on the cover. The Genre of the magazine is fashion, which is typically aimed towards females rather than males, and it captures trends and make-up glamour among other things. The representations within fashion magazines are that the people and items in the magazines are shown as glamourous. Models for the magazines are positioned to look directly at the camera in order to make it seem as though it is personal as if the celebrity is looking directly at you. Due to the magazines using trending celebrities, fashion magazines typically aim for females between the ages of 16-30 because these are typically the age range that take more care over their appearance and will be affected by the items within the magazine. Moreover, these magazines take a much laid-back approach in terms of narrative in which there is no clear one. The casual format is due to the magazines being a form of entertainment and therefore should be read in leisure. Furthermore, the people who make money from these types of magazines being sold are the main contributors to the magazine such as editors, models, publishers etc. In addition, the technologies that are used within fashion magazines are used in order to make distribute the magazines. These methods include mass production and cameras along with editing software etc. The editors of the fashion magazines will know how to use different codes and conventions to make sure that the target audience is reached such as using the correct celebrities that younger people will know and admire. An example of this is that Vogue magazines may have used people like Madonna in the prime of her career however, Vogue use celebrities like Kim Kardashian to reach their target audience. The editors will also include the correct splashes to appeal to the audience i.e. new trends in fashion like ripped jeans and the latest make-up brands.

Masthead: The masthead on this magazine is the largest text on the magazine. The masthead is the title of the magazine and clearly labels what the magazine is about. The colour of the magazine is linked with the rest of the cover page due to the rest of the titles being in red as well.

The barcode allows the audience to know that the magazine is up for purchase. If the barcode wasn’t there, the audience may not know that the magazine is for sale or think that it is free

Section 4: Codes and Conventions of DPSThe headline on Double-Page spreads (DPS) are the same as a typical front cover; it is the largest text on the page and will stand out. In this case, it is the name ‘George Michael’ which grabs the readers attention due to them potentially being fans of said person. In other magazines, the text could ‘bleed’

The headline on Double-Page spreads (DPS) are the same as a typical front cover; it is the largest text on the page and will stand out. In this case, it is the name ‘George Michael’ which grabs the readers attention due to them potentially being fans of said person. In other magazines, the text could ‘bleed’

One main image on the page that typically takes up all of one page, but can sometimes take up both pages with the text placed on top of it. The image relates to the page headline and will be a striking image.

Smaller images appear around the pages that will sometimes break up long pieces of writing and make it more attractive for the viewer to read and engage with.

This is a quote that breaks up the long pieces of writing in place of a picture. The quote is large and striking for the reader which further engages them.

The image is striking to the reader in order to grab their attention but this particular image is specifically striking for females as they may think that the person is good-looking. The same can be done with female celebrities in an attempt to grab males attentions.

The same font is used in the DPS and if the text is on both pages, it will be the same. This is in order to show the consistency and make it more appealing for the reader

The main image on this magazine is again a famous celebrity that grabs the attention of their fans. In addition, this main image ‘bleeds’ across both of the pages which entices people to read the article.

The headline of this magazine in contrast to the previous DPS, gives no indication on what the articles are about, it is just striking and grabs the readers attention.

A drop capital tells the reader where to start reading the text.

Section 5: Platform Considerations

The headline of this magazine in contrast to the previous DPS, gives no indication on what the articles are about, it is just striking and grabs the readers attention.

The text is displayed in columns, broken up by small headings. This makes it more appealing for the reader due to it not seeming as though it is long and boring to read.

This column of writing Is similar to the colour theme of the main image. It is contrasted to the rest of the text therefore highlighting the importance of this text. It also grans the readers attention and the reader will typically read this text first

There are different forms of magazines that range from sports magazines, fashion magazines and even life-style magazines with gardening tips in etc. Traditionally, all magazines used to be shared via print format along with newspapers. However, with the rise of technology in the past decade more and more magazines are appearing online in a digital format. For my lasts section I will be evaluating the similarities and differences of the different platforms that magazines can be shared across.

Print magazines are the most common form of magazines and can be found in shops usually like a newsagents or supermarkets such as Tesco or ASDA; they can even be found in small sole trader businesses such as a local shop. These magazines are paper-back copies that can be sold through the medium of shops. Print magazines are usually brought out periodically such as weekly or monthly.

Online magazines are magazines that are found on the internet. More and more companies that create print magazines are shifting towards digital magazines and creating an online presence. However, that does not mean they are solely restricted to one or the other platform. Most companies that create online magazines will have previously or are still creating print magazines. They are free to access however subscriptions can be bought through the websites.

One similarity that both print magazines and online magazines share are the images; both platforms use images that are specific towards the topic within the magazines and a lot still use celebrities to generate interest for the magazine and images of them will appear within the magazine. In addition, there is a sense of permanence within both platforms. Articles within both platforms can be saved for future reference or to keep as its interest. Whilst the methods of saving them differ, the principal is the same: print magazines can be cut out physically and stored etc. whilst online magazines can be saved via the internet on the cloud etc. These are the same in contrast to other media such as radio in which the audio is perishable. Moreover, one of the biggest similarities they share are target audience. Print and digital magazines both have target audiences and will tailor their magazine to suit the needs or interest of the target audience. Furthermore, a Swedish environmental study suggests that both platforms have a damaging impact on the environment. Whilst print media has more of an impact in terms of making and distributing the magazine, print media still has an impact due to the audience using energy in order to access the media. The devices used to access online media are manufactured in facilities that release a large amount of carbon into the atmosphere. However, a positive similarity is the enjoyment that readers get out of accessing the media. Although, online media is faster to access; people who actively seek to read print media get the same satisfaction of reading the articles as people who read print media do.

In contrast, there are some differences that are present within both platforms such as the cost. Unsurprisingly, the a big difference in the different platforms are the costs that are associated with the magazines. It costs millions of pounds per year to distribute magazines across the world whereas, it costs nothing to create a magazine online and therefore the price differs. Due to the operating costs of creating print magazines, it is inevitable that there is going to be a higher price to purchase the magazine. However, online magazines are free. Another difference between the two platforms is the geographical location; print media typically focus on specific geographical locations whilst online media is much broader and can be accessed by anyone, anywhere. This gives online media a larger target audience they must tailor their media for. Consequently, there are big differences that are associated with immediacy and validity of the media. Online media is there all the time for the audience to access information. However, print media has to go through stages of production before it can reach the audience. Therefore, the audience might be receiving information

that is not as current in comparison to the information online which can be updated on a regular basis to keep up with current affairs.