NATIONAL AND REGIONAL MAGAZINESCompare and contrast the style, layout and features of national and regional magazine

Regional Magazine conventions The masthead of the magazine is very simple white and red to support the regional colours of Sunderland. It shows that the person who designed it is very proud of where they come from. Also the bright colours are used to stand out from the dark background. The masthead is large so people can immediately know the name of the magazine. The tagline says “if it is on it is in- the Sunderland magazine” This indicates that the magazine provides information of upcoming events that is happening inside of the region. The main image of the magazine is not of a celebrity but a member of the public indicating that the magazine is about the people who live in the city instead of a celebrity gossip magazine. In the main image she is smiling which shows that she is very proud and happy of where she comes from. It is advertising the city so it would have been inappropriate if everyone looked miserable in the magazine. The other small images in the background are mainly local attractions that people and tourists will recognise immediately. Local attractions are very popular in the regional areas that people tend to visit to, and putting images on a regional magazine will make the reader immediately recognise the place. The main sell line is in a bigger font compared to the other sell line below showing which article is more important and bigger. Right beside the masthead There is no barcode or price on the magazine which informs the reader that the magazine is free. I have seen this magazine around my college campus and sometimes they are in the local news agents. The reason I think this magazine is free is because not many people buy regional magazines, they aren’t very popular compared to national magazines. Also this regional magazine is an advertisement of events that is happening in the future.

National magazine conventionsThe masthead is a big and a simple font so the reader of the magazine can actually read it, if the font was cursive and joined together some people may find it difficult to read and not know the name of them magazine. The difference between the national masthead and the regional masthead is that the national font has the letters close together which can be common in most fashion magazines. The main image is a long shot of a well known celebrity Ellie Goulding, the reason for this is because if a celebrity is on the cover of a magazine it could draw in more readers especially fans of the celebrity will want to read the magazine and find out the news and gossip of that person. There is only one image indicating she is going to have a main part in the magazine. If there was more than one image of a celebrity she would look less important. Unlike the national magazine there is a barcode and price of three pound sixty pence on this magazine. National magazines price their magazines because they want to make a profit across the country and it will have cost more to make this magazine. The main sell line is much bigger compared to the other sell lines and stretches out near the bottom of the magazine. It also has a small description next to it. The reason for this is so people can distinguish what the main article is inside of this magazine, it is bigger so it can attract the readers attention. The sell lines are very neatly placed around the magazine without looking messy they are directly opposite and even which makes the magazine look clean and more professional. There are six sell lines to show the variety of the magazine and it could draw a wide range audience who could be interested in different articles.

Regional magazine styleThe main background colour of the magazine is dark, but what I like about is that there is bright and colourful images and fonts to stand out from the background. I feel like if there was a bright and colourful background and colourful images and fonts it would have been overwhelming to look at and it would have put people of reading the magazine. With the black it tones down the magazine and all of the colours go well with black background. I like how the magazine has also incorporated the regional colours of Sunderland in the masthead and date because it gives the magazine a sense of identity. Many people from the region would immediately recognise the colours and feel comfortable reading the magazine as it is about upcoming events in that region instead of having to travel up and down the country to go to different events. The font of the masthead is slightly different to the sell lines to make the masthead standout and people can identify the name of the magazine. It would be more confusing if all the fonts are the same because people may not know the name of the magazine. The sell line fonts are very simple and plain because the purpose of the magazine is to inform people of new stuff happening in the magazine. The model isn’t placed directly in the middle of the front cover and she is covered by the snowdog. This also mean she doesn’t meet the eyeline match. However, she is smiling which is welcoming for the reader to pick up the magazine and read it.

National magazine layoutThe colour of the background is plain white but it is used effectively as the bold pink, black and orange colours stand out catching the eye of the reader. The colours really blend well together which is what I like about the magazine. This also appeals to the target audience of young girls as pink is a stereotypical popular colour for girls. The colour connotes feminine and playful attitudes. The masthead font is different compared to the sell lines as the letters are all close together, the masthead has to look different from the sell lines because it would confuse the reader if it was the same. The main sell line is much bigger compared to the other sell lines and is spread across the page at the bottom of the magazine. It stands out on purpose so the reader can see what the main article of the magazine is. It nearly takes up a quarter of the page which stands out for the reader to see. The other sell lines are evenly placed on either side of the page and it takes the same amount of room. I like this because I think it makes the magazine look organized. The titles of the mastheads are bigger than the small descriptions underneath, I think if the description was the same size it would confuse the reader. The model is place directly in the middle of the cover and meets the eyeline match. This would catch as it looks like she is looking at you. This is engaging and welcoming for the reader. Her facial expression also engages with the audience as a smile is very welcoming for you to read the magazine.

Regional Magazine contentThe content in a regional magazine is very informative about what is going on in the area such as news, events and interests around the regional area. It also can show opportunities for the younger generation to grasp. It is all about keeping the reader updated what is happening in the local area. Regional magazines can also vary in content to attract a wider range of audience by talking about the fashion with shops in the area, local music bands and festivals etc.

National magazine contentThe content in a national magazine is used as entertain the reader and inform them what is happening across the nation. However, it’s mainly stories that feature celebrities. It can feature gossip, interviews and popular stories that are currently going on. National magazines also feature loads of advertisements for well known brands for example a celebrities perfume. This is different compared to regional advertisements as their advertisements are for stuff that is happening in that community. You also have to pay for a national magazine which means that there will most likely be more pages for the reader compared to a regional magazine. However in a national magazine there are about the same amount of adverts as articles.