Notes from Textbook on Magazines

I read pages 116-132 from Exploring the Media edited by Barbara Connell and published in 2008. This gave me a good introduction into magazines, their construction and target audience.

I have learnt that magazines and newspaper have similarities however, magazine can be divided up into specialist sub genres. Plus they are less factual and released less often, whereas newspapers are more ephemeral, magazines are more permanent.

When reading the front cover of magazines you will usually come across:

• A masthead - Tile of the magazine
• Tag lines/strap lines - Captions to describe the magazine
• Lure - for example a competition
• Main image
• Celebrity endorsement
• Bar code
• Date and price
• etc.

Everything listed above shows what genre a magazine is and changes depending on the target audience, for example the magazine Nuts. The masthead connotes craziness and masculinity, to back this up the fonts, colours, images and advertising are also masculine; telling the reader that this magazine is directed towards men.

Usually inside a magazine....

• Editors letter
• Contents page - like the front page the colour scheme, images, font and layout all depend on the genre/target audience
• Advertisements
• Double page spread - usually laid out in 2 or 3 columns with 1 large photo, normally related to the front cover.

Notable Publishers
2 most notable publishers are IPC and BBC Magazines.
IPC is an American company which is part of the biggest worldwide media conglomerate. Some of its most famous publications include:

• NME
• Sugar
• Nuts

BBC Magazines is obviously an English company who usually produce synergies as first and foremost the BBC is a television institution. Publications include:

• Top of the Pops Magazine
• Doctor Who Adventures
• Top Gear

These global institutions often stereotype people who buy magazines for example all boys will buy car magazines and all girls will buy fashion magazine as this makes it easy to target a specific audience. Additionally specialist magazines targeted at a broad yet niche audience are also successful. For a while these global companies were thriving as the magazine industry was booming however, in recent years circulation figures for all magazines have began to decrease. This could be due to new technology as most magazines have apps and websites to keep their readers up-to-date.

Total Film - Future Publishing

Future Publishing currently has over 1,800 magazines worldwide and started in 1985 in Bath, England. This particular magazine is released monthly at a cost of £3.80 with 85,616 being the average circulation figure per each issue over 6 months. Total Film reviews both old and current films with a consistent and familiar layout and says that it is targeted at young, educated men who are regular movie goers. This is reflected in the figures as 75% of readers are males over 26 years old. The mode of address is modern and quite masculine; the company is aware that they have a youthful audience therefore the mode of address is also quite humorous and informal especially throughout the articles with advertisers involved in the film industry dotted throughout such as HMV. Total Film does represent a gender bias within the Hollywood film industry as the magazine favours male directors, actors, producers etc and only includes beautiful women to entice male readers in. Total film realise celebrity endorsement is essential in today's new culture and almost always include a celebrity on the cover.

Grazia - EMAP (Bauer)

EMAP first began in 1938 in Italy and have gone on to produce Grazia a very successful glossy magazine priced at £1.90 and released weekly. 227,083 copies are sold over the counter each week and it is very heavily reliant on advertising from companies such as D&G or Gucci. However high street brands are also mentioned in addition to designer brands to appeal to a broader audience. in the first year £8 million was spent but sales increased and as it is read by "upmarket women" it can be lower priced as the advertising brings in much of the profit. Grazia was ground-breaking as it was Britain's first weekly glossy hybrid magazine that combined fashion with celebrity gossip. Its familiar format, conventions of both fashion and gossip magazines plus its feminine articles attract women all over the world every week and has made Grazia incredibly successful.