Research into the Conventions of Magazines

Conventions of Different Magazine Genres:

VIBE Magazine:

The use of this model, Chris Brown will definitely appeal to the target market musically because he is an icon within the industry who is very successful. If the readers do not like Chris Brown, they will still know him and be interested in what he has to say. His shirt is the same colour as the main colour of the magazine, this connotes

danger and rebellion, similar to Chris Brown’s personality at this time.  

The skyline is crooked and uneven, this matches to the celebrity endorsements hat. This shows that the magazine have planned the layout carefully and planned for the main image carefully. The slanted skyline also draws the reader's attention to it. This means that it would be one of the most interesting things in the magazine and make the target audience want to read it.

The bar code is shown clearly at the bottom  of the magazine and therefore it is easy for the audience to find the cost of the magazine and issue date, etc.

The flashes match the celebrity endorsements outfit,this also gives information that would relate to their specific interests- making them interested in the content.
The masthead is covered by the main image showing that it is popular enough to be covered, showing its reputation is respected and well-known,

The main colours are red, green and white. Other than this other colours are in the background and dark, Green suggests wealth and money. Red suggests danger and power, white suggests superiority and importance.

The magazine is clearly a Hip-Hop magazine. This means that the audience interested in this type of music will easily be able to pick out the magazine from afar.

The model exudes confidence and attitude. The direct eye contact shows dominance, The unimpressed facial expression shows that he, himself has a reputation surrounding him and his music.

Classical Music Magazine:
Using the cover line: ‘Child’s Play’ is a play on words to attract the more sophisticated audiences, it allows parents to find out more about music their child could be interested in or it could attract older audiences who prefer a youthful sound.

It could also interest young musicians who wish to follow in the footsteps as successful artists.  
The instrument played by the child also attracts a certain audience. This appeals to a certain demographic also because typically, higher classed people will buy this type of magazine. This is also shown by the price of the magazine ‘£4.25’. This means that it is likely to be a monthly magazine, this suggests that the magazine is sophisticated.
The issue number, date and other information along with the price is evident and easy to find at the top of the magazine.

The mellow colour of the masthead is also appealing to the targeted market as it is not too bold or outstanding. This also links to the golden instrument.

The anchorage text ‘Childs play’ is also a pun. It suggests that playing these instruments is easy, It also explains the main image.



The bar code is shown clearly at the bottom of the magazine and therefore it is easy for the audience to find the cost of the magazine and issue date, etc.
The colours are also calming and do not stand out too much, however the different are all still recognisable. This attracts the older more urbane audience.
This magazine is clearly shown to  feature  the classical music genre. This is shown though the masthead. It is a simple and elegant font that will attract the same type of reader.
There are not many cover lines, this also suggests sophistication and elegance, this is reflective of the music genre and therefore evident who the target market is.
The blue light surrounding the side of both the instrument and the child evokes an angelic and innocent feeling towards both the child shown and the music genre itself.
It is clear that the audience is an older one through the simplicity in its design, it suggests that elder people will be able to read and understand the language and set up of the magazine,
The use of the child shows innocence and further reflects the main feature of the magazine.




Rock Sound Magazine:
The use of many scattered flashers will attract the audience as they will see the many different offers included in the magazine. It also suggests the type of bands the magazine will write about. This includes for example: ‘Halsey’ and ‘PVRIS’. These two bands as well as the band in the main image all attract the same audience. This links to the audience the magazine is trying to attract.
The colours reflect the type of audience the magazine is trying to attract. This is done through the common conventions of a rock and metal magazine. The reds, blacks and dark colours are all common colours associated with the rock industry.  This contrasts to  white masthead and yellow scattered on the page. Overall the genre of the magazine is clearly evident.
The direct eye contact between the audience and the celebrity endorsement creates a sense of intimidation and intimacy. This makes it seem as though there is a built relationship between the audience and the magazine and thus the band before the audience have even purchased the magazine.
The masthead is well-known enough to cover it with the celebrity endorsements. This shows the magazine has a high status and is well respected.

The banners at the top and foot of the cover both give extra information about the contents of the magazine, this increases audience base as they may not like the celebrity on the cover but they like the celebrity mentioned on the banner.
The banners at the top and foot of the cover both give extra information about the contents of the magazine, this increases audience base as they may not like the celebrity on the cover but they like the celebrity mentioned on the banner.
The bar code is shown clearly at the bottom of the magazine and therefore it is easy for the audience to find the cost of the magazine and issue date, etc.
The banner at the top of the magazine shows that the magazine is aimed to target younger audiences. This is shown through the different images around the main image.
The busyness of the cover shows the audience is a younger one. This is due to many things happening at once and the shift of focus throughout the cover.
The direct eye contact between the audience and the celebrity endorsement creates a sense of intimidation and dominance. It also exudes confidence and shows power.
The alliteration in the anchorage text ‘Rehab, Rebirth and the Road to Redemption’ shows that these words are important. It is also catchy and memorable, making the audience associate these words with the magazine.

NME Magazine:
All things in and around the image links to the colour scheme. This is shown through the yellow, red and blue. These colours are all primary colours that will attract many different types of audience. There is no definitive age of the audience suggested. The only targeted audience seems to be people that enjoy ‘Alternative Rock'.

The positioning of the celebrity endorsement shows that he is reflective of the anchorage text, this is shown because his pose and direct gaze reflect the ‘bad boy’ title the magazine has given him. This is also enticing to the reader as the anchorage text also refers to Liam Gallagher, the previous largely rebellious celebrity  within the rock industry.

The masthead is very bold and the audience can easily recognise the company and the fact that it is a music magazine.

The anchorage text shows links to other music that the audience may enjoy. This help the audience if they have not heard of the artist before.

The direct gaze makes the audience attentive and draws them in. This makes the magazine catch the reader's attention and make them want to buy it.

The different types of font show an inconsistency within the magazine but they are all sans serif fonts. This again shows that the magazine is not overly sophisticated or for specific people.
The opportunity to win prizes will also appeal to the audience as the younger audiences will want to attend the ‘T in the Park’ concerts. This again ties in with the cover image as the band performs at the T in the Park concert.
The contrast between ‘Slaves’, ‘Du Blonde’, ‘Deftones’ and ‘Super furry animals’ will attract audiences who enjoy any of those things, as well as the people who have never heard of the bands, due to the uncanny pairing.
The celebrity endorsement is looking down at the audience, suggesting authority. This view is supported by the lifted collars on the celebrities leather jacket.
Some text has a separate background, this shows the superiority of the text and what it indicates is inside the magazine, this automatically draws the target audience in as they may discover something they wish to read about.