ANALYSIS OF REGIONAL MAGAZINES

FRONT COVERS

MAIN IMAGE: Is quite unusual and therefore will grab the attention of the audience. This displays to the audience that the magazine breaks boundaries and therefore will intrigue them. The model in the photograph is Lady Gaga, and therefore may attract a larger audience to the magazine due to her popularity as a pop singer. She is also creating direct mode of address with the audience and therefore applying to the Uses and Gratifications theory of creating a personal relationship with the audience.

MASTHEAD: is recognisable as it is the same used on each issue, this will create a familiarity for the audience.

MASTHEAD: uses contrasting colours black, white and red. This makes the text stand out against the rest of the cover, and will therefore grab the attention of the reader. The font of the masthead looks stylish which may establish the house style and texts ideology.

COLOUR SCHEME: the whole theme of the front cover seems to be hectic which relates to the main image. The cover consists of the colours black, white, pink, blue and red. The hectic placing of these colours creates a certain tone towards the magazine, which may intrigue an audience to buy the magazine. The main image also links to this tone of the magazine.

SELL LINE: By using the buzz word ‘PLUS’ in the sell line, it is suggesting to readers that there is a big amount of information included inside the magazine.

SELL LINE: By using the buzz words ‘FREE INSIDE’ it can persuade an audience to purchase the magazine, to receive the exclusive items the magazine is offering.

BARCODE: common convention as it gives a professional look to the magazine.

COVER LINE: The artists name which is featured on the magazine has been made as bold as the mast head. This is so it is one of the first things the audience see, as they want to emphasise the feature of a popular celebrity in their magazine. This will attract the loyal fans of the artist.

SELL LINE: gives insight to an exclusive interview with Lady Gaga, by showing snippets of the interview it intrigues the audience to buy the magazine so that they can continue to read the interview. The audience will also be aware this is the only magazine they will be able to obtain this information.

MASTHEAD: the largest piece of text on the cover, this, as well as the white colour of the text immediately grabs the attention of the reader. This makes the masthead easily identifiable to the audience. The font of the masthead looks particularly modern which may establish the house style and ideology of the text.COVER LINE: By using a rhetorical

question, it intrigues the reader as it creates a hermeneutic code. The audience may also be able to relate to this and therefore creates a personal relationship with the reader.

SUB HEADING: The use of alliteration. “Pier Pleasure” will grab the attention of the reader.

COVER LINE: the name of the artist is in uppercase, displaying the importance of this artist, encouraging the audience to find out more information on them. This will also attract readers who are interested in this particular person.

MAIN IMAGE: The model in the main image is creating direct mode of address in the photograph which relates to the uses and gratification theory as she is creating a personal relationship with the reader. The model in the image may also be regarded as attractive therefore the image of her will establish the ‘male gaze’ , as stated by Mulvey, where the male audience may establish her as an erotic object.

THEME: There is a clear theme throughout the cover from the use of a floral pattern on the models dress, flowers in the background and as accessories in the model’s hair. This relates to the month in which the issue was released, as it was a spring issue.

COLOUR SCHEME: The colours used on the cover relate to the fact that it is a spring issue as there is mainly pink, white and green used.

SELL LINE: “Brighton & Hove’s premier lifestyle magazine”. This sell line is used on each issue of the magazine, therefore staying in the audience’s mind. It also gives the magazine a sense of superiority. The word ‘premier’ gives the impression the magazine is of high quality.

COVER LINE: The use of ‘Brighton’ in more than one of the cover lines will relate to the readers and again create a personal relationship between the reader and the magazine, relating to the uses and gratifications theory.

DATE: allows readers to keep up with the issue of the magazine as well maintaining a professional look.

MASTHEAD: uses two bold colours, black and red, which stand out against the white background and therefore immediately grab the readers attention and making the masthead easily identifiable to the audience.

MAIN IMAGE: Using a photograph of a landscape as the main image is a common convention for regional magazines. This allows the reader to be aware of what to gain from the magazine.

PUFF: highlights this piece of information on the cover, grabbing the audience’ attention. It reads “NEW THIS ISSUE”, by using the buzz words new, it gives the idea of exclusive information.

BARCODE: common convention of a magazine. It also gives the magazine a professional look.

SELL LINE: “Your essential guide to life”. By using the word essential it gives the impression the audience will need this magazine, in order to find out information on “the lake district & Cumbria”

COLOUR SCHEME: mainly consists of white, black and red. These are all bold and contrasting colours and will therefore grab the attention of the reader.

COVER LINE: By using the word “discover” it gives the impression that this magazine will give exclusive and impressive information on Stavley, which will intrigue the audience.

PUFF: “WIN £1000 luxury lakes break” by having the word ‘win’ in capital letters it will grab the reader’s eye, and therefore they will know there is a free opportunity in this magazine. The ‘luxury lakes’ will also appeal to the target audience of this particular magazine, and therefore may persuade the audience to purchase the magazine.

COVER LINE: By showing that The magazine also features food and drink it may open the magazine up to a magazine.

PUFF: “Cumbria Life People” this may create a personal relationship between the magazine and the reader as they’re both “Cumbria life people”. This relates to the uses and gratifications theory.

IMAGES: Each person is creating direct mode of address in the images and therefore creating a personal relationship with the reader, which will intrigue them,

MASTHEAD: It is the same for each issue, this creates a familiarity for the audience. The masthead is the largest piece of text on the cover and therefore immediately grabs the reader’s eye and making it easily accessible to the audience. The black font sticks out against the white background. The font is also very sophisticated and stylish, which sets the house style for the magazine and establishes the texts ideology.

MAIN COVER LINE: “BEST SHOW EVER” is in uppercase which grabs the audience’s attention. By using the words “best” and “ever” it intrigues the audience to read on to find out the reason for this cover line.

MAIN IMAGE: each person is creating direct address, this engages the target audience’s attention. Gossip Girl is also a very successful and popular TV show, therefore my using the actors/ actresses from the show, it will attract it’s loyal fan base and therefore bringing in a bigger audience to the magazine.

MAIN IMAGE: The people in the image may be regarded as attractive, they are also in suggestive clothing and positions and therefore the image will establish the ‘male gaze’’, where the audience may establish them as an erotic object.

BARCODE: common convention of a magazine, it also establishes the magazine as sophisticated.

DATE: allows readers to keep up with the issue’s and also establishes a professional look.

COVER LINE: Each one is in uppercase, the magazine is emphasising the information featured in this magazine. Big names such as Madonna featured in the cover lines will attract more readers due to her popularity and therefore fan base.

COLOUR SCHEME: The main colours used on the cover are Black and White. This creates quite a simplistic tone and helps set the house style for the magazine.

COVER LINE: The cover lines which do not relate to gossip girl are in different colours, red and orange, to stand out from the information on the main article. This allows the audience to see that there will be a range of information included in the magazine.

MASTHEAD: it takes up the majority of the cover and the yellow of the text stands out against the blue background. This makes it easily identifiable to the audience and immediately informs them on the content of the magazine.

MAIN IMAGE: It is a common convention for a regional magazine’s main image to be a photograph of a landscape. This helps reveal the content of the magazine through the use of the setting and the clothing/ equipment of the model in the photograph. The main image and the masthead show a connection and a clear theme throughout the cover and therefore establish the texts ideology.

MASTHEAD: “Canadian Geographic” is a recognisable magazine brand. Therefore it may create familiarity for the audience.

COLOUR SCHEME: The colours used are bright and natural. This relates to theme of the magazine as the content will include subjects such as travel.

LAYOUT: The layout of this front cover is unconventional and suggests that the magazine has more of an alternative style. This develops the magazines house style.

MAIN COVER LINE: “peak experience”. By using the buzz word ‘peak’ it suggests to the audience that they will receive the best and highest of quality information from this particular magazine.

DATE: The date allows readers to keep track of the issues of the magazines as well as maintaining a professional look. It may also determine the content of the magazine, which will give insight to the audience.

MODE OF ADDRESS: The magazine does not address the target audience as it is indirect. The model in the main image is not giving the target audience direct address.

COVER LINE: By using “and more” it suggests to the audience that there is a wide range of content in the magazine and therefore intriguing them to purchase the magazine.

Even though this may not necessarily be classed as a regional magazine, it adopts many of the same features.

CONCLUSION When researching into regional magazine front covers I found the following codes and conventions: • Masthead – Either in the top left corner or spread across

the top of the page. • Colour Scheme – A clear theme throughout the whole of

the cover. • Main Image – Features either a landscape of the local

area or a cover star which will usually link to the main article.

• Cover Lines – Used to try and entice the audience by displaying the content inside the magazine.