Question 2How does your media product represent particular social groups?

By Haleena Gulzareen

My social group for my magazine are young adults, from aged 15-25 as the cover stars are very young themselves and I don’t really see anyone older than 25 really being interested in a young RnB and hip hop duo. Teenagers and young adults are usually stereotyped to be mostly interested in RnB and hip. My magazine will be aimed at both males and females unlike XXL worldwide magazine which is mostly aimed at men and also mostly features men on their cover pages, like they did for the XXL magazine issue I analysed as part of my research. I have chosen to aim my magazine at both genders because both are known to enjoy music such as hip hop and RnB.

XXl worldwide;

It is especially stereotyped that it is mostly African Americans that enjoy listening to the RnB, and hip hop genre of music, mainly because it is Known that the majority of RnB and hip hop music Artists are African Americans, , which encourages other of this ethnicity to listen to RnB music, as it could be a cultural/traditional thing for them.

I have used a model of an African American ethnicity, which conforms that most of my readers will me African American; however I have also used people of a white background for my magazine and for my cover. My magazine is not only aimed at Americans but also people in the UK, as this is a UK based and originated magazine.

My magazine will attract both male and females, as people categorise mostly males to be interested in the RnB genre, however making the cover stars two females dismisses the stereotype that only males will be fascinated in my magazine, because adding two females as the cover stars will attract and captivate females into reading my magazine and wanting to know about this new female RnB and hip hop duo.

I have portrayed the female models I have used as young RnB and hip hop artists instead of sex symbols which are typically shown on magazine covers.

The cover lines I used tell audiences how grateful they are to their fans for supporting them, which will make the audience happy and encourage them to read the magazine, as they will want to know why there being thanked, it is mostly the younger audiences that will be intrigued by this rather than the older ones in society.

The language I have used is formal, but not too formal or sophisticated; it is simple and easy to understand for my audiences which are young adults and teenagers. I think I have reinforced stereotypes (I have gone ahead with the stereotypes) of RnB and hip hop music of the target audience for my magazine, as I have included black people in my magazine, which will interest other African Americans into purchasing this magazine, but as well as that, there are many other people of many other ethnicities that will enjoy RnB my music magazine as I have also included people from many different ethnicities. Yet it will most likely be the younger generation who my magazine will appeal to and it is them who don’t really take ones ethnicities into much consideration whilst listening to music.

Part of my double page spread, shows the language I have used for my music magazine.

Challenging stereotypes

I have also challenged stereotypes, by bringing out my magazine in the UK as it is mostly the US that publishes RnB and Hip hop music and most of the cover stars featured in their magazines are American because hip hop is a genre mainly focused on in the united states. It helps me bringing out my magazine in the United kingdom because the stars featured in my magazine are from London, United Kingdom.

As well as this I have also included females artists, as it usually males that are mostly interested in the RnB and hip hop genre, or are then ones known to make RnB/hip hop music or have the most success in it, which is why my music magazines goes against this stereotype as my music magazine is aimed at women just as much as men, as it also features two females artists on the cover of my magazine.