1. How does you media
product represent
particular social
groups?

2. Introduction
I believe my magazine represents a particular social group well with its
similarities to other magazines such as Q, Vibe and Billboard. These
similarities help to represent the social group of both the artist and the
intended audience in a particular way so the reader buys the magazine
as it appeals to them and follows conventions related to the intended
social group. Below is a selection of magazines that I believe have many
similarities with my own as they are aimed at a certain audience, and
represent the cover artists featured in a similar way as they are within
similar genres of music.

3. Masthead
The masthead for all the magazines is located across the top of the page
so it’s easy for the audience to notice so can be easily spotted when in a
rush as generally the social group live quite busy lives so want to quickly
find what they are looking for. The fonts used for the masthead are quite
simple but have an urban modern feel suggesting the audience live in an
urban setting and are quite young. The fonts use plain colours which
contrast to the background so they stand out and also the colours used
are quite neutral so appeal to both male and females meaning the
magazines can attract a large target audience.

4. Images
The main images used on the magazine show the artists stood looking at the camera in quite a
plain pose. This suggests that this is what is seen as cool to the younger audience and
represent them to be quite sensible and calm. The images use plain colours throughout;
mainly black grey and white which represents the colours often associated with the social
group are seen to be quite dark and dull. The clothes the artist are wearing are seen to be
quite cool and represent what a young middle/lower class audience wears and what is cool to
wear within this social group, therefore the audience can relate to them. It also helps appeal
to males as if the artists are shown to be cool they want to read about the artist to find out
how to be like them. Q and Billboard both feature their main image on the right hand side of
the page creating space for the cover lines on the left so there is no overlap. The backgrounds
used within the magazines are quite simplistic and use plain colours suggesting the artist is
the most important part, and that the artist is the only thing the audience are interested in
suggesting a younger audience who aren’t interested in other more serious elements.

5. Colour Scheme
Black is the primary colour featured across the magazines which will
appeal to a male audience as this colour is often associated with that
gender. It also creates a dark image of the social group suggesting other
group’s views of the people within it. White is used across all the
magazines to create a simple approach suggesting that the audience
don’t have many responsibilities and have a simple life. Red or yellow
seems to be another colour used within the magazines as a secondary
colour to make the magazine stand out and also relates to the young
social group who are often seen as lively, which is the image the colours
are often used to connote.

6. Text
The cover lines are mainly located on the left hand side and use alternating colours. The
different colours used represent the different social groups that will read it while also
making it easy to read by dividing it up so; it can be read quickly when the audience may
have little time to look at it. The font used is quite modern and clean cut representing the
young audience who are interested in modern music and also represents the artists who
are still current and creating modern music. The content of the text is similar throughout
featuring all the main points so the audience know exactly what is inside and can find
this information quickly, as they are young and are unlikely to want to read more than the
front cover to find out what is featured in the magazine suggesting laziness of the target
audience. A banner is used across the top of all the pages to inform the reader about
the magazine briefly while also helping sell the magazine to the audience by suggesting
the type of magazine it is.