The target audience of the media product is teenagers and young adults aged 16-25. Images of the cover stars were chosen to represent the style and interests of this generation, showing them dressed casually in a studio setting. The presentation aims to maintain a friendly, casual tone to relate to readers and reflect the nature of the target audience. Features like interviews are designed to seem playful and aspirational while representing the mischievous nature of today's youth through colloquial language and moderate swearing. Overall the representation and targeting of the audience was considered carefully in the media product's design.

1. QUESTION 2: HOW DOES YOUR
MEDIA PRODUCT REPRESENT
PARTICULAR SOCIAL GROUPS?
Audience and representation considered and conveyed in
my production
DAN GODFREY AS MEDIA

2. TARGET AUDIENCE
The target audience for my media product is teenagers and young adults,
more specifically around the 16-25 region. I decided on this target audience
as it appears that stereotypically, this age range has a greater understanding
and interest in modern music – this would in turn act as a more suitable aim for
the production of magazine features centred around chart music and the
experimenting of different music interests, such as the rejuvenated ‘mod’ era
and the appeal to the younger generations in DJ work. Being a part of this
generation myself, it became easier to gain a deeper understanding which
could be put across in my media product.

3. REPRESENTATION AND
CONNOTATIONS OF IMAGES
The images I have used have been solely of my cover stars. My last coursework task contained an
abundance of images and I wanted to move away from this manner this time around and focus
instead on tidiness and an even playing field of image with text to complement the overall
production layout. My photo cover stars are amongst the generation that the media product is
primarily aimed at, with the ‘studio’-style aura of youth and mischievous enjoyment. The mise-en-
scene is shown through the characteristics of the boys, styled as a postmodern copy of 2006-formed
Dutch band, Bingo Players. The lads appear to be playfully milking the photo-shoot of the product,
dressed in hoodies, hats and other accessories. This is a popular style of the modern teen or young
adult at this point. The clothing works as props to support the aim towards the magazine’s target
audience. Finally, the positioning of the two shows an indirect representation of a duo known entirely
as a duo, for instance Ant & Dec. It only majorly works as a success somehow if Ant is on the left with
Dec on the right as we see them – the same technique is shown here.

4. HOW READERS CAN RELATE TO
THE MEDIA PRODUCT
There are various ways in which the way the product is
presented can have a direct link towards readers,
particularly of the primary target audience. Having
represented this age range as one of experimenting with
modern trends and style – shown through the mise-en-
scene of my cover stars – this is extended to the
communication to the reader through the content
captions and the editorial from the magazine editor, Alex.
It is indicated through these how there is a degree of
friendship which is attempted to be maintained
throughout, as by reading the editorial on my contents
page it is evident that ‘Alex’ is treating the readers in a
sociable, casual manner which not only gives a positive
vibe early in the issue of the magazine, but also reflects the
nature and target audience of the media product as a
whole.

5. MAGAZINE FEATURES AND THEIR
CONVENTIONS TOWARDS TARGET
AUDIENCE
The example I will use for this slide is my
double page spread. I am showing here how
a typical magazine interview is conveyed in
my media product, how it presents itself to a
social group, and how it represents my target
audience through how it is set out, what is
said by the interviewees, and how it still
shows a gap in the market despite following
many competing trends. The overall nature is
presented to be playful, determined and
positive, maintain the good vibe started
through the cover and contents. The casual
basis connotes that the respondents were
acting as friends with the interviewer, and
the use of colloquialisms and moderate
swearing maintains that and represents the
mischievous and large-minded, aspirational
young men and women that exist in today’s
world. This moves away from more specific
styles such as NME and Rolling Stones
magazines, and therefore presents a gap in
the current media market albeit containing a
lot of mainstream content.

6. CONCLUSION
Overall, I have explained many a way in which audience is linked to featured
‘artists’ and the editor of the media product, and how they then go on to
become mediated towards this audience. The inclusion of further styles other
than mainstream societies such as mods and DJs (although not as much now
due to increasing social diversity) gives a wider appeal and can represent a
larger range, therefore bolstering its unique selling point. Alongside that, the
title of ‘Press PLAY’ is very generic but effective which works well. A
disadvantage in my view would be the tagline: ‘The UK’s leading chart
magazine’, which is very clichéd and repetitive but is deliberately
overwhelmed by other features. Another drawback could be a lack of
different surroundings with the cover stars – every image is very close-knit – but
as a whole I think the presentation and representation towards and of my
target audience works very well.