Unit 30 lo1

OCR –
Level 3 Cambridge Introductory Diploma in
Media
Unit 30:
UK Media Publishing
Evidence
Name: Jake Naunton
Candidate number: 3097
Centre number: 64135
St. Andrew’s Catholic School
64135
Set Brief - Print
Project/Brief –
Music Magazine & Promotion

The publisher for Mixmag, Disco Mix Club are
primarily know for work in remixing music as a
record label. DMC started first in February
1983 with cassettes; the following year DMC
began releasing further cassettes and vinyl
products. Two years in advance, 1986 they
began holding a yearly DJ competition, this is
still held yearly today. Since 2010, DMC
started re-pressing older Commercial
Collection on CD-R's instead of the original
silver CD's.
It is the largest DJ organisation that is based
within the UK; DMC is also a brand which is
known to own institutions such as 1210
apparel which is a small time clothing brand
which is producing merchandise to bring
music lovers together. Moreover, on top of
this DMC own Back to Mine which is another
magazine based brand
MIXMAG, the biggest selling music magazine ever which
we developed over 15 years with monthly sales of over
150,000 copies give their readers the ability to keep up
with the latest news and gossip. It has been referred to as
the “Bible” for DJ and dance music fans. It is also clear
that the invention of MIXMAG was vital to the emergence
and success of the modern DJ and clubbing scene.
Mixmag has also been labelled ‘the world’s most
established and longest running electronic music media
company, with a 30 year history.’ according to Indeed.
Due to the research I have completed at this stage I have
found a Mixmag press pack which identifies how they, in
the modern music industry still have a magazine
readership of 246,000; this is contributed by tablet and
smartphone viewing, along with hard copy readership
and online subscriptions. Mixmag is also an institution
which as a large online presence. With other a million
followers on their combined social media platforms, and
600,000 YouTube subscribers at this given time Mixmag
upload content onto their online do mina in order to
continue and progress their relationship with their
readers and consumers.
Publisher Product
Sources:
http://www.dmcdjonline.com/history/
https://www.discogs.com/label/4243-DMC
http://www.indeed.com/cmp/Mixmag-Media

Genre Sources: http://mixmag.net/feature/how-your-favourite-genre-got-its-name
http://www.magneticmag.com/2015/10/stop-calling-edm-edm-here-is-a-proper-definition/
The genre of Mixmag is a wide majority of genre’s merged together in one magazine. Some of the sub
genres include, house, techno, dubstep and club music. Mixmag is also well known know for being the first
in the industry for introducing Trip hop into their coverage; this shows the importance and popularity of the
Mixmag and DMC brand in order for them to be able to circulate a new music genre. It is evident that
Mixmag covers a vast range of sub genres as the term “Mix” suggest that it is a range of different styles
combined in together. Next it is important to note that the genre of EDM is home to hundreds of sub-
genres, this is because very frequently new DJ’s are transpiring new forms of music therefore music
anaylsts, artists and general EDM lovers are classing different styles of music under different sub-genres;
these smaller genres are effectively all housed under the same main category. Some examples of sub-
genres include, Deep house, Dubstep and Chillstep. In 2010 the acronym ‘EDM’ was established to describe
the increasingly popular commercial US electronically orientated dance music scene. Common
misconceptions with the term ‘EDM’ is that the fact that people believe that EDM itself is a genre; except
this is incorrect EDM is more of a platform which houses hundreds of sub genres. The image presented in
the screenshot to the right is a image presentation of
the web of genres and where they have come from.
Electronical music surrounds all people, whether they
choose to accept it or not. Highly recognizable people
include the likes of David Guetta, Hardwell and Armin
Van Burren as they are global stars who are constantly
in top charts around the globe. This is the most noted
style of EDM however the more current sub genres are
the likes of house music and dubstep; this is the most
prefered by the majority of the young population, who
Mixmag appeals to.

Front cover
The strapline of Mixmag reads “The
worlds biggest dance music and
clubbing magazine” This connotes
that they are telling readers that their
magazine is far superior to others.
The barcode is unique to each
magazine, they are a 12 digit code
that allows the shops register to
identify what product you’re
purchasing. The barcode is an
important feature of a magazine as
without them as retailer will
typically not sell them.
Here the main image is
important because it is
evident that the man
presented who is named
“Scuba” is the main talking
point. This is evident as the
image of him covers the
masthead at the top of the
magazine. A mast head is a
title written in large bold
writing allowing the branding
to stand out
The price is always located near to or
around the barcode as a default in all
magazines. The price is always vital on a
front cover.
The main headline is always
presented in larger bolder text
than the rest; the purpose of this
is so when a user picks up the
magazine they are fully aware
what content the magazine holds.
The sub story is generically in a smaller
text size to the main story as it is still
necessary that the reader identifies that
it is there however it is not vital that
they read it first. Notably here the main
sub story is presented in pink and
highlighted in black as Mixmag wants
this feature to be noticed before the
others; whereas the less other less
important stories are located below this
in generic black font.
The font of the magazine is
important because it
demonstrates the simplicity of
the Masthead. This
demonstrates how the
magazine appeals to young
stylish individuals from any
social code/ class.
The colour scheme on this front cover
is very typical of magazines in general
as it demonstrates that they only use
a generic two to three colours on
their front cover. This cover clearly
uses pink, black and white with some
use of a purple gradient in the
background of the DJ’s location.
The masthead is effective because
Mixmag maintains their generic usage of
the large font with white colouring. This is
important as it retains brand identity so
that reoccurring customers know what to
look out for when finding Mixmag on the
shelves.

Double page spread deconstruction analysis
The font of the article is
artistic and simplistic; this
has the ability to draw the
reader in as they are
interested by the title. The
connotations of the
simplistic font is the
magazine is attempting to
appeal to a younger
readership. This is
effective because the big
bubbly style of font appeal
to the young generation
The bottom left of the
double page spread
present in a small and
simple manner, the
page number. Along
side this it has the
issue date.
The image is blended
behind the article, to
give it a standout but
simplistically stylish
look. This element
appeals to
Source: Mixmag hard copy edition.
The pull quote has
been placed in a
conversational
manner this makes
the audience feel as
though they are
important and
included. The
denotations of the
pull quote suggest
the editors are trying
to engage the
readers in the
interview straight
away.
This small piece of
text highlights how
the photographer
and the writer of
the article are
being given their
credit.
Between the
two columns of
text there is a
wide spacing;
this is used to
break the text
away from the
image. This has
been used to
separate the
artists from the
article to show
how they get a
special mention.
The main image, which is mainly displayed on the right hand page is
presenting “Duke Dumont.” The fact that he is standing on a
staircase in a suit is notable because it ties in with his stage name as
‘Duke,’ demonstrating his importance and credibility.
Also it’s clear that this particular magazine spread is using star appeal in
order to draw readers in. This is effective because it means that potential
readers are more likely to pick up the magazine because they attracted by
the popular star

Contents page
The contents page of Mixmag is very typical of
other magazines in the same genre. This is
because it provides an insight into the content
which can be found throughout the entire
product and provides readers with the ability to
effectively find their desired page. However
something that is atypical about this contents
page is the fact that it does not really have any
graphical assistance in order to draw the readers
attention to this page. Perhaps indicating that
Mixmag is more motivated in diverting readers to
the content and advertisements that are
included throughout the product. However the
contents page provides a great deal of
achknowledgements and thanks to those that
have worked on the magazine.

Form
Mixmag publish by DMC (Disco Mix Club) began around 15 years ago; it was originally completely published
in hard copy magazines. However as the magazine industry has declined over the last decade Mixmag
wisely opted to create other forms of income for their business; for example they publishes interviews and
content to their YouTube channels in order to generate another source of income. Moreover Mixmag also
make the magazine available and smartphone devices for a small fee.
The magazine generically keeps the same simplistic and stylish form and style; this is evident in the below
front covers that display a clean and sophisticated look to them. This appeals to a wide variety of readers;
this is because readers that already enjoy the genre will buy the magazine anyway, however by employing a
clean and professional look it means that the product will be placed higher up the market. Thereby
appealing to a greater range of social groups. Due to the bright and evocative colour scheme it is clear that
it appeals to the younger generation, in this case Mixmag project their product to an audience of
generically young males between the ages of 18-27. This is because notably the colour scheme would not
appeal to an older potential consumer, notably because they would not understand what the magazine is a
bout as it is a prime example of a modern magazine combining the use of a range of content.
Source list:
-http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-
ZdjB41CJ0ZU/UIYBVJ8SaqI/AAAAA
AAACJI/3bJD0e4Khq8/s1600/Mixm
ag.png
-
http://images.junostatic.com/full/I
S493455-01-01-BIG.jpg

Technological convergence
Mixmag has now discontinued the production of the magazine in hard copy due to a lack of
readership and consumer interest. Now the Mixmag magazine is released online monthly but on
a much smaller scale with considerably less content. However as the magazine is now only
viewed by an online audience the house style of the magazine cover has increased in quality
considerably. This is clear as there is no longer the need for large scale intrusive advertising,
instead they can adopt an minimalistic look.
However Mixmag was previously released every month because of this DMC provided three
options for their readers to access the information. The first of the three is that for a small fee of
£2.50 you are able to read the magazine on your smartphone device via Apple or Android. Your
second option as a reader is to buy a hard copy in the shops for a slightly upgraded fee of £5.50.
Finally your last option as a Mixmag reader is to Subscribe and have 10 issues sent to your door.
This is evident in the below screenshot taken from the official Mixmag website.
Source: http://mixmag.net/page/get-the-magazine

Technological convergence continued
Social media is a very pivotal element of the success of Mixmag for numerous reasons; firstly one
of main the reasons is because it has the capability of interconnecting thousands of potential
consumers with Mixmag. The three screenshots situated at the bottom of the slide demonstrate
(in order) Mixmag’s Google+, Facebook and Twitter profiles; this is significant because at the time
of creating the document the combined number of followers across just these three social media
sites is precisely 2,481,623 followers. Therefore social media clearly plays a huge role in diverting
traffic to Mixmag.net ensuring they stay in business. Mixmag is able to effectively connect with
followers as they can choose to be notified by new posts in order to draw them to Mixmag’s
website where they can read an article or review.

Demographics
Source list:
http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/mixmag.n
et
http://www.prweek.com/article/806496/
media-relations-2-minutes-nick-
decosemo-editor-mixmag
Demographics: Demographic information is used in media and
marketing to classify an audience into age, gender, race and
various other categories. The screenshots demonstrates to the
right presents the top five regions across the globe which visit
the Mixmag.com site. The map below this demonstrates in a
more accessible way where the regions are situated that view
Mixmag’s website. Those that read Mixmag typically range
between the age bracket of 18-25; these types of people are
typically DJs, producers, musicians or people with a general
interest in music, fashion and clubbing. The majority of readers
are in education therefore they will not earn a lot of money this
is important because it demonstrates that the magazine is
tailored around the readership of the magazine not just the
genre, thus meaning the product appeal to people. The peach
coloured screenshot presents the Mixmag press pack which
highlights how the main bulk of readership are male with 77%
being this particular gender, with an average age of 24 years
old.

Audience Theories: Katz
Uses and Gratifications Theory
Kat’z theory is a popular medium for understanding mass communication; the theory focuses on the
consumer or the readership instead of the actual message itself. This theory is useful as it assumes that
readers are not passive readers but instead they take an active role of interpreting or integrating the media
into their own lives. Moreover the theory outlines that the readers are responsible for choosing the correct
media in order to fit their needs, this means that readers can access information that is useful and enables
them to benefit from what they have read in some way. When a reader actively looks for media to
consume they are typically seeking for it in order to gratify a need, an example of this is in social situations
people may feel more confident and knowledgeable after having read the media. Kat’z theory highlights
four way a reader will respond to the product; the first is diversion, this means that the media that readers
are consuming acts as a form of escapism from their everyday life. This is because readers are able to
escape from their lives by absorbing information about stars in the media. The next of the four ways is
personal relationships, this is the idea that readers feel that after reading a source of information readers
feel as though they can relate and feel like they personally know and understand the celebrity concerned.
Magazines are able to do this through the use of rhetorical questions and direct address. The penultimate
form of reader response is personal identity; this is the idea that magazines give readers information about
themselves. An example of this would be reading about a style of music and the searching it up online,
thereby discovering a new genre of music that you enjoy. The final form of readers response is Surveillance
this is the idea that these readers simply read the magazine and take in the content without doing anything
about it. This would mean that for these readers the magzazine is simply a form of entertainment which
makes no active impact on their day to lives.
Source:http://visual-
memory.co.uk/daniel/Documents/short/usegrat.html

Audience theories: John Hartley
The Hartley classification
The Harley classification contains 7 categories in order to identify the audience of a magazine. Examples of this includes: Self,
gender, age group, class, ethnicity, family and nation. This theory is useful as it enables media analysts to be able to place a
particular form of media or product content in a specific industry or genre. A popular and notorious quotation from Hartley
reads “Genre’s are agents of ideological closure; they limit the meaning potential of a given text.”
Factors which categorize a media product:
Gender: For Mixmag I would suggest that the gender that the product would appeal to is mainly men, this is due to the
house styles implemented in the magazine. Moreover the layout and language used in the magazine suggests that the
magazine would appeal to young men.
Age-group: The age group you would expect for Mixmag to range from would be from 15-25; this is because this is the age
range of people who would be attracted to the style of magazine. This is because of the eye catching bubble style font used
conjunctively with bright contrasting colours in order to attract the audiences attention.
Class: The class that I would expect to be purchasing Mixmag would be those in E (The lowest level of worker) ranging up to
C1 (Junior managers or administrative positions. ) This is because the type of music being presented in the product would
likely only appeal to those in the younger generation as the music is new and current.
Ethnicity: My personal opinion on this sub category would be that the magazine would appeal to almost any ethnicity; this is
because the type of music covered in Mixmag has no cultural or religious links meaning that it is open for anybody to listen
to.
Source: https://alexanderowersa2media.wordpress.com/2015/10/03/33-audience-john-hartleys-view-of-
audience/

Audience theories: Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs
Maslow’s theory is centered around the idea that there are four categories which readers can place themselves
under. The main idea is that when a reader consumes the information presented in the product they are
prompted to act in a certain way. This can include, social climbers, Caregivers, Explorers and Survivors.
Social Climbers: This is where the audience reads the magazine in order to attempt to improve their social
status and improve their social recognition. In order for a reader to this they must adopt a certain aspect that
the magazine covers. For example if the magazine is covering information about a new clothing line from an
artist then the reader may purchase this fashion, this would make them a social climber.
Caregivers: This is where the reader beings to feel an intermit connection with the stars or personal concerned
in the article. The reader may be prompted to feel sorry for the person concerned meaning that they make a
bond.
Explorers: This type of reader is driven by social change in that they are willing to change and adapt their lives
in order to make it similar to an experience discovered in Mixmag.
Survivors: These are the types of readers who spot a stand out article of the shop’s shelves and purchase it in
order to find out what happens to the story and to those concerned.
I would suggest that readers of Mixmag would fall under the Social climbers
category. This is because by reading the magazine consumers would be driven
to adapt their individual lifestyle in order to include themselves in the recent
trends. Moreover the audience would also read this would absorb
information about the latest festivals and trends therefore prompting them
to adapt their way of living to be more interconnected with current trends.
Source: https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html

Psychographics
Psychographics: This is a way of segmenting the market into groups based on social class, lifestyle
and personality. This is based on the assumption that particular products and purchases will
reflect that consumers characteristics and patterns of living.
The below image demonstrates the table of the seven different categories under psychographics:
The target audience for Mixmag is between
16-25 year olds; this is because Mixmag
mainly covers upcoming festivals and music
conventions. This would appeal to young
adults as they have the funds to attend
what is being presented in the magazine.
Next the Mixmag would predominantly aim
to attract attention to young white males;
however they do not restrict themselves to
any form of ethnicity. Moreover Mixmag
predominantly covers festivals and events
in the UK meaning that their readership
may be subjective to British citizens.
However Mixmag has expanded to cover
some foreign festivals meaning that they
expand their readership worldwide.
Source: https://www.localdirective.com/what-we-do/market-
segmentation/psychographic/

Ownership Structure
Source: https://www.endole.co.uk/company/01754509/disco-mix-club-limited
The image demonstrated to the right depicts
the two main shareholders of the publishing
organisation of Mixmag, Disco Mix Club. DMC
was established in 1883 the company quickly
begun making themselves a name in the music
industry. Ranging from DJ competitions to the
production of vinyl and taped music. As the
business progressed DMC expanded into the
media industry by creating their own magazine
named Mixmag. Today they have a large social
media presence as they mainly post their
content onto Youtube channels in order to
project their media and content to a wider
range of people.
The first image to the right displays the three
directors working for DMC, they are based in
the UK; all three of the workers are assigned to
a different unit of work within the company.
Clearly displayed, Graphic design, Journalist
and Company director.
The second image presented underneath
displays three of their thirteen offices around
the globe identifying how they are a global
brand.

The ownership structure of Mixmag appears to be operated on a small scale and modern style.
This is because Mixmag operate on a relatively small scale with offices in thirteen location three
of these locations around the globe are; London, New York City and LA. The Mixmag business
works to employ workers who are passionate about what they do and are willing to not just work
together, but allow themselves to relate on a personal level. Mixmag is business which is
passionate about pleasing the audience field that they are tailored to; they are a business that is
aware that whilst their genre is not quite as popular as other music types that it is on the rise in
popularity. Whilst Mixmag appeal to the younger generation Mixmag is making efforts to expand
the readership and attract a greater number of consumers.
Ownership Structure (continued)
Source: http://mixmag.net/page/advertisers-media-pack

DMC company Ethos
The slogan for Mixmag is “The world’s biggest dance music and clubbing magazine.” DMC
originally started out creating cassettes in 1983 where they created DJ mixing and still does so to
this present day. The company DMC work very hard to bring current new DJ artists through to the
limelight. They make it very clear that they welcome even unknown DJ’s to register to enter their
online competitions. As of the last two years Disco Mix Club have opened up the DJ championship
for anyone to compete. It allows teams of 2-4 to submit their routines, by submitting their pieces
online they have the opportunity to compete at the DMC world finals vs the current world
champions. DMC is also striving to expand their company into a range of different industries such
as clothing, through their 1210 Apparel brand, along with their desire to sell DJ products such as
turntables on their DMC.com website.
Source: http://secretlifemusic.com/30-years-of-the-disco-mix-club/
http://www.dmcdjonline.com/online-dj-championship/how-it-works/

Mixmag used to have a circulation of 80,000 copies; originally sold for £3.85, the magazine was
described as relatively niche in the music industry. Today the magazine now has around 16,000
circulation figures, this is mainly because the magazine switched to an online accessed medium.
Moreover Mixmag media network is mainly online on Youtube as it owns over 18 channels were
they post content frequently. The magazine began to struggle during 2012 as not enough copies
were sold, therefore they opted to reach out to a broader audience by enabling their content to
be accessed online; this is effective as it means that readers and music activists from all over the
world are able to view the content from Mixmag, not just magazine readers. Previously 95% of
the revenue for the publishers came from the magazine sales alone; now in todays modern
society this isn’t possible. This is because the magazine industry is experiencing a terminal
decline, which is why the circulation for Mixmag ended on 20,000 as displayed in the screenshot
below.
Moreover the circulation of Mixmag between 1st January - 31st December is 20,053 copies.
Although these figures do not read particularly high or noticeable; Mixmag was a market leader
in terms of the genre of EDM. This is due to the genre being relatively small and not widely
accessed via magazine; this is because the main content for readers, consumers and fans of
Mixmag is that their content is predominantly found online.
As the statistics above highlight that there has been a decline in the readership of Mixmag it is
important to understand that Mixmag expanded their magazine to purchase online.
Distribution
Source: http://web.archive.org/web/20120503102203/http://www.abc.org.uk/Products-
Services/Product-Page/?tid=6901

When subscribing to Mixmag online there are two menus that a potential consumer can be
presented with. The first is highlighting how the reader has the ability to purchase the magazine
for only their smartphone device; it highlights how the price for a smartphone copy is £2.49 this
is available on both IOS and Android systems. The next option which is presented for potential
readers is to purchase just one single issue of Mixmag, this will cost them £5.50, the price is
relatively high; however Mixmag is trying to provide readers with incentives to enroll on a longer
subscription in order to be able to save money. This is evident as the third option presented on
the first screenshot is when a reader subscribes they will receive the next 10 issues sent to their
door, these issues will also be available for viewing on a readers smartphone or tablet for ease of
indulging the information. Notably Mixmag provide a reason for readers to want to choose this
option as this deal comes with a 25% Beatport voucher to tempt readers into wanting to choose
this deal.
Overall this highlights how Mixmag uses simple marketing techniques in order to provide
reasoning for readers to want to purchase their magazine. In terms of distributing their magazine
Mixmag is very effective in ensuring that they make their magazine available for all types of
readers as the magazine is purchasable in digital, hard copy and smartphone edition.
Distribution (Continued)
Source:http://mixmag.net/page/get-
the-magazine

Associated Products
Source: http://www.dmcworld.com/store/dj-equipment.html
http://www.dmcworld.com/store/music/dj-vj-material.html
DMC is known commonly for the ownership of Mixmag and their notorious DJ festival which is
held every year. However they also sell CDs, DVDs and Vinyl records. On top of this they sell
merchandise clothing relating to their brand; in conjunction with this they sell tickets for
upcoming festivals. This enables site viewers to purchase VIP tickets for the latest big festivals.
Disco Mix Club is also known for selling DJ equipment and phone cases. Whilst it is easier to
locate the petty merchandise service which DMC operate on their website as this is well
published I will now discuss the other brands presented below that DMC are associated with.
Firstly, as this entire unit is centralised around the analysis of Magazines and print based media;
the first company which DMC owns is named Back To Mine. This is a business which started off
with print based media, however they are most rebound for producing and releasing a series of
mixed albums of electronical music, much like Mixmag, however before EDM became globalised.
These records typically featured the most notorious DJ’s at the time; this was one of the primitive
stages of complications featuring numerous numbers of different artists. The next brand is 1210
Apparel, this is a small time clothing brand which produces premium merchandise which is
relatable a associated with all music genres. Notably Mixmag is the main attribute to the success
of DMC however, it is interesting to identify how DMC have successfully expanded their brands
out of just the magazine industry in order to capitalize on different markets to benefit their
mother brand.

Product Advertising and marketing
Mixmag has come a long way, where in the 1980s the
magazine started as a simple newsletter for “ravers” who
had an interest in the EDM genre. The magazine circulation
in late 2015 was 16,000 in hard copy, which had dropped
from 110,000 consumers. In order to survive through this
evident drop of readership Mixmag developed a strong
electronical presence, whereby they own 18 Youtube
channels which they produce content from regularly.
Overall there are 22 million people following the Youtube
channels, allowing an online presence which they would
not be able to obtain anywhere else. When Mixmag
exchanged ownership in 2005 the new CEO identified that
‘print ad and circulation made up 95% of the revenue’
demonstrating how the company survived on strictly
magazine sales. However Mixmag’s owner highlighted how
the magazine industry is suffering from a ‘terminal decline’
connoting that print magazine institutions are having to
expand into newly formulated online industries.
As a result of the industry switch 85% of Mixmag’s revenue
is now formulated by advertisement and YouTube channels.
The typical sort of content that you could expect to find on
the Mixmag channel would be exclusive DJ sets from high
popularity concerts and events along with reviews,
interviews and news. The screenshot below encapsulates
the popularity which Mixmag seeks on their YouTube space.
Source: http://digiday.com/publishers/mixmag-
survived-turning-print-platforms/

Above the Line vs Below the line
When advertising a product there are two main methods to market it, this includes above and
below the market. So what do they mean? Above the line marketing is defined as using mass
media to promote brands and reach out to target consumers; examples of this includes radio
advertising, television, print; public billboards and the internet. Unlike below the line marketing,
above the line attempts to get through to a wider spread audience and is not specific to a certain
market type. Most notably with above the line marketing it is not used commonly within the
magazine industry; this could perhaps be because magazines are very specific to a certain interest
range meaning that not everybody will be interested in the genre. Therefore magazines do not
always adopt this strategy, despite that this option is still often widely considered the best
method for reaching out to a large audience as especially on television a large range of people
from different backgrounds will see an endorsement video meaning there is a possibility for a
magazine company to attract new readers.
Conversely below the line advertising involves more than one engagement, examples of this
include the handing out of leaflets, stickers, promotions and brochures. However the more
common element of below the line advertising recent has been through online means. Examples
of this include, email subscriptions, websites, social media accounts and YouTube channels. Other
day to day examples of below the line advertising include demos and samplings, these can often
be found in local supermarkets as an attempt to provide a break through for a new brand.
In the context of Mixmag, they typically fall into the below the line element of marketing, this is
because their main technique is using online means such as newsletters and social media in order
to drive forward the name of the brand.
Source: http://www.theadvertisingclub.net/index.php/features/editorial/3256-
difference-between-above-the-line-and-below-the-line-advertising

The advertising technique adopted by Mixmag is above the line endorsement through a vast range of social
media. The use of social media is particularly useful as it allows the Disco Mix Club to advertise their
magazine to a vast range of people who would not normally have heard of Mixmag. This synergetic
relationship between Mixmag and social media products ensures a direct trend of success and added
revenue for both businesses. The relationship that Mixmag have built is particularly noticeable on
Facebook and Twitter where they have a combined following of 942,000. Next another notable reason for
using above the line marketing is because you will not usually witness magazines being advertised on large
billboards as you would a new car or movie. Magazines from completely different genres occasionally
include magazines on billboards, an example of this would be Vogue magazine; this is a style magazine that
is widely popular across, Europe, America and Asia so they have the income and ability to advertise their
product on such a large scale.
Below the line marketing: This is an element which is not as widely used as it used to be, in previous years
home owners would receive pamphlets, flyers and handouts delivered to their door in order to attract
attention and readership to their product. However modernised companies such as Mixmag have identified
that they can save a lot of money by simply using online services through social media and email
subscriptions as it reaches a considerably wider audience without costing anything.
Product advertising and marketing (Continued)

On the Mixmag.net website they are currently advertising the new ‘Watch Dogs 2’ game for Play Station
4. This evidently reveals that Mixmag has identified that their demographic appeals to the younger
generation of men and women; this is useful as in todays generation young people spend a lot of time of
games consoles so this advertisement could be eye-catching. This is a useful tool as Mixmag have
evidently conducted research to find out who the main readers of their product are; then in order to
obtain a sustainable advertisement deal from a huge company like Sony they would have presented their
research. This advertisement evidently demonstrates how the majority of the traffic and readership that
Mixmag obtains is from the younger generation who would potentially be interested in the
advertisements littered across the Mixmag site. This clearly identifies how Mixmag is using Guerilla
marketing in order to make their product more successful as they are appealing to a greater range of
people. The term ‘Guerilla marketing’ is an advertising strategy that focuses on low-cost unconventional
marketing tactics that yield maximum results. Whilst this advertising example doesn’t directly present
what Guerrilla marketing is, it does identify other how other companies can pay a relatively justified fee
for advertising in order to reach out to a mass audience. The two screenshots below present Mixmag at
two different times and the ways that they promote the advertisements they are sponsored by.
Above the Line vs Below the line (continued)
Source: Mixmag.com

Advertising with Mixmag
When looking into Mixmag it is important to identify not only how they market their own product but also how they
provide the opportunity for external establishments to advertise their own products on the Mixmag.net site and the
magazine. In order to discover how much exactly Mixmag charge for advertisements I went looking for their press pack;
fortunately I was able to locate it almost instantly and found relevant information that revealed the price list for a
company to advertise their products in Mixmag. For a business to have a single page included in the magazine it costs
£4,005, however this doesn’t guarantee the entire page for your advertisement as Mixmag will include their own
content on the rest of the page. If a company wants to produce one single page (entirely their own content) then the
default fee is £6,550; this shows how much revenue Mixmag make from advertising, as evidently magazine companies
that include a lot of adverts will make a reliable source of revenue. Often in magazines you will find that advertising
companies have an entire double page spread designated to themselves, to do this in Mixmag the cost is £7,163, which
connotes how when advertising it is more worth while to buy a double page spread. The third image presented at the
bottom right is of a double page spread which has two very different advertisements, one of charity work and one of a
new turntable product which would appeal to the readership of Mixmag.
Source: http://mixmag.net/page/advertisers-
media-pack

Production process
The screenshot to the right
demonstrates a screenshot
image demonstrating that I have
made an attempt to contact the
publishers of Mixmag.
Unfortunately I was
unsuccessful; therefore on the
next slide I will explain the
production process for a typical
magazine.

Production process continued
Steps for creating a magazine:
1. Firstly the publishers have to set up a date for publication; this date is plain and simply the day which readers can purchase the product.
Now that the publishers have a date they now need to organize the schedule for the production of the magazine.
2. Next the publishers must manage the schedule of the process. The schedule is made in a way which allows each department to complete
their individual piece in time.
3. Following this you have the editorial and budgetary decision; this involves the senior editors of the magazine deciding what topics should
be covered and in what way in the next issue. Once the committee has decided what to include in the form of news, interviews and
stories the team then have to tackle budgetary decisions. This is when the team look at the available money to them and how it should be
spent towards the production of the magazine.
4. Now the next stage is named the content acquisition; this step is arguably the most potent of all steps as the writers and designers now
have to decide how they want the magazine to look, feel and read. The main way the magazine will be organized is by employees working
from publishing institution will begin to write on relevant topics and current news. At this point the artwork and graphics are also
developed. Another way the magazine produces the content is by hiring external writers to covers their desired topics. Additionally this
stage could also be considered the most important step because reports and journalists will be investigating the topics; moreover
research will also be done online using the web and databases. Finally meetings with stars being interviewed in the magazine will be
contacted.
5. After the content is arranged the next step in production is sub-editing; at this stage an editor will ensure that the quality of the magazine
is at it’s highest standard. This is an important step as it insures that the magazine is projected as professionally as possible; in order to do
this editor will check spelling and grammar of the magazine; they will also make sure that all articles follow the house style of the
magazine.
6. In addition page layout is the next step; here employees labeled “layout staff” are responsible for piecing all elements of the magazine
together. Here advertisements will also be implemented into the magazine.
7. The next step is, proofreading; at this stage the editorial department will print a hard copy of the entire magazine in order to try to find
some mistakes. This enables the magazine to be made as professional as possible.
8. The penultimate stage is where the magazine is printed; firstly the magazine prints only s couple of copies to ensure that the magazine is
perfect and make final checks. Then the magazine is sent into bulk printing.
9. Finally, the last stage is distribution, here the printing company have printed all the magazines and now they need to be packaged ready
to be sold to the public.
Source: http://hosbeg.com/the-magazine-production-process/

Free sheet Newspaper Genre
A free sheet newspaper is exactly as it sounds, a newspaper completely free of cost. So how does this work?
Free Sheet newspapers are surprising successful due to the considerably high advertising cost which big
companies and business feel is money well spend. The reason being that such a large number of people read
these newspapers on a daily basis that the product reaches such a wide audience; thus providing a huge
incentive for businesses to pay the extra fee to ensure that people see their advert as they know it will reach the
extra circle of people as it is a free product. Notably the circulation for certain free sheet newspapers is very high,
such as Metro has a annual circulation of 1,480,187 according to News works.
However issues have surrounded these free sheet media forms ever since the beginning in the form of
environmental issues, leading to an endless turn over of new lawsuits being filed. This is a considerable issue as
the problem with a free product that ends up being handed out to a large proportion of people is it ends up
being left on the streets and most notably public transport means. This is because people feel that because they
didn’t pay for it they have no responsibility over correctly disposing of it. Free sheet newspapers typically have a
large number of advertisements in their already small sized content; however the rest of the content is filled with
news which is often on a local or regional scale. This is because campaigners and groups desiring to inflict their
ideology upon the people of London will potentially pay to have their story published into the newspaper to raise
awareness about their intentions and ideas. This is often not for means of economic gain rather to draw attention
towards their political party, or towards and community issue that is of a concern in this area.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/money/2009/jan/26/freesheet-paper-waste
www.newsworks.org.uk/Metro

Broadsheet Newspaper Genre
A broadsheet, once again is very different to Free Sheet and Tabloid newspapers this is due to the difference in terms of the
content that they cover throughout their product. Stereotypically young people perceive broadsheets to only be read and
consumed by the older generation; this is due to the rich content and world issues that are concurrent as they occur. Most
notably the new selection covered across these forms of newspaper is predominantly hard news; this is because the older
generation have no interest or care about current celebrities which they would mock simply are not celebrities. This is why this
paper is generically set around issues that are occurring nationally and globally. Due to the aging population of the UK we may
see a potential decline in the circulation of broadsheet newspapers as the current working generation are far more
technologized.
Features of a Broadsheet newspaper:
• Broadsheet 'Quality' or 'serious' press
• Advertising aimed at higher social groupings (A,B,C1)
• More sophisticated and formal language used in articles
• Plainer layout (no colour on the FrontPage, smaller typeface suggests readers will make more effort to read it), and subtle,
possibly smaller, pictures
• Longer articles, more detailed
• Serious headlines
• More focus on politics, international news
Source: https://tutorhub.com/question/broadsheet-newspaper-as-level

Red Top Tabloid Newspaper Genre
Red Top Tabloid newspapers cover predominantly soft news covering stories which tend to emphasize topics such as sensational crime
stories, astrology, gossip columns about the personal lives of celebrities and sports stars, and junk food news. This is a newspaper which is
typically viewed and produced as a means to engage the younger generation with encapsulating headlines and intruding cover lines. After
completing research about the ethics and the opinions surround Red Top Tabloids as a whole I discovered so expected results. What
became very evident early on in my research was the fact that the general public have very little trust in the validity and the occurrence of
the stories covered by this sector of journalism; this is mostly due to the excessive hyperbolic stories that are plastered on the front pages
of the newspaper. I then discovered an article written by the Guardian following the News Of the World hacking scandal which forced their
closure; in this it stated that almost 70% of the British public have little trust in the content which they find in this form of media.
Tabloid: features:Popular press
• Advertising aimed at lower social groupings (C2,D & E)
• Bold layout (eg colour on the masthead, very bold typeface, easy to read), with large, dramatic pictures
• Language is informal, colloquial
• Shorter articles, more pictures, less 'in-depth' reporting
• Puns and jokes in headlines
• More focus on human interest stories, celebrity gossip
• Use of gimmicks such as bingo games, free travel tickets, online surveys to attract readers
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/jan/24/british-public-distrust-red-top-tabloids
https://tutorhub.com/question/broadsheet-newspaper-as-level

Connotations behind the name of publication
When studying the connotations behind the name of publication, in this case the ‘Daily Mirror’ there
are a number of approaches that can be taken when dissevering what the name means and how it is
evocative about the readership. Firstly we should start with finding out what the term ‘Mirror’ actually
means; the Cambridge definition reads “a piece of glass with a shiny, metal-covered back that reflects
light, producing an image of whatever is in front of it:” In relation to the newspaper this could mean that
readers of the mirror will feel a reflection of the content they read in their own lives. In relation to the
Katz theory, Uses and gratification this would make readers and consumers feels as though they are
obtaining a form of ‘personal identity’ as they would be trying to apply the news and knowledge that
they have read and reflect or ‘mirror’ it in their own lives. However as I mentioned on a previous slide
Red Top Tabloids over the years ever since the phone hacking scandal have not fully trusted the validity
of the content covered by this form of Newspaper. To further add to this lack of faith that the general
public and even the own readership of the Daily Mirror have; the Mirror are also a Labor biased product
meaning that the vast majority of political stories will be bent and manipulated to present the view
which they are either funded to do, or that that they desire to change the view of their readership.
However the meaning produced by the founded Lord Northcliffe named it the ‘Daily Mirror’, as he
wanted it to be a “mirror of feminine life.” The final element of the Mirrors image is their strapline
which is easily accessed by the ‘About Us’ page on the Mirrors website. It reads “Britain's brightest
tabloid newspaper” highlighting that they are the most superior out of all of the newspapers on sale.
Source: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/mirror
http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/daily-mirror

Genre of newspaper
The Mirror is notorious for being one of the most circulated and popular Red Top Tabloid in the country. On the Mirror’s ‘About us’ page they
label themselves “Britain's brightest tabloid newspaper” this is due to their attractive nature of the front page of the product. The mirror, as
other tabloid papers do, is filled predominantly with excessively large text that is used to attract the attention of young readers. Typically on
the front of the newspaper you will find large advertisements in order to provide potential consumers with an incentive to purchase the
product. Unlike Broadsheets there is very limited text incorporated on the front and rear covers as it is generally a large colourful image that
draws interest to a certain part in the newspaper, thus attracts purchases. Tabloid newspapers generally cover soft news and unimportant
world topics; thus meaning that they are restricted to the young generation and lighter readers. This is because older readers do not want to
trundle through unprofessional content such as funny stories and moments they simple want more suitable stories. This is why the majority
of elderly people will read broadsheets due to the political and global importance that is provides. The vast majority of content that is
covered in the not only the Mirror but Red Top Tabloids in general is the coverage of celebrities and gossip online; this limits the readership
of this newspaper to a rather niche market position as it means that it only appeals to a certain range of
people, however this screenshot presented to the right highlights the age split in
terms of which age group is purchasing what magazine. Notably this does still show
that out of all of the Mirror’s readership some 34% of this is from a demographic of
65+; however this could be mainly due to the fact that this is retirement age so
therefore they have not only the money but also the time to spend purchasing the
product. To conclude the Mirror is very much a tabloid newspaper due to the
content covered and the generation that it appeals to. As I complete more research
throughout this unit I will begin to understand more the type of everyday reader
for the Daily Mirror.
Source: https://www.themediabriefing.com/article/youth-
audiences-newspaper-old-demographics-advertising

History and relevant information
The Daily Mirror is a newspaper that can be found in practically every convenience store across the
country is notorious for inaccurate stories and celebrity coverage, along with their biased labor party
support. However most readers have no knowledge as to the history of the Daily Mirror way back when it
was first founded. The Daily Mirror began as a magazine aimed to be a “mirror of feminine life” in order
to increase the equality between men and women and create a sense of belonging for women in society.
Since the Daily Mirror launched in 1903 it would have potentially spotted a cap in the market as women
during this time still have limited rights and accountability in society so therefore the Mirror is trying to
capitalise on women by presenting themselves as though they are on their side in order to increase their
circulation. However since this proved to be widely unpopular the following year of 1904 witnessed a
revolution in terms of the of the house style of the front cover and the target audience which it was
demographically trying to approach in order to market their product. In 1904 the newspaper was now a
product for both genders as this would increase the circulation, shortly after this the newspaper was
reverted from The Daily Illustrated Mirror to The Mirror. By the mid 20th century, the Mirror had become
the most popular tabloid, mostly due to the working class readership that it had built up in around the
1950s. In 1960 the Daily Mirror acquired the Daily Herald; however they did not want this paper
competing with them so they, some four years later launched the paper under the ‘The Sun’ this too
began to obtain popularity and formed a stable position as a mid tier paper. Shortly after this The Sun was
sold to Rupert Murdoch of News International, due to his resources he re-launched it and placed it in
direct competition with the Daily Mirror.
Source:
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jan/09/trinity-mirror-in-merger-talks-with-express-newspapers
https://www.cashfloat.co.uk/blog/technology-innovation/daily-mirror/

Price
The price of the Daily Mirror is arguably justified as the consumer as currently the cost of the magazine is at
65p for each daily issue. Notably this is an affordable price for the vast majority of the daily consumers; this is
because the screenshot at the bottom of the slide identifies how 67.5% of the readership of is over the age of
35+ meaning that they are in a position to purchase this product on a daily basis. From a demographics point of
view the type of people who will be purchasing the Mirror on a daily basis is predominantly commuters and,
workers that have to travel to work as this means that they have a period of time twice a day where they have
nothing to do. Therefore a cheap tabloid such as The Sun or Daily Mirror perfectly puts this time to good use
for a small fee. Moreover the price of the product is relatively accurate due to the content which is provided in
each daily issue. Throughout the week the week the product will contain various different forms of news from
countless different genres such as sport, celebrity gossip all the way to heartbreaking global issues.
Source: http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/johnston-press-takes-advice-
from-rothschild-over-refinancing-220m-bond-debt/

Circulation
The circulation of the Daily Mirror is a topic which takes wide deconstruction; this is because
there is numerous means to the way in which the Daily Mirror attract readership. The
screenshot presented on the right of this text highlights how the Daily Mirror have a print
circulation of 724,888 per day as of early 2017. This means that each day the Mirror are
making a total of £471,177.20 each day for simply charging 65p. The convenience that daily
readers are exposed to means that they know that their daily read will be able to be found in
all convenience stores and supermarkets. The Daily Mirror can also be found on two other
platforms which are also displayed in the screenshot on the right. Firstly, the next form that
readers can access the newspaper is via their website on their PC or Laptop whilst in the
comfort of their own homes; notably this has a circulation of 5,453,722. This figure seems
extremely high; however you have to take into account that they only have a readership here
of 388,000. This is because the Mirror will most likely be emailing the copy of the newspaper
to all of its email subscribers, this means that whilst this mean people are being sent it and are
potentially accessing, not all of these people are reading it. The screenshot also identifies how
the Mirror have 4,816,029 unique visitors on their website each month, this provides a
different element of income as they will be adding to the impressions ensuring that the mirror
have access to a greater range of revenue. The final way in which readers can access The
Mirrors content is by reading it through IOS or the Google play store allowing readers to read
this on their way to work.
Source: http://sajithpai.com/news-media/free-newspapers-free-translates-profits/
http://www.newsworks.org.uk/Daily-Mirror

News selection
In terms of the type of news that the Mirror publishes on their front cover in
a day to day basis the news which can be found inside is generically soft
news. This is because the readership of the Mirror is often described as the
‘White van man’ this is stereotyping the demographic readership of Red Top
Tabloids. The typical type of readership is working class men who are in
manual labor jobs such as builders, plumbers or electricians. These types of
people are the main form of readership as the low cost of the Daily Mirror at
65p means that these types of people can afford to purchase the product
each day. In relation to the type of news the soft news which The Mirror
produces includes the likes of celebrity gossip and news that servers no great
importance which the reader needs to know about. The first screenshot
which is displayed to the right is a survey that was created by a company
named the Pressgazzete, the purpose of this being was to obtain which genre
of media the general public believe to be most trustworthy. The pie chart
evidently shows that the public have the most faith in business and finance
articles; whilst the least faith falls in terms of politics due to the the way in
which most news papers are bias. The second screenshot shows the
percentage of interest in the different genres of that men and women have;
notably the celebrity interest is only 15% for men and 25% for women so soft
news is arguably not the best and only solution to news type.
Source: http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/johnston-press-takes-advice-
from-rothschild-over-refinancing-220m-bond-debt/
http://www.digitalnewsreport.org/survey/2016/hard-soft-news-2016/

News Values
Galtung & Ruge is a theory which surrounds the values of the content that can be found in all forms of
media that is accessible to the public. In relation to the Mirror I would suggest that the Mirror and other
forms of Red Top Tabloids are a form of frequency, otherwise referred to as recency. This is because on the
whole they are producing news content which is totally new to the vast majority of the readership who are
not hooked eon social media. Therefore there will continue to be a market space for newspapers and print
based media so long as social media and online content doesn’t take over.
The bullet points below highlight a few of the Galtung & Ruge news value factors which different forms of
media can fall into.
• Threshold: The bigger impact the story has, the more people it affects, the more extreme the effect or
the more money or resources it involves, the better its chances of hitting the news stands.
• Frequency: Events, such as motorway pile-ups, murders and plane crashes, which occur suddenly and fit
well with the newspaper or news broadcast's schedule are more readily reported than those which
occur gradually or at inconvenient times of day or night. Long-term trends are unlikely to receive much
coverage.
• Negativity: Bad news is more exciting than good news. Stories about death, tragedy, bankruptcy,
violence, damage, natural disasters, political upheaval or simply extreme weather conditions are always
rated above positive stories such as royal weddings or celebrations. Bad news stories are more likely to
be reported than good news because they are more likely to score high on other news values, such as
threshold, unexpectedness, unambiguity and meaningfulness,
• Unexpectedness: If an event is out of the ordinary it will be more likely to make it into the news than an
everyday occurrence would. As Charles A. Dana famously put it, "If a dog bites a man, that's not news.
But if a man bites a dog, that is news!''
• Unambiguity: Events which are easy to grasp make for better copy than those which are open to more
than one interpretation, or where understanding of the implications depends on first understanding the
complex background to the event.
Source:
http://www.mediaknowall.com/gcse/news/n
ews.php?pageID=values
http://www.owenspencer-
thomas.com/journalism/newsvalues#pragma
tics_of_media_coverage

Front cover
Masthead: Since the Mirror is a Red Top Tabloid the top of the newspaper
is always displaying the logo in front of the red background. This allows for
an easy form brand identity and recognition for the everyday readership.
This is especially necessary for the everyday commuters who do not have
the spare time in the morning on their travels to go out of their way
looking for the Mirror; they need the product to stand out from the shelves
in order for it to be simple and easy for them to pick up the product. Also
what is also notable is the fact that the masthead overlaps the display
advert in order to show that the most important part of the newspaper is
the masthead due to it national recognition capability.
Display Advertisement: Typically an edition of the Daily Mirror will
always have a advert in the top right of the front page; this makes the
mirror a widely desirable place for national and aspiring businesses to
invest in advertising their products with the Mirror as the consumer
circulation circle is aware with the regular placement of the ad. This
means that the consumer is always looking out for new deals and free
products; this allows The Mirror to charge large rates for
advertisements. Whilst the Mirror will charge high rates dependent on
the location of the sale of the newspaper, this does often work to
intrigue potential consumers, especially on Sunday’s with the Sunday
Mirror. This is because the many young families will buy this product
simply due to the free gift or advertisement on the front; thus
highlighting how it can be useful to draw readership into the product.
Cover Lines: The cover lines, excluding the headline and masthead are
arguably one of the most important features of a front cover in order to be
able to produce a successful product day in day out. The cover lines used
need to be of content which is interesting and shocking at the same time
to the audience. Often readers will purchase a newspaper due to the un-
miss able cover lines and stories that are plastered across the front cover.
In this case it is not so much the house style of the front cover that makes
the cover lines attractive and interesting to potential consumers. But rather
in this case it is the word that are used, the shocking phrase of ‘Fury as
paedo Hall to be freed in 7 months’ is a rather intelligent integration of a
cover line when analysed. This is because the demographic of the mirror is
generically focused around the working age of people. This means that
they would be horrified by this story as there is a relatively high chance
that they will have children at home so this will deeply affect them.
Main Headline: The main headline is arguably one of the most
important elements of the front cover as it means that the potential
consumers have the ability to understand what sort of stories they can
expect to find in the copy of the daily newspaper. In this the headline
reads ‘I did assault nigella’ on it’s own this headline is not out of the
ordinary, however the fact that the verb ‘Did’ is in a red font suggests
that Saatchi admits that he is guilty. The red also symbolises the anger
that he would have experienced in order to beat his wife.
Price: The price of the product is placed on the black strip which also
contains the website link for Mirror.co.uk. The price of this issue so 50p
as it is a Daily Mirror, notably the price of the Mirror and for all tabloids
is cheaper during the week due to reduced content. However at the
weekend this typically rises to around £1.50
Lead story: Unlike most front covers the lead story is located at the
bottom of the page after the main image and headline. The purpose of
this is because the main focus is shifted on the main image as it
displays the actions of Nigella’s partner as he is being publically
shamed.
Main image: Whilst many potential consumers will be drawn in to
purchasing through the cover lines and display advertisements others will
be more focused on how interested that they are in the celebrity or the
event that is displayed on the front cover. In this case the main image
potentially communicates more information towards to the content of the
newspaper than the headline and cover lines combined. Often newspapers
will have a front cover in this manner with a very large image; this is
because they will have most likely have been following a story for several
weeks or even months leading up to this point. Then once there is a result
of a form of the problem/ story reaching an end then a large image will be
used to finish this line of journalism.
General analytical comments: Notably
this front cover uses a range of different
font colours. This is us useful as it
ensures that the readers attention is
diverted to different elements of the
front cover by breaking up the cover by
different colours. Something which is
also notable is the exclusive box next to
the thumbnail image at the bottom of
the cover. The noticeable red of the term
‘Exclusive’ ensures that the reader
understands that they will not be able to
find this information anywhere else
ensuring that they sell their product.
The copy: At the very bottom of the front cover there is one line of text
to sum up the entire article that is inside the magazine that is also
displayed by the main image on the front cover.

Main image: Throughout this double page
spread there is a number of different images
that effectively backup the image that the
Mirror is trying to paint of the suspect in the
Madeline McCann case. The main image can
also be interpreted as almost shaming as the
“suspect” is presented as having a rather
guilty look; this could perhaps be suggesting
that he guilty. This is a subtle technique in
terms of attempting to obtain the readers
opinion in the innocence of the suspect. The
other images used are to present an even
guiltier view point of the man in questioning;
the fact that there is a drawing of him when
he was in court many years ago for his
offences makes the reader feel as though he
is capable of committing a heinous crime
again.
Credits: A small element, but one which is
still necessary is the credits that are provided
in terms of the author of the article and the
photographer that took these images.
Headline: The fact that they plague him as
the ‘New Suspect’ reveals that he is in the
Mirrors eyes already guilty. However the
main headline is through the view point of
the suspect as he claims “But I didn’t kill
Maddie” this creates a very attractive story
as many of the readers may be fearful of
this man potentially harming their children.
The copy: To the right of the main image
there is a black box which runs down the
entire page; the purpose of this is to
essentially provide a bullet pointed list of
the main events and topics discussed
throughout the article. In this case the copy
here is describing the why the McCann's
want to question him and why the man
claims he is innocent. The main purpose of
this being that the Mirror is trying to
intrigue readers by giving them a summary
about the article. However the other
purpose of the stand first is to allow readers
who do not have the time to read the entire
article to still understand what is going on.
Associated images: In terms of this article it
only really includes one associated image
which is the small thumbnail image of a
missing Maddie in the top left hand corner.
News values: In terms of the news values that are presented in the article presented above it is
predominantly through Recency. This is a direct reference to the Galtung & Ruge’s theory that is
all about what format of media content an institution is producing. In this case the fact that the
media content here is recency means that the readers will not have found out about the
information before hand. This is typically the case with exclusive stories as they normally appear
on within a newspaper no more than 24 hours after the event occurs itself. However with the
rise of social media this means that consumers are less likely to purchase a newspaper as the
vast amount of content can be found online meaning that there is a terminal decline in the
marketspace for newspapers and other print based media.
Page number: The page number, situated at
the top of the page allows the reader to find
the article quickly as on the front page of
the newspaper there will be a reference .
Stand first: The purpose of the stand first is to allow a brief overview of what that certain piece
of writing will be referring to. In this case there is two separate stand firsts as there are two
separate talking points of this article.
Drop capital: Whilst not being the main
feature of front cover a drop capital is useful
as it allows the reader to quickly identify
where they should begin reading each
segment of the article. Notably on this front
cover there are two different drop capitals
to allow the reader to find the start of each
of the new segments.
Backup-Headline: On this front cover these
back up headlines all starting with capitalized
‘YES’ in red font creates the view that this
man is guilty due to the stereotypical
pedophilic characteristics that he pertains.
The fact that the Mirror chooses to repeat
the noun “Yes” indicates that the Mirror are
essentially tainting this man as being their
key suspect.
Double page

Advertisement
For a newspaper company, specifically Red Top tabloids are not purchasable for more than 65-70p;
this means that consumers are able to purchase this product on a daily basis due to the low cost.
Notably the low product cost means that income needs to revolve around another form of profits;
this is channeled through advertisements. For countless years Red Top Tabloids have included an
advertisement on the front cover with the purpose being to be able to charge an extremely large
fee due to large readership of over 750,000 people. This means that Newspapers can ensure a solid
readership basis as the price will not rise above 70p so advertisement companies can be assured
that that their advertisement will be viewed by countless consumers. The first screenshot is a
Mirror paper front cover that is taken from 2013; this was the first time on record that the mirror
had their entire front cover plastered with a advert across the entire page. This is the perfect way to
allow newspaper companies to maximize their profits in terms of advertisements. The second
screenshot is taken directly form the publishers of Trinity Mirror presents the different costs of
advertising in the Mirror; the screenshot identifies that the more of a page an institution wants to
be covered by their advertisement the higher it costs. Moreover after a notorious event such as
sporting or nationwide recognition then the costs of advertisements will be increased than the
usual cost. The next screenshot presents the social media accounts which the Mirror owns; this
enables them to advertise their product to a vast audience for no cost at all as they are simply
spreading their product through relying on people sharing and engaging with their posts. In relation
to the screenshot at the bottom highlighting the social media accounts, it suggests that the vast
majority of the traffic which the Mirrors webpage receives is due to the impressions which are
made by users on their Facebook and Twitter page. After researching it appears that the Mirror
have no real focus on producing content for a YouTube channel as all channels that I managed to
find were simply impersonators claiming to be the Mirror. Also the Mirror does not advertise a
YouTube channel on their website, perhaps suggest that they are more interested in creating
content for their print based product and website, as supposed to their YouTube channel.
Source: http://www.trinitymirrorsolutions.co.uk/specs-and-rates
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/first-daily-mirror-it-carries-full-page-ad-front-page/

Website analysis
When researching a print based newspaper it is also important to ensure that we look into the webpage to
see if there is any difference in terms of the content and featured articles on their main site to see if there is
a difference in terms of the way the online product is marketed and advertised to a different audience. One
of the main ways which the Daily Mirror has a way of attracting users to create impressions on the articles
featured on their webpage is through Facebook. This means that since there is such as high user ship on
Facebook that users will share and interact with the content produced by The Mirror, this is how the
synergetic relationship between The Mirror and other social media sites work. This is vitally important to
the Mirror as it means that they are combatting the terminal decline of the newspaper industry and putting
their content online. Impressions on a website are where the consumer engages by clicking on any
interactive element from within the webpage; this is important as this is the way in which the Mirror is able
to make their revenue via advertisements. The screenshot at the bottom of this slide represents the task
bar at the top of the Mirror website. This presents all of the different genres of news content and forms of
media in terms of videos, podcasts an written based articles. Much like the print based form of the Mirror
the website prioritizes political news this is because they have always had a very strong and bias view
towards the labor party and this is visibly still evident on their website. On top of various of the different
buttons on the task bar you can see they have a small drop down arrow next to them; this leads the user to
see a drop down menu allowing them to access various different forms of sub genre in order to access the
exact form of media that they are interested in.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/

Style
When looking into the style of the Daily Mirror I decided to look for the trends in terms of the
content that they are producing from a day to day basis. When looking into the mirror the first
thing becomes obvious when analysing is the fact that the Mirror along with other Red Top
Tabloids has a tendency to sensationalise their headlines and stories contained within the issue.
By this I mean that their front covers tend to have a story which the Mirror have decided to
hyperbolise in order to gain attention to their product. This is most notable with political stories
as we know the Mirror are bias in terms of covering labor who they heavily favor over other
parties. Due to the brand of the Red Top Tabloid the generic layout of the Mirror is typically
always the same; this being that the logo can always be found on the top left of the front cover
for brand recognition with a advertisement displayed to the right generically in a box just above
the main image, headline and cover lines. The Mirror will almost always include at least one
advertisement on the cover, often more, with the purpose of this being to be able to charge a
large fee enabling the company to produce the product for the low cost of 65p on a daily basis,
thus allowing the product to continue being an affordable and essential element of the
consumers lives. Typically the Sun and Mirror have a very similar way of laying out their front
covers meaning that they are in direct competition of each other. Notably this means that the
Mirror have to do whatever they can to set themselves apart from the competition which they
are under fire by from the Sun and the likes of free sheet newspapers. Typically the images which
the Mirror includes in their magazines is very evocative and often incriminating in order to make
their product stand out from the competition and ensure that they are tempting readers to pick
up their product and be informed about the type of content which can be found inside.

Target readership
When studying the target readership it is important to look for several sources to ensure that the
validity is accurate. This is why I looked at two different sites; the two screenshots to the side identify
how almost 75% of the readership of the Mirror is ages 35+ this would typically be people who are
commuting to work on a daily basis and simply pick up the copy of the newspaper whilst they are
waiting for their transport. These types of readers would typically fall under the grade ‘D’ or ‘E’ of
the Maslow’s socio economic needs. However the second screenshot is demonstrating the exact
proportion of the circulation which was from the younger generations point of view. It demonstrates
that in September 2014 there was 434,000 readers aged 15-34 identifying that there is a huge
market for the younger, working class generation. This means that the content of the newspaper
from day to day is justifiable as it means that the readership is interested in reading about the lives
of celebrities with a taste of politics which the mirror covers. A term which is often used to describe
the readership of Red Top Tabloids ‘White van men’ this refers to ‘E’ classed manual laborers who
function on relatively low salaries as they have the ability to purchase the Mirror often. Whilst this
term refers to only men, the readership of the Mirror post-research appears to point to the fact that
any consumer, man or women that reads the Mirror is typically on a salary of about 315,000 as the
print based media is an affordable form of absorbed the daily news that is produced. In relation to
the Katz Audience Theory I would suggest that the readership may begin
to feel a form of personal relationship with the content that they are
reading. This would prompt them to want to buy the product on a regular
basis to fill that gap of entertainment.

Within the media it is important that there are institutions that are ensuring content created by magazine companies is of an acceptable standard for all
ethnic groups. Certain organisations such as IPSO (Independent Press Standards Organisation) regulate the content produced by magazine and media
establishments. In order to regulate content produced by magazines IPSO follow 17 different codes to ensure that the media content is fit for all audiences.
The first way in which they regulate magazine content is through accuracy; this is a highly important element when covering stories surrounding events that
involve the actions of people. The first concerning accuracy reads “The Press must take care not to publish inaccurate, misleading or distorted information or
images, including headlines not supported by the text.” This is indicative as it highlights how media outlets are not permitted to write stories and headlines
which are misleading or offensive; this is because no journalist or media business should have the right to falsely accuse somebody, particularly a celebrity.
This is because the story will potentially reach millions, which evidently could have a negative effect on that person, potentially tarnishing their reputation.
Research has be formulated by numerous institutions to identify why inaccuracy in so prominent within the media. “According to an in-depth study by the
American Society of Newspaper Editors in 1999, 23% of the public find factual errors in the news stories of their daily paper at least once a week” This
highlights how poorly research is conducted before a story is published; whilst this doesn’t always occur in the music magazine industry it is important for
magazine companies to understand the repercussions when publishing incorrect and infringing content. When studying accuracy it is a very broad topic as it
refers to a vast dynamic of content that is produced by the magazine. According to “Red Lines: The Eight Categories of Media Bias” there are eight sub-
categories that determine whether an article has been inaccurate or distasteful. These include, misleading definitions, imbalance reporting, opinions
disguised as new; lack of context, selective omission (refers to withholding important details,) using true facts to draw false conclusions, distortion of facts
and lack of transparency. These are the most common ways that an article will be manipulated in order to attract a certain interest or attention. Most notably
modern-day news articles are often crafted in a way that attracts attention (not always positive towards a particular business;) meaning that they are not
always as accurate as they should be.
Newspapers in general, not just the Mirror are always under scrutiny due to their controversial claims and often false claims. This can often lead to either the
person under the negative light suing the company or it can lead to a conflict of interest in terms of the IPSO code of practices as that company has not
complied with the legal rules that media based products are legally obliged to facilitate with.
Legal issues
Source: https://www.ipso.co.uk/editors-code-of-practice/
http://www.dailysource.org/about/problems#.WEabh_4afcs
http://honestreporting.com/news-literacy-the-eight-categories-of-media-bias/

Unit 30 lo1

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