Textual Analysis

1. Textual Analysis
Rob Glover

2. Q Cover Analysis:
-Plug used as a way to get the potential buyer to want the magazine
and what is inside, in this case ‘an exclusive CD’ which immediately
draws in the attention of the audience.
-Use of a barcode, a common convention of magazines that allows the
customer to purchase the product.
-Date and price placed in small discreet text next to the barcode to
avoid making the price too obvious at least at first before the reader
has had time to be convinced by the key selling points of the product.
-Main image showing Dave Grohl, surrounded by the other 4 members
of the Foo Fighters directly addressing the reader/audience through
the use of eye contact that helps to give the magazine a more personal
and informal feel making the audience feel more connected.
-Use of the masthead/Q logo helps to give the magazine identity with
a bold and striking image to be recognised by, it appears as a key
feature on all covers so that the audience can differentiate between
different magazines, it is placed below the plug so that that is what
immediately tempts and draws into buying the product.
-Use of a sub image that advertises what else other than what is
pictured in the main image and headline, this is done to give the
audience a further insight in regards to the contents.
-Use of a buzz word excites the consumer making them feel that there
is something significant inside and that they are the first ones to know.

3. Kerrang! Cover Analysis:
-There is the use of a plug on the header of the cover to immediately
draw the readers attention to what they will get from within the
magazine, in this case ‘6 scorching "posters’. The use of the term
‘scorching’ (to describe the images) helps to intrigue and tempt the
reader into their purchase.
-Date and price placed discreetly in a small text size below the main
headlines, buzz word, and masthead to make sure that the audience
look elsewhere before looking at the price, by which time they will have
had chance to be persuaded by the key selling points of the magazine.
-Main image showing two of the six members of Linkin Park, and like in
the previous cover the image directly addresses the audience as the
people in the picture look forwards involving the reader therefore
strengthening the magazine’s connection with it’s audience.
-Use of ‘scorching’ as a buzz word that makes the reader want to buy
the product so that they can see what is inside.
-Use of a barcode which is a common convention in all magazines that
lets the reader make their purchase.
-Use of the Kerrang! masthead/logo helps to identify the magazine to
the reader who has to come to recognise it by this, it appears as a key
feature on all covers so that the audience can differentiate between
different magazines and also helps to put continuity into the covers.
-Use of sub image and sub header to advertise the other stories that
the contents will be covering.

4. NME Cover Analysis:
-No use of a Plug maybe because of a difference in median
age/audience in comparison to both Q and Kerrang! This could
potentially mean that the magazines appeals less to possible
readers/buyers as there is no buzz word or exclusive piece of content.
-Use of a barcode, which is typical of magazine covers and allows the
customer to purchase the product.
-Date and price placed in small text to the right of the barcode to
avoid making the price too obvious before the reader has had time to
be convinced by the key selling points of the product if there are any.
However NME recently became free and therefore would no longer
have a price printed on it.
-Main image showing American rock band, Julian Casablancas and the
Voidz. The way the audience is addressed is slightly less direct than on
the covers of Q and Kerrang! and as a consequence of this the
magazine has a less personal feel to it which means the audience may
feel less involved.
-Use of the masthead/NME logo or icon to help the audience
recognise and identify the magazine when it is in the company of rival
products and also to tempt the reader into buying the product itself.
-Use of a sub image to show what else other than what is shown by
both the main image and its headline, this is done to give the
audience a better idea of what they are buying.

5. Q Contents Analysis:
-Font sizes vary between the headers advertising the subject of the story
and the small amount of information below each heading in smaller text,
this is done to make sure that the reader knows the main contents of the
magazine before navigating through to find particular articles of more
interest.
-No use of columns but instead a more grid like format that allows each
subject to have its own area of the contents accompanied by a
photograph of the artist.
-Use of photographs to show the reader who each of the artists
mentioned in the magazine are and what they look like.
-Use of large coloured page number icons to help the reader locate
specific stories and navigate to certain pages rather than having to scan
through and search for their desired article.
-Use of continuity in the branding of the magazine with the red ‘Q’ logo,
a constant feature across the contents page that gives the magazine
identity making sure that it looks similar on each page so that it has a
recognisable format.
-Amount of text is largely minimised and the images take up most of the
space on the page, the text is also only used when necessary and is not
made overly obvious, except in the case of the headers.

6. Kerrang! Contents Analysis:
-Font sizes differ between the bold headers and the detailed text in the
small articles in the columns across the right hand side although the
majority of text is in a small font size that is maybe slightly too small to be
immediately noticeable and therefore won’t immediately draw the reader
in to any section of the magazine in particular. The section headings are
highlighted in yellow text so that they stand out from the rest of the
subheadings.
-Use of columns makes for a more organised format to the contents page
and makes it easier to read through as the different stories are split into
sections under the headings of ‘news’, ‘features’, ‘albums; etc.
-Use of images that vary in size to show the significance/importance of
each article help to show the audience the subject of the articles and how
or what is the main focus of the reading. .
-Use of bigger page number icons in white over the images of the bigger
articles to contrast with the backgrounds to help the reader find specific
stories efficiently and navigate to certain pages instead of aimlessly
scanning through.
-No real use of branding like on the Q contents page, this means it is less
noticeably part of the Kerrang! brand itself and it looks like it could be
part of any other music magazine.
-Uses a large amount of text in comparison to how little was used in the Q
contents page, the use of lots of text takes away some of the simplicity
that is needed in a contents page as there is even short articles in the right
hand column of the page.

7. NME Contents Analysis:
-Font sizes vary from the thick white text in the black boxes that
make up the headers and the smaller thin black text below that
explains what the feature involves.
-Use of three separate columns to give the page a simple and
organised look with enough white space to avoid it looking cramped
and messy.
-Use of only a single image that makes it look slightly more bare
than the other contents pages of Q and Kerrang! which contained
more photographs therefore looking more full and appealing to the
audience.
-Use of small white page numbers over the black rectangle
backgrounds of the articles on both the features and regulars lists to
allow the reader to locate the stories that are of more interest to
them than others that they would have had to scan through had the
page numbers not been clearly labelled.
-Small use of branding like on the Q contents page giving the
magazines more brand awareness and builds up it’s identity for
which it wants to be recognised.
-Uses a large amount of text in comparison to others and this means
that it is not as visually pleasing as those with lots of images and it
requires more attention from the audience as the text is smaller and
much more discreetly presented.

8. Q Double Page
Spread Analysis:
-There is roughly a
50-50 split between
the use of text and
images with the left
hand side of the page
being filled by one
large image of
‘Prince’ with the right
hand side taken up by
text.
-Very small margin of
both tracking and
leading with the lines
and letters very close
together on the page.
-The text uses a small
font size in the main
columns of text with
larger and bolder
lettering being used
to the right of and
over the image.
-The fonts vary in style
with the text that is over
the image and to the
right of the image above
the main body of the text
in a straight bold font
and the main text in a
thin font that is visibly
different.
-The text is split into two
columns within the white
border separating this
and the image showing
the subject of the text.
The use of columns gives
the double page spread a
more formal and neatly
presented format than if
it were to be randomly
spread out across the
page in small paragraphs.
-Use of only one large
image showing ‘prince’.

9. Kerrang! Double Page
Spread Analysis:
-There is a 70% to 30%
split, with the larger
percentage being filled
by text with only one
real image except the
background itself.
-There is a small margin
of leading between
each line of text which
are very close together
on the page.
-Use of a small font size
in the main body of the
text excluding the
introductory letters
that open each
paragraph (capitals in
yellow).
-Use of a large image of
‘Jenna McDougall’ as
the background rather
than just a block colour.
-The fonts vary in both
style and size in particular
with the text to the left of
the big image when it goes
from lower case italics to
bold non italic capital
letters and then to upper
case italics. The switch
between text also involves
a change colours, going
from white to yellow, and
back again.
-Use of another smaller
picture to side of text to
add to the visual side of
the double page spread.
-The text is written in
three columns to give it an
organised and neatly
presented format however
the text in the third
column is set out
differently in a piece of
paper in the bottom right.

10. -The fonts differ in style
from the different more
bold font that opens each
story within the article and
the different font used in
each column containing
the main body of the text.
The use of the bigger and
bolder font to open each
story allows the reader to
navigate across the double
page spread instead of
having to read everything
in order to find what they
wanted.
-The text is written into six
separate columns that
span across the entire
spread and as a result of
this it looks slightly more
disorganised than both Q
and Kerrang! as the text is
less contained and not
kept in such a small and
concentrated area.
NME Double Page
Spread Analysis:
-The text is relatively
dominant on the page
with around 75% to
25% split that means
other than the three
main images, the
section at the bottom
goes largely unnoticed
as text fills the page.
-There is again like in Q
and Kerrrang!, a very
small margin of leading
and tracking.
-In the majority of the
text a small font size is
used except on the
captions of the images
and the starting S of
the first paragraph
-Use of three medium
sized images to make
the spread more
visually appealing.