My magazine research for my media project.

1. Research
Spencer Fox

2. Sports Illustrated
Front cover Double Page Spread
Audience Profile
Total
Audience Male Female
Readers
per copy M F
Median
Age M F
Median
Household
Income M F
The DPS from this iconic issue of
SI is more of a poster than article
itself, which certainly provides a
possibility for a fan of LeBron to
keep it plastered across their wall
for as long as they choose.
Meaning the spread has a
timeless, fan-pandering capability.
The subheading of the article
itself is a saying, as well as a
genuine statement about
LeBron’s skillset on the court.
It also features an interesting pair
of words, “heir” and “air”. The
mention of the possibility of
LeBron being the ‘heir’ to one of
the greatest athletes of all time
may reference ’Bron’s nickname,
“King James”, as well as a
homonymic link to Michael
Jordan’s nickname, “Air Jordan”.
It also puts James front and centre, so that he is
the very first thing that the readers see. The
focus is also pulled towards him by his bright
white jersey and his name and number being
clearly visible.

3. Existing Product
In-studio photoshoot
Masthead
Coverline
Blobs
Recognisable/unique font that
people will know across any
language/country. Reminiscent
of the kind of lines you would
see on a play-board used by
coaches with the smooth
curves and straight lines.
Simplistic as it is just the
outline of letters, meaning it
can adapt to any front cover
picture by altering the colour
of the lettering.
Only text underlined and in
full caps on the entire front
cover, shows the reader
that it’s more important to
pay attention to, like LeBron
was at the time he was
dominating high school in
the US.
Holding a photoshoot for the cover
means that the front page will be
unique. In this case, this cover is now
considered iconic due to LeBron’s
ascendance to his current status in the
basketball world as being one of, if not,
the greatest player of all time.
The black background also helps focus
entirely on LeBron as he is/was “The
Chosen One”.
The golden ball adds to this fact and
perhaps refers to LeBron’s nickname,
“King James”, as kings tend to have
items made of gold, as well as perhaps
furthering their point that the young
James is the gold standard of high
school basketball players.
The outstretched arm could represent
LeBron’s determination to be the best
basketball player in the world and
possibly be a physical metaphor for his
game reaching out to NBA teams and
scouts.
They display what other
content is in the magazine.
The blobs contrast the black
background of the cover
photo.

4. SLAM
Front cover
Double Page Spread
Audience Profile
This DPS by SLAM shows a very
different side of RJ than the front
cover does. He’s clearly donning a
cool outfit and a bright smile all the
while stood in front of his home city.
These factors suggest a number of
things:
His sunglasses show that it is a bright
summer’s day, which brings a lot of
positive connotations alone. They,
along with the rest of his Nike-
endorsed attire, heavily connote how
casual and laid back he is.
Speaking of his casual-ness, his behind-the-back pass made with ease
adds to his laid back nature, as well as demonstrating his skilled ball-
handling. His giant smile suggests that he is a nice-natured player and a
nice person in life off the court too. This all makes him more and more
likeable and make people fans, meaning that any future issues they
make with him on the cover, perhaps once he’s made it to the NBA, will
be bought by the same people that read this article in particular. If he
turns out to reach the potential they say he has, being the number 1
pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, people will refer back to this issue of SLAM
Magazine saying that ”they called it”. It has potential to turn out to be
iconic, much like ‘The Chosen One’ issue of Sports Illustrated featuring
one of the greatest and most popular athletes of all time, LeBron
James. They use minimal text, as if it were a poster. They also use an
‘emoji’ to target a younger audience who are familiar with it. This may
be because most of his fans will be young, much like their
demographic.

5. Existing Product
Masthead
Unique font with uneven
edges to the letters.
Stars in the “M” indicate
the issue number, in this
case 218, and below have
the website listed to
access the online version.
RJ Barrett stands front and centre, staring
straight down the lens of the camera, almost
as if he’s looking at the reader to gesture,
“look at me, I’m the best”.
In-studio photoshoot
They must have taken the
photos in front of some form
of plain background or
green-screen as it is clear the
background is digital and not
actually something RJ was
stood in front of. The colour
they used was blue because
the college he committed to
as the team he’d play for this
season was Duke, along with
fellow freshman Zion
Williamson and Cam Reddish
who form possibly one of the
most dominant college
basketball teams of all time.
Coverline
States the athlete’s name in a
different colour and font to the rest
of the cover. The colour itself is
reminiscent of a basketball, RJ’s game
of choice, but also compliments the
blue Duke-themed background. They
also add some of his information as
well as an accolade he may collect to
show who he is how good he is at
basketball.
Blob in the form of a ‘+’
This is to indicate what
other stories can be
read/found inside this
issue of SLAM to interest
anyone else who doesn’t
particularly care about
college basketball and are
more concerned with
professional players like
LeBron and Rajon Rondo or
would like to know more
about past players, like
Kobe Bryant via his book.
The cover itself is very
simplistic.

6. ESPN The Magazine
Front cover Double Page Spread
Audience Profile
The DPS of ESPN’s magazine is
quite clearly dominated by the
colour red. This is because of
the GIANT Colgate toothpaste
ad, as well as the team colours
for the KC Chiefs. This was a
smart pairing as it keeps the
colour scheme the same across
both sides. By having just one
page from a double page spread
filled with actual content, it
means that the reader will have
to turn over to continue reading,
and see another ad in the
process.
The page itself is more of an index or contents page. It contains two
other small images from alternate front covers in the bottom right,
possibly where people put their thumb when flicking through the
magazine, which means they’re more likely to look at the photos and
then possibly look at what articles are covered throughout the issue.
Each of the page numbers is followed by the article title and a small
description of what is covered in the column, perhaps to target those
who would be interested in the content of those pages.

7. Existing Product
Masthead
This is the same logo used
for every ESPN product, be
it the sports news, analysis
shows or any one of there
other shows. This of course
means it is extremely
recognisable, drawing in
their demographics from
those shows and
productions as well. ESPN is
also the biggest sports
channel in the US, meaning
it has an established
reputation that they can use
as a selling point for the
magazines.
Candid Photography
This method gives a real-
life atmosphere to the
front cover as this is the
way most people would
see this cover athlete:
donning his helmet, pads
and jersey. It also shows
that Patrick Mahomes is a
serious player.
It also shows that, due to
the very short depth of
field in the photograph,
that Patrick Mahomes is
the main focus of the
issue and that he is a
pretty big deal. The lack
of focus on the ball also
shows that he is the man
behind the Kansas City
Chiefs’ offense and that
he is also a human being,
not just a football player.
It may also indicate that
playing quarterback is a
position that needs a high
player IQ, as the focus is
on his head.
Blob
This blog is reminiscent of an
authenticity sticker. It’s also the
only thing on the entire page
that is bright yellow meaning
it’ll be easy to spot, the small
writing on it also means that
the reader may have to bring it
closer to their face in order to
read it. While they’re there
they may choose to read the
Coverline
which is rather small, but in full
capitals due to the importance
of the name stated and the
drama of the situation.

8. Muscle & Fitness Magazine
Front cover Double Page Spread
Audience Profile
The DPS of Muscle & Fitness features mainly
candid photos of their cover athlete for that
issue. This issue, the photos are used to
illustrate Dwayne’s arm routine that are
talked about throughout the article. They
also only really use colours that are found in
the photos. For example the large “7” in the
top left is very similar to the colour of the
gym’s wall, that can be seen I the background
of each of the four photos. Red can also be
found in the little table in the bottom right
detailing the routine itself that the article
refers to. They also fill the middle of the DPS
with the photos, with the actual article itself
almost lines the outside of the page. They
also choose to avoid filling the page fully,
leaving some blank space.
The article itself is written by
someone else, but heavily features
direct quotes from the cover athlete
himself, Dwayne Johnson. This
shows that they have personally
interviewed the ‘Man of the
Century’, so their readers know to
read and believe everything they say
with complete faith.

9. Existing Product
Masthead
Studio Photography
Coverline
Their cover athlete for this issue is
clearly a very well known celebrity,
Dwayne Johnson, AKA The Rock. As
he is a household name for
everyone in the fitness industry, as
well as film fans and wrestling
fanatics, this cover may attract a
very wide audience. As he is an idol
and an inspiration for many
people, people may aspire to look
like him and follow in his footsteps.
This will draw people to the double
page spread as seen in the
previous slide about his arm
workout routine.
He also may attract more than just
his millions (and millions) of fans
from his films, wrestling and fitness
backgrounds. He would, perhaps,
entice those who find him, or his
body, attractive to buy this issue of
the magazine just to stare deeply
into his eyes and/or pecs.
This gives Dwayne yet another
nickname, but also introduces
those who don’t know of his
existence to the gravity of his
following and his great work
ethic and physique. It also may
invite those who are more
interested in his personality
than his aesthetics.
The front page is also absolutely
packed with some of the topics that
pop up throughout the issue. The
titles themselves appeal to certain
types of people in particular, like
those wishing to “avoid shoulder
pain” or ‘shred’ their abdominal
muscles.
As Muscle & Fitness is one of
the leading fitness magazines
world wide, their logo doesn’t
need to be fully seen, however
is still in bright red at the very
top of the page so that it is
known before any potential
buyers recognise the italic font
that has become synonymous
with Muscle & Fitness.

10. Research Analysis
The majority of the cover photos I have looked at consist of a studio photograph and
a particular pose; the athletes always look straight down the lens of the camera.
Most also have a masthead at the very top. The mastheads all have unique and
recognisable fonts that people will remember or have seen many times elsewhere,
like on television or on the internet. They all have a coverline that contrasts visually
with the masthead. Most of them also refer to other articles that can be found in
the issues. They also have ‘blobs and stars’ that draw the eye of their readers to the
other articles or a certain aspect about the cover story. The DPS pages often look
like posters rather than articles. They also seem to have minimal text on them, but if
they do have a sentence or two, they tend to be across a darker box. To the left of
the subject of the photo.
I will definitely utilise the masthead techniques of a unique font/logo at the very top
of the page. I will also use a coverline that contrasts the masthead visually next to
the subject of the photo that makes up the cover. The cover photo will be taken in a
studio, like ¾ of the magazine covers I analysed here. The subject will look straight
down the lens of the camera.

11. Bibliography

12. Bibliography
1. Dwayne Johnson: Man of the Century. Available:
https://www.muscleandfitness.com. Last accessed 21st Nov 2018.
2. The Radical Confidence of PATRICK MAHOMES. Available:
http://insider.espn.com/insider/espn-the-magazine/. Last accessed 20th
Nov 2018.
3. Grant Wahl. (2002). The Chosen One. Available: https://www.si.com. Last
accessed 21st Nov 2018.
4. Franklyn Calle. (2018). No Long Talk. Available:
https://www.slamonline.com. Last accessed 21st Nov 2018.