The masthead takes up a fifth of the top left corner and stands out against the page. A flash is used to draw attention to important information. Dizzee Rascal is the bright, exciting main image that targets his fans. The large, bold main cover line and pull quote featuring an interview extract intrigue readers. The footer provides additional music-focused information. The target audience is mainly young, music-obsessed males and the magazine content and promotions are tailored accordingly.

1. Analysis of Front Cover
NME September 2009

2. THE MASTHEAD THE HEADER
FRONT COVER ANALYSIS
The masthead is bold and stands The header at the top of the
out on the page. The masthead is magazine is used to sell the
located in the top left hand corner magazine through the “16 Page
of the page takes up a fifth of the Autumn Tour Special”. The special
page. relates to the content of the
magazine.
USE OF A FLASH
THE SELL/COVER LINES
The use of the flash engages the
target audience to read, as it The cover lines and sell lines match the
contrasts with the rest of the colour scheme of the whole magazine.
magazine. The use of the flash The more important the information
selects important information that then the increase in font size occurs.
the reader of the magazine might The cover/sell lines all relate to the
be attracted to. music genre of the magazine.
BACKGROUND THE MAIN IMAGE
The background of the magazine The main image of Dizzee Rascal is
cover adds life to the image and bright and exciting relating to NME
not just use a white or black magazine. The main image targets the
background. The background fans of Dizzee Rascal.
helps create the specific genre of THE MAIN COVER LINE
the magazine.
The main cover line “Dizzee
Rascal” is big and bold so that the
USE OF A PULL QUOTE audience can see it from a distance
The use of the pull quote attracts when looking at a variety of music
the target audience as it magazines.
introduces that there is going to
THE FOOTER BARCODE-DATE/ISSUE/PRICE
be an interview with Dizzee
Rascal . The use of the pull quote The footer at the bottom of the front cover The barcode is located on the bottom
pulls out a specific quote so that adds more information to what is included in of the front cover so that the date/issue
the target audience feels the magazine. The additional information is and price can be easily located to
intrigued and targeted directly. music based, due to the genre of NME check when the issue was released.

3. HEADER
STARRING
MASTHEAD (SELL
LINE)
ER
SH
FLA
SELL
LINE
MAIN IMAGE
INE
O VER L
MAIN C
MAIN COVER LINE
PULL QUOTE
BARCODE
FOOTER

4. TARGET AUDIENCE OF THIS MAGAZINE
The target audience of the magazine is
66% males and 34% female. The median The “Autumn Tour
age for the core buyer of NME is 23 years Special” connects to
old. The social class of the core buyer is the target audience
upper middle class (A), middle class (B) because in September
and lower middle class (C1). 35% of the most students recieive
readers of this magazine are students. a loan froma university
There is a readership of 239,000 so they will be able to
afford going to different
The target audience of this magazine are tour.
obsessed with music and are strong users
of their mobile phones.
NME readers enjoy watching films both at The use of the “wowee
home and at the cinema. The average zowee” connects to the
reader of NME buys a new DVD every 35% of the target
month, which is higher that the average audience that are
national. students because the
wording is simple
NME readers have a strong relationship
with the magazine NME.
NME targets their audience by The naming of the
understanding that they are keen on their bands and artists
mobile phone so they have now got their throughout the cover of
own App in which they are using which this magazine relate to
gives the target audience the chance to get what the target
involved with magazines by the forums. audience want from
NME. They are all
The products that NME offer include: Music music based because
Apps, Radio Stations, Clothing Shop, that’s what the target
Music Videos, Festival Tickets Sales, Free audience want from
Music Emails, NME Blog, NME Nightclubs, NME magazine.
Fast Music News.

5. http://www.nme.com/magazine
New Musical Express, popularly known
as NME, is a music publication
founded in the United Kingdom in
March 1952 NME first started off as
music newspaper and gradually
moved towards a publishing magazine
in the 1980s. NME was the first British
paper to include the singles chart, in
the 14 November 1952 edition. During
four years in the 1970s (1972 - 1976)
NME was particularly associated with
gonzo journalism, written without
claims of objectivity, however it then
became closely associated with punk
rock. NME is published weekly by IPC
Media.
The online version of NME - NME.com
was then launched in 1996. It is now
the world’s biggest standalone music
site, with over seven million users
each month.
Mike Williams, NME editor since 31st
May 2012 after taking over Krissi
Murison, is helped alongside the
NME.com editor Luke Lewis to create
the magazine and website appropiate
for the target audience.