Contents page analysis

1. Joanna Cornwall-Jones

2. • NME relies on a very structured and
rigid contents page. They have 3 main
columns pillars splitting them up
• They have a black and white colour
scheme with bursts of colour coming
from each of their photos. Additionally
each of these photos have a pull quotes
underneath them and a page number
on one of the bottom corners. These
pull quotes are either in a curly font
(red circle) or are in capitals and are in a
more squared font (blue circle). But
underneath all of these they all have a
caption that is in the same font.
• There is no editorial team information,
but there is a subscription which stands
out as it is filled in a different colour to
the rest of the magazine. Neither is
there photo credits or DPS or front
cover links. This is therefore a very
minimalist magazine
• The magazine also relies on a devoted
audience as they use monosyllabic
words to describe the recurring features
of their magazine, implying that people
know what they’re buying so NME
doesn’t have to go into details on it

3. •KERRANG! Magazine has opted for a very different approach
to NME, where instead of splitting it into 3 columns, this
magazine’s layout is split into two rows. The top consists fully
of a band photo, and the bottom the actual contents of the
magazine.
•The top photo’s mise-en-scene is important as you can fully
see that it is a band performing on stag, there is a drum kit and
another guitarist, and a green light that juxtaposes with the
foreground singer’s orange hair. It is very eye catching and
stands out to the reader. For this photo there is a title and page
number in a white banner so that the reader know where to
look for the accompanying piece to the photo
•In the less important spaces in this photo KERRANG places
screenshots of pages in the magazine along with a title and a
page number. This creates a glimpse into what’s to come if you
read through the whole magazine, therefore also enticing the
reader.
•There is also the issue number and cover date underneath the
masthead of CONTENTS, which fits with the house style of
yellow and black.
•The bottom half of this page has a white background, and the
layout is split into five columns. Unlike NME this contents
page has an editors note and portrait photograph. Next to this
is the vertical writing giving the front cover and contents page
photography credit.
•There are eight editorial pillars, each with the same fonts for
the small writing and the numbers in red instead of black.
•KERRANG has also included a subscription box, with mini
versions of previous magazines and a cut out of a band that’s
on the cover of this issue.
•Finally they include a poster special which has a splash of
green underneath it to highlight the white writing.

4. •Much similar to NME, Rolling Stone has a much
simpler layout. They’re house style is white and red,
with a cream box on the top. This box is out of character
for the famous red and white rolling stone, but it marks
the pages on which Steve Jobs is the topic, and so is
therefore prominent and the issue is a special on Steve
Jobs. This box also has a slight shadow around it so that
it stands out against the white background.
•There is four other editorial pillars, all in a sleek red
font. They are also all in capital letters, and split up from
each other.
•In terms of text on every pillar the “By” is consistently
in italics.
•The photos are sectioned to the left side of the page
whilst the text is on the right, and the photos, although
not as bright as KERRANG , do provide some colour to
the very minimalistic page. The top two shots are close
up eye level shots, whilst the middle photo is a medium
shot. Each has a caption of the photo on the top of the
photo in alternating right and left sides.
•There is also photography credits and caption for the
cover photo on the contents page.
•All the writing and photos are actually in a smaller
rectangle to the size of the page, leaving white space
around the sides of the magazine. This is so on the
bottom the page number , Rolling Stone logo, website
and date can fit at the bottom of the page.