The magazine represents social groups as follows: Gender - Males are depicted as sex objects while females are modestly dressed. 3 female to 2 male models. Age - All models are 16-24 to target that demographic. Class - Models depict middle-class lifestyle through fashion and appearance. Ethnicity - All models are white as the area is not diverse and target audience is envisioned as mainly white.

1. How does your media product
represent particular social groups?

2. Gender Representation
The front page and double page
spread of my magazine features the
same male character, the guitarist
from the featured band, RHCP. On
both pages, the male character is
mostly shown bare-chested
Although my article is interesting and
informative, the photographs used
treat the musician as a sex object. It
is intended to appeal to a mainly
hetero-sexual female audience
This is a reversal the stereotypical
photos used of female musicians in
music magazines aimed at a male
audience such as NME.

3. Gender Representation
The contents page features 3
female characters and a male
character. The females are fully
clothed, unlike the male.
Overall, the photographic
gender representation in my
magazine is 3 female:2 male.
The articles listed on the
contents page are designed to
appeal mainly to females.
There is an article on fashion,
the lead article uses the double
meaning of the word “Hot” to
imply sexy guy and another
article refers to “muscly music
men hitting the gym”, again
sexualising the male musicians.

4. Age Representation
All of the characters I have used in my magazine are in my target age range
of 16 – 24 years. They are all stereotypically attractive young people. The
girls are wearing the latest high street fashions. They have flawless skin and
perfect make up. The lads have up to the minute hair styles.
This matches the expectations of my reader profile, who likes to look good
and cares about fashion.
However, I would not rule out using older characters, such as Noel
Gallagher, as long as they are cool and fit the Alternative/Indie/Rock genre
that my audience identifies with.

5. Class Representation
It’s hard to tell class from photos of young people but looking at
the quality clothes, stylish make up, and fashionable hair styles,
it would seem that my magazine characters come from middle
class homes with money to spare.
My magazine was aimed at middle class young people who have
a higher standard of education and are more likely to be well off.
They will either be working full-time or be students with part-time
jobs. Their parents are more likely to have well-paid office jobs. I
think that the characters in my magazine fit in with this image.

6. Ethnic Representation
The ethnic breakdown of the characters featured in my magazine is 100%
white.
This was not a design or research-based decision. It is just because I did not
know anyone of other ethnic backgrounds who was prepared to be a model. I
live in York which is not a very multi-cultural city.
However, I visualise my target audience as mainly middle class which means
that they are more likely to be white.
For some reason, ethnic minorities are also under-represented in Rock and
Indie music. Most UK Indie bands are white, (Kasabian is an exception) so my
target audience will expect to see mostly white bands featured in AIrwaves.

7. Why my audience would use my magazine?
Information This suggests a representation
• seeking advice on practical matters or
of my audience as group who
opinion and decision choices
• satisfying curiosity and general interest use my magazine for their own
enjoyment and to keep up to date
Personal Identity so that they are able to hold
• identifying with valued other (in the media)
informed conversations about
shared cultural interests when
Integration and Social Interaction relaxing with their own circle of
• finding a basis for conversation and social friends.
interaction
Entertainment
• relaxing
• getting intrinsic cultural or aesthetic
enjoyment