2. Masthead: The Masthead is
the title for the magazine,
conventionally this is the
most eye-catching
convention on the front
cover so that consumers
recognize the magazine -
somewhat seen as a
trademark as it is the most
distinctive feature on the
magazine.
Main Feature Headline &
Image: The Headline is the
main statement on the
magazine front cover, which is
usually formatted in the
largest and boldest font,
describing the main story. In
this case, the main feature
image is of Miley Cyrus and the
main feature headline exclaims
“MILEY CYRUS” in large capital
letters.
Sub Headline: It is evident that
Billboard has used a sub
headline since a smaller,
secondary headline is present
elaborating on the main
headline above it. In this case
the sub headline is a rhetorical
question as it questions “The
Queen Of Tween Grows Up.
But Will Her Fans Follow?”
Cover Lines: The cover lines
summarizes the most
enticing features and
articles, which are inside the
magazine.
3. Language
The front cover of this magazine displays Miley Cyrus, an American actress and recording artist looking
directly at the camera, to engage the pop sensation with the audience and therefore creating direct
address. Needless to say, this magazine front cover holds conventional features of a magazine cover
including a consistent font and colour theme (yellow and white), generating a house style. As well as this,
the magazine front cover also obtains a masthead, main feature headline and image; cover lines (smaller
features), sub headline and a barcode. Visibly, the main image of Cyrus takes up the majority of the space
on the front cover, leaving very little space for the purple background. The headline simply exclaims “Miley
Cyrus” in a bold and simple font. The Billboard Masthead is easily distinguishable on account of the font,
but also because of the four letters that are filled in colour within the word “Billboard”. However, the
masthead has been layered underneath the subject, making Miley Cyrus the most visible subject on the
front cover of this magazine. As a result of this, Cyrus is identified as a very important figure as she is seen
by all and therefore acquires great command as she is in front of everything else on the magazine cover,
including the magazines masthead. For that reason, the fill for the letters “b” and “o” cannot be identified,
however the letter “a” has been filled with the colour blue, while the letter “d” has been filled with the
colour green. Moreover, this magazine cover also obtains four small cover lines, which focus entirely on
today’s music scene and not just Cyrus herself e.g. “Labels Race To Find The Next Bieber” and “What’s
Really Behind The DOJ’s iTunes Inquiry”. iTunes is clearly related to modern music as it was introduced by
Apple since the vast majority of music fans buy music digitally rather than physically anymore.
4. Institution
Billboard is an American music magazine, which is published by Prometheus Global Media,
an American entertainment publishing company, based in New York City. Billboard is one of
Prometheus Global Media’s many assets and is music’s most powerful brand. Billboard’s
additional assets include: The Billboard Music Awards, Billboard Latin Music Awards and
Billboard conferences. However, the company also acquires ownership in the Entertainment
(The Hollywood Reporter, Back Stage, Film Expro Group) and the Advertising & Marketing
world (Adweek and the The CLIO Awards). William H. Donaldson and James Hennegen
discovered Billboard in Cincinnati on November 1, 1894. Initially, Billboard was named
‘Billboard Advertising’ as it was a trade paper. After a few years of discovery, ‘Billboard
Advertising’ carried news of live entertainment. Billboard Advertising’s first music relation
was the Billboard sheet music best sellers charts & top songs in vaudeville theatres published
in 1913. Billboard Publications transformed into a major trade magazine, obtaining The
Hollywood Reporter, Kirkus Reviews, Adweek and Mediaweek. It was attained by Dutch
publisher VNU, which was later renamed the Nielsen Company in 1993, but later sold in 2009
along with the other Nielsen Business Media properties to the new company e5 Global
Media, which was renamed Prometheus Global Media in 2010.
5. Ideology
It is clear that Miley Cyrus is the main story for this Billboard magazine and is therefore an extremely
important figure in the music industry. This magazine front cover fits with the typical conventions of a
front cover as it obtains a masthead, main feature: headline, image, left third, bar code, date and issue
number. This magazine articulates the values that fans should grow up alongside their favourite artists.
Underneath the headline, Billboard uses a rhetorical question as they enquire “The Queen Of Tween
Grows Up. But Will Her Fans Follow?” Billboard uses this persuasive technique, as it is a question that
cannot be answered, however it gives emphasis on Billboard’s ideas and ideals that fans should follow in
the footsteps of their idols, in this case Queen Tween sensation Miley Cyrus. On that account, Billboard
influences the kind of response that they would like to receive from their audience. As a result of this
technique, the audiences’ interest is drawn in because they feel inclined to agree with Billboard’s indirect
perspective of what is known as ideal. As quoted from the Billboard website themselves,
‘’http://www.billboard.com/footer/biz”, I was made aware that “The Billboard brand is built on its
exclusive charts and unrivalled reporting on the latest news, issues and trends across all genres of music”.
This statement is clearly demonstrated as a result of their main story since Miley Cyrus is an exceptionally
well-known artist. For that reason, it is apparent that Billboard magazine is established and does not
display any unconventional components in the way that Q magazine would. Q magazine identifies new
stars and what’s coming next, whereas Billboard predominantly showcases significant and known artists
at this current time, as they do not disregard social norms. In this case, Billboard feature Miley Cyrus,
because of her known success and therefore aim to retain Cyrus’ popularity within the music industry,
since Cyrus’ fans are growing up alongside her anyhow.
6. Audience
Taking into account the front cover, I have come to the conclusion that the target audience
for this magazine is young teens to young adults (16-28). This is because Billboard magazine
focuses mainly on the music of today (latest updates). When researching Billboard front
covers, I noticed that every single artist modeling for Billboard’s front covers consisted of
well known artists, such as Rihanna, Drake, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Justin Bieber,
Eminem, Adele and many more established artists of today’s generation. In addition to this,
Billboard.com states “As Billboard's consumer-faced online home, Billboard.com features
an extensive array of searchable, playable charts, breaking music news, artist interviews
and exclusives, news, video and more. Launched in 1995 as Billboard Online, Billboard.com
now attracts well over ten million unique visitors each month in more than 100 countries
and has become the de facto digital destination for popular music”. This clearly conveys my
reasoning for Billboard’s target audience since the younger generation preferably listen and
download charts online. Ten million unique visitors a month in more than 100 countries
suggests that Billboard online is a great hit for their target audience as it is convenient and is
much quicker when discovering breaking music news. Furthermore, the use of fun and
vibrant colours within the Billboard masthead also indicates that this magazine is targeted
at young teens and adults since these colours symbolize joy and energy that all young people
acquire and can therefore relate to.
7. Representation
The Main Image demonstrates Miley Cyrus
holding an “M’ sign to suggest that she is a
powerful figure in the music industry and
consequently wants to be known by all. Cyrus’
facial expression also indicates how important
her status is within the music industry as her
disapproving glare suggests that she believes
she can be much more successful than other
artists in her industry, Cyrus is therefore
indicating that she is here to stay. To convey
this even further, Cyrus is also dressed from
head to toe in a black leather jumpsuit, which
concludes her dominance and her high power
of authority.
8. Sub Headline: It is apparent
that Rolling Stone has used a
sub headline since a smaller,
secondary headline is present
elaborating on the main
headline above it. In this case
the sub headline expresses
“CRAZY IN LOVE”, while the
main headline states
“Rihanna”.
Masthead: The Masthead is
the title for the magazine,
conventionally this is the
most eye-catching
convention on the front
cover so that consumers
recognize the magazine -
somewhat seen as a
trademark as it is the most
distinctive feature on the
magazine.
Main Feature Headline &
Image: The Headline is the
main statement on the
magazine front cover, which is
usually formatted in the
largest and boldest font,
describing the main story. In
this case, the main feature
image is of Rihanna and the
main feature headline exclaims
“RIHANNA” in large capital
letters.
Cover Lines: The cover lines
summarizes the most
enticing features and
articles, which are inside the
magazine.
Box-out: A coloured box
behind some text, usually
used to make the text stand
out (black background and
white font).
9. Language
This magazine cover clearly consists of a young female looking directly at the camera. At the age of 25,
Rihanna is a Barbadian recording artist, actress and fashion designer, signifying Rolling Stone’s use of a very
well known artist on their front cover. As we can see, Rolling Stone have used conventional features for their
front cover, including a masthead, main feature headline and image, sub headline, cover lines (smaller
features) and a barcode. Noticeably, the Masthead has been layered underneath the subject, making Rihanna
the most visible subject on the front cover of this magazine. As a result of this, Rihanna is identified as a very
important figure as she is seen by all and therefore acquires great command as she is in front of everything
else on the magazine cover, including the magazines masthead. It is evident that the Masthead for any
magazine is what creates the brand name, making it much easier for the audience to recognise. On that
account, Rolling Stone have indicated that they care more about Rihanna taking over their magazine cover,
then their audience acknowledging their masthead (brand name). Consequently, the audience of Rolling Stone
recognise that Rihanna is a significant artist in the music industry and should therefore acquire appreciation,
conveying her dominance and power to all. On top of that, the Rolling Stone masthead is remarkably distinct
as it traits a curled lettering of “Rolling Stone” filled in red with a black outline. Additionally, the font for
“Rolling Stone” is Royal Acidbath, designed by Sharkshock. Equally, the main headline clearly exclaims
“Rihanna”, which makes us aware that Rolling Stone do not need an enticing headline to draw in the reader’s
attention since Rihanna’s name says it all. Once again, this convention demonstrates the power Rihanna has
in her industry, as well as the impact that she has on the world. Furthermore, a sub headline is used
underneath the main headline to expand on the main headline. The sub headline clearly states “CRAZY IN
LOVE”, which is globally recognized as Beyonce’s greatest hit and ‘The Best Pop Song Of The Century’. On that
account, Rolling Stone are reinforcing the idea that Rihanna and Beyonce are competing in exactly the same
industry, yet it is Rihanna that they have chosen to feature on the magazine cover.
10. Institution
Rolling Stone is an American magazine, which is published every two weeks, focusing
on popular culture and politics. Jann Simon Wenner, who is still the magazine’s chief
editor, founded Rolling Stone in San Francisco, California in 1967 alongside music critic,
Ralph J. Gleason. Wenner Media, LLC is a company, which is based in New York City,
publishes not only Rolling Stone but also Us Weekly and Men’s Journal magazines. In
total, the company’s three brands draw in a monthly audience of 58.1 million, together
with 41.9 million readers per month in print, 9.8 million monthly individual visitors to
its websites (UsMagazine.com, RollingStone.com and MensJournal.com), and 5.9
million mobile monthly individual visitors and 5.3 million followers through social
media outlets. In the 1990s, the magazine altered its strategy to attract younger
readers interested in youth oriented television shows, film actors and popular music. In
the last few years, Rolling Stone has re-established it’s customary mix of elements,
including extensive political stories. Moreover, Rolling Stone has broadened content to
incorporate reporting of financial and banking matters.
11. Ideology
It is evident that Rolling Stone is a political and music bi-weekly magazine and therefore reveals supreme
values. When conducting my research on Rolling Stone magazines, I clearly identified that Rolling Stone
preferably and predominantly uses pop stars and singers as the models on their front covers. This
accordingly conveys the society that we live in, in view of the fact that the general public are more
interested in the lives of those who acquire fame and money, rather then politicians who influence public
policy and decision-making in accordance to our benefit. Since the magazine focuses on politics and music,
Rolling Stone retains a controversial target audience on account of the fact that the majority of music fans
are more than likely going to be young and are therefore much more courageous and energetic than those
who do not experience music in the way that the youth do (festivals, gigs, live concerts etc). However,
politics usually concerns adults considerably more, giving Rolling Stone a mature feel to the magazine. The
majority of articles in this issue, in particular, Rolling Stone are concerning music, including Rihanna, Billy
Joel, Jim James and MGMT. In particular, concern music including Rihanna, Billy Joel, Jim James and MGMT.
MGMT is an American rock band founded by Benjamin Goldwasser and Andre VanWyngarden, while Jim
James is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the rock band My Morning Jacket. Along
with the numerous music features, Rolling Stone also broadcasts details on political and social issues.
Rolling Stone’s first political coverage began in the 1970’s with its journalist Hunter S. Thompson. Along the
right third, we identify a black box reading “THE NRA VS. AMERICA – THE POWERS BEHIND THE
MERCHANTS OF DEATH”. This cover line is written in white to ensure that the writing stands out and is
therefore informative. Rolling Stone is not the most mainstream magazine, since it goes against the norms
of any other music magazine – Rolling Stone combines two separate genres, creating a hybrid.
12. Audience
Rolling Stone have said that their target audience is the “middle of the road rock fans of all ages”.
This suggests that they want their target audience to have great music knowledge, especially in
rock music; which is what the magazine mostly focuses on. When conducting my research, some of
Rolling Stone’s previous advertisements were for drinks such as Pepsi. This therefore indicates to me
personally, that their target audience likes to relax, as well as luxuriate in music knowledge.
Although the magazine was first created in 1967, the audience is allowed to interact with the
magazine like they never have been in the past. Social networking sites such as Twitter, MySpace
and Facebook have allowed Rolling Stone’s costumers to interact with not only the magazine, but
with other music fans. On these websites they are able to express their views on different songs,
musicians, as well as on movie reviews, television shows and lots more. Rolling Stone keeps up to
date with pages on MySpace, Twitter and Facebook; all important to attract young music fans
worldwide. These let the magazine and the audience interact like never before. Rolling Stone costs
£4.50; which is reasonable considering its monthly status. 58% of Rolling Stone’s readership
consists of males, and 42% of their readerships are female. 32.2 is the median age of Rolling
Stone’s readership, and 30% of the overall readers are aged 18-24. Circulation of the magazine is
1,453,158 (paid and verified). 94.5% of the entire readership is through subscriptions- which would
indicate that their readership is mostly people who have been reading the magazine for a long
time, and who also are very interested in music.
13. Representation
Rihanna is not covered in jewellery or expensive
clothing and is instead dressed in what is seen as a
loose white top, conveying her original normality as
an Island girl from Barbados. Rihanna’s hair is
clearly overlapping the left side of her face, which
may suggest that her fame and fortune has resulted
in her no longer being able to live a normal life as
she is known by all. Her neutral make up also
indicates that her beauty is completely natural,
along with her talent. It is therefore evident that
young girls of today will look up to her as their role
model as she obtains beauty, talent, fame and
fortune. Rolling Stone is therefore trying to make
their magazine as influential as possible by featuring
a woman like Rihanna as their main feature. In
many ways, Rolling Stone could be trying to set a
new trend as she was just an ordinary girl who
found success through her natural gift. Rihanna’s
fame and fortune has clearly been harnessed by the
media and so young girls feel compelled to buy the
magazine with the dream of one day amounting to
the same success that Rihanna has. On top of that,
Rihanna’s striking pose suggests that she has for
more to offer in the music industry and as a result is
here to stay.
14. Masthead: The Masthead is
the title for the magazine,
conventionally this is the most
eye-catching convention on
the front cover so that
consumers recognize the
magazine - somewhat seen as
a trademark as it is the most
distinctive feature on the
magazine.
Main Feature Headline &
Image: The Headline is the
main statement on the
magazine front cover, which is
usually formatted in the
largest and boldest font,
describing the main story. In
this case, the main feature
image is of Adele and the main
feature headline exclaims
“ADELE” in large capital
letters. Sub Headline: It is evident that Q has used a sub headline since
a smaller, secondary headline is present elaborating on the
main headline above it. In this case the sub headline states
“BLOWS US AWAY”. On that account, the sub headline is a run
on line from the main headline as it states “ADELE…BLOWS US
AWAY”.
Exclusive: Although this is not
a story, Q does make their
audience aware that this Q
edition is the 300th issue and
so it is a very special magazine
for Q fans.
Strapline/Quote: The strapline
is a headline appearing over
main headline. In this case, the
strapline is a quote from Adele
as she expresses “IF YOU’VE
GOT IT, FLAUNT IT…”.
Cover Lines: The cover lines (located on
the left third) summarizes the most
enticing features and articles, which
are inside the magazine.
15. Language
Q magazine has used typical conventions of a magazine front cover, including a clear masthead, left third,
main feature headline and image, exclusive, strapline/quote, cover lines (smaller features) and a barcode. As
well as this, Q has retained a consistent font and colour scheme (red, white and black), which as a result
generates a house style. While Adele’s vivid red locks flow with the predominantly red colour scheme, Adele’s
neutral make up gives off the impression that she has much to flaunt about. Not only has Q used a headline
and a sub headline to entice readers, but Q has also incorporated a strapline/quote from Adele herself: “If
You’ve Got It Flaunt It” above the main headline. That being the case, readers feel inclined to buy the
magazine since Adele has given a special interview and as implied from the quote, special advice to look just
as good as her. Like Rolling Stone, Q has simply expressed “ADELE” as the headline for this magazine as she is
a universal successfully known artist and therefore, her name in itself grabs the readers attention. The main
image has a clear link to the main headline and sub headline - within the sub headline, we are made aware
that “ADELE” (Main Headline) has metaphorically “BLOWN US AWAY”, proclaiming her talent. Adele’s talent is
conveyed even further on account of the main image since the close up shot depicts Adele’s hair, literally
being blown away, indicating that the image has a clear relation to the content of the story and as a result
develops an authentic and trustworthy article for the readers. While analyzing this magazine front cover, it
has become apparent that Q magazine likes each convention to correspond well with one another. As
conveyed above, the main headline and sub headline correspond with the image of Adele. Furthermore, the
exclusive also proclaims “The 300th Issue”, which makes readers aware that Q magazine is an extremely
successful magazine as it has just published it’s 300th issue. For that reason, consumers feel influenced to buy
the magazine as it is obviously a great success to have reached 300 issues.
16. Institution
Q music magazine is an extremely popular music magazine, which is published monthly in
the United Kingdom. Q was founded by Mark Ellen and David Hepworth, who were both
appalled by the music press of the time as they felt they were ignoring a generation of older
music buyers who were buying CDs – then still a new technology. Q was first published by
the EMAP media group in October 1986, setting itself apart from much of the other music
press with monthly productions and higher standard of photography and printing. Initially, it
was to be called CUE (as in the sense of cueing a record, ready to play), but the name was
changed so that it wouldn’t be mistaken for a snooker magazine. As cited in Q’s 200th
edition, it was believed that a single-letter title would be much more noteworthy on
newsstands since the letter Q would be much easier to distinguish. In January 2008 EMAP
sold its consumer magazine titles, including Q, to the Bauer Media Group. The Content
within Q magazine consists of an extensive review section, featuring new releases (music),
reissues (music), music compilations, film and live concert reviews, as well as radio and
television reviews. Much of the magazine is devoted to interviews with popular musical
artists, which is clearly exhibited in this edition in particular since the front cover displays a
quote from Adele herself.
17. Ideology
In order for Q magazine to reach out to it’s target audience, the price set has to be realistic for their
consumers. On that account, it is evident that Q magazine is portrayed as an up market magazine due to
the £3.99 cost to purchase it. Realistically, this is an extremely expensive cost for a magazine and will
therefore only appeal to a specific audience. Over and above that, Q magazine displays an exceptionally
famous artist on the front cover of the magazine, which again suggests that Q wants to be identified as
the top music magazine. The artists mentioned in the features are also very famous, which signifies how
popular the magazine is. Artists, like Adele and U2, only want to be promoted by magazines that they
know will be noticed by their fans and target audience. For that reason, it is apparent that Q magazine is
a conventional magazine that meets the needs of both it’s customers and musical artists. Moreover, the
magazine is also represented as a very professional magazine since the conventional layout includes a
house style, left third, main feature headline and image, which as a result portrays the magazine as
simple but effective at the same time. Without exception, Q magazine always uses thick glossy paper
when printing the magazines, which again conveys the magazine as professional and consistent in
retaining a high quality feel. Consequently, the magazine is considered trust worthy due to the artists that
Q magazine displays. Artists like Adele have amounted from very little to remarkable success and so it is
obvious that she would like her story to be told truthfully and in fact. It is therefore acknowledged that
Adele has faith in Q magazine, which permits readers to trust the magazine also. Q magazine is therefore
prominent enough for famous artists such as Adele to tell them personal information.
18. Audience
When conducting my research I discovered that “Q is the legendary monthly magazine which
celebrates everything that’s great in rock and roll. Since its launch in 1986 it has a painstakingly built
an international reputation for quality amongst fans, stars and the music industry. With world-beating
exclusives, definitive album reviews, outstanding production values and an inimitable sense of humour,
Q shapes music in the UK and beyond. Q has featured the world’s biggest artists – from U2 to Adele,
Oasis to Rihanna, Radiohead to Lady Gaga and more – on its landmark covers. Every month the
magazine creates new stars and identifies what’s coming next. With Q’s online presence, a new
interactive iPad edition, social media, Q Radio, live events and of course the world famous annual Q
Awards – the most exclusive event in the music calendar – the message is everywhere. Music sounds
better with Q” (quoted from the official BAUER MEDIA GROUP). On top of that, I was also made aware
that “Q’s audience is younger and more affluent than any other music monthly. 97% of readers rate Q
as a quality magazine. In research it outperforms competitors on measures such as best interviews,
writing and awards winning photography”. On that account, I believe the target audience for Q
magazine has changed immensely from what the original founders of Q had in mind for the magazine
(generation of older music buyers). I believe Q is growing alongside each upcoming generation and
trends to ensure it is meeting the main music target audience (features world’s biggest artists and new
stars).
19. Representation
The main image of Adele conveys her
dominance in the music industry as her hair
is seen to be blowing away, suggesting that
she is taking the world by storm and is
therefore constantly in the lime light. This
therefore links to the main story,
developing an authentic and trustworthy
article. Within the headline and sub
headline, we are made aware that
“ADELE…BLOWS US AWAY”, expressing her
power. Accordingly, the image has a clear
relation to the content of the story. As well
as this, the lighting used exhibits Adele’s
face as extremely pale so that her blue eyes
become more distinct around her dark eye
make up. On that account, Q has
accurately portrayed Adele as a striking
woman who has an extraordinary future
ahead of her. Furthermore, the light on
Adele’s face also conveys Adele’s bright
future.
20. Cover Lines: The cover
lines summarizes the
most enticing features
and articles, which are
inside the magazine.
Language: Needless to say, this
magazine’s contents page holds
conventional features of a contents
page including a consistent colour
scheme, generating a house style.
This contents page clearly publicizes a
consistent house style, through the
use of the colours blue, black and
white, which are also present in the
“Billboard” masthead (logo). On that
account, Billboard retains a
continuous house style to ensure that
the magazine flows thoroughly and
therefore effectively. As well as this,
the contents page also obtains a
masthead, main feature headline and
image; cover lines (smaller features),
which are accompanied by a variety
of images depicting the smaller
features. On that account, this
contents page is simple and effective
since it is not overcrowded with
information. Instead, the contents
page informs readers about the most
important features that the magazine
has to offer.
House Style: Billboard
magazine uses a House
Style of colours Blue,
Black and White.
Magazines create a
house style because
they do not want to
confuse their readers
by changing the colour
scheme of their
magazines every week.
Layout: The content is
displayed in a list in the
centre of the page
(gives of the
impression of a large
amount of content) –
meet every customers
needs).
Sub-headings: Separates different parts of
the magazine with subheadings e.g.
“MUSIC” or “ONLINE” or “EVENTS”.
21. Institution
As explained previously, Billboard is an American music magazine, which is published by
Prometheus Global Media, an American entertainment publishing company, based in New
York City. Billboard is one of Prometheus Global Media’s many assets and is music’s most
powerful brand. Billboard’s additional assets include: The Billboard Music Awards, Billboard
Latin Music Awards and Billboard conferences. However, the company also acquires
ownership in the Entertainment (The Hollywood Reporter, Back Stage, Film Expro Group) and
the Advertising & Marketing world (Adweek and the The CLIO Awards). William H.
Donaldson and James Hennegen discovered Billboard in Cincinnati on November 1, 1894.
Initially, Billboard was named ‘Billboard Advertising’ as it was a trade paper. After a few
years of discovery, ‘Billboard Advertising’ carried news of live entertainment. Billboard
Advertising’s first music relation was the Billboard sheet music best sellers charts & top
songs in vaudeville theatres published in 1913. Billboard Publications transformed into a
major trade magazine, obtaining The Hollywood Reporter, Kirkus Reviews, Adweek and
Mediaweek. It was attained by Dutch publisher VNU, which was later renamed the Nielsen
Company in 1993, but later sold in 2009 along with the other Nielsen Business Media
properties to the new company e5 Global Media, which was renamed Prometheus Global
Media in 2010.
22. Ideology
As a contents page, I do not feel this expresses or communicates any values due to the fact
that I do not know the story that corresponds with the focus image. In my opinion, the cover
of the magazine is the most expressive in terms of values as the cover is the primary feature
that encourages someone to buy the magazine. As for the magazine itself, Billboard sets
trends due to the fact that its one of the leading music magazines in the world and so it is
obvious that Billboard has great influence among other music magazines in terms of content
– Billboard.com now attracts well over ten million unique visitors each month in more than
100 countries and has become the de faxto digital destination for popular music. Although
the main model on the contents page is unknown, it is mainstream in the respect that it is
one of the world’s leading magazines even though music may not appeal to everyone. On
the other hand, Billboard’s content is completely conventional since the content of the
magazine appeals to the young in comparison to the older generation. Having said that, the
price of the magazine is £5.50, which is considered extremely expensive and will therefore
not appeal to those of a lower class. This therefore restricts Billboard from being the most
conventional magazine since the cost limits people from buying the magazine.
23. Audience
Taking into account the contents page, I have come to the conclusion that the target
audience for this magazine is young teens to young adults (16-28). This is because Billboard
magazine focuses mainly on the music of today (latest updates). When researching Billboard
contents pages, I noticed that each featured image consists of either a young female or male
– never an older female of male. In addition to this, Billboard.com states “As Billboard's
consumer-faced online home, Billboard.com features an extensive array of searchable,
playable charts, breaking music news, artist interviews and exclusives, news, video and
more. Launched in 1995 as Billboard Online, Billboard.com now attracts well over ten
million unique visitors each month in more than 100 countries and has become the de facto
digital destination for popular music”. This clearly conveys my reasoning for Billboard’s
target audience since the younger generation preferably listen and download charts online.
Ten million unique visitors a month in more than 100 countries suggests that Billboard online
is a great hit for their target audience as it is convenient and is much quicker when
discovering breaking music news. Furthermore, the use of fun and vibrant colours (blue,
black and green) within the contents page also indicates that this magazine is targeted at
young teens and adults since these colours symbolize joy and energy that all young people
acquire and can therefore relate to.
24. Representation When conducting my research, I recognised that the majority of music
magazines tried to deposit a lot of information and images on this one
page. It is evident that the contents page has to be eye-catching and
therefore distinctive since it is the first page that viewers see when
they open the magazine. However, Billboard has shown that they
prefer the much simpler approach when designing their contents page
as the background is white and has therefore been taken in a studio. As
a result of this, the simple background causes more attention to the
main image. The main model is smiling enormously, suggesting that
she is a very happy person who abolishes any worries. Her flowing,
bouncy hair gives of the impression that she is free and full of life due
to her youth and enthusiasm. Moreover, her casual kneeled down
posture represents her as a relaxed and humble person. On that
account, the simple and neatly laid out contents page portrays
Billboard as an easygoing magazine; Billboard’s only interest is
meeting the needs of it’s consumers. Furthermore, there are no props
used in the main image and this causes more of the audiences focus to
go to the model. For that reason, this contents page is quite simple in
the respect that it does not need to be jam packed with loads of
images for it to be enticing for viewers. Billboard has shown that its
main aim is to meet the needs of its customers as the magazine has
provided it’s customers with a top hits chart for their customers benefit
only. Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that Billboard finds
satisfaction out of their magazine through their customer’s enjoyment
and demands for the magazine.
25. Drop-Cap: The beginning of
the article is made obvious to
readers due to the drop-cap,
which shows the reader when
to start reading.
Main Feature
Headline & Image:
The Headline is the
main statement on
the magazine front
cover, which is
usually formatted
in the largest and
boldest font,
describing the main
story. In this case,
the main feature
image is of Florence
Welch (known as
Florence and the
Machine) and the
main feature
headline exclaims
“USA got the love”
in large capital
letters.
By-line: The name of the
journalists who wrote the
article to anchor the image.
Gutter: The Gutter is the
space between pages in the
centre spread; sometimes
used to describe space
between two columns.
Stand First: Sentence or
paragraph after a
headline and before the
article begins that “sells”
a feature to the reader.
26. Language
This double page spread incorporates the typical codes and conventions used within a double page spread,
including a drop-cap, stand first, main feature image and main feature headline. Usually, the image used in
a double page spread is direct address, which therefore invites the reader to buy the magazine because the
celebrity is looking directly at the audience, consequently motivating viewers to buy the magazine. On that
account, NME has fulfilled the typical convention used within a double page spread in the image alone,
since Florence Welch is looking directly at the camera, creating direct address to the viewers of the
magazine. In addition to the above convention, NME has also used stand first, which introduces the
celebrity that the article is concerning. In this case, the stand first is referring to Florence Welch as it
expresses “She’s 2009’s biggest success story, with America at her feet. So why is Florence Welch lying on
her floor attacking herself?” The stand first is used because some readers may not recognise who the
celebrity is just from the image, therefore the introduction gives a little insight into who Florence Welch is.
However, the rhetorical question used in Welch’s instance persuades viewers to read on so that they
understand Florence Welch in better detail, since the rhetorical question implies that she has an interesting
story behind her success. The beginning of the article is made obvious to readers due to the drop-cap,
which shows the reader when to start reading, a typical convention used on all double page spreads.
Additionally, this double page spread includes a by-line, which is placed underneath the headline to give
credit to the photographer and writer. The headline that is used in this double page spread clearly states,
“USA got the love”. Despite the fact, that the headlines used for double page spreads are always short and
intriguing, this headline in particular is very effective as it is a pun since Florence and the Machine’s biggest
hit is called “You’ve got the love”. That being the case, the headline for this article has swapped the word
“You’ve” for “USA” since “USA got the love” has a better relation to the story in the article. On top of that,
this pun has been used to almost prove to the reader how famous she has become. Furthermore, it is a lyric
that everyone can relate to, which gives the reader the incentive to read on because it has given the reader
something to familiarise with.
27. Institution
Nme (New Musical Express), created by Theodore Ingham, is a UK weekly pop/rock music
journalism publication, published since 7th March 1952. Although NME started as a music
newspaper, NME gradually moved toward a music magazine format during the 1980s and
90s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles chart,
in 14 November 1952 edition. While, in the 1970s it became the best-selling British music
newspaper. In addition to the above, an online version of NME, NME.com, was launched in
1996. It is now the world’s biggest standalone music site, with over 7 million users per
month. The magazine and website’s headquarters are in Southwark, London, England, UK.
The magazine’s present editor is Mike William’s and NME.com’s present editor is Greg
Cochrane.
28. Ideology
It is evident that NME is quite mainstream in the sense that it’s double page spread holds
conventional features for a music magazine. In particular, the use of drop-cap, stand first
and main feature headline and image suggests that NME wants to make the consumers
reading experience as effortless and straightforward as possible. The use of a drop-cap and
stand first suggests that NME longs for their customers to put their whole trust in them.
NME wish to meet their demands entirely and therefore inform them of the established and
upcoming artists and bands. Evidently, Florence Welch possessed a lot of trust in allowing
NME to base the article on such personal circumstances. Within the stand first, it is made
clear that “She’s 2009’s biggest success story, with America at her feet. So why is Florence
Welch lying on her floor attacking herself?” On that account, it is obvious that NME is a well
established and therefore a trusted magazine since Welch contained great faith in allowing
NME to tell her story. As a result od this, Welch’s faith permits readers to trust the magazine
also because of the personal information that she told them.
29. Audience
It is evident that the majority of NME’s audience is British people since NME is a UK weekly
pop/rock journalism publication. However, I also believe that NME is a music magazine that
targets mainly men between the ages of 17-30. As we already know, NME stands for ‘New
Musical Express’ and has been going for 62 years which means that different varieties of
celebrities have featured on the front cover. As it is called ‘New Musical Express’ it provides
information about new music and bands. Over the 62 years of existence, people such as Elvis
Presley and The Rolling Stones have featured on the front of the magazine. Generally, it is
men on the front cover of the magazine, however, women such as Grace Jones and Madonna
have also featured on the front and more recently people such as Lana del rey and Lily Allen
have made an appearance on the front covers of NME. Moreover, NME has featured many
different bands and people from all over the world, which means it actually targets people
from various countries. It is evident that NME prefer to use bands and artists that are well
known and established because they are the artists that will ensure NME targets many
people as they are celebrities that consumers are interested in. Additionally, NME provides
information about up coming gigs which is beneficial to readers who are interested in them.
On that account, I believe NME targets older teenagers – younger adults since the older
generation are more than likely not going to go to gigs.
30. Representation
The main image of Florence Welch conveys her
dominance in the music industry as she is depicted
sitting upon the American flag. This therefore links
to the main story, developing an authentic and
trustworthy article. Within the stand first, we are
made aware that Welch has “America at her feet”,
expressing her power. Welch’s power is conveyed
even further on account of the main image since
the long shot depicts Welch sitting on an American
flag, indicating that the image has a clear relation
to the content of the story. The image visibly
pictures Welch sitting on top of the American Flag
with her legs raised upwards so that her feet are
also upon the flag. For that reason, Florence
Welch is shown to literally have America at her
feet, indicating to readers that Welch has great
authority within the music industry and as a result
makes readers aware that your missing out if you
haven’t heard of her yet. On top of that, Florence
Welch is dressed in a black leather playsuit, as
well as black leather boots, which concludes her
control and command.
