The Rolling Stone magazine cover from February 2013 demonstrates the transformation of magazine genres over time. While it includes traditional elements like a prominent image and cover stories, the masthead is obscured by the image unlike earlier issues. It also indicates the magazine's web address, reflecting its convergence across formats. By offering additional online content, the magazine incentivizes readers to get the print issue while gaining more for their money. This transformation illustrates genre theory that new genres blend conventions from old genres.

1. In 1990, Tzvetan Todorov said, 'A new genre is
always the transformation of one or several old
genres.‘ This is made evident in the front cover
of the February 2013 edition of The Rolling
Stone magazine. It features some of the
conventions of a magazine cover like the main
image of a very popular musician as well as the
main cover story and cover stories of articles
that feature within the magazine, they use
shock evoking words like “epidemic” which
excites audiences and creates an interest in
the story. It doesn’t however have a clearly
visible masthead as it is covered by the main
image however we are still able to identify the
magazine from it’s iconic font and colour which
has been made recognisable from it’s
establishment over the course of recent years.
We know this as it wasn’t featured on the 1969
edition of the magazine. Though not clearly
visible the magazine now uses convergence in
the form of their web address. This shows
another one of their transformations as they
are offering the consumer something that was
not previously available. The web version of the
magazine offers additional articles and
exclusive information which adds incentive to
get the magazine as they feel like they are
getting more for their money.
Rolling stones cover in January 1969
Feburary 2013 cover
Genre theory