Analysing Print Media Texts

1. << A1 Media Studies >>
Analysing Print

2. Aims and objectives
In this unit you will –
1) Learn media studies vocabulary used to analyse print media
2) Apply these technical terms in your own analysis
3) Understand how and why they are used in such a way.

3. Print Analysis
What kinds of print media are there?
Print media we might study include:
newspapers,
magazines,
(print) adverts,
brochures,leaflets, flyers,
DVD covers, CD sleeves, video games covers,
film posters
and even potentially websites
Many of the terms and technical vocabulary we use for the
analysis of these are common to all of them, some are specific
to certain individual media (e.g. ‘Masthead’)

4. What is analysis?
To succeed at A level, students need to be able to analyse.
But what does this actually mean?
Analysis: Break an issue down into its component parts, discuss them and show
how they interrelate and what their significance is.
In media textual analysis this means identifying and labeling features of a text
using the correct media specific terminology, then explaining why you think the
text has been constructed in this way and what the impact of that is.
A useful tip is to remember PURPOSE & EFFECT
What is the purpose of this? Why did the producer choose to construct it in this
way? What is their intention?
What is the effect of this? What happens as a result of this? How may an
audience respond to it? How else might it impact upon society as a whole?

5. Print Analysis
When analysing print we need to consider the following areas:
Visual Codes, layout & design Language & Mode of Address
Mise en scene
Camera shots & framing
Costume, make up, props, lighting, casting, setting,
location
Iconography
Use of Colour
Non Verbal Communication (gesture, expression, body
language)
Use of Images/Graphics/Text/Typography (font
style/colour, etc)
The Rule of Thirds
Mode Of Address (how the text is ‘talking’ to its reader): Direct,
indirect, authoritative, informative, personal
Tone: Formal/informal, chatty/professional, length of sentences.
Use of Vocabulary: Specialist language, choice of long or short
words, slang and colloquialisms
Linguistic devices (hyperbole, alliteration, assonance,
superlatives, imperatives, etc)
Quotations – from who? Why?
Persuasive techniques (rhetorical questions, ‘the power of
three’
As well as the general concepts of media studies:
Representation Genre Narrative Audience
Stereotypes –
reinforce/subversion
Construction, selection
Codes & Conventions Structure, characters,
themes, Narrative enigmas
Binary Opposites
Targeting, structure,
positioning, response

6. Print Analysis
Typography refers to the colour, size positioning font and design of any text. The way that text
is constructed can be loaded with connotations.
A key distinction in different types of text is between serif and sans serif.
http://www.dailyinfographic.com/serif-vs-sans-infographic

7. Print Analysis
Typography refers to the colour, size positioning font and design of any text. The way that text
is constructed can be loaded with connotations.
Times New Roman
Trashed
Courier
STENCIL
Script

8. Language
Some of these terms you may already be aware of from GCSE English. You will need to be
able to identify and explain them if they occur in a media text.
Alliteration, Declarative, Pun, Innuendo, Imperative, hyperbole, Synthetic
Personalization, Rhetorical Question, Colloquialism, Assonance, Superlative.
Complete task on sheet to check your understanding.
You also need to be able to discuss the use of vocabulary, mode of address and tone.

9. Elements of Print Texts
Film
poster
DVD Cover Magazine
Cover
Print
Advert
Newspaper
Front Page
Title Name of media product
Masthead Name of media product
appearing in particular
typography at the top
Slogan Memorable phrase promoting
product
Cover lines Short phrases explaining what
stories are inside
Headline Short Sentence in large font
summarising story
Names of
celebrities
Details of who appears in the
media text
Iconography of
genre
Signs of what kind of media text
the audience can expect
Extra-diegetic
Gaze
Image of someone looking
straight at camera
Logo Recognisable visual code
identifying a product or brand
Sell-Lines
Plug/Puff Graphic/text showing what else
is inside the media text

10. Slogan
“You can do anything
with your hair”
Direct MoA, wordplay,
memorable
Logo
Name of brand in
recognisable
typography
Copy
Anchors meaning to image
Nursery Rhyme Style
“Little Red Rideing Hood Neither timid nor shy,
Whilst straightening her locks a wolf she did spy
But far from fainting or running a fever
She started to laugh and pulled out a cleaver”
Extra Diegetic Gaze
(Direct Mode of Address)
Catches attention of reader
Reading line:
top left to bottom right.
Takes us ‘through’ narrative
and ends on slogan/logo.

11. Audience - : prior knowledge of
product and ad campaigns leads TA to
expect twist in tale. Audience
gratification: expect subject to be
independent assertive to win. Audience
gratification: identify with subject, wish
to emulate subject physically and in life.
Colour: indexical of “horror” in fairy tale dark,
sinister colours. Location isolated wood. RRH is
in red but it is not a passive red but a
passionate sensual red. Colour links black hair
to black leather gloves and high heeled black
thigh boots - sexual representation but she is in
control. Black axe head, brown wooden handle
links to wood land and story. Blood on axe tip -
dark humour.
Representation: Strong gender reps - RRH is
not a passive victim - reinforced through
referential codes, written codes, dress codes
colour and iconogrpahy. She is in control of
her life - and her hair. Strong/tough
independent role model presented.
Aspirational (in some respects)
Technical codes: full shot RRH dominates the
frame. Focus is on her. Eye drawn to axe,
which links in to narrative. Dead wolf is
positioned in the background. Direct mode of
address links directly to TA. Lighting on
RRH’s face and copper tip of axe.
Written codes
Use of old fashioned language
familiar to TA. Font typical of fairy
tale/nursery rhyme drawing upon
audience understanding of genre.
Comical narrative twist.
Representation of a modern girl, in
control, audience aspiration
CONSIDER:
written codes
narrative codes
technical codes
representation
Use of colour
intertextuality
Target audience
expectation/gratifications
Media terms/code/
theories
Narrative codes: use of
intertextuality. Draws upon familiar,
fairy tale and connotations. RRH is
no longer the passive victim she is in
charge - fairy tale is re-written with a
new ending.
Little Red Riding Hood Analysis

12. Magazines and Newspapers

13. Magazines and Newspapers
Slogan/tagline
Masthead
Sell Line
Cover Lines
Head Line
Strap Line
Plug/Puff

14. Print Analysis Task
In pairs complete the following table for your DVD cover.
Denotation Connotation
The background image features explosions
In the foreground is a man, larger than any
other character and looking determined.
The Title is written in a stencil font.
This indicates that this is an action movie
This character is probably the
protagonist/hero
This has connotations of the military/army

15. Print Analysis Task
In Groups of 3 you will practice analysing the denotative and
connotative levels of meaning within a film poster using appropriate
media studies terminology.
What is denotation/connotation?
What the thing is (the signifier)/What the thing means (the signified)
Use appropriate textual analysis terms to identify and label the key
signifiers (denotations) within the text.
Then consider the purpose and effect of each to identify their
intended meaning.

16. Print Analysis Task
For your exam you may be required to analyse a print text
For your coursework you are required to research and then produce
your own print media text – a film poster.
Today you will be analysing film posters.
Practice and apply key print analysis vocabulary
Identify genre conventions of film posters

17. Print Analysis Task
In Groups of 3 come up with media studies terms you expect to use in your analysis.
Visual Codes, layout & design Language & Mode of Address
Mise en scene
Camera shots & framing
Costume, make up, props, lighting, casting, setting,
location
Iconography
Use of Colour
Non Verbal Communication (gesture, expression, body
language)
Use of Images/Graphics/Text/Typography (font
style/colour, etc)
The Rule of Thirds
Mode Of Address (how the text is ‘talking’ to its reader): Direct,
indirect, authoritative, informative, personal
Tone: Formal/informal, chatty/professional, length of sentences.
Use of Vocabulary: Specialist language, choice of long or short
words, slang and colloquialisms
Linguistic devices (hyperbole, alliteration, assonance,
superlatives, imperatives, etc)
Quotations – from who? Why?
Persuasive techniques (rhetorical questions, ‘the power of
three’
Representation Genre Narrative Audience
Stereotypes –
reinforce/subversion
Construction, selection
Codes & Conventions Structure, characters,
themes, Narrative enigmas
Binary Opposites
Targeting, structure,
positioning, response

18. Print Analysis Task
NVC:
Characters
smiling,
exaggerated
posture
Title ‘The Sapphires’
– Plural, gemstones.
Font is shiny, curly,
blue. All caps.
Largest writing in
text at the top
4 women
singing into
an old-
fashioned
microphone
It is going to
be a fun
‘feel-good’
film,
welcoming
tone
Sounds like a music
group’s name,
connotations of
gemstones, glamour
and beauty. Probably
the name of the group
of singers pictured
Title of film
Act as
recommendation
Gives indication
of genre
Magazines (Elle,
Heat) have
similar target
audience as film
– adds to appeal
Character’s
costume
dressed in
shiny,
glamorous
costumes,
matches title
typography
Story is about
characters
involved in
showbiz/perfor
mance/singing
– related to
The
Sapphires’
name (title)
Four stars
A recognised
symbol of
quality/recom
mendation
Positive quotes
selected from
magazine film
reviews
Film’s production details in small font at bottom of
poster
Film Poster Genre convention ‘credit block’ AKA ‘Billing Block’ give audience
extra details and producers credits for contribution to film = promtoion fr
companies/appeal for fans
Iconography
of past/old
fashioned
music
technology=
set in the past
Layout:
Man’s head
appears in
top and left
thirds. Title
fills top
horizontal
third
Conforms to ‘Rule of Thirds
– more aesthetically
pleasing
NVC: Man’s
hands
angled
openly to
female
singers as if
presenting
them
Man has some sort
of relationship with
singers and is
proud of the/wants
to display them
NVC: Extra diegetic Gaze – man and
2 women staring at camera/audience
Direct mode of address –
engages viewer’s eye contact

19. Print Analysis Task
In Groups complete the following exercise.
All groups are assigned a film poster and some Post-it Notes.
1)Concentrating on Visual Codes, layout and design, use the notes to identify the key denotations on your
poster. Just denotations. So simply describe exactly what you see, without going into what this may
suggest using appropriate media terms as much as possible. (10 Mins)
2)Rotate your posters around the room so that everyone is looking at a new one. Now, focussing on
Language and mode of address. Add any additional yellow post it notes for denotations the previous group
has missed. (10 Mins)
3)Rotate your posters around the room so that everyone is looking at a new one. Now use pink Post it
Notes to add the connotations for each of the denotations identified. Consider the purpose and effect and
all possible meanings and associations for that denotation. (15 mins)
4)Blue tack your finished poster analyses to the wall. Present your group’s poster analysis to class (20
mins)

20. Use your notes and the handout to conduct an analysis of a
newspaper.
Consider the following:
What genre is this? Tabloid, Broadsheet?
Who do you think is the target audience? Why? How is this paper
made to appeal to them? What technical codes are used and why?
How might different audiences respond differently to the same
paper?
What can you tell about the beliefs and values (ideologies) of the
newspaper company and their readership?
Newspaper Analysis

21. Magazine Topics
There are magazines covering a huge range of topics and the range is
widening all the time.
For instance just twenty years ago there were no lifestyle magazines
specifically directed at men, yet now there are many – Loaded, GQ, FHM,
Zoo.
The magazine market has seen a high degree of audience fragmentation.
The publishing costs are low so very small readerships can be catered for at
a profit. For instance fishing was originally covered by just one general
magazine – now there are a huge variety; including Gamefishing, Trout &
Salmon, Fly Fishing & Fly Tying, Total Carp.
Like other media texts, magazines can be categorised into genres and
subgenres: lifestyle, business, gossip, sport, entertainment hobbies, special
interest, technology, etc

22. The front cover of a magazine is very important – it
establishes its identity and differentiates it from others
on sale.
These two magazines have very different styles of front
cover; one is glamorous and glossy, the other is
practical and factual.

23. Magazine Textual Analysis
You are going to study the front covers of various
magazines and decide how they suit their target audience.
The important things to look at are:
‘Sell-lines’ – captions that summarise
contents & grab attention – consider
vocabulary & syntax
Design / layout of images, colours,
composition, ‘Hard/soft’, textures,
rule of thirds, lighting
Title: size/style/colour/font/connotations
Image/Photo: Model?, age/image, body
language, NVC, framing, ‘gaze’,

25. FRONT COVER ANALYSIS
Answer the following questions
For your magazine cover answer the following:
Title:
Genre:
Describe genre conventions:
•What does the title suggest? (Font/position/size/name?)
•What does the picture suggest?
•What information is given about the magazine’s contents? How is this information given?
•Who do you think is the target audience?
•How does the cover appeal to the target audience?
•Content:
What kinds of issues and themes do you expect to read about inside?
What kind of products are advertised inside?

26. FRONT COVER ANALYSIS
Deconstruct and annotate your cover using Adobe Photoshop
1. Open up a new document in Adobe Photoshop (PS) (File>new…)
2. Give the document a name and set the size to International paper – A3.
3. Use Image>Image Rotation to put the document in landscape.
4. Import your front cover using File>Place
5. Create a duplicate of the layer.
6. Hide the original (locked and uneditable) layer by clicking the eye symbol
next to it in the Layers panel.
7. Use the select tools to cut apart the image and copy each part onto a
new, separate layer. Name each layer as you go to avoid confusion later.
8. Add text labeling each part with the correct terminology and explaining
the purpose/effect

27. What kind of media text is this?
How do you know?
What are the genre conventions?
Write down at least 4 that you can see.
What is its purpose?
How does it do this?
Who is the target audience?
How can you tell?
How does it appeal to them?
What do you know about the
narrative?
Location/characters/events
What are your expectations of the
film?

28. What kind of media text is this?
•Zombie Apocalypse Horror film poster
What are the genre conventions?
Film Poster:
•Title of film most prominent
•Reference to director’s other work
•Scene relating to narrative of film
•Narrative enigmas – to make audience want to
watch film.
•Credit block of producer information at bottom
•Tagline – The Days Are Numbered –memorable
play on words relating to film’s narrative
•Aspect Ratio approx 4:3 (Portrait)
•Layout – Rule of Thirds
Horror:
•Iconography – toxic symbol in centre,
•Isolation – lone figure in London
•Colour – Red (blood/danger) and black
(night/death/gothic)
•Tagline suggests the end is nigh!
Zombie
•Vocabulary: Exposure/Infection/Epidemic
•Toxic Symbol

29. What is its purpose?
•To make people watch the film
How does it do this?
•Gives people information about narrative
•Gives people information about genre
•Narrative enigmas: What has happened to this
person – why is he alone in London? Is he OK? Will
he survive? What has happened to London? What
was the epidemic?
Who is the target audience?
•Fans of zombie/horror films – genre convention
•Fans of Danny Boyle – name at top – big selling
point
•British – recognisable landscape, British Director
What do you know about the narrative?
•A lone figure (male) looks lost in a deserted, evacuated
London, 28 days after a toxic outbreak.
What are your expectations of the film
•He will try to find safety/other people while avoiding
toxic danger himself

30. Horror Poster ANALYSIS
Deconstruct and annotate your poster using Adobe Photoshop
In this lesson you will take apart and annotate the key codes and conventions of a
horror poster in photoshop.
Your AS media exam requires that you are able to analyse print media texts.
Your AS media coursework requires that you are able to research and then produce
your own media product.
By the end of this lesson:
You will be able to
•use Adobe Photoshop to edit and annotate an image
•identify, analyse and explain the purpose and effect of the key codes and
conventions within a horror poster.

31. Horror Poster ANALYSIS
Deconstruct and annotate your poster using Adobe Photoshop
Preparing document
Go to deploy server/A Level Media/Horror Posters and choose one of the
posters. Copy/paste to your own folder in Data drive/Student Work/Your
Name.
1.Right click on copied file and choose ‘Open in Adobe Photoshop’ (PS)
Create a duplicate of the layer. (Layers – right click/duplicate background
layer.
2.Increase document space for room to work: Top Menu/Image/Canvas Size
– Uncheck ‘relative’, Change centimeters to percent and increase width by
400 percent and height by 200%. Background colour white. Click ‘OK’.
3.Hide the original (locked and uneditable) layer by clicking the eye symbol
next to it in the Layers panel.
4.Use the select tools to cut apart the image and copy each part onto a new,
separate layer. Name each layer as you go to avoid confusion later.
5.Add text labeling each part with the correct terminology and explaining the
purpose/effect

32. Horror Poster ANALYSIS
Deconstruct and annotate your poster using Adobe Photoshop
Editing document
1.Identify part of poster you want to annotate.
2.Check that you are on the editable layer.
3.Choose select tool from left hand tool bar and click/drag over selection.
4.Edit/Copy (cmd+C).
5.Create new layer
6.Paste onto new layer.
7.Choose text tool from tool bar. Drag to create a text box where you want it.
Type comments in text box (Note, this will new a new layer).
8.Repeat for all section/key features of text.
•Remember to always go back and copy/paste from the background copy
layer.
•Name each layer as you go to avoid confusion later.

33. Horror Poster ANALYSIS
Deconstruct and annotate your poster using Adobe Photoshop
Questions to consider in your annotated analysis:
What kind of media text is this?
How do you know?
What are the genre conventions?
What is its purpose?
How does it do this?
Who is the target audience?
How can you tell?
How does it appeal to them?
What do you know about the narrative?
Location/characters/events
What are your expectations of the film?
Use the specialist vocabulary from the print analysis glossary