The magazine cover summarizes the following key points: 1. The cover features Simon Cowell pulling an intimidating expression. He is referred to as "The Grinch" suggesting he is seen as a nasty character like the Grinch but also loved. 2. It promotes a headline interview with Simon Cowell where he goes "head to head" with NME magazine. This makes readers want to learn what he has to say. 3. Details are provided that this is a double, Christmas issue of NME magazine. This makes the issue more appealing than usual and the text uses typical Christmas colors of red and white.

1. Conventions of a magazine
(Front covers)
Lucy Brownnutt

2. 1. School Magazine
2. Fashion Magazine
3. Music Magazines

3. The main feature of the
pinch of salt of salt
front cover is a boy
doing a street dance
move. As dancing is
stereotyped as a girly
sport, having a boy
doing the move and
being focused on him
and not the girls shows
that it is not sexist.
The colours of the mast
head match the students
uniform as they are all
wearing blue tops but
also the inside of the
school logo is white. The
Mast head is the most
important text on the
front cover. The word
salt stands out so much
because the school
name has always been
known as ‘salts’ but even
though the school is now
called Titus Salt School
as said here
they are keeping up the
tradition so people are
aware that it is the same
school.
This is the selling
line, this appears
in every addition
of a pinch of salt
showing what the
school is all about
and what the
school is trying to
put across. This
selling line
suggests that
Titus Salt School is
a successful.
The word Salt stands out in a light
blue on a dark blue background.
Much bigger than the other words.
Showing off the pun that ‘salt’ is part
of the school name.
The fact that
everyone
whose faces
we can see on
the picture is
smiling shows
that this
school is a
happy
atmosphere.
The main
cover line
using the
word street
therefore
links with the
picture as the
move the boy
is doing is a
street dance
move.
Another thing I think
is meant by the main
cover line ‘streets
ahead’ is that Titus
Salt School is better
than other schools
and implying that it is
further ahead in all
aspects.
The fact it says “a
pinch” shows that
this is only a tiny
look into what
happens at Titus
Salt School.
The main cover line ‘streets
ahead’ is in a light blue along
with ‘pinch of salt’ therefore
making it clear that the main
cover line is important and
because it is a bright blue it
stands out compared to the
slogan and school uniform.

4. Vogue have dressed
Emma in warm oranges
and dark reds because
these are colours we
associate with autumn,
mainly the leaves. They
have made Emma look
pale to show that it is
now coming towards
winter and the summer
tan has gone but also to
let the autumn colours
stand out. For example
she has a dark
red/purple plum colour
on her lips and that
stands out the most on
her face.
The colours of the text
match the colours of Emma
Watsons make up and
clothing. Deep reds to match
autumn and also the classic
black.
Straight away we recognise that
the woman on the front of the
magazine is Emma Watson.
Vogue is an American magazine
and this tells us that Emma is now
very famous also in the United
States.
By giving people an idea into
a story and making it
mysterious is going to make
people want to read the story
and find out what her
“family’s secret past” is. Like
the blurb to a book.
“Life after Harry Potter” as
Emma Watson has a large
fan base vogue know that
her fans will want to know
what she is doing now.
Her fan base is mainly
teenagers and young adults
and they are the target
audience for vogue
magazine.

5. Because it is the
Christmas edition of
NME, they have put snow
on top of the magazine
name. This creates a
connotation of winter
and Christmas.
The fact that Simon is pulling such an evil
expression on his face also links with the
fact they have called him the Grinch as
he is thought as quite a nasty character
as he tells it as it is when he judges on
shows such as x factor. It also links with
him being powerful as he looks very
intimidating.
By calling Simon the
Grinch this suggests
that he is thought of as
quite a nasty character
because he is quite
harsh on contestants
on his shows and also
is thought of to have a
very big alter ego and
thinks a lot of himself
but the Grinch is also
loved by quite a lot of
people, they have a
soft spot for him. This
is the same with
Simon.
Simon Cowell acts a
poly Semic sign as he is
thought of in the nasty
way to some but also
the loved way by
others.
NME tell its audience that
this is a massive and double
issue because it is
christmas, this makes this
issue of the magazine even
more appealing to the
audience than it normally
would be.
We instantly know the
figure on the cover is
Simon Cowell. What
makes us want to read
the magazine is that it
tells us that he goes
“head to head” with
NME meaning he has
been interviewed
because he is famous
and such a success we
want to know what he
has to say.
By telling the audience that they
will receive 6 free posters from
the magazine will make them
want to buy the magazine even
more. People that are massive
music fans stereotypically tend
to have a lot of music posters in
their rooms.
The colours of the text are
white and red which are
sterotypical christmas
colours. Also some text is in
bauble again representing
christmas.