The document analyzes the front cover of the September 2009 edition of NME magazine featuring Dizzee Rascal. Key elements of the cover include the masthead in red, white, and black to match the magazine's color scheme. Sell lines promote other artists in the issue. Dizzee Rascal's image dominates the center with a graffiti background appealing to the target audience. Statistics show the target audience is 76% male, on average 23 years old, and includes students and those in social classes A, B, and C interested in various music genres. Methods like the prominent artist image and quote are used to attract this audience.

1. Analysis of magazine front covers
Cover 1.NME Sept 2009
Dizzee Rascal Edition

2. THE MASTHEAD THE HEADER…
The masthead NME is printed
large and bold so its target
FRONT COVER ANALYSIS The header used here is selling the
magazine as a “Autumn special” which
audience can easily recognise it means its more of a limited edition and
also taking up around a fifth of the will include more bonus features
cover page. The colour of the attracting the target audience because
masthead red white and black also its more unique..
runs through as the colour scheme
THE SELL LINES/COVER LINES
in the magazine. Those colours
are those youiwould see on a These sell lines state what bands and
electric guitar which give a “Rock artists are included in the band, so if
and Roll” feel. they are unsure about the artist on the
USE OF A FLASH cover they may like the other artists
starring in the magazine.
There is a flash telling the
audience there is a reunion of a THE MAIN IMAGE
band they would be interested
in because they read this type The main image used is of a famous artist
of magazine. called Dizzee Rascal who is a famous artist,
USE OF A PULL QUOTE with the background being a graffiti wall creates
a rebellious feel, attracting the target audience.
The quote “Im spreading joy
around the world THE MAIN COVER LINE
Interests the reader and gives them The main cover line is just the name of the
more information about (Dizzee artist “Dizzee Rascal” making it short and
Rascal) the artist has said during snappy wasting no time getting to the point of
his interview. the main topic. It also makes it obvious for
BACKGROUND people to know who the main image is incase
The background has a very “urban” they didn’t already know.
and “rebellious” feel to it with the Barcode-date/issue/price
graffiti on the walls as well as the
different colours suggesting the The barcode makes the magazine
magazine to be a sort of hip-hop sellable it is the way to audience
magazine. know how much the magazine costs
and the date it was issued, this lets
the customer know if they may have
RULE OF THIRDS/THE LEFT already brought this magazine or if
THIRD there is a new one due out so they
are always on track with the
Here the magazine title is shown magazine.
in big bold writing so its easy to THE FOOTER
catch the eye of a customer it
also is where the main focus of The footer is another way
for
Dizzee Rascals head and eye
the audience to view what
contact is because it’s the first other
thing you look at when viewing artists are included in the
this cover. magazine, for example
here it is “Ian Brown and
Jay-Z”

3. TARGET AUDIENCE OF THIS MAGAZINE
Statistics show that the main
target audience of NME is 76%
males and 24% Females this
shows that more males buy this METHODS USED TO
magazine. The average age of ATTRACT THIS TARGET
male to buy this magazine is 23.
40% of these being male AUDIENCE ARE:
students.
The main image of the artist is very over
The music advertised in the powering and dominating showing him not
magazine is a wide variety so it to be shy or unconfident, which makes him
suits many people who have more of a fun and rebellious person. This
different interests in different links in to the background as its very busy
genres of music, suiting a variety and chaotic with a mix match of different
of people. These may be Rock, colours showing his crazy side. The target
Hip-Hop or Pop. audience statistics are supported by the
magazine using a male figure maybe
The magazines social class
someone the audience can look up to.
ranges from A, B and C so it
varies with different customers By stating “I’m spreading joy around the
and suits all types of people. world, man!” it includes everyone and
attracts the reader as soon as they see it
On average the magazine is
because it involves them.
around £2.20. So they must
have a healthy income to afford
the magazine.

4. History of NME
http://www.nme.com/magazine
The magazine editor is Mike
Williams.
NME standing for New Music Express
magazine was first published in the year of The magazines type of bands vary from
in 1952 and initially published in a non- different genres the main type is indie rock
glossy tabloid, ever since it started it has however they do stretch out to other
been published every week in the UK, and genres these including hip-hop, dance and
in the 1970’s it became the best selling rock, examples of these are Jay-Z (Hip-
British music newspaper. From 1998 the Hop/Rap), Dizzee Rascal (Dance/Hip-Hop)
magazine switched from its newspaper and My Chemical Romance (Rock/Metal).
type magazine to a more professional The type of bands it has currently involved
glossy type. are Mumford and Sons, Blur, and Pete
Doherty.
During the 2000’s NME started its own
website and even own apps upgrading
itself to follow the rest of the world as well Over all the type of audience for NME magazine is young
as giving the target audience a new way to male or female as it caters for both genders however
view the magazine on the go. more towards male. They are music lovers who are
interested in a wide variety of music genres, who weekly
buy the magazine to have up to date knowledge about the
bands they are interested in.