My media product represents the social group of indie and alternative music fans aged 15-25. On the cover, I included images of a young musician to relate to their age group. The articles and stories also represent their interests in edgy music genres. The urban setting and retro style of the cover images appeal to this audience. Rather than portray stereotypical images of rebellion, my magazine represents them in a positive light through unique visual styles without negative portrayals.

1. Evaluation (Question 2)
How does your media product
represent particular social groups?

2. Target Audience
My target audience/readership are indie and
alternative music fans, both male and female,
which are aged between 15-25 years old or
15+. This is similar to the age range of NME
and Q magazine.
My target audience/readership seem to prefer
unique, different and edgy elements of
interest.
I feel that my media product represents their
social group and tastes.

3. On the front cover,
contents page and
double page spread of
my product, I have
included images of a
‘new’ musician aged 16
years old, this is
relevant to the
audience as they will be
of a similar age group
and will be able to
relate to the magazine
in general. I have also
included relevant story
lines and articles to the
target audiences’
lifestyle and interests,
which represents them
as edgy and interested
in music.

4. My music magazine is based on
the indie/alternative music
genre. Usually, front covers of
magazines such as NME and Q
use images of bands looking
edgy, wearing unique clothing
and in an urban setting, this
appeals to my target audience as
a social group, as they will take
inspiration from the images they
see.

5. I achieved this edgy I also used an urban setting of I have also used a prop
look that conveys various places around where I of bubblegum, as this
indie/alternative music live, such as gates, lampposts, is conveyed as
by adapting the mise- bushes and walls. This spontaneous and
en-scene used in the represents the musician on my different, which will
photos for my product. magazine to look like any appeal to my target
I used a retro theme of other indie/alternative music
fan and to relate to the audience. It also
hair, make-up and connotes youth which
costume as this audience as they will
recognize the urban and edgy is relevant to the age
appeals to the social
group that I aimed my
look that they are familiar range that my
with. magazine is aimed at.
magazine at.

6. My product represents
my target audience as a
young, music interested
social group who will
appreciate a unique
appearance of retro
clothing, hair and make-
up and the spontaneity of
props and colours used
on the front cover of my
music magazine.

7. Usually, other music magazines such as NME feature front covers and
images of musicians smoking, drinking alcohol, swearing and with
tattoos/piercings. This is to continue the idea that the genre of music
featured (indie/alternative) is generally edgy and rebellious. This
representation can reflect onto the readership of such magazines and
can merge the stereotype onto young people that they are all rebellious
youths, similar to how the media already portrays them. Although it
appears that these magazine front covers appeal to the target market, I
thought I would do something different to challenge this stereotype that
all young people are delinquent and rebellious.

8. Instead of using an image
similar to that of NME’s front
covers, I used photographs
that will appeal to my target
audience as they are edgy
without using rebellion. Use of
urban areas, graffiti and
unique mise-en-scene is
enough to convey an
indie/alternative music
magazine without a negative
stereotype of the social group
that will be reading this
magazine. Which is usually
represented and portrayed by
other music magazines,
therefore my product
challenges the dominant ideas
and represents my readership
in a positive light.