This document provides guidance to students on analyzing magazine covers using three media theories: representation, Maslow's hierarchy of needs, and uses and gratifications theory. It explains each theory, how they can be applied, and includes example questions and activities for students to complete in their workbook. Students are instructed to write headings and questions about each theory in their books and answer questions analyzing magazine covers using the three frameworks.

1. Who is the
audience &
why?
FOCUS

2. Question: Analyse the front cover of two
magazines. How do the covers engage
the interest of their audience?

3.  To be able to describe and explain the
categorisation of audiences.
 To be able to apply understanding of audience
profiling to create an audience profile.
 To explore and understand 3 key media theories;
Representation, Maslows Hierarchy of Needs
and Uses & Gratifications Theory.

4.  Now that we have completed LO 1 & 2 you
should be eager to get onto the nitty-gritty of
LO3!!!
 To explore and understand 3 key media theories; Representation, Maslows
Hierarchy of Needs and Uses & Gratifications Theory.
 Open your books and add the following headings
and questions to three blank pages
 Headings = REPRESENTATION, MASLOWS
HIERARCHY OF NEEDS AND USES &
GRATIFICATIONS THEORY
 Questions = What is it, how does it work how can
I use it to analyse magazine covers? Check the
next slide if this does not make sense.

5. REPRESENTATION
What is Representation?
How does it work?
How can I use it to analyse a
magazine cover?
MASLOWS HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
What is Maslows Hierarchy of Needs?
How does it work?
How can I use it to analyse a
magazine cover?

6. USES & GRATIFICATIONS THEORY
What is Uses & Gratifications Theory?
How does it work?
How can I use it to analyse a
magazine cover?

7.  Representation is the way in which ideas, people
and places are re-presented to us in a media text.
 Representation works by using messages and
stereotypes in the media to make the audience
believe certain things about the ideas, people are
places that are being re-presented to us.
 Here are some key questions to use when
analysing the representation in a media text;
• Who is being re-presented?
• How are they being re-presented?
• What elements of their character is being emphasized or
ignored?
• Is it realistic?
• Who might be harmed by this re-presentation?
• Who might benefit from this re-presentation?

8. Use the questions on the previous slide to
describe the Representation of fashion
magazines (the examples below)

9. Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs is a theory
which suggests there are 5 stages people
go through in life. The theory says that at
each stage we have different motivations
that drive us.
If we apply these stages to media then we
can use them to try to understand the
motivations behind our target audiences as
well as another piece of evidence to
support our arguments.

10. This diagram shows you the different
levels.

11.  Think of the levels as relating to growing up.
 When you are a little baby your only motivations
are food and sleep. (RED)
 As you become a toddler your motivations are
feeling safe and loved. (ORANGE)
 As a teenager you want to be liked and accepted
by your peers and you might start to have feelings
of intimacy for others. (YELLOW)
 As a young adult you are career driven and want to
achieve things for yourself. (GREEN)
 As a middle aged person (and possibly a parent)
you start to concern yourself with the bigger picture
– the world and how you might have an impact.
(PURPLE)

12.  Match each product to a stage on Maslows
Hierarchy of Needs and explain why you think
it matches the motivations for that stage.

13. Now write a short paragraph explaining
which stage of Maslow’s Hierarchy you
think the audience for your magazine is at
and why.

14. Uses & Gratifications Theory focuses not
on the product but on what people do
with the media.
This theory suggests that audience
members actively seek out media product
to satisfy their needs.
It also suggests that, since the audience
are being active, they pick and choose the
messages and ideas that suit them from a
media product and ignore the rest.

15. Uses & Gratifications Theory can link very
well with Representation and Maslow’s
Hierarchy of Needs.

16.  The target audience for Inked is mostly men.
 HOWEVER Adam Levine is a pop star, traditionally
an icon more
appealing to women than men.
 Using Uses & Gratifications
Theory you could argue that
the mainly male audience
CHOOSE TO IGNORE THIS
and buy the magazine for its
contents rather than its cover.
 THINK – why then would the
producers put a male pop star
on the front? (answer this in your
books alongside your notes)