AL Media Studies Magazine front covers textual analysis gq and heat

1. MAGAZINE FRONT
COVERTEXTUAL
ANALYSIS

2. What to analyse
■ How does it use of media language create meaning? Semiotics, genre,
narrative, binary opposites
■ How does it construct purposeful representations? Representations of
people/places/issues/events, ideology
■ How is it constructed to appeal to its target audience? Who is target
audience (demographics and psychographics)? How can you tell?What
attracts this audience to the product?
■ How does its construction reflect its industry context? Mainstream
producer, part of conglomerate?

3. GQ: Media Language – Genre
(Steve Neale) 1
The text ‘repeats’ the use of several key genre conventions for this type of
product, making it easily identifiable to the audience
■ Masthead ‘GQ’ placed top left – easily visible on shop shelf, one of the
first things to be seen (placed next to model’s eyes to draw readers
attention)
■ Bar code appears bottom left (last thing to be seen following Z-line)
accessible for scanning, but least important for attracting reader.
■ Strapline ‘Look sharp, live smart’ uses alliteration to make more
memorable and explains magazine’s (and target audience’s) priorities
and brand identity
■ Magazine makes us of direct mode of address in several ways to catch
attention of reader – extra diegetic gaze of model, synthetic
personalisation in the sell lines “We updated your commandments”
■ Cover lines appear around central image to tell reader abut content and
create enigma codes (narrative)
■ Name of model (KanyeWest) appears next to their face to anchor their
identity
■ Sensationalist (‘outrageous’, ‘grab’,) and superlative (‘best’) verbal
codes create emotional response and interest from audience

4. GQ: Media Language –
semiotics (Barthes)
■ Name is a shortened version of original
title ‘Gentlemen’s Quarterly’.
■ ‘Gentleman’ has connotations of
sophistication. Use of abbreviation has
connotations of modernity
■ Model’s costume codes (jacket, low neck
vest, gold chain) connotes style and
sophistication, glamour and success
■ House style/design layout – limited
colour pallete (black, greys, white), plain
background and neatly aligned cover lines
create cool, calm and sophisticated mode
of address.

5. GQ: Media Language –
Narrative (Barthes)
■ Enigma Codes: Mysteries created which
the audience will want to know the
answers to – ‘how can we gab
everyone’s attention, what is ‘boob-ier
tube’, what does KW think? etc
■ Cultural Codes: It is expected that GQ
reader will be familiar with [You]Tube,
rapper KanyeWest and want to know his
opinions

6. GQ: Media Representation
■ Masculinity = power
– Verbal codes ‘bold’, ‘grab’, ‘survive’
‘commandments’, ‘like a god’
– Visual Codes – impassive (moody)
■ Masculinity = heterosexual (heteronormative)
“boob-ier tube”
■ Ethnicity = powerful.
– Using a black man as aspirational central
image reflects more progressive/tolerant
ideologies about race and ethnic minorities
■ Ideology
– Image is important ‘Look sharp, live smart’

7. GQ: Media Audience –Target
Audience
Demographics
Gender – men
– Name of magazine (Gentleman’s Quaterly)
– Male model to identify with
– Stereotypically male interests
Social Grades – ABC1
– Expensive clothing
Psychographics: Y&R’s 4Cs
– Succeeder – expensive looking costume, ‘high quality’, known
successful celebrity on front, ‘dress like a God’ and connotations of
power/status (see representation of gender slide)
– Aspirer – Focus on image/fashion, grabbing everyone’s attention,
aspiring to be like successful celebrity
– Mainstreamer – magazine and celebrity on cover are well know to
audience and would provide a sense of ‘security’ in a reliable, good
quality brand.

8. GQ: Media Industry
■ Published by Conde Naste (Vogue,Vanity
Fair,Wired) horizontally integrated,
global company subsidiary of Advance
Publications conglomerate.
■ Mainstream publisher with
‘mainstream’, dominant ideologies
(consumerism, heteronormative) and
household name celebrity
■ As part of big company has a bigger
budget , therefore able to interview A-
list celebrities

9. Heat: Media Language -
Genre
The text ‘repeats’ the use of several key genre
conventions for this type of product, making it easily
identifiable to the audience
• Masthead ‘Heat placed top left – easily visible on
shop shelf, one of the first things to be seen.
• Bar code appears bottom left (last thing to be seen
following Z-line) accessible for scanning, but least
important for attracting reader.
• Cover lines tell reader about content inside
• Cover lines positioned with relevant image to anchor
meaning

10. Heat: Media Language – Sub-
Genre
The text ‘repeats’ the use of several key genre
conventions for this type of product, making it easily
identifiable to the audience
Subgenre: celebrity/woman’s/’gossip’/entertainment
magazine
• Cover features paparazzi/candid shot pictures of
numerous well known celebrities of interest to
target audience
• Colloquial verbal codes ‘boozy, insta show-offs’
creates informal mode of address
• Colour pallete of pink, yellow and white often used
for these magazines

11. Heat: Media Language -
Semiotics
Design and Layout
• Photos are cut out and made to look as if they
overlaid on top of each other, with text on top and
images even crowding over the mast head.This
creates connotations of the magazine
‘overfilling/bursting’ with content, creating the
impression of good value for money to the reader.
• Additional puffs and plugs add to this 3D, ‘busy’
textured effect.
• Colour pink connotes femininity
• Bright colour pallete connotes fun and excitement
• ‘Bordered’ images in left hand corner made to look
like polaroid photos – connotations of being on
holiday

12. Heat: Media Language –
Narrative (Codes)
Enigma Codes: Mysteries created which the audience
will want to know the answers to – who is the man
that is making Cheryl smile?, why is Meghan upset?,
etc
Cultural Codes: It is expected that Heat reader will be
familiar with and interested in the lives of celebrities
such as the Beckhams, Cheryl and Harry/Meghan

13. Heat: Media Representation
Femininity
• Dependent – need relationships. Focus on couples
(Beckhams, Harry/Meghan, Cheryl and mysterious man),
Maura’s affair
• Valued for appearance - Insta show offs, handbags
• ‘Ideal’ image – all women slim, white/light skinned, long
hair
Ideology
• Image is important
• Celebrities are important/deserve your attention
Reality
• Use of candid shots (unposed) connote realism and actual,
real life events – promise of unfiltered truth

14. Heat: Media Audience –Target
Audience
Demographics
Gender – Women
• Mainly female faces on cover to model to identify with
• Stereotypically female interests (celeb lifestyle/gossip
Psychographics: Y&R’s 4Cs
• Aspirer – Focus on image/fashion (The New Spring Bags),
aspiring to be like successful celebrities
• Mainstreamer – magazine and celebrities on cover are well
know to audience and would provide a sense of ‘security’ in
a reliable brand – you know what you’ll get.
• Struggler – Readers may look to ‘escape’ their lives by
following those of others – High impact colour scheme =
sensation

15. Heat: Media Industry
• Published weekly by Bauer Media Group (Empire,
Take A Break, Closer, Bella) horizontally
integrated, a global company media
conglomerate.
• Mainstream publisher with ‘mainstream’,
dominant ideologies (consumerism,
heteronormative) and household name celebrities
• As part of big company has a bigger budget ,
therefore able to publish weekly