The document discusses different genres that could be used for a regional magazine targeting young people in the North East of England. It analyzes magazines in various genres like music, fashion, and lifestyle. It determines that a lifestyle genre would be best to appeal widely by including sections on fashion, music, art, culture and more. The document concludes that a lifestyle magazine genre focused on these topics could fill a gap for young regional readers.

1. Magazine Genres
Sophie Robson

2. Genre
A genre is way of categorising magazines, tv, movies, music etc. It groups things
together based on characteristics. It means that the audience knows what to expect
and can pick what they want to buy and that makes it easier to find enjoy everything
they choice.
For example, the horror genre often uses things that considered scary and uses these
conventions to try and build up anticipation etc. ‘Jump scares’ are used to raise heart
rates and only appeals to certain people which is why genre is so important.
For my audience I will have to consider what genre will appeal to my audience and will
have to follow the codes and conventions of my chosen genre.

3. Region
As the magazine is a regional magazine I chose my own region as I have the most
knowledge about it. It also means that I am more aware of the other regional
magazines and therefore can create the best magazine possible. However there are
very few magazines for the age range of the audience I would like to focus on. There
are very few magazines tailored to young people in the North East and because of this
it gives an impression that regional magazines are for older people. Due to this gap in
the market I will have to find a way to make my magazine stand out and make
younger readers want to read it.

4. Music
Music is a common interest of young people. However due to there not being many
local music magazines they struggle to find out what local bands there are. The main
regional music magazine that I came across in my research was NE:MM (North East
Music Magazine). It gives reader a chance to learn about local music. The magazine
focuses on a lot of different genres and therefore appeals to a wider audience.
However they do focus o some genres and sub-genres more than others. Some of the
most common featured are classical, popular, roots, groove and RPM which I think is a
good mix to appeal to more people. NE:MM has a website where people can comment
on different issues and connect with people with similar interests. This creates a
community and makes it easy for the readers to connect with one another. Music is a
vital part of most peoples lifestyle but due to the small music scene within the north
east I couldn’t focus on one sub-genre within the magazine as it wouldn’t appeal to a
wider audience and therefore if I did the magazine this way it wouldn’t be as
successful.

5. Fashion
Fashion is something that appeals to many people however stereotypically it appeals
to women more than men. There is a more accessible fashion scene in the north east it
still can be hard to find local brands and what is going on in the north east fashion
industry. One of the local fashion magazines is Gossip, the magazine buys into the
stereotype of women being interested in fashion. Gossip is also a lifestyle magazine
meaning it wold be a good magazine to research further. It includes fashion, home
design, beauty and local events. However the way the magazine is presented alienates
a large portion of the potential audiences and it is very mature and feminine. This
wouldn’t appeal to students and young people, plus it would alienate the potential
male audience so I would try to make this part of my magazine gender neutral and
appeal to a wider audience. This will be a feature in my magazine but it won’t be the
main focus.

6. Culture and Lifestyle
Culture and lifestyle is a genre that is wide and could appeal to a wider audience. It
can be an easy focus for a regional magazine as it can incorporate a wide variety of
topics and features. The Crack is one great example of this, it is aimed at 18-31 year
olds and includes many different sub-genres. Some of the sub-genres included are
music, fashion, art, film, culture and more. This means that none of the potential
audience is left out and it appeals to the widest potential audience. I feel that this
would be the most successful choice and would mean that it would appeal to the
audience I am aiming for. From my research there is a gap for a lifestyle magazine
aimed at a younger target audience as most regional magazines are aimed at a older
audience.

7. My Final Ideas
After looking into all the potential genres for my magazine I feel that lifestyle would be
the best to focus on as it has a wide potential to include a lot of different sub-genres
and appeal to a lot of different people. At the moment the sub-genres I would like to
include is fashion, music and culture. This list could expand after more research. I feel
that there is a gap in the industry for the target audience that I want to reach within
the magazine. As they are all subjects I am interested in I feel that I could use in my
magazine to a high standard and would work in this magazine. Although I don’t read
many fashion magazine I feel that with more research I could include this to a
professional standard.