This document discusses how a media product represents particular social groups. It analyzes the demographics of Rolling Stone magazine, noting it attracts a young, predominantly male and white audience. To represent this group, the magazine features smashed glass imagery and red/black colors, which appeal to masculine tastes. However, it also includes two female models and a black female main model to diversify the audience. Features like bold makeup and hairstyles follow rock music conventions while the clean language keeps the magazine accessible to women. Overall the magazine aims to represent young males but also stand out by incorporating underrepresented groups.

1. How does your media product represent
particular social groups?

2. This is the demographic of
“Rolling Stone” magazine, this
attracts a similar audience to
mine, and therefore I can use it
when thinking about how I am
going to represent my social
group.

3. • I have created a music magazine in the genre of rock. This is a predominantly male
genre of music. In addition to this, it is mostly young people who read this type of
magazine, we can see this from the “Rolling Stone” demographic, which can be
found on the audience research section of my blog (as well as the previous slide).
This magazine is very similar to mine and so I can use this data to determine the
market or target audience for my own music magazine. With this in mind, I have a
smashed glass effect on both my front page and contents page, this is to give it
more of an edge and the violent action of smashing glass is quite masculine,
therefore this will appeal more to the young, male audience.
• However, I used two female models, and kept the colours relatively neutral, this is
because there is still a large percentage of women who listen and buy rock music
magazines.
• The demographic also showed that the market is mostly white, with very few
people of other ethnicities buying this type of media product. As a result I have
diverged against the conventions by having a black female , main model. I have
done this because it goes against the conventions quite a bit, but this means it will
really stand out against other magazines in this genre. I also think it would be good
to open up this genre to a new audience.

4. •
I gave my main model a black guitar, this was to add
to the dark theme of the magazine and keep with the
red and black colour scheme, it also gives it an
instrumental/rock feel.
•
I also had my main model pose with in a more
aesthetically interesting way, this was to appeal to the
young, energetic audience market. The model also
had a fun/serious facial expression, which makes it
eye-catching.
•
The two models together had quite serious facial
expressions, this follows the conventional look of rock
artists. Both of the models were wearing make-up,
and the model on the right was wearing bold red
lipstick. Similarly, she has quite large frizzy hair, whilst
the model on the left has her hair in a large bun. This
makes them look big, and bold, which is what most
rock artists look like, therefore I am following the
conventions and appealing to the rock market.
•
I had both of my models dressed in black, this was
following the conventions as most rock artists/
models featuring in rock magazines wear black.

5. • I have also represented a social group through my cover lines. On
magazines such as Q, the cover lines are all based around rock music
artists as well as additional content found inside. I have tried to
reflect this in my own cover lines by making them very short and
effective and about rock bands/performers.
• Most rock artists are known for their swearing and bad language,
however I have decided to keep my magazine clean because in both
Q and Rolling Stone magazine there isn’t much bad language.
Furthermore, I have decided to use female models and give the
magazine a neutral feel and my double page spread for example is
relatively simplistic and feminine and as women typically do not
swear I wanted to keep the magazine free of any bad language.

6. Overall, I have represented the young male audience by having typically
masculine, energetic features, for example the smashed glass effect, as well
as the red and black colour scheme. However, in many ways I have gone
against the conventions by having two female models, and by my main
model being black. Despite making certain aspects of my magazine
represent this group of people, I have largely gone against it to make my
magazine stand out and look different as well as open it up to a new market,
because although it is a significantly small percentage of people in this
category buying this kind of magazine it is still a new, diverse group that can
be pursued and will get more people interested. Similar magazines to mine
for example Q hardly ever have black models and so my magazine will stand
out.