The Big Issue is a magazine launched in 1991 that aims to help homeless people earn income by selling the magazine. Vendors can buy issues for £1.25 and sell them for £2.50, acting as micro-entrepreneurs. Over 100,000 people have been helped since it began. The target reader is educated with limited income who wants to make a difference. Front covers must attract this audience and appeal to vendors to ensure sales. The magazine provides an alternative representation to the mainstream that questions dominant ideologies and supports social welfare.

1. Media messages: Magazines
The Big Issue
The Big Issue is a magazine that was launched in 1991 in response to the growing
number of rough sleepers on the streets of London. They have an aim is to dismantle
poverty by creating opportunity, through self-help, social trading and business
solutions. They do this by offering people the opportunity to earn a legitimate income
through selling a magazine to the public. The Big Issue company help those suffering
with poverty to earn money, as Vendors come to them to buy The Big Issue magazine
for £1.25 and then go on to sell it for £2.50, meaning each seller is a micro-
entrepreneur who is working, not begging. Therefore it is vitally important that buyers
take their copy of the magazine when they pay for it. 92,000 people have sold The Big
Issue and more than 200 million copies of the magazine have been sold. The Big Issue
has helped over 100,000 people since it began.
Overall, The Big Issue reader is likely to be:
• University Educated
• Be interested in politics and popular and high culture
• Have a limited disposable income
• Want to help make a difference to the society we live in
The front covers, and content must attract this type of reader (Audience). The use of
media language and representations it constructs must also appeal to the reader in
order to insure that the street vendors can sell each issue and make money.

2. Examples:
In the first example, it shows how colour can be used to show a theme of naturalness
and nature. This is because the colours green and blue are the main colours, so it
shows how they are being used to show a natural background. This is useful because it
is being used metaphorically to show how the “magic money tree” doesn’t actually
appear in nature and isn’t real. This is also shown by the strapline “In search of the
magic money tree” because both the reader and writer know it isn’t real. This phrase
is being used for political links as these are words they have taken from Theresa may
when she states the money tree is non-existent, and people can’t just get money for
whatever they want. This is also a personal subject for the vendors selling as they
struggle with finance problems themselves, and this finance special can show how
they need more money which is why they are being ironic with the strapline.
OCR Spec.
The Big Issue is a niche magazine outside the commercial mainstream that learners
may not normally engage with and provides a contrasting example of how the
elements of the theoretical framework for media language can be used to construct
alternative representations that appeal to particular audiences, including a
consideration of the influence of the social, cultural and political contexts.

3. Learners must study two front covers of The Big Issue, from the September of the first
year of teaching a one year course, (e.g. from September 2018 onwards for a
candidate entering for assessment in June 2019), chosen by the centre. The front
covers selected should demonstrate representations that are alternative to the
mainstream and of national significance, in terms of the events or issues they portray.
Learners need to study the magazine products in relation the ‘media language’ and
‘media representations’
Consideration should be made of media language elements specific to magazines such
as locations, costumes, props, makeup, and lighting, choice of camera shot, angle,
typography, layout and address of written content to the audience.

6. Socialcontext for homelessness
Crisis UK states that
• People become homeless for lots of different reasons. There are social causes
of homelessness, such as a lack of affordable housing, poverty and
unemployment; and life events which cause individuals to become homeless.
• People can become homeless when they leave prison, care or the army with no
home to go to. Many homeless women have escaped a violent relationship.
• Many people become homeless because they can no longer afford the rent.
• And for many, life events like a relationship breaking down, losing a job, mental
or physical health problems, or substance misuse can be the trigger. Being
homeless can, in turn, make many of these problems even harder to resolve.

7. In both of these news front covers, the poor and lower class are presented in
completely different ways. In the daily mail, their right wing bias leads them to have
capitalist views so they therefore see ALL working class people as “vile”, “chavs “and
scroungers so they show them in a negative light. This ideas can agree with Newman’s
theory. This is because he states that when in the media, working class are often
depicted in a very non positive light. The above daily mail article backs up this point as
they are showing how they see every member of the working class as the same as the
man in the article due to them basing their ideas on stereotype. A common
stereotype is that working class members all don’t work and have lots of children but
the big issue example proves this wrong, as the woman is working to earn a living for
herself.
Oppositely, the Big Issue shows how actually all working class people aren’t all the
same. They do this through the main image of the cover, as the woman looks happy
and confident, which shows how her experiences are positive not negative. In
addition, the headline says “Listen to my voice” showing how people of working class
do have the same amount of importance and will have experiences to share. It also
shows how the magazine can have a more socialist approach because they see how
everyone has rights and should be respected. In the cover lines, it shows how working
class adults should be given dignity. This is because it says “The Big Issue saved me”
which shows how these people may just seek help rather than trouble. Their article
would test Shildrick and MacDonald’s theory as they see the poor as “undeserving of
sympathy” but this working class woman in the article has worked to try and earn
money and has politely reached out for help, so she would actually deserve sympathy.

8. Representation
Representation refers to the representation of an issue, event, social group or person
from the particular point of view of the person who constructs the representation.
Common representations in the magazine industry tend to support the dominant
social group, as they are usually the media owners and producers. This means that the
media representations often serve to reinforce the social status quo, so that those
considered to be in minority or subordinate groups remain stuck in those social roles.
This links to Gramsci’s theory of hegemony and consequently the poor are often
marginalized since they have little agency (power) over the middle class and elites
who are the dominant voice in society.
The Big Issue is a charity that, through the magazine aims to help those who are
marginalized in society and subsequently misrepresented or underrepresented in the
mainstream media. It aims to provide a platform for social issues that are of national
and global importance.
However the magazine owners (hegemony) and target audience can be seen to fall
into this dominant group in that they are white, male, middle class and middle aged.
This suggests that the Big Issue is likely to offer complex representations that possibly
both challenge and support those seen in mainstream magazines.

9. In thismagazine, the issues, events, social groupsandindividualswork together as they can all relate.
The issues mentionedare:
o Mental Health
o Trumpspolitical ability
o The impact of US culture andpolitics on the UK
The events are:
o TrumpsUK visit
o The British heatwave
o HamiltonPlay
These events andissues can all work arounddonaldtrump. Forexample, when Trump came to the UK
it was duringa British heatwave. Therefore they work together on the cover as the coloursfirstly
represent summerand thisheatwave. Secondly, heis shownas an ice cream which again represnts a
summertheme. This can again link with the Hmailtonplay, as his ice cream look represntshow the
paper doesn’tsupporthisideas which also applies toHamilton as they don’tlike his policies on
immigrancy in the US as they had workedto help America with lots of ethnicities. Again, this linksto
the issue of Trumpspolitical ability andthe impact of USculture andpolitics on the UK.

10. Choices made abouthowto represent
Throughthe use of the main image, we can see how Trumpsharshviews on journalismhave hada
negative effect on people in the media and hisoverall views also come acrossthis way to many
people in the uk, therefore, the Big Issuehaschosen to portray Trumpas silly andwrongly
opinionatedby reflecting their contrastingopinionsinthe article. They show howthey havepolitical
opinionswhich differ to his.
Positiveand negativestereotypesused
Due to Trumpbeing a president who is white, of high class and male, he wouldnormally be portayed
positively due to stereotypes. Thisis because right wing media especially tendsto speak better about
white peopleand are less likely to basethem on a negative stereotype. The Big Issuehas givenTrump
a negative stereotypeeven thoughhe is a president sois makinghimhumorousandlaughable.
Social groupsunder or misrepresented
By lookingat thismagazine, only the dominantgroup( the groupin power in America) is the only
grouprepresented. However, they showaspects of Britain by showingthe classic 99 icecream. The
dominantgroupincludeswhite, middle age, middle class men. This groupcouldbe mis representedas
they are always shownas “perfect” buthis showsDonaldTrump specifically in a negative light.
C- Middle/High
A-50+
G-Male
E-White
Impactof industry contextson choices prosucerscan make
The reliance on illustrationto cut productioncostshas a positiveimpact onthe representation of
Trumpfor thiscover. It offers a humorousand creativerepresentationsthat wouldn’tbe seen in
mainstreammagazines.
How the media throughrepresentationconstructversionsof reality
They use trumpsmeltingface to show him asa joke which wouldn’tbe seen in ordinary papers.
Showsan unseenside of him underpressure. This can cause readers to questionhis motivesandhow
he really is. This can showhe is possible nervousoverthe UK which can showhow his social and
political valuesimpact how he feels onhis visit to Britain.
How representations make claims aboutrealism
The use of play on wordscan make the producersconstructthe idea of Trumpbeing an unfit
president. The ice cream image makeshim look unserious.

11. Impactof industry contextson choices producerscan make
Repreesentation choices on front covers are usually driven by economic factors relating to the
productioncosts, thevendorsneed to sell the magazine. Onthis cover, they have usedillustration in
order to cut the costsof production, whichis positiveas it makesa humorousandunordinary
representation.
How the media throughrepresentationconstuctversionsof reality
They showan alternative pointof view to the mainstreammedia. The Big Issueoffers a versionof
reality which isn’tnormally seen, soshows the diversity of the British Public. ThroughTrumpsmelting
face,he is shownas underperssure. In constructingthisversion of reality of Trump, the producers
cause the reader to questionhis motivesandpolitical impact onBritain.
How representationsmake claims aboutrealism
The Big Issuerelies onillustartion andtext toconstructrepressentations, soclaims regarding realism
are madein the way that media,languageinfluences the reader toaccept thatwhat theyre reading is
real rather thana point of view. Play on words “Flake News”constructsa representation thatTrump
is an unfit president. The ice cream image makesim seem like a joke and unserious.
IDEOLOGY- Asystemofideas and ideals, especially one which forms the basisof economic or political
theory and policy.
CAPITALISM- Aneconomicandpolitical systemin which a country'strade andindustry are controlled
by private owners for profit, rather thanby the state.
INDIVIDUALISM- Asocialtheory favouring freedom of action for individualsover collective or the
social group.
SOCIALISM- Any systeminwhich the productionanddistributionofgoodsand services is a shared
responsibility of a groupof people. Socialism is based uponeconomicand political theories that
advocatefor collectivism.
POSTMODERNISM-Questionstheway that society is going. It’sa cultural movementreflected in the
arts, architecture andfilm, its characterised by conventionswhich set it apart from modernday
products.
CONSUMERISM- Encouragesthebuyingofgoodsand services in ever increasing amounts. It’slinked
to the idea of individualismwith free choice of the consumer.
Ideasof socialismapply tothis paper as they are showinga different viewpoint of Trumpand show
opinionsof all people in society.

12. DOMINANTGROUP A- Usedtodescribea social group thatcontrolsthe value systemsin any given
society. They aren’t the largest groupbutit’s made upof the social identities thathold social, political
andeconomic power, privileges and social status. It’sgenerally consideredthat dominantsocial
groupsin our society are white, middle aged, middle class men as this groupdominatesoursocial,
economic andpolitical value systems.
SOCIAL WELFARE-Servicesprovidedby thegovernmentor private organizationstohelp poor, ill, or
old people.
Big Issue Viewpoints and ideology
Althoughthe owners of the Big Issueare members of the dominantsocial groupin thatthey are
predominantly white, male, middle class andmiddle aged, ideologically their alternative viewpoint is
boundin creating opportunitiestosupportsocial welfare and values. This is achieved in the following
ways.
Throughuse of satire, the representation of events, issues andsocial groupsandindividualscan be
critiqued withoutthere being anovertly political message
The interesting and creative use of media language helps tocommunicate the magazinesideological
valuesthat we shouldcare aboutall social groupsand the society we live in, not just thosewith
political, social and cultural power.
This helps topositionthe audience from the point of view of the producer, invitingthe reader to
questionthe meaningsconstructedon the frontcover and in turnquestionmainstreamideological
values(such as capitalism/ racism/nationalism/consumerism)
Their views on the listed
features -Left wing and socialist
as itsupports all theseideas.

15. Viewpointsandideologies
The Big Issueis a businesswhich functionsto produce money, whichthey theninvest to create
employmentand reduce poverty rates. Therefore, they havea viewpoint thatruns counterto the
mainstreamandcontrastingly often questionsthe dominantgroupandtheir beliefs. They don’thave
a direct political bias, butit has a social agenda with features covering:
Social welfare,Currentaffairs,Politics,Culture,The environment,Finance,health,FoodandSport.
Audience interpretation of meaning
Throughmedia language, the producersof the Big Issuecan control political and cultural figures,
issuesand events. The media language usedand the meanings