NME contents page analysis

1. The masthead is again placed on the contents page. It is written in the same font and colour as it is on the
front cover as this is part of the house style and helps the audience to recognise it.
The main heading tells the reader that this is the contents page, which follows convention as it makes it
easier for the audience to read. It is written in the same bulky font as the masthead, which again follows the
house theme, and also makes it very noticeable for the audience. The white font is used as it is very striking
against the black in the background and is part of the colour scheme for the magazine. The main title is
placed at the the top of the page, which is conventional as it will be the first thing that the reader sees.
The subheadings are all in the same bulky white font, against a black background. The use of capital letters
makes them all stand out and makes them seem very important. An exclamation mark is also used after the
subheading ‘LIVE!’, which makes it seem more exciting for the audience.
The main subheading is a lot bigger than the other subheadings, making it one of the main focal points on
the page, and making it much more eye-catching. It also has a worn-out appearance, making it more visually
appealing for the audience.
Anchorage text is places below the main subheading, giving extra information about tours that the target
audience would be interested in. This text is also written in a white font on a black background, which makes
it easy to read, and follows the colour scheme of the magazine. The large bold letter at the start of this text is
conventional as it draws the attention of the reader.
The main image on the contents page is also relevant to the main subheading. It is situated above the
heading itself and is a photo of someone pointing to a coach. The coach has connotations of tours and
festivals, which links it to the anchorage text as it is about gigs and tours. The image is slightly angled,
making the page look busier and slightly less organised. It also has a border which helps to make it stand out
against the dark background.
Article titles are placed under each of the subheadings, showing the main articles in the magazine and
giving the reader an insight into the types of content in the magazine. The article titles contain the names of
many bands as this is designed to attract fans of these artists, thus appealing to the target audience. They
are in a black font, which is visually appealing when placed next to the back boxes behind the subheadings.
Page numbers are positioned next to each of these article titles, as this makes it easier for the reader to
navigate through the magazine. They are in a red font, which stands out next the the black and white texts
used for the subheadings and article titles.
An advert is placed in the bottom right corner. This is designed to attract the target audience as it is a deal
for the magazine subscription. The colours used for this advert include yellows, which do not fit in with the
colour scheme for the magazine and so make the advert more eye-catching.
The date is included on the contents page, which is conventional as it helps the audience to know how
recent the information in the magazine is.
The columns on this page are not equal. The left hand column contains the ‘band index’, the middle column
contains the main image, main subheading and and anchorage text, and the right hand column contains the
article titles and the advert. Making the columns different sizes makes the page appear to be more busy and
less organised, and this gives the impression that the magazine contains a lot of content.
The fonts used for all of the heading, subheadings and article titles are all sans serif, which makes them
bolder and bulkier, which makes them seem more masculine. This would attract the target audience as the
magazine is aimed towards men. This also makes the text stand out more.
The language used seems very informal, and is quite colloquial. For example, the word ‘eh’ makes it seem
more conversational, thus making it more friendly and seemingly personal.

2. Masthead
Main image
Main Subheading
Anchorage text
Main heading
Date
Subheadings
Article titles
Page numbers
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