This document analyzes the codes and conventions used in the front covers of two television magazines. It identifies elements like colorful mastheads, sensationalized headlines in capital letters with punctuation, and close-up character images that are meant to attract the target audience. The conclusion states that the creator will incorporate bright colors, bold text, punctuation to dramatize stories, and cross-media links when designing their own television magazine cover.

1. Soap Opera Genre –
Ancillary Product
Analysis
Name: Zoe Hickson
Candidate Number: 1033
Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic School
Center Number: 64135
OCR Media Studies – A2 Level
Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio

2. Cover line
(Secondary Story)
Masthead
Main Headline
– black stroke
effect used to
make the text
stand out on
the page
Use of
punctuation to
sensationalise a
story
Date of issue
Main Image
(Medium close
up)
Bright, eye-
catching
colours to
appeal to the
target
audience

3. • Masthead- The bright red colour for the masthead background makes it stand out on the page, and the white writing
on top makes it eye-catching and easy for the audience to read. The connotations of the masthead imply that the
magazine is going to ‘inform’ (Katz) the target audience about upcoming series’ and episodes of TV programmes in the
near future. The masthead is also large on the page meaning it stands out and is one of the first things the audience
will see when first looking at the magazine. The red colour in the background of the masthead connotes danger,
perhaps insinuating that many of the episodes within each series will be full of danger and action, which will appeal to
the audience.
• The main image on this magazine features three Eastenders characters, which is likely to encourage the audience to
buy the magazine if they like Eastenders. The images are medium close ups, and each of the characters are looking
directly at the camera, as if looking at the audience, which may catch their attention.
• Verbal codes such as ‘DEAD!’, ‘ROBERT ATTACK SHOCK!’ and ‘Ray Winstone is back!’ are used to attract the target
audience for each of these soap operas. ‘DEAD!’ and ‘ROBERT ATTACK SHOCK!’ are also in capital letters, so they stand
out on the page. ‘Ray Winstone is back!’ will also encourage audience members to watch the upcoming series, as well
as attracting any audience members who used to watch the show, as they may have watched previous episodes with
him in it.
• The use of punctuation on the magazine front cover is used to sensationalise the cover stories. The exclamation marks
make the story sound dramatic, which is what will appeal to the target audience, encouraging them to purchase the
magazine to find out what happens within the episodes in the series.
• Date of issue – this informs the reader about the dates that the issue is valid from and until, and gives the audience an
insight into when each episode will be aired. The date also informs the reader about which stories will feature in each
episode.
• The cover story of ‘Rita Ora joins X-factor’ connotes that there is something for everyone inside the magazine as it
features not only soap opera stories, but also stories from television programmes that appeal to a wider audience such
as X-factor. This is likely to attract a wide target audience as the magazine features a wide range of shows.
• Bright colours used including yellow and pink stand out on the page and are eye-catching to the audience, meaning it
will draw attention to the magazine, which may result in more people purchasing it after they read the bright coloured
cover lines.
• There is no cross media convergence present on this magazine front cover, as there is no website or social media
presented anywhere on the page. This is because the cross media convergence may be present on the contents page or
elsewhere in the magazine.

4. Strapline
Date
Price
Headline Punctuation –
used to
sensationalise
cover linesCover lines
Subline

5. • The masthead on this magazine goes across the page, meaning that it will stand out to the audience. The bright red
colour used is eye-catching which means that it will draw the audience’s attention to this part of the magazine.
• The strapline ‘EVERY STORY! EVERY SECRET! EVERY WEEK!’ uses repetition to emphasise the amount of stories and
secrets the magazine features each week.
• The main image on this magazine features two characters, looking directly at the camera which is likely to encourage
the audience to buy the magazine if they recognise those characters. The photos are medium close ups, however only
their faces are fully visible which may connote that within that weeks episodes, these specific characters are hiding
something.
• The cover lines are in capital letters, which makes them stand out more than they would if they were not in capital
letters. The cover lines above the masthead are also used to encourage the target audience to watch the upcoming
episodes of each soap opera, as well as encouraging people that used to watch the show to watch it again, as David and
Carol are supposedly ‘back together’.
• The magazine price ‘informs’ (Katz) the reader about how much the magazine costs each week, and the date notifies
the audience about when the magazine is valid from and until.
• The main headline ‘DOOMED!’ is in pale coloured writing, meaning it stands out against the red and blue colours behind
it. The capital letters used anchored by the exclamation mark connotes that the stories inside will be dramatic and full of
gossip.
• Verbal codes such as ‘CHRISTIAN ARRESTED!’ “IT’S ME OR THE BABY!” and ‘WHY CARL HAD TO DIE!’ are also in capital
letters and have exclamation marks at the end of them to highlight the drama within the episodes of each soap in the
upcoming week. These are also used to attract the target audience for each of the soap operas, as if a fan of the show
sees that someone is being arrested for example, they are likely to purchase the magazine to find out when the episode
is on and will then watch that episode.
• Subline – gives readers an insight into the main story within the magazine which could then cause them to purchase the
magazine. The subline also has a black stroke effect on the text, meaning it will stand out on the page. Punctuation has
also been used in order to sensationalise the story.
• There is no cross media convergence present on this magazine front cover, as there is no website or social media
presented anywhere on the page. This is because the cross media convergence may be present on the contents page or
elsewhere in the magazine.
• Punctuation has also been used throughout the magazine front cover in order to sensationalise the stories covering the
page, making the audience want to watch the soap operas.

6. Conclusion:
This task has enabled me to compare two different television magazines in order to decide which codes and
conventions I intend to ‘repeat’ (Steve Neale) when creating my own magazine.
I intend to ‘repeat’ (Steve Neale) the colour scheme used on both magazine front covers, consisting of bright colours
such as red and yellow. This is because they are eye-catching, meaning they stand out from other magazines, and they
will appeal to my target audience. I also intend to ‘repeat’ (Steve Neale) the use of punctuation to sensationalise cover
lines and stories, and the large bold text used for the main headline. I intend to ‘repeat’ (Steve Neale) the use of large,
bold text because it stands out on the page and is one of the first things that the audience will look at when first seeing
my magazine.
I will also ‘repeat’ (Steve Neale) the use of punctuation which is present on both magazine covers, in order to
dramatise the stories, and cause the audience to want to watch the soap operas.
There is no cross media convergence present on either of these front covers, however, when I produce my front cover, I
will be sure to include a website and social media idents, in order to appeal to a wider target audience.