analysis of magazines

Textual analysis

All magazines are represented differently in order to appeal to their target audience. To help me with my own music magazine, I have chosen three different types of magazines so I can observe the similar codes and conventions magazines use to appeal to their target audience and also to compare the different types of magazines with each other. The analysis will assist me in structuring my own music magazine. The median I am researching into is print.
The three magazines I have chosen to analyse are ‘sugar’ which is targeted at young teen females between the ages of 13-16, ‘TV Hits’ which is a pop music magazine also aimed at teens but of younger ages and the third magazine I will analyse is ‘Glamour’ and this is a women’s fashion magazine.
Sugar is aimed at young teenaged females edited by Susan Riley. Its content focuses on boys, fashion, celebrities, real-life stories about teenagers and other similar matters which all appeal to their target audience. It is a gossip/celebrity magazine. Each and every issue of ‘sugar’ trails the same codes and conventions as other teen magazines such as Bliss, Cosmo Girl and Shout. All the issues of Sugar have the same house style. The ideology and beliefs of ‘sugar’ is to promote different fashion lines, broadcast celebrity’s personal issues as well as help teenagers with problems they are facing. This all helps them make a profit.

The denotation when looking at the front cover of the issue of a Sugar magazine that I am analysing is the bright masthead colour which is yellow. The effect of this is that is stands out from its competitors and consumers are attracted by this magazine before any other. It consists of the vivid colours, large fonts and interesting photos and storylines.
By just looking at the magazine it is visible who the magazine is aimed at because of the celebrity on the cover-which is a young teen female as well as the colours which are stereotypically associated with girls such as pink, yellow and white. The celebrity on the cover is ‘Vanessa Hudgens’ who is teen role model therefore appealing to the target market. Teens aspire to be like her which is why it is so effective choosing that specific model for the cover.

The shot of the celebrity is a medium shot. The image is placed on the right side of the magazine and most of the text is on the left. This is effective as it gives a simplistic design as well as makes it attractive as the celebrity is the dominant feature. Her clothes are dull and quite similar to the colour of the background which is contrasted to the masthead colour. The background is light grey but helps the models face stand out even more. The way the model is posing is innocent and cute which reflects the young audience. The model also has direct eye contact with the camera as this psychologically makes the consumers feel they can relate to the model. This also makes it eye-catching.

The masthead is all across the top of the magazine overlapping the head of the celebrity on the cover. There is no tagline however a short storyline above the magazine name to promote what the magazine consists of. These are all successful ways of endorsing the magazine. The font used for the mast head is the same font which is used in all Sugar magazines which creates a house style. This makes it easier to identify this magazine from other similar ones. However the colour is different each time and goes with the theme each issue has. All magazines have a few colours which are used for the themes. This magazine uses pink, yellow and white. These are all ‘girly’ colours and eye-catching and represent the target audience.

On the cover of the magazine the stories are of teen issues such as teen pregnancy, boys, make up, fashion and gossip. These all make up the genre of the magazine. The magazine contains articles which are part of the genre, for instance this is a gossip magazine so the articles are mainly based on the latest news on celebrities. This helps to differentiate their magazine.








The price and website of the magazine are in very small print just below the masthead along with barcode. This may indicate the unimportance of this information. These are always in the same place for each issue as part of their house style. There are many other elements of promotion that the magazine used, such as; ‘2 mags for the price of one’. This makes the audience feel as if they are getting a cheaper magazine and for a better deal and results in an increase in sales.
This magazine is aimed at young teens who possibly can’t afford to pay a lot for magazines therefore this type of promotion directly appeals to that age group.

The magazine covers also contain quotes of the celebrity interviews which pulls the reader in. This style can help me when designing my own music magazine as I can also use a similar layout styles.

The overall style of the magazine is simple and has easy readership which connect with its audience. Some of the storylines are also boxed and put at a slanted angle for more emphasis. The language on the cover is simple so a bigger age group can understand it. The magazine cover is very successful as it appeals to the chosen target market.

Contents page- sugar

The contents page is very simple and easy to follow. It is on a white back background with three sections. The sections are bordered to frame vital information as well as to make it easy to read. The writing is mostly in black with the same font throughout. Very few colours have been used. One colour that’s utilised is pink and this is the same shade as used on the cover which helps identify it. The sections help it become very straight forward and organised. Organisation is important for a contents page so the reader can easily navigate through it. It has one image of a model in the left top corner showing what’s inside the magazine. Other images are of the double page spreads in the magazine. There is also a column on the left with details of the editors. Very few images are used otherwise is becomes confusing for the reader But enough are used to keep the reader involved. The style is very informal to hold the young readers attention.

Double page spread

I chose to analyse a celebrity interview for my double page spread as this is what I am planning to do in my own music magazine. The double page spread is an interview of ‘The Saturdays’ which are a very popular band amongst the youth of today. One of the two pages is an image of the band so you can straight away identify what these pages are regarding. It also instantly takes hold of the reader. The heading is written across the right page in pink and white which were parts of the colour themes on the front cover. The background of where the text is, is partially purple and white. The denotation this gives one is the fun and exciting personalities of the band as well the interview. Underneath the main heading is a short synopsis of what the reader is about to read. This is written in white over the purple background in a larger font than the main text so it stands out. There are also two images on this page- one in each bottom corner. The use of several photos and less text maybe because of the age the magazine is targeted at. Younger people prefer to visualise things rather than have to read a lot. This makes it very successful. The interview text is laid out in the lower part of the page. The interview is not in columns like most interviews are but instead in 2 boxes. The interview is on a different background to the rest of the page. The double page spread is presented very busy and fun.










Glamour

Front cover

Glamour is women’s fashion magazine and therefore aimed at females roughly aged 20+. It is edited by Jo Elvin. The layout and denotation of the page signifies the target audience including the font and colour. It is published monthly as it is a fashion magazine. Fashion does not change as often so there is no need for it to be fortnightly or daily.

The first thing the consumers see is the name of the magazine which is written at the top, across the magazine. It is in the same style and font all glamour magazines are in to create a house style and have a distinctive feature. However, the colours vary in each issue. In this case the colours used are a bright orange and black. The colour scheme creates a harmonious effect and helps the magazine flow well. The orange is a warm colour and this makes the title appear larger than it is so straight away it catches your eye. The brightness of the colour also moves the text towards the reader and connects with the audience. The black is very contrasting to the bright orange which has a great effect. It creates energy and a vibe for the reader which draws the attention of the reader.
The main part of each story on the cover is in orange (the more eye catching colour) and the rest in black. This grabs the attention of the reader and then lets you read on.
The model on the cover is a well known actress, Scarlett Johansson whom the readers can associate with. The shot is a medium close-up and the model is looking directly in the camera. This engages the audience and pulls you in instantly. It also helps the celebrity look relatable and this increases the number of people who buy this magazine. This makes the image a strong one and creates a visual interest for the reader. There are no other images on the cover to make this one most effective.
The mis-en-scene of this photo represents the audience it is intended to aim at. The model is of a similar age to whom its aimed at and the model is smiling gently to give sophisticated look. The clothes of the model are not very visible and do not stand out as they are a similar colour to the background. This shows the irrelevance of the clothes and importance of the text and stories.
The background of the magazine is very dull and hardly shown as the model takes up most of the space. The model blends in with the background which allows the text to stand out.
The layout of the cover is quite simple-there are not that many stories on there. However, the stories which are included show the ideologies the magazine carries. The topics are typical and the expected topics about women. Such as: weight related issues, sex, hair and make up and men. This shows the stereotype the magazine has adopted. This is similar to the stereotype sugar magazine used but the ideologies were relevant to a younger age group. Nevertheless they are successfully put across.

The barcode is on the bottom left corner so it is not noticed or distracting. It doesn’t ruin the consistency of the magazine. The website of glamour magazines is written just below the magazine mast head and this is the same for all issues.

Glamour contents

There are two pages used for the contents page. Both layouts are very similar. One of them is divided up in 4 sections similar to sugar’s contents page which is also divided up in sections, however, extremely different from ‘TV hits’. This may be because of the different genre each magazine is. The contents page also has a white background to allow the text to stand out. The text is mainly black with exceptions to the sub headings which are pink. The colours are calm and ‘girly’ without making it seem immature. There are two columns, the first with adverts and the second with cover stories and articles in the magazine.
There is one image of a celebrity modelling clothes since it is a fashion magazine. And this keeps the contents page entertaining without making it distracting from the text. The story’s are a lot more detailed than in the teens magazine and this may be because most teenagers do not like to read a lot. Whereas this contents page is classy and sophisticated, reflecting the older audience.

Glamour-double page spread

The double page spread of this magazine is about the celebrity on the cover, Scarlett Johansson. However this interview this very different from the one I previously analysed (sugar). The style and layout have been presented differently. It is not the average question and answer style which mirrors the type of audience which is more intellectual. It is more like an article. It is presented in two columns with large gutters between them. There is also a pull quote in between these two columns which break the body of the text up. This gives it a more interesting and inviting look and not just a sea of writing.
The second page is covered by a large low-angle medium shot of the celebrity. The low-angle shot gives the celebrity a powerful look over the readers. It also demonstrates the importance of the story. The celebrity has been represented differently in this magazine than if she modelled for a different one. She is on the centre of the page posing quite sensuously. Her hair is in a messy style and her clothes are revealing. This manner is appropriate for the target audience. The look of the model represents someone women aspire to be similar to the celebrity in Sugar.
There is a very large drop cap to begin the text. This draws the reader in, however there is no heading-this could be because the celebrity is well known and does not need to be introduced. The image of her gives it away.
The paragraphs are long and the narrative is formal and intellectual.
The font size is also quite small and the text is detailed. The background of the text is white and the text is black. There is not much colour and this portrays the formal style of the magazine.

TV Hits- front cover

TV Hits is a magazine edited by Nick Chalmer, Its genre is pop music. It is aimed at both males and female teenagers. This can be identified through the colours used on the cover. The background is a light blue with white text. This magazine is not sold anymore therefore has created a gap in the market. The magazine was sold fortnightly as it was about the latest music, therefore a new issue must be published more often to keep up with the latest news.
The ideologies TV Hits carries are for the target audience. To present the ideologies, the magazine uses informal language and the narrative is simple. Short sentences are used instead of complex ones to reach a wider age group. The layout and design is also very simple. The magazine represents young pop celebrities and their lives. It gives the latest news about releases of single and albums along with a lot of celebrity interviews. The pages are colourful, bold and entertaining. There are several images to keep the reader hooked.
Its institution is huge. Magazines are published all the time during the year and competition has risen immensely.
Britney Spears is on the cover of the magazine who was a very big celebrity at the time. She is on the centre of the page and is the dominant feature. The shot of her is a medium shot which allows the audience to see her clothes and identify with her. She is smiling and has direct eye contact with the camera to make the readers associate with her. She looks naïve and appealing to the young audience. She is a good celebrity to use for the cover as she was the role model for girls at the time and was attractive for the boys. Part of the mast head is covered by her head which is overlapping it. This is not a very effective style to adopt as it become difficult to recognise the magazine. However this is used as the magazine is well-known.
The mast head is in white covering the top part of the magazine. However, there is no tagline. Above the mast head is a strip going across the page with pop bands names to attract the reader of what is inside. The font of the mast head is in white and stands out. The most eye-catching feature on the cover is the headline. It is also in white and a different font to the mast head. It covers part of the celebrity on the cover with a small caption below it.
The headline is ‘Britney bares all’, the magazine has used alliteration which attracts the reader. There are not many cover stories but this one pulls you in. There is a small caption beneath the headline which gives a few details of what this story is about.
There is not a noticeable colour scheme going on but white is primarily used. The design is generally simple however the font sizes are quite large and occupy and large space on the cover which is why there is less text.
There is a column on the left hand side with stories which gives an inside look.
There have been a lot of photos used on the cover since it is aimed at young teens and they prefer photos than all the writing.
My connotation of the magazine is that they present the codes and conventions of a music magazine well. The cover of this magazine is completely different from other genres. When looking at this magazine you can clearly tell that it is of a music genre. This is because of the celebrity on the cover, the cover stories are more so the layout. The people on the cover are only music related celebrities. Overall it is an attractive and eye-catching however the colours are a bit dull.

TV Hits-contents

The first feature that catches ones eye when looking at the contents page are the several images. The contents page is very busy and detailed. The detail can be confusing when navigating through it. the details of the pages is given in a black text box on the left top corner of the page. The rest of the background is white similar to the previous two I analysed. This may be because a lighter colour is less distracting. The images are all of different sizes with page numbers and small captions on them to direct the reader to the page associated with that celebrity. Along the bottom is a text box with details of the editors, publishers and other people that worked on the magazine. There is not a lot of text which shows the fact that it is aimed at a young audience. The layout of this page is also informal.

TV Hits-Double page spread

The double page spread is off another interview. I chose to analyse this double page spread as I intend to do an interview for my double page spread and analyses one will help me design mine. The double page spread is very bold and eye catching. The first page is completely covered by an image of the celebrity. The image overlaps on to the second page. The photo if of Britney Spears and is a close up shot. Her clothes and style is casual to make her more relatable to the audience.
The text is on the second page and is divided in two columns. This is allows easy readership, especially as the questions are in blue and the answers are in black. The third column is segregated from the rest of the text. It is bordered and is based on a slightly different topic. It shows Britney Spears throughout the years. There are five images of hers-some overlapping each other and all with captions. The overlapping is another way of presenting the informality of the magazine. The captions with each photo help make the images more clear.
A pull quote has also been used at the end of the interview in a larger font to break the flow of the interview and make the page more appealing. The background of the double page spread is white allowing the text to stand out.
This layout and style of the interview is very similar to ‘sugar’ magazine as they are both aimed at a similar age group. This magazine is different from ‘Glamour’ as the genre is different. The whole magazine content varies. They all contain different stories and have diverse codes and conventions.
The common feature in all three magazine covers is that they all have a main storyline. Sugar and TV hits have the placement of the barcode in the same place however Glamour doesn’t. The models on all three of the magazines are females; mainly because their target audience are females. By looking at the magazine it is easy to see how they have different ideologies. TV Hits presents the latest music whereas Sugar is more about teenage issues. Glamour is a fashion magazine nevertheless includes story’s that involve women’s lifestyle.
All three of the magazines contents pages are based with a white background. I will also use is in my magazine as all the magazines I have seen and analysed so far have white backgrounds. I found this to be effective as it allowed the text to project. The music magazine is the only one which uses many images-the other two have very few. I found that fewer pictures are more effective as the purpose of a contents page is to aware the readers of what is found inside the magazine. I felt as the use of several images became distracting and unsuccessful. The double page spread of the three magazine share similar beliefs. They all have very large images of the celebrities and I will include this in my own music magazine. All the images in the double page spreads have captions. Before the magazine begins there is a short introduction which I will also include in my own magazine.


Analysing these three magazines have helped me design my own magazine. I have noticed similar codes and convention which I must use and I now know what styles I can alter with. I have found using a large image is very effective as it is eye-catching and immediately draws you in. I am planning to make an informal magazine also aimed at young female teens and I have noticed that both the magazines aimed at younger people have a very basic structured interview, with a question and answer style.