Component 2-section-b-magazines

Masculine and Feminine
traits
• Preferred Colours
• Clothes
• Toys
• Jobs
• Leisure Activities
• Responsibilities in the Home
• Drinks on a Night Out
• A Typical Night Out
• Favourite Genre of Films
• Typical Character Qualities
• Starter: brainstorm a list of
traditional gender traits using the
following headings as a guide.

What does it mean to be a
Man or a Woman?
• Sex refers to the biological and
physiological characteristics that
define the differences in men and
women.
• Gender refers to the socially
constructed roles, behaviours,
activities that society considers
appropriate for men and women.

What do you notice
about these two
magazine covers?

Component 2:
Section B
Magazines
Tuesday, 11 February 2020

Component 2: Media Forms and
Products in Depth
• Written examination
• 2 hours 30 minutes
• 35% of qualification
• 90 marks
• Section A: Television in the Global Age
• Section B: Magazines – Mainstream and
Alternative Media
• Section C: Media in the Online Age

Magazine
Terminology
• .
• Task 1: On the sheet,
match each term to its
definition
Masthead A magazines’ usual look or style of presentation –
all products linked with the magazine will use this
house style and use the same colour pallet and font
etc.
Central
Image
The name or title of a magazine, this usually indicates
the genre, ideology and target audience.
Cover line The main cover line is smaller than the masthead but
larger than over cover lines – this is what is included
in the contents of the magazine
Anchorage
Text
The largest image on the magazine. This is often a
celebrity who is featured in the main story. The
celebrity might be promoting something personal to
them like a film, music video or campaign.
Strapline Short, snappy extra information about the magazine
Cover Star Created through image and language – this can be
direct or indirect lines of communication with the
audience.
House Style Price, barcode, date. Price can suggest how
sophisticated a magazine is or who the target
audience is.
Mode of
Address
Text that links to the main story and reinforces,
underpins or holds down its meaning or purpose.
Unique
selling point
(USP)
Something exclusive about the magazine, this might
be the cover star, an incentive, and branding or colour
pallet.
Graphic
Features
Features created by technology such as a logo,
barcode or images.
Sales, ‘issue’
and
publication
details
A famous person, usually featured in the central
image. Their ‘star power’ is used to sell the magazine.
Convergent
media
The merging of the magazine with other forms of
media such as the internet and social media. This is
often indicated by logos or a web address.

Component 2
Section B: Magazines
The Big Issue –
Contemporary Magazine
Produced outside of the commercial
mainstream.
Vogue 1965-
Historic Magazine, before 70s
Mainstream & commercial

Section B: Magazines
• The magazine industry is the UK is very competitive.
• Thousands of titles compete for readers and sales.
The Media Framework requires you to learn and understand:
1. The media language of magazines- communicate meanings,
forms, codes, conventions, techniques
2. Representation- portrayal of social groups and social identity
3. The magazine industry- production, distribution and
circulation.
4. Audiences-how to target, reach and address audiences, how
audiences interpret and respond to magazine products.

Defining the Magazines as a Media Form
A magazine is a PERIODICAL publication containing a collection of
articles that are targeted at a particular audience.
The key modes of communication are through IMAGES and TEXT.
Magazines are usually printed on higher quality paper.
They are usually stapled or bound.
They are not expected to be up to date.
There has been a growth in online magazines
and the industry has begun to adapt to the
different demands of the digital age.
In the 50s/60s magazines had to fight for survival
during the rise of the TV.

Defining the Magazines as a Media Form
Magazine circulation peaked in the 50s and early 60s.
Magazines are still a highly visible part of everyday life.
In addition to the arrival of the TV, what other
factors could affect readership numbers,
causing circulation figures to fall?

Magazine
masthead/title
block give
clues about the
brand and the
genre.

What does the masthead used in magazines suggest about the
product?
-Decode, connotations.

What does the masthead used in magazines
suggest about the product?

What does the masthead used in VOGUE suggest
about the product?

How does this cover of Harper’s Bazaar use imperatives?
Can you spot any
other language
codes (devices)?
What do you notice
about the mode of
address?

How does this cover of Harper’s Bazaar use imperatives?
Can you spot any
other language
codes?
Imperatives (command
statements)
Hyperbole
Alliteration
Sibilance

Women's Lifestyle Magazines
Why has there been a decline in the circulation of print
magazines?
These type of magazines have existed for many years and
cover a range of different subgenres:
1. Glossy monthlies
2. Weekly magazines
3. Home-focused magazines

Typical codes and conventions of women’s magazines are:
1. Stereotypically female
interests: fashion,
beauty, sex and
relationships, health,
travel, cookery and
home features.
2. Advice columns
3. Aspirational-
represents an ideal
lifestyle
4. Celebrities, desirable
fashion items.
5. Careers/financial

Set product
1. Vogue, published first in
Britain in 1916 to present day.
2. This copy is from 1965.
3. Vogue is a monthly women’s
fashion magazine.
4. The magazine is
mainstream/commerical.
5. The original American
magazine was launched by
Arthur Turnure in 1892.
6. Since 1909 it has been
published by Conde Nast.
7. Printed on glossy paper,
known as a ‘glossies’.
8. Aspirational, luxurious look.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
_RpqPyqd4tQ
10 mins

.
Set product
What typical features of
a women’s lifestyle
magazine are shown on
this historic cover of
VOGUE?
1
2
3
4
5

.Set product
What typical features of a
women’s lifestyle
magazine are shown on
the cover of VOGUE?
1. Main image of a famous
celebrity
2. Direct address
3. Images linked to fashion,
beauty, body image, feminism
4. Colour palette- consistent
5. Alliteration

.Use the Codes and Conventions of
Magazine Covers worksheet to
analyse/annotate the covers of WIRED
and ELLE.

Distinctive
masthead-iconic part
of the magazines
branding, easily
recognisable, even if
it is concealed by the
main image.
Cover lines are
generally placed
around the main
image.
Minimal cover
lines means that
the magazine relies
on the strength of
the image to sell
the text.
Colour
palette:
Masculine
colours of
black, red
and white
connotes a
more high-
tech look.

Distinctive
masthead- iconic
part of the magazines
branding, easily
recognisable, even if
it is concealed by the
main image.
Cover lines are
generally placed
around the main
image.
In this magazine
the cover lines
convey the
impression that the
magazine is
packed with
content.
Colour
palette:
Softer palette
of pink, grey
and white
which
connotes
femininity,
elegance and
sophistication.
Integration:
The model is
cleverly
integrated
within the
masthead.

The Main Functions of a Magazine Front Cover
1. Indicate who the magazine is intended for- TARGET AUDIENCE
2. Indicate the genre
3. Help the magazine stand out
4. Establish brand identity
5. Persuade potential readers to
buy the magazine.
6. Front covers have to be different
every time so that the reader
feels like they are getting
something new- this is important
to encourage repeat purchase.
7. Readers will expect to see the
house style repeated in each
periodical.

A diverse range of Vogue front covers to keep the readers engaged.

Semiotic Analysis of Magazines
• Semiotics is a key theory you will need to use when
analysing magazines.
• This theory is primarily concerned with signification-the
process through which signs convey meaning.
• Signs are composed of 2 key elements:
1. A signifier- the form of the sign, image, written
word.
2. A signified- the idea or concept that the signifier
tries to get you to think of.
Complete the SIGNIFIER and SIGNIFIED worksheet.

The main image/photo of
Lily Donaldson is the
SIGNIFIER.
The SIGNIFIED is the
person the photo
represents.
The model has
additional signficance;
she signifies beauty and
elegance.

Paradigms (choices)
Media encoders have to make sure they use the right signs
(words, images, colours, & fonts) so that they convey the
correct meanings.
The set of options an encoder has to choose from is called
a paradigm.
For example, fonts, colour schemes, image selections.
By choosing one over the other the encoder can change
the meaning of a text.

. Paradigmatic Choices
Imagine if the encoder swapped the outfits of the models, a
different set of meanings would be created. Representations of
gender would be greatly affected.
Similarly, if the masthead fonts were swapped, meanings
would be altered.

Syntagms (choices are linked)
The encoder also has to make sure that the
paradigmatic choices link together, this is
called syntagms.
In magazines, syntagms occur because the
images, fonts, colours, tag lines, mast head,
lexis, layout and design all have to line to
convey a certain meaning.

How is the colour
scheme in this
front cover a
syntagm?

How is the colour
scheme in this
front cover a
syntagm?
• Dress
• Eye make up
• Fonts
• Lipstick

.Set product
Explore the connotations of the
signs that are used and the
significance of the paradigmatic
choices that the encoder has
made.
Signifiers:
Signified:

.Set product
Signifiers:
• Colour palette
• Jewellery
• Makeup
• Fonts
Signified:
• Glamour
• Luxury
• Wealth
• Beauty
• Confidence
• Desire
• Sexuality

Inside the magazine
1. Alley- the space between the columns of text.
2. Gutter- the space between two pages of text in a
magazine.

Inside the magazine
1. A busy layout can create a lively dynamic feel.
2. White space can be used to create a cleaner, more
sophisticated look.

Main components of a magazine article:
1. Title or headline- establishes the subject
2. A stand-first or strapline or kicker- follows
the headline and provides more information.
3. Pull quotes- extracts drawn from the article,
usually in a different font.
4. Body copy- main text of the article
5. Images
6. Captions- anchor the images.
Activity: Teacher to provide an article from Vogue.
Annotate the article, identifying the 6 features on this slide.

Social, Cultural and Historical Contexts
Magazine codes and conventions have developed in relation
to changes in society.
When analysing VOGUE, 1956, you have to be aware that it
is a product of its era, and that it relates to outdated social,
cultural and historic context.
1. Rise on consumerism in the 50s/60s
2. 60s was a time for sexual revolution
-female liberation, the pill, financial independence
3. 60s was a time of cultural revolution- new trends,
fashiom, films.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFZcrADRUxc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ulhqpTPz1E
Theorist: James
Curran claims
that magazines
became a part of
the ‘shop and
spend’
movement after
the tough 40s.

Gender Representation in Women’s Magazines
Gender socialisation is the way in which we learn about what is
expected of us as men and women (stereotypes,
masculinity/femininity).
Women’s magazines offer guidance on female
identity:
• Fashion
• Beauty
• Sex
• Relationships
Readers are instructed on how to look, act and behave.
The magazines convey messages about who the reader should be
and what it means to be a woman.
Women’s magazines are powerful, and shape cultural
understanding of gender identity.

.Set product
How has gender been
represented?
Are traditional
representations reinforced?

Theorist: David Gauntlett’s Theory of Identity
Gauntlett argues that the
representations of gender that
circulate in the media are diverse
and more complex than those of the
past.
He suggests “we no longer get
straightforward messages about
ideal types of male and females,
instead the media offers us many
possibilties.”
According to Gauntlett, the media
provides us with the tools and
resources and we choose our own
identity/sense of self.

.Set product
Apply Gautlett’s theory.
1. Does the cover/articles support
Gauntlett’s claim that
historically representations
offered singular, straightforward
messages about ideal types of
male and female identities?
2. To what extent do the
representations differ from those
found in women’s magazines
today?

Domesticity and Gender Stereotypes in Women’s Magazines
One of Gauntlett’s main stereotypes that he identifies in
magazines of the past is the idealised figure of the perfect
housewife.
This stereotype has a long cultural history,
as women were historically placed in the
domestic sphere.
The happy housewife image was prominent
in the 50s and 60s.
By constructing domesticity as a feminine ideal, these
magazines were reasserting traditional gender roles.

Betty Friedan
• Betty argues that the stereotypical
image of the ‘happy housewife’
supported patriarchal
understandings of gender.
• This message of ‘a woman’s place
is in the home’ reinforced gender
inequalities.

Alternative Gender Stereotypes in Women’s Magazines
Women’s magazines in the 60s were so interesting to look at
because of the contrasting messages and images that were
starting to circulate during this era.
Many magazines did continue to reinforce the message that a
woman’s place was in the home, whereas others offered a
more progressive representation of gender, reflecting growing
sense of female liberation and independence.

Alternative Gender Stereotypes in Women’s Magazines
NOVA magazine.
Launched in 1965 as an
alternative to the
Traditional women’s
magazine.

Representations of Female Beauty
Women’s magazines play an important role in constructing
cultural ideals of female beauty.
Majorie Fergusan points out that women’s magazines
constantly tell women to ‘Be More Beautiful.’
Readers are constantly encouraged to
scrutinise and evaluate their own
appearance.
Women’s magazines can instil anxieties,
not just build confidence.

In what ways
could this advert,
taken from
Women’s Realm,
be seen to offer
contradictory
messages
regarding female
identity?

Representations of Female Beauty
Readers are encouraged to buy various beauty products.
Readers are turned in to consumers.

Representations
of Female
Beauty
Readers are
encouraged to buy
various beauty
products.
Readers are
turned in to
consumers.

.Set product
1. What messages does the magazine
convey about female beauty?
2. How is female beauty defined?
3. How is the reader positioned in
relation to the representations the
magazine has to offer? Are the stars
and models constructed as
aspirational figures?
4. To what extent does the magazine
define a woman’s value in terms of
the way she looks?

Representations of Race, Ethnicity and
National Identity
Mainstream women’s magazines have often been criticised for a lack of
racial and ethnic diversity.
Beyoncé, Rihanna, Michelle Obama and Naomie Harris have all appeared
on the front covers of magazines recently, it could still be regarded as
tokenistic- under representation.
Whitewashing occurs when lighting, set-ups and editing are used to make
the skin tone appear lighter.

Industry:
The Economic Context of Magazine Publishing
You need to understand the influence of economic factors on the
publishing of Vogue.
Magazines can be funded through the cover price or subscription
costs. Many magazines have dual revenue streams as they rely on
money from advertising to fund production.
Magazines need to attract advertisers that will pay for them to
advertise their products.
Publishers sometimes cut the cover price or give away free copies to
boost circulation, making the magazine more appealing to advertisers
as this broaden their target audience.

Hearst magazine decided
to cut the cover price from
£3.80 to £1 in 2015.
Circulation rose by over
50%.
This helped to re-establish
Cosmopolitan as market
leader on the women’s
magazine sector, making it
more attractive to
advertisers.

Industry:
Ownership and Control in the Magazine Industry
Curran and Seaton’s theory of power and media industries
states:
1. The media are controlled by a small number of companies
driven by profit and power.
2. The general trend in media industries is towards a greater
concentration of ownership.
Concentration of ownership is often caused by horizontal integration-
publishers merging together to eradicate rivals, join together to produce
and sell. This reduced competition as power is in the hands of fewer
companies.

Theorists: Curran and
Seaton
Claim that horizontal
integration has a negative
impact on industry and
audiences.
They claim that media
concentration can limit
variety, creativity, quality and
choice for the consumer.
Companies are unwilling to
take risks – RISK AVERSE,
and focus on minimising
costs and maximising profits.

IPC in the 1960s:
A Vertically Integrated Media Conglomerate
During this time, a series of acquisitions and mergers took place
in the magazine industry, resulting in the creation of:
IPC = International Publishing Corporation, 1963
The companies that merged were:
1. Mirror Group- newspapers
2. Odhams Press- magazines
3. George Newnes- magazines
4. Fleetway- magazines
IPC
Is a conglomerate, an
organisation involved
in a variety of different
businesses.
IPC owned printing-
plants, making it a
powerful conglomerate.

IPC established itself as the
‘largest newspaper and
periodical printing group in
the world.’
IPC in the 1960s:
A Vertically Integrated Media Conglomerate
1. Mirror Group- newspapers
2. Odhams Press- magazines
3. George Newnes- magazines
4. Fleetway- magazines
IPC
High concentration of
media ownership-
companies working
together, more
power/influence.
• 9 newspapers
• 78 magazines
• 126 trade journals
• Book publishing
Vertical integration- where 1 company purchases another

Conde Nast and Advance Publications
IPC controlled the weekly women’s market during the 60s.
The publishers below remained highly competitive during this
time:
1. National Magazine Company- Good Housekeeping,
Harpaar’s Bazaar
2. Conde Nast- Vogue and House
and Garden

Conde Nast was one of the first publishers to launch
international editions of its magazines.
Vogue was originally American, but in 1916 a
British edition was launched, followed by Vogue
Italia and Vogue Paris.

Unlike IPC, Conde Nast did not own any printing plants in
the UK, only in the USA.
It did have a long-term contract with the Sun Engraving
Company which gave it access to some of the highest quality
printing presses in the country
Since 1959, Conde Nast has been owned by the American
media company Advance Publications.

Regulation
The magazine industry is largely self-regulated.
The government can refer concerns to the Competition and Markets
Authority.
The main aim of the this group is to ensure the industry remains
competitive and that consumers are not negatively affected by
monopolies and oligopolies.
During the 1960s this was carried out by
the Monopolies Commission.
Monopoly: 1 company takes control, is
dominant
Oligopoly: small number of companies
take control, are dominant.

Regulation today
Nowadays there are some differences in terms of how magazines are
regulated.
1. Editors Code of practice- details, accuracy privacy, harassment.
2. Airbrushing and CGI can mislead readers, regulators need to address
these issues.
3. Independent Press Standards Organisation, IPSO, members are
required to publish annual statements providing details of any
complaints, outlining how they will comply with the Editors Code.
Visit the IPSO’s website:
https://www.ipso.co.uk/
Make more detailed notes on the IPSO’s Editor’s Code

Audience
Grouping and Categorising Magazine Audiences
1. Magazines generate revenue through advertising.
2. How much a magazine can charge for advertising space
depends upon the size of their audience.
3. Grouping and categorising audiences is vitally important in
the magazine industry.
4. Publishers need to be able to demonstrate that they can
reach particular demographic and psychographic
groups in order to persuade advertisers to buy space in
their publications.

Audience Categories
Audiences can be categorised by media industries in a number of
ways:
1. Age
2. Gender
3. Class
4. Income
5. Lifestyle and needs

Demographic profile:
categorising audiences by
dividing them in to groups
including, age, sex, income,
education, occupation,
household size, marital status,
home ownership.
A & B are
the
wealthiest
and have
the most
disposable
income.

Psychographic profiling
-categorising audiences based on personality, values, opinions, attitudes and
lifestyle. (VALS)
Young and Rubicam is a
New York Advertising
Agency who developed
a method of categorising
people into recognisable
stereotypes that reflect
their motivational
needs.
Four Consumers 4Cs
1. Cross-cultural
2. Consumer
3. Characteristics
VALS and
needs
include:
Security
Control
Status
Individuality
Freedom
Survival
Escape
Grouping Definition
Mainstreamer 40% of population, like security, tried &
trusted brands, persuaded by value for
money, less likely to take risks
Aspirer Want status and prefer brands that show
their place in society, live on credit and
will buy designer labels, stylish and
dynamic and may be persuaded by
celebrity endorsement.
Explorer Like to discover new things, attracted by
brands that offer new experiences
Succeeders People who already have status and
control, and have nothing to prove. They
prefer brands that are serious and reliable
and believe that they deserve the best.
Reformers Self esteem and self-fulfilment.
Innovative and less impressed by status.
Not materialistic and are socially aware.
Buy brands that are environmentally
friendly/healthy.

Audience
Most publishers provide potential advertisers with:
1. Readership figures
2. Circulation data
3. Demographic profiles
4. Psychographic profiles
5. Ages of their readers
6. Socio-economic profile of their reader
7. Tastes, habits of their readers
8. Spending habits
Explore the Media Pack for Vogue UK
http://www.condenastinternational.com/media-kits-rate-cards/
This
information
is provided
in a Media
Pack
produced
by the
publisher.

Readership and Circulation
NRS- National Readership Survey
ABC- Audit Bureau of Circulation
Both play an important role in the magazine industry.
They provide publishers and advertisers with data.

NRS- National Readership Survey

Audience Profile Task
Using Vogue, create a demographic and psychographic
profile based upon the articles and adverts.

Theorist: Gerbner’s Cultivation Theory
• Gerbner believed that exposure to a repeated pattern of representation
over time will shape and influence the way in which people perceive the
world by cultivating views and opinions.
• His theory focuses on the effects of long term exposure and that audience
views are shaped or cultivated by patterns of representations.
• Since magazines are read regularly, this theory could apply as the
messages encoded in the magazine will influence the readers.

Theorist: Stuart Hall
Revise:
He accepted that audiences were ACTIVE not PASSIVE.
They would react/challenge to a message encoded within a product.
He states that there are 3 ways an audience may respond to a media product:
1
2
3
Audience accepts the
dominant reading &
interprets the messages
contained within the products
in the way the producer
intended.
NO CHALLENGE.
Audience accepts some
of the product’s
messages and disagrees
with others.
NEGOTIATE & SOME
CHALLENGE
Audience does not agree
with the values and
beliefs in the text.
CHALLENGES ALL
Hall’s reception theory- how might magazine
readers use this?

Set product
REVISE…
• Vogue 1916-
• Monthly
• Women's fashion
magazine
• Launched by Turnure
in 1892
• Published by Conde
Nast

Quick Questions
1.What is meant by the house style of a magazine?
2.Marjorie Ferguson pointed out that in traditional
magazine covers the female face is decontextualised
and there is a general absence of background. Why
do you think this was?
3.What do the terms paradigm and
syntagm refer to?

Set product
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYO-TeBzYWY

Set product 1991-
Set edition is 17th- 23rd
October 2016
Weekly current affairs and
entertainment magazine.
Primary focus is to provide
those who are homeless or
experiencing poverty to
earn an income as street
vendors/
Published by Dennis and
The Big Issue Ltd.
Non-
commerical/mainstream

Analyse/compare the front covers using the worksheet.

Set product Annotate your text
Current affairs and entertainment
magazine- HYBRID magazine.
• Social and political issues.
• Popular culture- film, TV, music
This includes:
• Profiles of artists, actors,
directors…
• Celebrity interviews
• Reviews and previews of films,
TV, music…

Genre Hybridity:
Combines politics and entertainment.
The publisher states that including
more mainstream/populist content will
appeal to a broader audience and
therefore the street vendors will sell
more copies.
“we’re here to sell as
many papers as possible
in order to give work to
the homeless.”

Structuralisy Theorist: Claude Levi-Strauss
Meaning is dependent upon and produced through BINARY
OPPOSITIONS.
This is a theory developed by Claude Levi-Stauss, a French theorist who
proposed that narratives may be structured around pairs of opposing forces.
Heroes versus Villains
Abstract concepts include beauty, happiness, rather than something that exists/objects.

Structuralist Theory:
Claude Levi-Strauss
In relation to magazines, the ways in which men and women
are represented in binary opposition to one another may
construct or reinforce particular understandings of masculinity
and femininity- (Gerbner, Hall)
Binary
oppositions can
reinforce the
patriarchy.
-1960s
housewife

The tag line
‘A hand up not a hand out’
sets up a series of binary
oppositions:
1. Charity v social enterprise
2. Begging v working
3. Dependency v independence
4. Rich v poor
5. Employed v unemployed
6. Home v homeless
These binary oppositions are
fundamental to the magazines
ethos of transforming the lives of
the street vendors.

How does this
historic Vogue
construct binary
oppositions
between men and
women?

Representations of Gender
Theories of Identity: David Gauntlett
One of Gauntlett’s main stereotypes that he identifies in magazines of the past is the
idealised figure of the perfect housewife.
He claims “in contrast with the past we no
longer get straightforward messages about
types of males and females.”
Gauntlett suggests that since the 60s “the
mass media has become more liberal and
challenges traditional standards.”

To what extent do these products support the idea that
representations of gender today are more fluid, complex and
varied than they were in the 60s?
• Do the representations in The Big Issue appear more liberal?
• How traditional are the representations in Vogue?

Feminism
Feminist Theory: Liesbet Van Zoonen
A key area in her theory is the idea that gender is constructed
through discourse- words, speech, communciation.
She rejects the idea that gender is stable.
Van Zoonen suggests that researchers need to “unravel
both the dominant and alternative meanings of gender
encoded in media texts.”

Applying van Zoonen’s theory
1. What ideas do the magazines convey about what it means to be a man or
a woman?
2. How are notions of femininity or masculinity constructed?
3. What do you notice about the discourse used in the magazines? Do they
empower or limit women?
4. Do the magazines challenge or support dominant discourses of
masculinity?
5. How has the culture/time of writing of the magazines influenced the
representations of gender?
6. How are the representations between the 2 magazines different?

Feminism
Feminist Theory: Liesbet Van Zoonen posed these
questions that a feminist analysis must consider:
1. Why are women’s magazines popular
among women?
2. Does the popularity imply an
acceptance of the dominant messages
encoded within?
3. How are they consumed in everyday
life?
4. What do they mean to the women who
enjoy them?
5. How are audiences pleasures and
feminism linked?

Feminist Theory: bell hooks
A key idea that underpins this theory is that
feminism is the struggle to end sexist/patriarchal
oppression.

Feminist Theory: bell hooks
This oppression can affect how men see women, but also how women see
themselves.
Bell hooks points out that females have been “socialised to believe the sexist
thinking and values as males.”
The idea that a woman’s worth is determined by her looks is a common sexist
way of thinking.
Women’s magazines place significant importance on female
beauty, which supports bell hooks’ argument.

What evidence can
you find to suggest
that female readers
are socialised to
believe that their
value rests solely on
their appearance?

Feminist Theory:
bell hooks
Body Image
Bell hook focuses on how unhealthy
body images are now projected as a
cultural ideal.
Magazines have been criticised for using
thin models and promoting the notion
that thin is beautiful.
The inclusion of plus size models is often
tokenistic.
Body shaming is everywhere- too fat, too
thin.

Representations of Race and Ethnicity
How far do the 2 magazines suggest that representations of
race and ethnicity have changed over time?
• Black, Asian and minority groups have generally been
under-represented in UK magazines.
• The lack of racial and cultural diversity is influenced by the
lack of diversity of the people working in the magazine
industry.

• Edward Enninful became the first black editor-in-chief of
Vogue in 2017.
• He has discussed the need to make the magazine more
inclusive and ethnically diverse.
His first
cover as
editor.

Ethnocentrism, Otherness and
Racial Stereotyping
• Ethnocentrism and othering are linked with
representations of race and culture.
• These are about differences and power inequalities.
• ‘Others’ are inferior to the dominant group.
• Stereotyping is common.

Ethnocentrism, Otherness and
Racial Stereotyping
Alvarado et al identified 4 stereotypical
representations of ‘others’:
1. The exotic
2. The dangerous
3. The humorous
4. The pitied

Compare the front covers of Vogue:

Race in The Big Issue
Joel Hodgson now works in a law firm, having previously
been a Big Issue vendor.

Set product
1. How does the
magazine
represent the issue
of homelessness?
2. How does it
respond to the
under-
representation and
misrepresentation
of homeless
people?

Industry: Mainstream and
Alternative Magazines
Mainstream Media
Vogue
Alternative Media
The Big Issue
Large scale Small scale
Aimed at large audiences Specific communities,
disadvantaged- homeless, poverty
State-owned or commercial- Conde
Nast
Independent of government or
mainstream markets
Vertical integration Horizontal integration, greater
audience access
Professionals Non-dominant representations
Influencers- dominant ideas and
representations

The Economic Context of Magazines
• Independent publishers still need
to generate enough profit to
survive.
• Published by Dennis and The Big
Issue Ltd.
• How do the adverts
in The Big Issue fit
in with the brand
values?

The Economic Context of Magazines
The Big Issue’s business model is primarily
designed to support the homeless/poor by
enabling them to become street vendors.
Over the past decade, the magazine has
diversified, moving in to different business
areas.
1. The Big Issue Foundation- funded
charity
2. The Big Issue Invest
3. The Big Issue Shop

The Impact of Recent Technological
Change on the Magazine Industry
Magazine Production
• One of the most important changes has been the rise of DTP- desktop
publishing.
• Computer technology and design programs have revolutionised production, and
made it easier for independent companies to work independently from larger
publishing houses.

The Impact of Recent Technological
Change on the Magazine Industry
Magazine Distribution
Technology has changed the way that magazines are distributed.
Traditionally:
1. Retailers were persuaded to stock the magazines
2. Delivery had to occur at the right time and with the correct
number
3. Marketing/advertising the magazine
4. Importing and exporting the magazine
Nowadays, magazines have a digital presence.

Technological Change: Digital Distribution
Digital platforms have
been useful as audiences
can now access the
magazine who couldn’t
otherwise (remote areas or
no vendors in their areas).

Technological Change: Digital Distribution
Multi-platform
distribution
service for digital
magazines.

Digital Convergence in the Magazine Industry
Digital convergence allows publishers to
disseminate content across multiple platforms.
Some magazines have adopted a digital first
approach to production.

Regulation
Theorists Livingstone and Lunt
Livingstone and Lunt argue that the
convergence of media technologies have
placed regulation of the media at risk
(harder to regulate).
In other words, its harder to regulate,
check and control digital magazines/texts.
Globalisation also poses a problem for
regulation. Magazines can be downloaded
around the world.
The Big Issue is digital via Zinio.
IPSO has recognised that online content
needs to be regulated.
Revise this on the next 2 slides taken from earlier in the unit.

Power, Control and Media Concentration
Power and Media Industries Theory:
Curran and Seaton
Curran and Seaton suggest that the magazine industry is controlled by a
small number of companies.
Curran and Seaton’s theory of power and media industries states:
1. The media are controlled by a small number of companies driven by
profit and power.
2. The general trend in media industries is towards a greater
concentration of ownership.
3. Media concentration limits variety, creativity and quality.

Audience Targeting
• Magazines like Vogue target a mass audience. Others
are aimed at more specialised niche audiences.
VOGUE
UK audiences
Mainstream
The Big Issue
Circulation in 1965:
139 000
Circulation in 2017:
83 073

Marketing and Distribution
1. Magazines target audiences
through the content and appeal of
their products.
2. Digital technologies and platforms
reach specialised audiences.
3. The internet and social media have
become important when marketing
a magazine.
4. Twitter and Facebook are
commonly used to alert readers
when a new issue of a magazine is
about to be published.
5. Links are created between the post
and the magazines website.
6. Hashtags encourages readers
participation and viral marketing.

Marketing and Distribution
1. The internet and social media can target different
demographics.
2. The Big Issue’s digital editor recognises the need to attract
a younger audience.
3. To promote the 25th Edition the magazines co-founder, John
Bird, appeared on The One Show, BBC1, peak time and on
BBC 4’s late show Westminster Hour.

How magazines construct their audiences
As well as targeting audiences, magazines can construct their
audiences.
Revise Gerbner’s Cultivation Theory on the
next slide.
The Big Issue also targets audiences in the following ways:
• Shapes and influences audiences understanding of
homelessness and social inequality.
• The magazine challenges the dominant discourses
surrounding poverty and homelessness.
• The magazine aims to change public perceptions, shaping
the values, attitudes and beliefs of its readers.

How audiences use and interpret magazine products
• Hall’s Reception Theory outlines the different ways in which an audience
may read or decode media products- see the next slide to revise this
theory.
• Bulmer and Katz’s Uses and Gratifications theory looks at how media
products can be used by the audience to satisfy different needs.

How Audiences Interact with magazines
The Big Issue is written by
professional journalists,
however, the magazine
provides a space for the
vendors to tell their own
stories in the ‘My Pitch’
section.

Magazine
Theorist
Summary
available as a
word.doc.

Knowledge Tracker
1. Defining magazines as a media form
2. Masthead connotations
3. Language conventions in Harper’s Bazaar
4. Women’s Lifestyle magazines-codes and conventions
5. Vogue basic analysis
6. WIRED and ELLE codes and conventions analysis
7. The main functions of a magazine front cover
8. Semiotic analysis of magazines
9. Paradigms and Syntagms- applied to Elle and Vogue
10. Inside the magazine- alley, gutter, white space, anchorage
11. Magazine genres- women's magazines, James Curran
12. Representation
13. Gauntlett’s Theory of Identity
14. Domesticity and Gender Stereotypes in Women’s Magazines
15. Betty Friedan
16. Alternative representations-NOVA
17. Representations of female beauty
18. Representations of race, ethnicity and national identity
19. Industry, economic control, horizontal integration
20. Curran and Seaton
21. IPC and vertical integration
22. Conde Nast and advance publications
23. Regulation
24. Audience- Vogue Media Pack, NRS
25. The Big Issue
26. Front cover analysis
27. The Big Issue genre hybridity
28. Levi-Strauss- binary oppositions
29. Gauntlett- representations of gender
30. Feminist Theory: Liesbet Van Zoonen
31. Bell hooks- feminism, body image

Knowledge Tracker
32. Race and under representation
33. Industry- mainstream and alternative magazines
34. Economic context
35. Impact of technological change
36. Digital distribution- Zinio
37. Regulation- Livingstone and Lunt
38. Power and Media Industries Theory: Curran and Seaton
39. Audiences
40. Marketing and Distribution
41. Gerbner’s Cultivation Theory
42. Hall’s Reception Theory
43. Bulmer and Katz’s Uses and Gratifications
44. Audience interaction
45. Key theories

Theorist Tracker
1. Roland Barthes: semiotics
2. James Curran- shop and spend movement in the 50s/60s
3. Gauntlett’s Theory of Identity
4. Curran and Seaton- media power profit and control
5. Gerbner- Cultivation Theory
6. Stuart Hall Reception Theory
7. Levi-Strauss Binary oppositions
8. Gauntlett- representations of gender
9. Feminist Theory: Liesbet Van Zoonen
10. Bell hooks – feminism
11. Livingstone and Lunt- regulation theory
12. Power and Media Industries Theory: Curran and Seaton
13. Gerbner’s Cultivation Theory
14. Bulmer and Katz’s Uses and Gratifications
15. Key theorists summary

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