Representation in Magazines

Task: Read this MOJO media pack and answer the following questions (in full sentences) in your book.

1. How long has MOJO magazine been around?
2. What is 'at the heart' of MOJO magazine?
3. Why do legendary artists agree to work with MOJO magazine?
4. What is MOJO's mission?
5. Complete the quote 'If you're featured in MOJO magazine _________________'
6. What kind of genres of music does MOJO magazine celebrate?
7. What is the demographic, the mean age, and ABC1 profile of MOJO magazine?
8. What bands does the average reader (Dave) listen to?
9. What type of technology does the reader think is the most authentic?
10. What percentage of MOJO readers have been to a gig in the past year?
11. What three ways can MOJO magazine be  accessed?
12. The digital version of the magazine has what percentage of the music magazine audience share?
13. What is Paul Weller's favourite magazine?

Task 2: Find your own magazine front cover or use the We Love Pop front cover here and complete the table below. You can work in pairs for this task so you can discuss your ideas before writing detailed notes on the handout.

Representation in Magazines by Mrs Downie on Scribd

Representation in Music Magazines

Task: You need to research the musicians referenced in the cover lines on your copy of MOJO magazine. Create a research page outlining the different artists. Print this out and tag into your exercise book.

Task: Answer the questions below.

1. Consider what the choice of artists mentioned in the cover lines tells you about the magazine and its readership. How is the magazine using the artists and their fame to sell the magazine to their target audience? How do the artists help to drive the appeal of the MOJO product?

2. How is representation being used to sell the MOJO magazine product? Read the notes below to help you write your own answer.

In the exam you need to understand how the producers have chosen to construct a version of reality that represents events, social groups and ideas to fit their purposes:

• MOJO wishes to attract a target audience that shares its reverence for ‘classic rock’ so constructs a version of reality that represents musicians as authentic heroes, striving for excellence, e.g. in the photo of Bob Dylan looking towards the distance.
• In contrast, We Love Pop wishes to attract a target audience of young female teenagers so constructs a version of reality centred on social media, appearance and romance.
  
  Question: How and why have stereotypes have been used, including anti-stereotyping/counter-stereotyping:
  

• MOJO’s selection of a cover photograph of a young, white male may be to fit the stereotype of rock musicians – this will enable instant recognition by audiences
• MOJO’s anti-stereotypical positive representation of older people as popular musicians, e.g. the artist from CSNY on the front cover. This may reflect the anti-ageism of an older audience
• In contrast, We Love Pop’s front cover addresses stereotypical female teenagers as loving pink and concerned with (heterosexual) relationships, fashion and gossip.
  
  
  
  Question: Which social groups are under-represented or misrepresented:

      • MOJO’s front cover only represents white male musicians in photographs under-representing female musicians and black musicians - why might this be the case when you consider the magazine's target audience?
• In contrast, We Love Pop’s front cover only represents young adults and appears to exclude older 

people.

Analysis of June's MOJO front cover

Successful media students must understand how conventions are used to create meaning for audiences. You need to be able to analyse your own set product as part of your work on music magazines and being able to compare it with other types of music magazines.

Think carefully how you would use the Media Theoretical Framework to analyse your copy of MOJO.

• Language - deconstruct the magazine front cover using media terminology (the conventions of magazines are all written in your book).
• Audience - explain who the audience is and what uses and gratifications they get from reading this magazine (use the handout which looks closely at audience appeal to help you use the correct media terminology).
• Representation - how is appeal constructed through the content in the magazine? Find out more about the artists featured and consider why they would appeal to the readership of MOJO using your own knowledge.
• Industry - who is generating a profit from the sale of the product and how is that a successful business model in the current context where magazine readership has been declining?

Task: Today's work is all about Media Language. Complete the task included on the handout here. You can print this out, or create your own Microsoft Word document to complete the work.

Music Magazines Mojo Media Language by Mrs Downie on Scribd

Promoting Media Mock Exam Feedback

DO THIS NOW: Write down the date and title in your books. 

Today you will be working through the exam questions to ensure you get your target grade or higher before you take your GCSE exam in one year's time.

TASK: Read through your exam paper and respond to any feedback you have.

TASK 2: Write down Question 1 (below) into your books and then use the following advice to write the correct answer.

Question 1: Identify the organisation that 'age rates' video games in the UK.

Feedback: Many of you wrote down PEGI. PEGI is a system that the Video Standards Council Rating Board uses to rate video games.

Correct Answer: Video Standards Council Rating Board.


TASK 3: Write down Question 2 in your books and then use the following advice to rewrite it.

Question 2: Explain two reasons why a film company would release a video game linked to a film.

Feedback: Many of you were too brief in your response. You need to provide two reasons and explain two of them clearly referring to the Media Industry around film/video game production.

Correct Answers must include reference to:
- branding
- public eye
- publicity
- diversification
- convergence
- profit

TASK 4: Write down Question 3 in your books and then use the following advice to rewrite it.

Question 3: Explain at least two uses and gratification of video games using Blumler and Katz's theory. Refer to The Lego Movie Video Game to support your answer.

Feedback: Some of you clearly did not know the FOUR areas of Blumler and Katz's theory. This is the only theory you need to know in detail at GCSE so ensure you do. To answer the questions you need to apply the theory to the video game.

Correct Answers must include reference to:
- Brief explanation of audience gratification
- Demonstrate an understanding of all FOUR areas.
- Using evidence from The Lego Movie Video Game identify evidence that supports Blumler and Katz theory for at least two.
- Make reference to what audiences gain from playing the game.


TASK 5: Write down Question 4 in your books and then use the following advice to rewrite it.

Question 4: Analyse how genre codes have been used in The Lego Movie poster campaign to appeal to a family audience.

Feedback: Answers, again, were too brief. They need to refer exrtensively to the details within the poster. Too many of you briefly mentioned the features of the poster and made simple references to a non-specific audience. You must ensure that, for higher grades, you are being as detailed and analytical as possible.

Correct answers must refer to: 
- Cast
- Tagline
- Protagonist/antagonist
- Family Audience
- Facial Expression
- action/adventure
- feminism
- Proppian theory (hero, villain, princess, dispatcher etc.)
- Intertextuality
- Representation (feminism, race, gender etc.)

Using media language to create appeal

Mojo magazine always uses similar magazine conventions, or a house style, to create a clear brand. Each edition of the magazine follows a similar layout, uses the same masthead and typography, and offers an audio CD format freebie for readers. Their readers always know what to expect from the experience of reading this brand, however, the content changes for each edition to include a different artist for example. Each Mojo edition is carefully constructed to appeal to the same reader demographic (adult, majority are over 35, middle and working class and male).

The artist featured as the front page key image, the colour and typography are all chosen to appeal to that target audience.

Some of these conventions are used by all magazines, but designers change the magazine colours, typography, language register, layout, choice of front page images and sell lines and freebies to attract the right readers. Look at We Love Pop below and consider how this attracts a contrasting target audience (a young teenage, female, lifestyle, school-age reader).

Task: Subvert the target audience. Imagine Mojo was designed to appeal to the same target audience as We Love Pop readers. What changes would designers and editors need to make to make the new Mojo appeal?
Create your own mock-up of a Mojo magazine for the new target audience. You can create this using Photoshop or Publisher software.
Print it out and then explain the changes you decided to make and explain why they would create appeal for the new target audience. 
Use these questions to help structure your explanation of your mock up product.

1. What key image did you use and why might this appeal to a reader demographic of We Love Pop?
2. What changes did you make to the typography of the masthead and font? How do you think these changes make it more appealing to a younger, female audience?
3. What colours did you use and why?
4. What language register did you use (formal or informal chatty style) and why would this appeal to a younger audience?
5. What graphics did you include and why would these create appeal?
6. What freebie would you entice your readers as MOJO does with the free CD?
7. Did you change the price and why?
8. What slogan did you create to brand your original product?