Summary P.116-P.128

Magazine
Naomi Hodkinson

On the cover of magazines, they may appear: the title, the tagline, price, data of publication, main image with anchorage, possible straplines, sidebars or puff trailing features or cover lines. Most of magazines have a content page and editor's section, and some advertising.

Analysing a magazine: the cover

• The magazine's title: what connotations does it carry? Nuts for instance connotes craziness, but also crude masculinity.
• The strapline or tagline? These can be linked to brand identity and the title's values and to give the ideas to the audiences whether the magazine is for men or women.
• The fonts and colours used. What do they suggest about the title and target audience?
• The main image: often a woman gazing into camera, she may be sultry and alluring, showing lots of skin for the male gaze; while on others, she will be friendly, unintimidating and fully clothed.
• The anchorage and cover lines - these will reveal a great deal about the title's ideologies and target audience. What kinds of story does this magazine cover?
• Other tactics may range from the use of stars and celebrities, to sensationalism and cover-mounted 'freebies'

Analysing a magazine: between the covers

• The contents pages - these offer not only an overview of the features but a sense of the title's brand identity through mode of address and design style.
• The editor's letter - this is part of the magazine's brand identity and connection with its audience; a personal touch.
• Two-page spreads - Traditional grids work in a two or three column format and are formal looking.
• The advertisements - given magazines' highly specialised audiences, the advertising they carry is also precisely target.
• IPC - American-owned and part of the biggest media conglomerate in the world, Time Warner, which also incorporates the internet provider AOL. Titles in its stable include Now, Nuts, NME and Pick Me Up etc.
• EMAP - previously a major player in the industry, but sold its magazine business to Bauer in December 2007.
• Bauer - a German company whose titles include FHM, New Woman and Empire etc.
• Conde Nast - in the UK, Conde Nast's titles include Vogue, Easy Living and Garden etc.