Conventions of a magazine double page spread.

Learning Objectives: To create a rough out of a DPS in preparation of MS2 coursework.

Key terms: Image, quote, celebrity, stand first, by lines, colour scheme

Codes and conventions of a double page spread

Task 1: 

Rough out a DPS and submit for feedback if you plan to create this for your pre production or production.

For this double page spread on Adele, a large image has been used that covers more than half of the page. This striking image will capture the reader's attention straight away and invites them to read this interesting article. A simple title in black offers a brief overview of what is included in the next couple of pages; the readable font shows the idea that text can be interesting and informative at the same time. 

Representation of gender

Learning objective:
Explore the representation of gender in the Media.
To further research texts dealing with the issue of gender and describe the different ways that men and women in the media challenge gender conventions.

Key terms:
Subversion of stereotypes - This is where a media text presents an alternative and different representation that 'plays with' or challenges audience expectations.

When analysing a text, state if the characters are Challenging stereotypes?

Beth Ditto

Lindsay Lohan

...Or re-enforcing stereotypes. As in these examples of representation of gender.

What are the impact of the representations on the audiences – are they likely to be negative or positive?

Again, the effects of gender representation is shown here.

Task 1: 

List 5 female actors or music artists that conform to traditional stereotypes and 5 females that challenge the stereotype. Say where and when they can be found.

Key Figure: 
Laura Mulvey - is a feminist film theorist whose work on the sexual objectification of women through 'male gaze' can be used to analyse a range of media texts, films, ads, magazines etc.

When it comes to representation, you need to show that you have explored these areas:

• The role of selection, construction and anchorage in creating representations.
• How media texts use representations and the effect those representations have upon audiences.
• The points of view, messages, and values underlying those representations.
• You will be expected to have studied a range of examples of representations in media texts and you must be able to write about them using key media terminology.

Women:

The representation of women in the media has developed and adapted to reflect cultural and socialogical changes. As women's roles in society have undergone a transformation, this has been reflected in some areas of the media.

However, there are still some stereotypical representations of women where they are defined by how men see them and how society expects them to look and behave. 

Women still tend to be judged on their looks and appearance foremost.

Representations tend to concentrate also on their sexuality; emotions and narratives tend to be based around relationships.

The way in which the representation of women is constructed in texts like glamour magazines is unrealistic and instills unattainable aspiration in the audience.

In an examination response it is important that you explore the representation of gender at a sophisticated level and go beyond basic discussion of positive and negative, it is much more complex than that.

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The representation of Fearn Cotton as the cover image on Cosmopolitan (October 2011) magazine would appeal to both men and women.

In simple terms, women want to BE her and men want to BE WITH her.

The cover line related to her defines her very much in terms of a relationship and of emotions; 

'Being in Love'.

The image is constructed through visual codes, costume and mode of address. 

The image is ambiguous; her posture and body language are strong but she is also very sexualised.

She is defined in terms of her body image and her size.

By highlighting her 'firm thighs' the magazine presents this representation as that which every women should aspire to.

The other cover lines suggest the discourse of the magazine and represent women in terms of beauty, sex and consumerism.

The sell lines of 'miracle beauty buys' gives hope to those readers who do not look like the female construction of the magazine. The representation is obviously unrealistic and the construction includes image manipulation such as airbrushing to give a representation of perfection. Unattainable for most ordinary women.

When you are discussing areas of representation such as stereotyping, you must be sure to analyse the representation according to the context in which it appears and the purpose.

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Subversion of stereotypes

Whilst there remain many stereotypical representations of women in the media, there are also texts that are constructed to challenge these representations. These texts hold messages that offer a more realistic or refreshing representation of women in the media today. In film and television we see more and more women who have key roles and that are active rather than passive. They are defined by what they do, rather tan what is done to them. They are less the victim and more the hero.

Some texts cleverly play with accepted stereotypes in order to challenge them. This is true of the GHD hair straighteners Twisted Fairytales campaign.

Here the stereotypical representations of women are subverted to create strong women who do not have to rely on men to rescue them. The campaign uses Rapunzel, Cinderella and Little Red Riding hood, in each case they leave the stereotypical male hero behind in a twist at the end. 

In the print advert above, RRH is shown to be both sexually attractive and purposeful. She engages in a direct mode of address with the audience. The iconography and graphics remain that of a fairytale but the representation is very different (as the rhyme indicates)..

However, it is also true that, although the women are strong and independent and over come the men in the GHD campaign, they are also stereotypically beautiful and it is their beauty aid, hair straighteners that are deemed responsible for their success.

In this respect, the representation of women in the campaign is ambiguous.

Task 1:

Write 200 words about the representation of women in the Persil ad below

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Men:

Key terms:

New man - this was a term introduced to describe a new breed of men. These men rejected sexist attitudes; were in touch with their feminine side and were therefore not afraid to be sensitive, caring and could sometimes be seen in a domestic role.

A good example of a media text that reflects this changing role is James Bond, here the representation of men has become more acceptable.

Key Figure: 

David Gauntlett - in his book 'Media, gender and identity considers the changing representations of men and women in the media. He also discusses the Pick and Mix theory. This suggests that audiences are active rather than passive and will choose what to do with the media rather than having the media manipulate them.

Stereotypically, men in media texts are represented differently from women but their representation, like that of women, has changed in order to address changes in society.

There have been many cries that masculinity is in crisis and that men no longer have a traditional role to play in society as they once did.

However it is the case that men, just like women have had to change their roles and this has been reflected in their representation across a range of media texts. With the advent of the 'new man' there appeared different representations of masculinity. 

However, even when disguised as a new man, representations of men in the media still tend to focus on the following:

• Body image and physique
• Physical strength
• Sexual attractiveness and relationships with women
• Power and independence

One media area that has developed dramatically is the men's magazine market. Now men as well as women are given aspirational and unrealistic role models to emulate.

Men too have to be concerned about their weight and body imageand buy into an unattainable lifestyle through the representations presented to them.

Men's Health magazine is now the best selling men's magazine, overtaking FHM in 2010.

Below is a constructed image that defines men very clearly.

The central image is one of perfection and has clearly been manipulated to present the 'perfect body' image.

The mode of address is direct and the use of imperatives is commanding and powerful.

However, as this is a new man, he is also concerned about his health and his diet, but reverts to a more traditional type, refering to sex rather than relationships.

The cover lines include quick fix problem solving to suggest a healthy lifestyle and acquiring this body is easy.

The body language of the model suggests that he is proud of his shape and is self obsessed, looking away from the audience.

However, there still exist in the media the more stereotypical representations of men in strong roles defined by their power, independence and their ability to survive against all the odds. These representations tend to be associated with particular genres, for example the action film, still largely the domain of the male protagonist.

In Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, the audience is presented with James Bond, the action hero. The iconography that places him in this role is evident in these stills from the film; dinner suit, gun, action shot and the beautiful woman.

However, on closer analysis, this representation is more ambiguous and reflects the new man that is James Bond.

The woman is not an accessory; she is next to him and has clearly been part of the action. His bow tier is missing and his suit is dishevlled. His expression is not the usual cool and calm, but moody and unhappy. In another shot he is seen as protecting the female and looking intimidated himself. Different to the old James Bond.

Task 2:

Write 200 around words on the representation of men in the three texts, 

American Sniper, 

Casino Royale and 

Men's Health.

Audience categories Maslow

Learning objective: Application of audience theory to media texts.

Success criteria:
Discuss the audience of Outnumbered.
Discuss audience interaction with reference to UGT.
Discuss audience interaction with reference to Reception theory and NRS categories.

• Key words: Self Esteem,

Hierarchy of Needs
An American psychologist, Abraham Maslow, suggested that we all have different layers of needs. We have to achieve certain needs before going on to the next layer. Basically we all need to be able to eat and sleep in safety before we can go on to more complex social needs, such as getting married.

His Hierarchy of Needs suggests that once people have their basic needs met like housing, food, safety, shopping, technology, and a job they can then go on to satisfy successively ‘higher needs’ that occupy a set hierarchy or system of ranking.

Maslow studied well respected people such as Albert Einstein, and American presidents, and he studied one percent of the healthiest college student population. He came up with this pyramid where basic needs are at the bottom and at the top something called ‘self actualisation’. This describes a person who has gained the respect of a lot of other people  and has a high level of self esteem and self respect.


Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Task 1: 
Copy Maslow's hierarchy of needs into your orange books.

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So what has this to do with media texts? 
It is very relevant to advertisers, and institutions that carry advertising – newspapers, cinema, television and radio channels.

Maslow’s upper levels at the top of the pyramid are about self esteem and gaining the respect of others. 
This can be linked to the idea that consuming particular media texts fulfils self-esteem, as does buying certain products.

In a nutshell, Maslow is suggesting that if you buy a new pair of trainers of the right brand as shown to you on in the media, then you will feel better about your self, because you have the respect of other people. Maslow's hierarchy can easily be linked to UGT when considering how audiences are targeted.

Can you prove or disprove this theory from your experience?

Task 2: Consider the theory we have looked at in relation to audiences viewing the clip below:

WHAT are they informed of?

WHAT are they learning about family dynamics/dilemmas of family life?

Is it entertaining and if so WHY?

Task 2: 
Identify reasons for audiences to view this show. (UGT)
What NRS categories might the show appeal to? Why?
What position will the audience take when consuming the text? (Reception theory).

Audience categories NRS

You will learn how different audiences consume different media texts according to disposable income, age and needs.

• Key words: Psychographic. Mass. Niche. Demographic.  Uses and Gratification.

Audience theory provides a starting point for many Media Studies tasks. Whether you are constructing a text or analysing one, you will need to consider the destination of that text (i.e. its target audience) and how that audience (or any other) will respond to that text.

Remember that a media text in itself has no meaning until it is read or decoded by an audience.

Ways of categorising audiences/users and audience/user composition. 

Media Audiences an Introduction 

Psychographics is the study of personality, values, attitudes, interests, and lifestyles.[1] Because this area of research focuses on interests, activities, and opinions, psychographic factors are also called IAO variables. Psychographic studies of individuals or communities can be valuable in the fields of marketing.

“A media text is always created for a particular audience and will usually appeal most to this target audience.”
These audiences can be categorized and how the target audience is made up affects the media language employed by and the commercial viability of a text. 
The key thing to remember about the media industry is that it is a money making indu$try. What this means is each media text is a product that needs to be made for, and sold to, the right target audience in order to gross a profit.
In other words, everything is done with the target audience in mind.
Due to this being the case a lot of money is invested in audience research and the industry will refer to key theories when considering how to attract/represent this group.

 MASS AUDIENCE: 

Mass audiences are basically large mainstream audiences who consume mainstream or popular culture (Marxist would claim that this audience is largely made up of the ‘working class’), such as Hollywood films, Eastenders, reality TV, Premiership football, simple Hollywood, tabloids etc.
High culture, by contrast, is usually associated with broadsheets, opera, ballet and BBC Four.

 NICHE AUDIENCE: 

A niche audience is smaller than a mass audience but usually very influential. E.g. those that Marx would define as upper class/middle class, who controlled the media and may wish to see ‘high culture’ programs. Hence the launch of BBC Four for those who wish to hear/see artistic high culture programs.

Niche audiences don’t have to be this group though, they can be any small, dedicated group who advertisers feel are worth targeting or creating products for.
Examples could include, certain films (e.g. 'adult' movies - which can not really be called ‘high art’), fishing magazines, farming programs, underwater knitting!

When media text producers profile their audience they take into account AUDIENCE DEMOGRAPHICS (class/economic status, gender, age, geographical location) along with their viewing preferences/needs: 
In other words, they think about the following before developing a text...

1) What social class will the primary target audience fall under?
2) What gender is the primary target audience?
3) What age will the primary target audience be?
4) What nationality will the primary target audience be?
5) What values do the primary target audience have? (Ideology).
6) Audience appeal - what will the primary target audience be looking for in a text? (UGT).

They then think about how they can best represent their primary target audience through;
genre, narrative, characters, cast, locations, cinematography, sound, editing, advertising etc.

Key Theories 

The following theories are all taken into account when profiling, representing and pitching to audiences:
Class: One of the most common ways of identifying a target audience is the social-economic model. Even though this model, used by the NRS (National Readership Survey Ltd), has been used for a long time, it is still useful way of identifying an audience and deconstructing a text.

The basis for the system is money – A/B audiences for example are assumed to have more spending power than CDE audiences. However, it is also presumed AB audiences prefer high culture (e.g. art-cinema, broadsheets and late night art programs on TV). While C/D/E, who stereotypically like Hollywood commercial films and consume more texts, make up a lager proportion of society making this the 'mass audience.'

Task 1: 
List each NRS category.
Give two examples of media texts that would suit consumers from each category.
Show the audience demographic using the first five points above.

Audience categories Young and Rubicam

Learning Objective:  

How different audiences expect media texts to satisfy their wants and how to categorise these audiences.

• Key words: Young and Rubicam, Cross Cultural Consumer Characterisation, Four C’s.

THE FOUR C’S (cross-cultural consumer characteristics): 

This is one of the earliest, but still most popular, ways of profiling audiences. It profiles the audience in terms of wants and needs, not simply demographic. The model divides audiences into 7 types but there are four main categorise for us to consider.

• Mainstreamers

• Aspirers

• Reformers

• Succeeders

The categories can be defined as follows:

 • Mainstreamers; this is the largest group. They are concerned with stability, mainly buying well-known brands and consuming mainstream texts.
People that follow the crowd.

• Aspirers; seeking to improve themselves. They tend to define themselves by high status brands, absorbing the ideologies associated with the products and believing their status alters as a result.
People living a 'champagne lifestyle on a lemonade budget'

• Succeeders people who feel secure and in control – generally they are in positions of power. They buy brands which reinforce their feelings of control and power.
People with lots of money and can afford more high class products

• Reformers; idealists who actively consume eco-friendly products and buy brands which are environmentally supportive and healthy. They also buy products which establish this ‘caring and responsible’ ideology. Individuals (highly media literate, expects high-production advertising and buys product image not product, requires high-profiling sophisticated advertising campaigns).
-People who are worried about ethical issues/want to change the world

Task 1:

Assess which of Young and Rubicams 4C's are being targeted in the print based ad

Magazines and audiences

Learning objective: To explore how magazines target audiences.

Key terms: 
Active audience. This describes an audience who responds to and interprets the media texts in different ways and who actively engages with the messages in the ways suggested here.
Passive audiences. This describes an audience that does not engage actively with the text. They are more likely to accept the preferred meaning of the text without challenge.  this also suggests that passive audiences are more likely to be directly affected by the messages contained within the text.

• Encode
• Decode

Audience positioning

Media texts are constructed in order to place audiences in a particular position in relation to that text. Audience positioning concerns the relationship between the text and responses an audience may have to that text.
The producers of the texts encode the text with signs and messages and the audiences decode these messages.
Different audiences will decode the same text in different ways and will therefore have a different response.

The Encoders are those who produce the texts - in the case of a magazine this would involve:

• Editors
• Journalists
• Photographers
• Designers

In question 2C or 3 of the MS1 exam you may be asked to discuss how media texts position audiences.
You must support your points with specific examples.

How do media texts position audiences?

Use of stereotypical good looking people
Mode of address
Language used, slang, colloquialisms, hyperbole, imperatives etc
Content that deals with relevant issues for the audience
Sell lines with free gifts

This may enhance audience pleasure in the text.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is important in your analysis

Task 1: 
List how you think conventions have been used in the magazine below and how may these position the audience.

Audience responses

Key words: Stuart Hall

The positioning of audiences by media texts suggests that the audiences shouls accept the messages contained within the text and decode the text in the way expected by the text's producers. However, audiences do not all respond to the texts in the same way.
They may accept or challenge the messages encoded within the text.
Stuart Hall accepted that audiences were active, not passive and suggested that there were three main ways in which audiences may respond to a media text.

There are a few important things to remember about the three different positions that we can take.

Preferred Reading

Is not just about 'liking' a text - you must understand what the purpose of a text is and agree with its ideologies and the messages it carries.

Oppositional Reading

Is not just 'disliking' a text - there are many reasons why someone may take an oppositional reading - but whatever these reasons are, the audience member must understand what the intentions of the text are, but reject them.

Negotiated Reading

Can be the case whereby an audience member agrees with some ideologies and not others, but it can also be the case where the audience doesn't fully understand the intentions of the text - or is confused about the purpose of the text.

Responses can be affected by social and cultural backgrounds e. g. gender, ethnicity etc
Situated culture. This means a response is dependant on how we consume the text. Reading alone at home, reading on a tablet, watching in a cinema with other people.
Age can affect response
Active and passive readers
Notions of polysemic readings of different texts. Barthes' ball of thread.

Task 1:

Discuss reasons for the three different possible readings of the magazine cover below.

Work in pairs. Bullet points.

Magazine covers continued

Learning objective: To explore magazine covers and identify visual codes, layout and design, language used.

In the construction of magazine covers, editors are able to encode messages for readers to decode by using visual codes. For example:

• Use of colour e. g. the use of black and white, connotations.
• Clothing and physical appearance will appeal to the target audience.
• Body language of the models in the photographs
• Facial expression and gaze
• Photographic codes - angle, shot type, composition
• Lighting

Task 1: Explore the visual codes shown above within the magazine cover below and make bullet point notes in your orange books.

Layout and design are also very important in appealing to readers of magazines.  The aspects to consider are:

Typography e.g. font style, size, colour

Use of graphics

Design techniques e. g. corner banner, strip, sell lines

Cropping and editing

Composition, placement of images.

Task 2: Explore the aspects of layout and design shown above within the magazine cover below and make bullet point notes in your orange books.

Magazines will also use a language of there own to address the readership. You need to be able to identify the language used and say why it would appeal to the target audience.

Task 3: Explore the language used within the magazine cover below and make bullet point notes in your orange books. Consider:

Connotations of the title, cover lines, sell lines, Mode of address e. g. imperatives, rhetorical questioning, quotations.

Persuasive techniques e. g. alliteration, hyperbole, ellipsis

Use of slogans

Intertextuality