The Big Issue - magazine
Media language for analysis of newspapers:
- Design and Layout: rule of 3rds, structured/unstructured, negative/positive space.
- Typography: font types;Serif/Sans Serif, size, colour.
- Verbal codes: slogans, emotive language, choice of words, Buzz words.
- Non-verbal codes: images, costumes/props, positioning, make up, juxtapositions, camera angles.
- colours: colour theory
How can we analyse representations in Magazines?
Media contexts: Social, Cultural, Political contexts
- it is showing Brexit to be something which is divided by the UK very strongly.
Institutions
The Big Issue - history and achievements
Launched in 1991 by Gordon Roddick and A.John Bird in response to the growing number of rough sleepers on the streets of London.
They believed that the key to solving the problem of homelessness lay in helping people to help themselves. Vendors buy the magazines with their own money and sell them at their own profit or loss.
The Big Issue Foundation was established in 1995 to link vendors with the vital support and services which help them address the issues that led to and have arisen as a result of experiencing homelessness.
It has provided services and referrals to address issues around housing, health, fitness, education, employment, and personal aspirations; helping Big Issue vendor to regain their independence and turn a livelihood into a life.
In the last decade, they have achieved over 40,000 positive outcomes with their vendors alone.
In 2015 over 2000 vendor's achieved record levels of personal outcomes and their impactful, cost-effective work included:
Their objectives are:
'Vendor-centric' - charity work is led by the hopes and aspirations of Big Issue vendors.
'Inclusive' - social and financial inclusion at the heart of their philosophy
'Non-judgmental' - they work with anyone who is prepared to engage with self-help.
Other examples: not in the exam
October 2017- what are the audience appeals to this front cover?
March 2018 - what are the issues of representation on this front cover?
March 2018 - How is intertextuality used on this front cover to present the main cover star?
Explain how the representations in magazines reflect their contexts. Refer to The Big Issue covers you have studied to support your answer. [10 Marks]
The representations in magazines reflect the content on the front cover. For example, in The Big Issue cover 'All Rise', Lin-Manuel Miranda is represented as a subverted stereotypical Latino male. Latinos are often represented as illegal immigrants with strong accents, involved in criminal activity however Lin-Manuel is shown as a complete opposite as he is shown to have a more friendly face. Similarly, he is wearing a beige casual shirt showing his down to earth and ordinary personality perhaps contrasting from a stereotypical Latino male in show business.
tight clothes
illegal immigrants
strong accent
involved in criminal activity
Analyse why The Big Issue magazine has used an intertextual approach to Brexit on its front cover. [15 Marks]
In your answer you must: Analyse the use of intertextuality to create meaning in the source. Make judgments and reach a conclusion about the advantages of this use of intertextuality to The Big Issue Magazine.
- age
- gender
- disabilities
- places
- race/ethnicity
- sexuality
- class
Media contexts: Social, Cultural, Political contexts
Contexts= the wider issues surrounding a media text, its production and those who created it.
When applying contexts consider the following:
How does the text reflect society or a particular culture?
How far is a media text influenced by society or a particular culture?
Does the text play a part in the society of a particular culture?
Politics - A Brief Overview
A number of political parties active in the UK- the biggest three are Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrats.
Political viewpoints are defined as being left-wing, right-wing or centralist.
Political context:
- reflection - does the product give the consumer any info or knowledge about the political climate at the time of its production?
- messages - is product bias? is it trying to promote any particular political viewpoint? is it trying to disparage or criticize any other political viewpoint?
- influence - has the product been influenced by political viewpoint or ideology?
- Three ghosts in the background - representing other party leaders as looking over Boris and mocking him.
- Using a wig on a pumpkin - this is representing him as a scary but also silly subject. Not serious.
- 'Let the big issue ease your Brexit Blues' - suggest that it might make fun of Boris and the Brexit situation. The reader is predominantly against it.
- Orange background- typical Halloween colour. Has connotations of autumn, pumpkins, dying, October, apocalyptic.
- Blonde wig- mocking PM Boris Johnson using the wig, expression and the headline 'Trick or Treaty?' Pun.
- Context- UK were to leave the EU on 31st Oct. 'Treaty' - an agreement
- The expression of the pumpkin looks quite scared.
- Font - cliche scary/horror font.
- intertextuality- 'The nightmare before Christmas' main character is a Jack'o lantern. As well as the Brexit issue is a nightmare.
- ghosts - like vultures waiting to swoop in.
- Moon & Pumpkin- night time/old wives tale of the pumpkin at midnight deadline. Is Boris going to be exposed?
The big issue - background
- niche magazine outside the commercial mainstream.
- part of a larger organization and movement to help homeless people.
- financially independent and therefore not owned by a commercial company.
- the organisation allows registered vendors (homeless people) to work selling the magazines and receives half of the cover price for each copy sold.
- it provides a contrasting example of how media language can be used to construct alternative representations that appeal to particular audiences.
The Big Issue case study 1
- the magazine is dealing with the issue of Brexit in a comical and irreverent way.
- it is showing Brexit to be something which is divided by the UK very strongly.
- it is poking fun at this fact and portraying it to be something absurd that fits into a fictional comedy world better than it does into reality.
- it is using intertextuality very strongly with its references to Alan Partridge and Malcolm Tucker.
Key representations -
Key representations -
The UK:
Divided along very clear lines. Both sides at war with each other.
Brexit:
A ridiculous and rather absurd idea which is bringing division and hostility to the UK.
Divided along very clear lines. Both sides at war with each other.
Brexit:
A ridiculous and rather absurd idea which is bringing division and hostility to the UK.
Media language analysis >>
- font and style of the headline resemble an old fashioned boxing promotional poster.
- Union Jack's background contextualizes the whole text regarding the whole of the UK and has associations with patriotism and racism.
- Cartoon-style of the images shows that the issue is also somewhat cartoonish and ridiculous.
- The use of intertextuality shows the magazine's view that the issue is rather absurd and fits well into a fictional satire rather than reality.
- The differences between the two figures are apparent even though the two are actually similar. they only real difference is the cosmetics - the colour of the tie.
- Smaller cartoon of Armando Iannucci himself is comical and perplexed, showing the magazine's attitude toward Brexit.
- The black and white Big Issue logo represents the diametric opposition in views.
- The font and style of the headline resemble a theatrical/musical show poster. Relates to his career. The gold colour makes it appear special and grand. Could connect to his culture and lifestyle.
- Gold glitter falling from the top suggests sparkle and magic to the issue.
- The black and white Big issue logo represents the magazine.
- 'Exclusive interview' makes the reader want to read if they are fans of the actor. Gives the magazine a unique part of the story.
- Facial expression - direct eye-contact/direct address.
- Body language - finger- link with 'rise'
- He is Puerto Rican - comes under the BAME umbrella.
- Positive representation of a Latino background. He is a Latino American.
- Subverting the stereotype of a masculine male.
- 'From the heights of Hamilton to His Dark Materials' - his journey is being represented. heights to dark.
- indigo/blue/purple - mystery/magic/royalty
- gold - fame
- beige shirt- represents him as an ordinary guy despite his lifestyle
Categories of magazines
Niche magazines: Emu Today and tomorrow, Improve your coarse fishing, Smooth Jazz
Mass magazines: Heat, FourFourTwo
Special interest
Automotive titles
Young Women's magazines
Entertainment
- The five big players used to be:
- Emap - Bauer Media group/Ascential
- IPC Media - Time Inc
- National Magazine Company- Hearst Magazines UK
- Conde Nast
- Dennis
The Big Issue - history and achievements
Launched in 1991 by Gordon Roddick and A.John Bird in response to the growing number of rough sleepers on the streets of London.
They believed that the key to solving the problem of homelessness lay in helping people to help themselves. Vendors buy the magazines with their own money and sell them at their own profit or loss.
The Big Issue Foundation was established in 1995 to link vendors with the vital support and services which help them address the issues that led to and have arisen as a result of experiencing homelessness.
It has provided services and referrals to address issues around housing, health, fitness, education, employment, and personal aspirations; helping Big Issue vendor to regain their independence and turn a livelihood into a life.
In the last decade, they have achieved over 40,000 positive outcomes with their vendors alone.
In 2015 over 2000 vendor's achieved record levels of personal outcomes and their impactful, cost-effective work included:
- teaching transferable sales and customer service. skills
- enabling and advocating for decent accommodation, access to mainstream healthcare and access to employment, training, education, and volunteering.
- facilitating the establishment of support networks made up of other The Big Issue vendors, customers, and specialist service providers.
Their objectives are:
'Vendor-centric' - charity work is led by the hopes and aspirations of Big Issue vendors.
'Inclusive' - social and financial inclusion at the heart of their philosophy
'Non-judgmental' - they work with anyone who is prepared to engage with self-help.
Other examples: not in the exam
October 2017- what are the audience appeals to this front cover?
- Well known celebrity/actor from 'Game of Thrones' (Kit Harington). A well-known program that has been promoted and could have possibly been the final season at the time.
- Direct address- makes the reader focus on his eyes. Very dramatic. Seen as masculine/powerful.
- 'Game-changer' suggests that he changes the storyline as he plays the main character in 'Game of Thrones'. The reader wants to know why he changes the game - they read on.
- The font is covered with fire suggesting he is doing something bad. 'Game' is bigger than 'changer' so this is emphasized as it relates to the show that he stars in.
March 2018 - what are the issues of representation on this front cover?- Will.i.am is part of the BAME community, therefore, representing the minority. He has a stern/uninterested expression connoting he is annoyed with what is going on around him.
- 'I'm going back to the Ghetto with my robotics program' - shows his background. 'Ghetto' is slang for is home or town that may not be very nice. 'The robotics program' shows his nerdy background. It could link with the design of the face on the poster as it is futuristic and strange.
- The red background represents a negative in contrast with the yellow glow around Will's face. This could represent the negatives of his background and young life and how his success has improved and bettered his life.
March 2018 - How is intertextuality used on this front cover to present the main cover star?
Explain how the representations in magazines reflect their contexts. Refer to The Big Issue covers you have studied to support your answer. [10 Marks]
The representations in magazines reflect the content on the front cover. For example, in The Big Issue cover 'All Rise', Lin-Manuel Miranda is represented as a subverted stereotypical Latino male. Latinos are often represented as illegal immigrants with strong accents, involved in criminal activity however Lin-Manuel is shown as a complete opposite as he is shown to have a more friendly face. Similarly, he is wearing a beige casual shirt showing his down to earth and ordinary personality perhaps contrasting from a stereotypical Latino male in show business.
tight clothes
illegal immigrants
strong accent
involved in criminal activity
Analyse why The Big Issue magazine has used an intertextual approach to Brexit on its front cover. [15 Marks]
In your answer you must: Analyse the use of intertextuality to create meaning in the source. Make judgments and reach a conclusion about the advantages of this use of intertextuality to The Big Issue Magazine.
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