Front Page
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NME was firstly started as a music newspaper but during the 1980s transformed into a magazine format. It was named ‘NME’ because it stands for ‘New Musical Express’ which is shortened to stand out. ‘New Musical Express’ means that the magazine contains new music and expresses music. The masthead is white with the full meaning under the masthead in smaller font size. The white suggests new music which links with the masthead. NME is currently published by IPC media who also publish ranges of magazines from health to fashion. Some examples include: Country Life, InStyle, Look, Teen Now, Rugby World, Sporting Gun and many others. NME is released weekly and currently charging £2.40 which is a reasonable price which allows students and young adults being able to afford the magazine. The magazine also has other media platforms including a website, network sites including: MySpace, Facebook and Twitter, they also have a YouTube channel. The magazine can also be accessible via iPhones such as apps. This enables a wide range of audiences being able to access the magazine and the website therefore keeps audiences interested.
The target audience of this magazine are late teens and young adults. Firstly, the adverts found inside are of alcohol which would clearly be bought by teens over the age of 18 and adults. Secondly, articles are supported with photographs of gigs and concerts which is noticeable the audience in the photographs are late teens and young adults. This shows that the magazine is targeting late teens and adults as they are more likely to go to rock gigs and concerts than younger teens this is because most gigs and concerts have an age limit. For this issue of NME is targeting males this is because most articles contains photographs and articles about male bands which is more likely to attract males as males are more likely to listen to male bands than female bands. Yet, this could also target females as non-typically some females enjoy music and male bands more than female bands.
The front cover of this issue of NME the cover image is split into four allowing the viewer to see the whole band separately. The background of the image is light brown; this could suggest the genre of the band which is indie rock. This could link with their genre as light brown suggests light and easy following. The images of the males are all mid-shots starting with the male top left who is staring into the camera, which gives an eye contact sense towards the viewer and he is wearing a black top with a jean jacket. The black suggests danger yet simple and formal but with the jean jacket it gives a casual feel to the image which could reflect his personality. The male on the top right has a natural facial expression yet his body language which is head back to the side allowing his hair to cover his face. This shows that he’s a rocky type and could have a fun and interesting personality. He is wearing a black top suggesting yet again he’s wide but could be very formal. The male on the bottom left is also doing a natural facial expression which gives off a serious vibe. He is also wearing a black top this gives a casual but formal vibe as the top is casual yet the colour black is formal. Lastly, the male on the bottom right has his head faced to the side which contrasts to the rest of his band members this could suggest he’s the lead singer. He’s wearing a white shirts and a jean jacket; even his clothing contrasts to his band members, as the rest are wearing black yet he’s wearing a white shirts showing that he’s pure and different. The jean jacket gives him a casual vibe towards the viewer. The other images on the front cover are of bands and artists during a concert with a guitar. This shows further that the target audience is males in their late teens and young male adults. Also, the front cover features a flash, saying “22 page special Who to see. How to party”, this clearly is targeting late teens and could possibly be mid-teens as during those teen years typically teenagers go partying. Also, the front cover includes ‘Reading 2012’ and ‘Leeds 2012’; this is advertising the music events to attract the target audience to those events. The colour and types of graphics used on the front colour are because for example ‘The Vaccines’ which is running through the front cover is white which contrasts to the image which is behind making the title stand out. With parts of the main cover line being smaller font size and yellow this contrasts with the main cover line name of the band. This allows the reader to understand and spot what the issue is about. The advertisement for the music events on the top right side is on yellow background which contrasts to the main image and therefore stands out and grabs the reader’s attention. NME magazine cover contrasts to some other music magazines such as Kerrang, which is a heavy rock magazine whilst NME is more an alternative rock. Kerrang uses dark and bold colours whilst NME uses colours that are lighter and simpler. Kerrang uses bold fonts whilst NME fonts are simpler which clearly shows the sub genres of the music magazines.
The style of NME is quite simple; firstly the issue date is in a formal font, this shows that the magazine is formal and serious. There are only a few images and cover lines around the front cover which is basic and very simple yet the magazine looks interesting and different. This allows the reader to look at the main image therefore attracting them to the magazine. The magazine doesn't look cheap yet not too expensive; I personally think the price could be much higher from a price range of £3 to £4.50. This is because the magazine includes articles with famous bands and event information which is easy for the reader also the magazine is in a style of a vintage newspaper which personally I think seems interesting and different from other music magazine therefore the price should be higher. NME is one of the cheapest rock type magazines but Kerrang is cheaper as it’s charging at £2.20. MOJO music magazine is around £4.60 and Q magazine is over £3.99. This shows that NME is one of the cheapest music magazines in the industry this could be because there is limited interest in rock music or that as NME contains most alternative rock music that is a sub-genre and is not popular.
The target audience of this magazine are late teens and young adults. Firstly, the adverts found inside are of alcohol which would clearly be bought by teens over the age of 18 and adults. Secondly, articles are supported with photographs of gigs and concerts which is noticeable the audience in the photographs are late teens and young adults. This shows that the magazine is targeting late teens and adults as they are more likely to go to rock gigs and concerts than younger teens this is because most gigs and concerts have an age limit. For this issue of NME is targeting males this is because most articles contains photographs and articles about male bands which is more likely to attract males as males are more likely to listen to male bands than female bands. Yet, this could also target females as non-typically some females enjoy music and male bands more than female bands.
The front cover of this issue of NME the cover image is split into four allowing the viewer to see the whole band separately. The background of the image is light brown; this could suggest the genre of the band which is indie rock. This could link with their genre as light brown suggests light and easy following. The images of the males are all mid-shots starting with the male top left who is staring into the camera, which gives an eye contact sense towards the viewer and he is wearing a black top with a jean jacket. The black suggests danger yet simple and formal but with the jean jacket it gives a casual feel to the image which could reflect his personality. The male on the top right has a natural facial expression yet his body language which is head back to the side allowing his hair to cover his face. This shows that he’s a rocky type and could have a fun and interesting personality. He is wearing a black top suggesting yet again he’s wide but could be very formal. The male on the bottom left is also doing a natural facial expression which gives off a serious vibe. He is also wearing a black top this gives a casual but formal vibe as the top is casual yet the colour black is formal. Lastly, the male on the bottom right has his head faced to the side which contrasts to the rest of his band members this could suggest he’s the lead singer. He’s wearing a white shirts and a jean jacket; even his clothing contrasts to his band members, as the rest are wearing black yet he’s wearing a white shirts showing that he’s pure and different. The jean jacket gives him a casual vibe towards the viewer. The other images on the front cover are of bands and artists during a concert with a guitar. This shows further that the target audience is males in their late teens and young male adults. Also, the front cover features a flash, saying “22 page special Who to see. How to party”, this clearly is targeting late teens and could possibly be mid-teens as during those teen years typically teenagers go partying. Also, the front cover includes ‘Reading 2012’ and ‘Leeds 2012’; this is advertising the music events to attract the target audience to those events. The colour and types of graphics used on the front colour are because for example ‘The Vaccines’ which is running through the front cover is white which contrasts to the image which is behind making the title stand out. With parts of the main cover line being smaller font size and yellow this contrasts with the main cover line name of the band. This allows the reader to understand and spot what the issue is about. The advertisement for the music events on the top right side is on yellow background which contrasts to the main image and therefore stands out and grabs the reader’s attention. NME magazine cover contrasts to some other music magazines such as Kerrang, which is a heavy rock magazine whilst NME is more an alternative rock. Kerrang uses dark and bold colours whilst NME uses colours that are lighter and simpler. Kerrang uses bold fonts whilst NME fonts are simpler which clearly shows the sub genres of the music magazines.
The style of NME is quite simple; firstly the issue date is in a formal font, this shows that the magazine is formal and serious. There are only a few images and cover lines around the front cover which is basic and very simple yet the magazine looks interesting and different. This allows the reader to look at the main image therefore attracting them to the magazine. The magazine doesn't look cheap yet not too expensive; I personally think the price could be much higher from a price range of £3 to £4.50. This is because the magazine includes articles with famous bands and event information which is easy for the reader also the magazine is in a style of a vintage newspaper which personally I think seems interesting and different from other music magazine therefore the price should be higher. NME is one of the cheapest rock type magazines but Kerrang is cheaper as it’s charging at £2.20. MOJO music magazine is around £4.60 and Q magazine is over £3.99. This shows that NME is one of the cheapest music magazines in the industry this could be because there is limited interest in rock music or that as NME contains most alternative rock music that is a sub-genre and is not popular.
Content Page
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The content page of NME is named as ‘Inside This Week’, typically content pages are named ‘contents’ yet NME doesn't, this shows the magazine defers from others creating a unique and interesting side of the magazine. The title is the centre in capitals making the title stand out and as its black it contrasts with the white background. There are six images on the page with one in the centre and being the biggest out of the six images. Under each image there is a quote from the article which allows the reader to know a little about what the article is about. This benefits the reader because whilst looking at the magazine before purchasing they are able to see what the articles are about and whether they’re interesting instead of needed to read each article title. The article number pages are in red making them stand out which means that reader can spot the page number. The main cover feature isn't the biggest image but is in the middle left which contrasts to the typically way as most magazines have a big image in the content page to allow the reader to go straight to the article. The list of what else is included in the magazine is titled ‘plus’ and at the bottom, firstly the title is smaller which could imply that NME want the reader to read the main story articles and features. Secondly, the list of the articles is in a small font which would not grab the reader’s attention. The content page also includes ‘subscribe’ section which informs the readers that they can pre-order magazines and lets them save money which would attract readers especially as the target audience are late teens and young adults who are likely to be students.
The magazine addresses the readers mostly through the use of language, firstly on the front page there are some informal language such as the Reading and Leeds events there is a quote by Dave Grohl “I love Reading & Leeds”, the language is quite informal which appeals to the target audience giving the magazine a laid back and casual feeling. Also, on the cover lines there are an exclamation mark that grab the target audience and gets them to read the cover lines. On the content page the language is also informal with one quite saying “Noel’s a total legend”, ‘total’ gives an informal vibe to the magazine which links with the target audience. The reader is able to address the magazine as the magazine includes ‘track of the week’ where clearly the audience are able to give their opinions which track was their favourite also this means that NME has looked at the latest charts which is influenced by the reader and the public. Also, NME contains questions allowing the reader to think and answer to those for example they are questions such as “song of the year?” and “video of the year?”, this allows the reader to address the magazine and think of the answer. Articles that feature in the magazine are for example new artists in the industry which are starting to become popular which shows that NME provides new artists an opportunity to become known by the readers therefore more likely to break into the industry. There are articles based around Reading and Leeds festivals with interviews about the festivals giving the reader a chance to become interested and wanting to go the next year. The magazine also includes reviews on music and latest CDs, ‘Big Guide’ which includes music events, crosswords and fanmail.
NME represents both genders differently; firstly males are represented as casual especially through their clothing (image 1) for example jeans with converses which shows a casual male. Also, his body language is laid back and as he’s standing with his feet separate and one arm up which shows he’s fun and wide. Males are also represented as wide and rough, for example (image 2), the male is jumping high up whilst singing this shows that he has a wide side. Females are represented as also rocky and wide; (image 3) the female is wearing ripped tights showing a rough side. Her hair is short and white showing her unique style especially as her leg is half up which shows her wide and rocky side. Females are also represented as sexy, Madonna (image 4) who is kneeing on the floor with her legs apart which seems sexual and as she wears black tight clothing it makes her seem sexy and elegant. Throughout the magazine most articles are based on males than females with only two full articles based on female artists, this shows that the music industry is highly dominant by males especially in the rock genre.
The magazine addresses the readers mostly through the use of language, firstly on the front page there are some informal language such as the Reading and Leeds events there is a quote by Dave Grohl “I love Reading & Leeds”, the language is quite informal which appeals to the target audience giving the magazine a laid back and casual feeling. Also, on the cover lines there are an exclamation mark that grab the target audience and gets them to read the cover lines. On the content page the language is also informal with one quite saying “Noel’s a total legend”, ‘total’ gives an informal vibe to the magazine which links with the target audience. The reader is able to address the magazine as the magazine includes ‘track of the week’ where clearly the audience are able to give their opinions which track was their favourite also this means that NME has looked at the latest charts which is influenced by the reader and the public. Also, NME contains questions allowing the reader to think and answer to those for example they are questions such as “song of the year?” and “video of the year?”, this allows the reader to address the magazine and think of the answer. Articles that feature in the magazine are for example new artists in the industry which are starting to become popular which shows that NME provides new artists an opportunity to become known by the readers therefore more likely to break into the industry. There are articles based around Reading and Leeds festivals with interviews about the festivals giving the reader a chance to become interested and wanting to go the next year. The magazine also includes reviews on music and latest CDs, ‘Big Guide’ which includes music events, crosswords and fanmail.
NME represents both genders differently; firstly males are represented as casual especially through their clothing (image 1) for example jeans with converses which shows a casual male. Also, his body language is laid back and as he’s standing with his feet separate and one arm up which shows he’s fun and wide. Males are also represented as wide and rough, for example (image 2), the male is jumping high up whilst singing this shows that he has a wide side. Females are represented as also rocky and wide; (image 3) the female is wearing ripped tights showing a rough side. Her hair is short and white showing her unique style especially as her leg is half up which shows her wide and rocky side. Females are also represented as sexy, Madonna (image 4) who is kneeing on the floor with her legs apart which seems sexual and as she wears black tight clothing it makes her seem sexy and elegant. Throughout the magazine most articles are based on males than females with only two full articles based on female artists, this shows that the music industry is highly dominant by males especially in the rock genre.
NME does have some competition with other music magazines in the same genre especially Mojo which costs £4.60, which also focuses on rock music. Mojo contains more articles whilst NME has limited articles. The style is very different too, such as the masthead of Mojo is centre behind the main cover image whilst NME’s is top left in front of the main cover image.
There’s small ranges of advertisements throughout NME, those include: alcohol, festivals, mobile phones, gigs and chat. The alcohol is clearly targeting young adults as many young adults go out to pubs and drink alcohol with their friends especially university students. The festivals are targeting the late teens this is because many teens aged over 18 are about to start university and going to festivals during the summer allows them to have a break from exams therefore they are likely to go to festivals. The mobile phones and gigs are clearly targeting both females and males as typically both genders have mobile phones and go to gigs. However the chat advertisements are targeting young adult males and females this is because they are named ‘gay chats ‘and ‘date chat’ which is clearly targeting adults.
There’s small ranges of advertisements throughout NME, those include: alcohol, festivals, mobile phones, gigs and chat. The alcohol is clearly targeting young adults as many young adults go out to pubs and drink alcohol with their friends especially university students. The festivals are targeting the late teens this is because many teens aged over 18 are about to start university and going to festivals during the summer allows them to have a break from exams therefore they are likely to go to festivals. The mobile phones and gigs are clearly targeting both females and males as typically both genders have mobile phones and go to gigs. However the chat advertisements are targeting young adult males and females this is because they are named ‘gay chats ‘and ‘date chat’ which is clearly targeting adults.
Double Page Spread
This article addresses the reader in ranges of ways, one that is noticeable is when the article mentions “these opinions echo those hundreds of Twitter and Facebook users”, this shows that NME has read the audiences opinions through Twitter and Facebook and have included their opinions allowing them to be part of the article. They also have a section on the second page with lists of twitter comments from fans, giving them a voice to express their feelings but also back up the article’s argument. The readers are also addressed by questions in the article such as “would that be so bad?” this allows readers to question the question and come up with an answer. This gives the reader a sense of communication and feel as the writer is directly speaking to them. This article doesn’t have any exaggerated language, which gives a serious sense towards the magazine, this could be because as the article is based about Hyde Park which is starting to get negative comments and local residents complaining which led to a decrease in events and guests number limit. Therefore the context of the article is serious therefore exaggeration in language would be inappropriate. The language throughout the article is not too difficult to read which allows the target audience to understand what the article says. Therefore the target audience for this article is mid-teens and young adults this is because the language is easy to flow and understand yet it’s formal.
The colour design for this double page spread is white, black fonts and blue boxes. The black font contrasts with the white background which means it is easier for the reader to read the article. The blue boxes with white font gives the article a creative and interesting aspect to the article making the double page spread not boring and keeps the reader interested also it makes the article come alive instead of just using black and white. The dominant image in this article is the image on the left side; this is because the image is the biggest therefore automatically dominants the article. Also, the image is taking about two thirds of the first page which means there is less room for the text this could be advantage as readers may not want to read too much yet on the other hand readers may prefer reading more than looking at images. The dominant image reflects on the article this is because the image is of a male holding up a micro-phone and as the article is about the sound in Hyde Park being too quiet, the image shows the artist trying to get the sound loud enough for the audience to hear. There are two blue boxes, one is used is called ‘main event’ which informs the reader where the article starts and that the text is the full feature. The second box is used to separate the dates of when Hyde Park has had trouble. These boxes make it easier for the reader to understand what they’re reading and that it doesn't confuse them as if the boxes won’t use then they could have got mixed with the full article text.
The subheadings in this article is used to make an clearer explanation of what the page is based about, firstly the subheading underneath the page title, “what’s happening and what’s happening in music this week”, this makes it clearer about the page topic and informs the reader that the double page spread is based on latest music news and events. Secondly, under the title of the article the subheading gives a brief overview of the article and NME’s opinion and worries. This allows the reader to become interested to read the article which is because it would mostly likely affect the reader especially as they probably go to Hyde Park events. There are no quotes or pieces of the text in the article that is enlarged; which shows that all the information is equally important to know which forces the reader to read the whole article. The text is split into eight columns, which is split with a line between each column yet the text still flows well together, this lets the reader to read the article in a smooth way and the structure looks neat and organised.
Throughout the article there are many testimony’s used both from experts such as artists and bands and the audience members. One guitarist Steven Van Zandt tweeted “when did England become a police state?” NME used professional musician’s comments to gather information and their thoughts. This means that the readers understand musician’s views which could lead to them changing their own views. NME also used responses from Twitter with audience’s views; this means that NME’s argument throughout the article is supported by audience’s views.
The colour design for this double page spread is white, black fonts and blue boxes. The black font contrasts with the white background which means it is easier for the reader to read the article. The blue boxes with white font gives the article a creative and interesting aspect to the article making the double page spread not boring and keeps the reader interested also it makes the article come alive instead of just using black and white. The dominant image in this article is the image on the left side; this is because the image is the biggest therefore automatically dominants the article. Also, the image is taking about two thirds of the first page which means there is less room for the text this could be advantage as readers may not want to read too much yet on the other hand readers may prefer reading more than looking at images. The dominant image reflects on the article this is because the image is of a male holding up a micro-phone and as the article is about the sound in Hyde Park being too quiet, the image shows the artist trying to get the sound loud enough for the audience to hear. There are two blue boxes, one is used is called ‘main event’ which informs the reader where the article starts and that the text is the full feature. The second box is used to separate the dates of when Hyde Park has had trouble. These boxes make it easier for the reader to understand what they’re reading and that it doesn't confuse them as if the boxes won’t use then they could have got mixed with the full article text.
The subheadings in this article is used to make an clearer explanation of what the page is based about, firstly the subheading underneath the page title, “what’s happening and what’s happening in music this week”, this makes it clearer about the page topic and informs the reader that the double page spread is based on latest music news and events. Secondly, under the title of the article the subheading gives a brief overview of the article and NME’s opinion and worries. This allows the reader to become interested to read the article which is because it would mostly likely affect the reader especially as they probably go to Hyde Park events. There are no quotes or pieces of the text in the article that is enlarged; which shows that all the information is equally important to know which forces the reader to read the whole article. The text is split into eight columns, which is split with a line between each column yet the text still flows well together, this lets the reader to read the article in a smooth way and the structure looks neat and organised.
Throughout the article there are many testimony’s used both from experts such as artists and bands and the audience members. One guitarist Steven Van Zandt tweeted “when did England become a police state?” NME used professional musician’s comments to gather information and their thoughts. This means that the readers understand musician’s views which could lead to them changing their own views. NME also used responses from Twitter with audience’s views; this means that NME’s argument throughout the article is supported by audience’s views.