Stereotypes in magazines and advertising

 Age: 

The stereotype is that all old people are angry and complain about everything that happens and shout a lot. Producers chose this stereotype because they think this is how old people should be because they can't do anything with life anymore. 

Gender:

This stereotype is of women staying home and doing house work. Producers chose this as it is the traditional view of woman. 

Ethnicity:

The stereotype is that all Muslims are terrorists and people are afraid of them.  The producer used this shot as it highlights the abuse Muslims face because of their beliefs. 

Sexuality:

The stereotype is that all women enjoy physical contact and lesbians kiss all the time. The producer chose this photo as it shows this between two women . 

Class and Status:

The stereotype is that all lower class people are 'chavs.' This has been portrayed in many tv programs such as little Britain.

Analysis of magazine covers 2

 Q Magazine

The logo of the magazine is very large and prominent. It is surrounded by a red box with the tag line in. This is significant as Q Magazine is very big in the music category and this shows how important they know they are. The colour red also contrasts with the blue background and highlights you should stop and read it. The key words on the front page are also in red, as if they were chosen by the magazine to be the best parts as it matches the logo. In the top right corner there is text that reads "The 50 Worst decisions in music." This is highly controversial as this may include a readers favourite song or artist as all people have different tastes in music and lead to them disliking Q magazine. The large title at the bottom is obviously the magazines key selling point. If you're a fan of The 1975 then you would buy this magazine as the front cover clearly suggests there is an in depth article on them. In addition to this, the bottoms of the letters fade into the background as if they are under water with the band. The main photo is of the band, "The 1975" all underwater which links to the title of the article, in deep with the 1975. It shows them all hurdles together as if the are one team but one of the members is looking down the camera as if he is enticing you to come and be a part of the team by buying the magazine. This image also makes up the whole background, being blue and underwater.  

The Big Issue 

The Big Issue's logo is prominent in the centre of the magazine. This along with the red boarder. Red is a royal colour and also tells readers to stop and read it as it looks important. To the left of the logo is the date, price and tag line. These are just in white so they don't take attention away from the logo. The main feature is in the same style as the big issue logo which creates continuity and makes you look there. This suggests that it is as important as the logo in selling this magazine. The background is simple and just blue. This helps the reds of the text to stand out and helps the characters to stand out. It could also be argued that blue is quiet a formal, almost royal colour as well. The two characters have been drawn by the creators of Horrible Histories. This tv show has been running since 2009 and many children along with adults will be fond with it which encourages them to buy the magazine. It is also highly comical with Henry VIII eating a drumstick. This is continued by the text next to him saying "It made us laugh your heads off" with the "your" in italics. This is funny as Henry VIII was famous for beheading people, including his wives. This image of Henry VIII is partially infant of the big issue logo which highlights that this is the magazines key selling point and that they have a wide target audience.      

Differences between Broadsheet and Tabloid

 Broadsheet:-

Broadsheet papers are more formal than tabloids. Originally, they where A2 paper size, hence the name but most have reduced their size to reduce costs. Many have more subtle metaphors and complex sentences as it is aimed at people with a higher reading age. Also, it gives more facts and statistics rather that the journalists view which makes them a more reliable source of information than tabloids. 

Tabloid:-

Tabloids are much more informal than broadsheets. As you can see from this example of the daily star, it look extremely childish and like the cover of a comic rather than a newspaper. They have much simpler puns and a lot of exaggeration. It is colloquial and informal, for example in this paper they refer to the Prime Minister Boris Johnson and "Bozo." There are also offers on the front page such as holiday offers and free things inside. 

Research:- codes & conventions of magazine front covers

 

Cosmopolitan 

This magazine has a bright, floral colour scheme. There are selections of dulled pinks and purples. These are highly feminine colours to attract the target audience. The title is in a bright yellow. This is also a floral colour but contrasts to the other colours. This combined with the large bold text helps it to stand out and suggests how this magazine can help the women to stand out.  The subject is looking directly at the camera, as if she is looking right at the reader, encouraging them to buy and read the magazine. Her hair is also wavy and free. This combined with her wide smile and the low exposure helps the image look warm and approachable as well as being very summary. This is continued through the summer dress she is wearing which highlights the maturity of the woman and that the magazine can appeal to a wide spectrum of women. On the left hand side there are a lot of buzz words which have been put in italics with exclamation marks to show their important. ie "genius!" would make the woman feel more confident about herself. It is very targeted and stereotypical though, as it is telling women to shop but this is reaching out to the magazines target audience. 

GQ

The colour scheme is completely different for this magazine. It is monochrome, just white black and red being the only colour which is predominantly a male colour. This makes the riding in red stand out, such as the main feature which is in large black text but with a red indent. Also, the white background makes the magazine look clean and fresh. On the left hand side a '+' symbol is used instead of and. This shows that it is technical and mathematical which is stereotypically things men are good at so it attracts their target audience. The subject in the photo is looking straight into the camera, having the same affect. His eyes look more fixed and serious which is also seen through the lack of a smile. This along with his simple black and white clothing helps him to look sophisticated and implies the magazine can help men do that. It is a high exposure, making the man look like he is on show to the world. His power is also seen through his slicked back hair and the fact his photo is infant of the magazine logo, suggesting he is more important than the magazine or that he makes the magazine.

How the news differs from online to print

The key differences are the advertisements. Because you don't have to pay for the online version, this helps the mail to make money. Also, the headlines are more prominent in the physical paper. There are more images to entice people to the stories on the website. There are also interactive sections on the website including the lockdown counter and  the ability to comment on articles.

 

The Guardian online is different from the paper version again because it free. There is a persistent pop-up asking to subscribe to and complete a monthly payment. The online version on this day was more focused on the politics whereas the paper version was using a picture of Dame Diana Rigg who passed away the day before. In addition to this, the online version is very well layed out with sub categories for different topics, eg sports.   

 

Online News Consumption

Online news consumption has risen massively over the last 5 years with the percentage of adults buying a physical paper newspaper dropping to 38%. In a survey in 2019, 66% of adults got their news from online sources. This is more than the percentage who get their news from BBC1 which is at 58%. However, all the TV news stations combined are still the most popular way of adults consuming news at 75%. In addition to this, 50% of adults also consume news from social media because there is a large boom in social media usage. The internet is the most popular form of news consumption for people aged 16-24s at 82% as they find apps on their smartphones or follow news accounts on social media. This is personally what I do as I find it faster and more convenient than watching the news, especially when I am busy.   

This graph shows the most popular forms of news 

Researching Media Institutions

 Netflix

In 1997, Netflix was founded under the name of Kibble by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolf. However it only started streaming in April 1998. Back then it only had 925 titles available to watch whereas now there are 13,941 titles available to stream. As of 2019 there are 151 million paying subscribers and it generates 15% of the worlds internet traffic.  

Bauer Media

It is one of the largest magazine publishers in Poland, Germany, USA and the UK. They publish over 400 magazines and employ over 12,000 staff. It is currently headed by Yvonne Bauer in the fifth generation of the family. The company was started in 1875 and they printed business cards.

Disney

The Walt Disney company started in 1923 when they started making comics and animations. In 1937, Disney's first full length film was created, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. They went on to release another 425 movies to date and that figure is still climbing. In addition to this, Disney created their own streaming service, Disney Plus, in November 2019.

Radio 1

The radio station was launched in 1967 by the BBC to reach 20-20 year olds. This was when the average age of the population was 27. Currently the target audience is 15-29 and the average listener is 30 years old. In 1991, Radio one started 24 hour streaming. 

Sande 'Heaven'

 The lyrics in this song work very well with the music video. At times when Sandeeps sings 'Will you recognise me?' there are silhouettes under a bridge and you are not able to work out who they are. Also, when she sings 'nothing like before' there is footage of babies and toddlers. This highlights how change is inevitable and people become completely different. Physical text reading "fear is your only god" is written on a dirty window which shows how people are controlled by their fears and live according to them, avoiding what they are afraid of. This could be a social comment to viewers that they should face their fears and not let them control their life. Furthermore, there are comments on suffering including shots of a homeless man whilst Sande sings about waiting. This conveys that people suffer whilst waiting and staying hopeful that their situation may change and that it isn't fair. Continuing with this is the theme of drug use and abuse which can be seen through smoking and passing around a lighter. This shows that this is the only way to get through the day for some people and it becomes their lifeline. Repeated throughout the video is the motif of angels with the tattoos and graffiti as if they are watching the situation unfold. This also links the the lyrics in the chorus and the title of the song.

This extreme close up shot shows this mans wrinkled face, messy hair and tired eyes implying he is suffering. He is a hopeless man and probably not slept or washed properly in weeks and the close up nature very clearly and effectively shows this.  

The phrase "FEAR IS YOUR ONLY GOD" is written on the dirty window and can be seen in this close up shot. This shows that not only people are suffering but the windows and buildings are as they are being left dirty. This is further supported with the shots of graffiti later on. It could be that Sande is suggesting that the peoples suffering rubs off on the surroundings or vice versa.  

This wide shot shows a silhouette under a bridge which matches what Sande is singing at this time, "Will you recognise me?" As you can't recognise any features of this person and can only see an outline.   

This close up shot shows Sande singing in the music video. I find this interesting as she is putting herself in the same situation as the suffering characters in the video, in a bus shelter and on the streets. This could suggest that she is the angel like figure and shows the other people that there is a way out. 

The POV shot shows a lighter being passed between two people. This links in with the theme of drug use and suffering. This is effective and it makes you feel like you are involved within the transaction and getting stuck with the people that are suffering. 

Guetta 'Titanium'

 Narrative: 

The one key word that stood out to me whilst watching the music video was perseverance. It opens with the boy in the school surrounded by destruction that he caused. He goes past a teacher who is obviously frightened and out the building past the police car and rides his bike away at supernatural speed. He obviously knows that he has to get away and tries everything in his power to do so. He uses his powers to distract the police with the floating teddies and eventually to disappear when held at gunpoint. 

However I interpreted the video as metaphoric, as we all have are individual powers and strengths to make us Titanium and unbeatable. 

In this image we see a wide shot of the boy. The use of the wide shot here is effective as it highlights the damage that has been caused by the 'supernatural event.' But it also captures the characters reaction with his whole body language. 

This extreme close up of the boy riding his bike. It shows the determination and the heavily blurred background helps to emphasise the supernatural speed at which he is traveling. 

This three shot conveys that despite having supernatural powers, the protagonist can fit into any regular scene.

I feel this POV shot is very effective as it shows exactly what the police officer saw. It is confusing when first scene and help the viewer share confinement and amazement with the character. 

This over the shoulder shot shows the trouble the main character is in as e is being held at gunpoint. Despite this he still proves that he is titanium and gets out of the situation.