REPRESENTATION
We look at a real exam question on how representation is used in music magazines: the MOJO cover featuring David Bowie as the main splash and other musicians in words and smaller images. Representation is about people, places and ideas. In particular, the question asks for analysis of representations of masculinity.
Useful terminology:
- we may use terms such as 'stereotype' or 'anti stereotypical', as in 'the stereotypical representation of active masculinity...'
- 'connote' as in 'the layout in WIRE is unusually sparse with few cover lines connoting an unusual simplicity...'
MEDIA LANGUAGE
the second exam question is about 'media language'. This term refers to how a text is organised, how it looks: layout, text, typography, fonts, images, colours and so on.
We need to know the generic conventions of music magazines and be confident in analysing a range of different music magazines. Each magazine has a different target audience, so its media language is adapted to engage that audience. For example, contrast We Love Pop with BBC Music.
MOJO's target audience is profiled in Bauer Media'a Press Pack
In class, we analyse a range of different covers such as MOJO, The WIRE, KERRANG, NME and others using MagForum
