magazines - The Big Issue

The Big Issue (magazine)

- media language

- representation

- social, cultural & political context

media language - analyse in magazines:

• typography - font types:
• serif (w/ flicks, more traditional) / sans serif (w/o flicks, sans = no)
• size
• colour
• design & layout

• rule of thirds (e.g. face / body in centre) →
• structured / unstructured
• positive (e.g. face) / negative space (e.g. background)
• verbal codes
• choice of words
• emphasis of words
• slogans / taglines
• emotive language
• buzz words (e.g. 'win' / 'free')
• alliteration
• non-verbal codes
• codes
• images
• costumes / props
• positioning
• makeup
• juxtapositions
• camera angles
• colours
• colour theory (e.g. red = blood)

analysis (1) of most recent 'The Big Issue' cover:

- typography - sans serif, dripping - blood - Halloween theme, yellow - fun - typical Halloween / horror style - 60s / 70s / 80s horror film

- design & layout - rule of thirds - ghost on each vertical line, positive space (pumpkin) & negative space (misty background)

- verbal codes - 'trick or treaty' - pun on well-known saying - friendlier - treaty = Brexit
- verbal codes (2) - 'Brexit blues' - alliteration - suggesting treaty is the better option
- verbal codes (2) - "The nightmare before Christmas" - name of film (intertextuality) & well-known Xmas poem - main character: jack-o-lantern - halloween before Xmas - like Brexit

- non-verbal codes - hair on pumpkin - Boris Johnson - recognisable / defining feature

- colours - blue & orange - fire & ice (juxtaposition - shocking like politics) - orange - fire / disaster / apocalyptic
- ghosts - politicians displayed as ghosts swooping around over Boris the Pumpkin - laughing @ him / vultures waiting to pounce - all w/ trademark
     - Nigel Farage - GB flags
     - Corbyn (Labour) - slightly red tint / on left
     - Rees-Mogg (Tories) - slightly blue tint / on right
- pumpkin - Boris Johnson's hair - confused / worried expression - reflecting constant defeats BJ faced - BJ turning into pumpkin (old wives tale / Cinderella @ midnight) - being exposed for what he really is - moon (Brexit deadline)
- "ease your Brexit views" - readership predominantly against Brexit - feeling 'blue' about it - magazine is going to ease audience's worries by providing answers - hero: Big Issue (Propp's character theory)
- moons / bats - night / midnight deadline - time is running out - strange behavior / witchcraft
- target audience = young professionals in cities / big towns w/ people selling it - culturally engaged & socially aware
- house style - usually cover current affairs / entertainment / opinions / news
- Halloween theme - slogan - "a hand up, not a hand out" - giving homeless a job so they can earn money - non-profit newspaper - can't find in news agents - buy on the streets from registered / official sellers
- weekly - every Monday
- employ professional journalists - not a free publication - quality

analysis (2)
- typography - gold / glittering / paint strokes - eye-catching / fame / wealth
- image - Lin-Manuel - Puerto-Rican (BAME) - direct address w/ camera & readers
- image - Lin-Manuel - holding up finger (no.1 - rise - magic ?) - beige casual shirt (down to earth / ordinary) - humble roots
- representation - positive of man from minority ethnic (Latino - racism In America / Trump - the wall, ect) - heterosexual male - subverting stereotype that mean must be macho / muscular
- "heights of Hamilton to His Dark Materials" - journey (opposite of rising?)
- colours - indigo - mystery / night / glamour
- colours - gold - wealth / fame / glamour - gold sparkles - lights / dazzling brilliance of theatre world / Hollywood
- colours - beige shirt - ordinary guy

representation

• class
• gender
• age
• sexuality
• ethnicity
• ability / disability
• regional identity
• David Gauntlett identity theory

media contexts

↳social, cultural & political contexts

- conext = the wider issues surrounding a media text, its production & those who created it

- consider:

• how does text reflect society / particular culture?
• how far is a media text influenced by society / particular culture?
• does the text play a part in shaping / changing society of a particular culture?

politics

- background:

• 3 biggest active UK political parties:
• Labour
• Conservative (Tories)
• Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems)

• political viewpoints are broadly defined as:
• left wing (e.g. Labour)
• right wing (traditional) (e.g. Conservative)
• centrist (e.g. Liberal Democrats)

- political contexts - focus on these when analysing media text:

• reflection
• does the product give the consumer info / knowledge about the political climate @ the time of its production
• messages
• is the product biased?
• is it trying to promote any particular political viewpoint?
• is it trying to disparage / criticise any other political viewpoint?
• influence
• has the product been influenced by political viewpoint / ideology?

The Big Issue - background
- niche magazine (small, specialised audience) - outside commercial mainstream
- part of larger organisation & movement to help homeless people - financially independent - not owned by commercial company
- organisation allows registered venders (homeless people) to work by selling the magazine & receive 1/2 of cover price of each copy sold
- contrasting example of how media language can be used to construct alternative representations that appeal to particular audiences
- in many countries (e.g. Australia / New Zealand)

The Big Issue - Case Study 1

- dealing w/ the issue of Brexit - comical & irrelevant way

- showing Brexit to strongly divide UK - poking fun

- showing Brexit as absurd - fits into fictional comedy world > reality

- v strong intertextuality - references to Alan Partridge / Malcolm Tucker
- media language analysis:

• font & style of main headline - "Tucker vs Partridge" - old-fashioned boxing promotional poster
• Union Jack background - contextualises whole text - regarding whole of UK / associations w/ patriotism / racism
• cartoon-style images - issue is cartoonish / ridiculous
• intertextuality - shows magazine's view: issue is absurd & fits well into fictional satire rather than reality
• clear differnces between 2 characters - even though they are v similar - only real difference is cosmetic (tie colour)
• smaller cartoon of Armando Ianucci himself - commercial / perplexed - magazine's attitude towards Brexit
• Big Issue logo black & white - diametric opposition in views

Malcolm Tucker:

- character

- creation of Armando Ianuci - British comedy writer

- played by Peter Capaldi - fictional 'spin-doctor' from 'The Thick of It' (satirical political comedy)

- his political ideology is never made entirely clear - although is seems to be broadly left wing

- known for strong views / aggressive temperament / swearing / based on stereotype of v rich person / saying what he thinks (also why BJ gets in trouble)

Alan Partidge:

- character in several TV shows

- originally joint creation of Armando Iannucci / Steve Coogan (plays character)

- buffoonish - rooted in old-fashioned values / ideas - always politically incorrect / generally impatient / intolerant of anything difficult / outlandish