Case Study

Colour in magazines 

There are 4 main colours used in the shout magazine's front cover which are Pink, Yellow, White and Blue. They are all known to be calm colours which makes the front cover look like it explodes with colour and information which is eye catching towards the audience. Connotations of these colours are sweet, playful and joyful. They are used to emphasise the highlights of the magazine and the tops stories. Also, they are used at bold colours on the article titles to let the reader know about what it trending in the media at the moment. The main colours used throughout the magazine are dark and light colours like black, dark pink, light blue, yellow and dark red. Dark colours contrasting the light colours make the subject of the magazine either exciting or sensitive which obviously changes the mood of the magazine and possibly the audience.  Dark colours show tension and suspense to show fear so they can read the articles and find out the positive outcome for themselves. Light colours show trust and intelligence to show that the more the reader reads on, the more the reader and rely and relate to the article showing that they have trust in the writer and illustrator. The colours are used within fonts and boxes around titles to show the effect of the editor being friendly and getting to know their audience.  

Analysing the Front Cover of a Magazine 

Image 

On the front cover of "Shout Magazine" there are many images of celebrities who are well known and famous featuring on the cover. They are positioned on the left hand corner and long the bottom of the cover as well as an image of two celebrities being enlarged on the right side of the cover. I believe that it is aspirational to the reader especially as it is a teen girl magazine, a huge variety of girls are going to find their role models on the front cover of the magazine. Meaning that lots of people, including teenage girls, would buy the magazine because their idol is on the front cover and they would want to know the latest gossip about them. The front cover look friendly to the reader because out the bright colours and the expression on the celebrities faces, it implies that this is a happy magazine full of surprises for the reader. 

Title 

The connotations of shout are cheerful, energetic, enjoyable and sociable. The reader should be attached to this name because the magazine it trying to exploded the reader with information about the latest gossip within the celebrity news. As the magazine is called "Shout" they use their name to express their ways of release news that all the teenage girls are dying to wait for as they release an issue of shout magazine each month. Also, especially how the magazine title is in a bright colour is expresses the title visually and mentally suggesting to the reader about how much information they pack in each month also suggesting that the title is a pun.

Subtitles 

The articles in this magazine are about fashion and make up tips, YouTube and celebrity gossip, music releases, promotions on movies, music videos and TV series, diet tips and much more. A magazine like this would usually have a target audience of teenage girls aiming around 12-16 years old. As girls are usually focused on body tips and self image, this magazine promoted body products they  would be interested to try. Young teenage girls see celebrity life as a thrill comparing to their lives, it also gives them something to talk about and catch on with their friends meaning that they are more likely to want to know what it catching on and how to stay in trend with the rest of the world. 

Language 

The language used to connect with the audience is informal. It grabs the reader's attention because they use the same language that teenage girls would use towards their friends in school. By using this language they are able to understand and connect with the editor and they are able to become more interested within the article they are reading. It is also emotive by saying words like "sads" and "Cry" and "YAASS" they are shorten and used as slang words to connect with the teenager as they also speaking in slang almost everyday when  talking to their friends. 

Colour 

The connotations of the colours blue,black,red and pink used on the front cover show off quite mysterious, yet enjoyable, fun and exciting vibe because every month more news come out about more celebrity gossip which is a mystery towards the reader because they don’t know what the editor has in store for the audience except for giving the audience a sneak peak of what the front cover looks like every week.  

Price 

Every month the reader would have to pay £3.99 to find out the latest gossip. As this is a relatively cheap price to help young girls catch up with the gossip, it helps them finding something to relate to once a month for a cheap price.  

Analysing the Contents page of a Magazine 

Images  

On the contents page, the magazine uses picture from inside the magazine to present what information they are telling their audience for instance, they used double page spreads to show off their top stories. This implies that they want to simplify the way thing are laid out on their contents page by show the highlights and exclusives. This makes the audience believe that they should follow all the highlights and exclusives and as it is sectioned it makes it easier for them to understand where to go and language simplified enough for them to understand to they would be able to enjoy the magazine more. The images are mainly composed of pictures of popular and young celebrities and influences, whom of which of young people/teens are familiar with. This appeals to the demographic of this magazine; young people and teens. 

Colour 

The contents page uses quite light, bright colours to group the topics of the magazine for example, they use a yellow background to highlight the snapchat overload section. This suggest that, that section could be a new section added into the magazine that why they use the most eye-catching colour to promote it. As well as using dark colours around the regulars it shows how they want the regular readers to notice how the editors improve each issue each month. The colours used in this magazine are mainly pastel colours; colours which are socially seen as 'girly' and matched with females in particular. This identifies the demographic; young/teenage girls. 

Layout 

The layout used to present the contents page is very unique because instead of listing everything it features on the first page, the editors simplify the contents page to the exclusives, regulars and new sections. By simplifying this, they are able to get more readers to are not able to process lots of information at once to be able to read it and the pace, speedy and amount that they would like. Also, readers are able to base what they would like to by appearance and what gossip, tips or celebrities are on that page. This makes the reader feel more accepted within how they are giving out the information. The layout clearly displays the contents of the magazine, while maintaining a sporadic and girly aesthetic witch colourful borders, pastel colours and collage style images. This appeals to the already identified audience; young/teenage girls. 

Font 

The magazine uses different fonts to make the contents page look more creative, alert and easier to understand for example, when they use word like

"SNAPCHAT OVERLOAD!" Or "THIS MONTH'S MANIFESTO" it tells us about how they are using capital letter to visualise shouting towards the reader which also tells us about how they want the information to be loud and clear towards the viewers meaning that their title is a pun. The font used in the upper-left hand section resembles a handwritten letter, which creates a sense of intimacy between the editor and reader, the font could also be considered as girly too, which, again, identifies the audience: young/teenage girls 

Language  

The language used is a contemporary, non-formal way of speaking. Vocabulary such as "BFF" and "RN!" Furthers the idea of intimacy between the editor and the reader, giving it more of a personal touch.

Analysing the double page article of a Magazine 

The double page article is an agony aunt article and how readers can email their problems and the agony aunt "Ask Louise" would answer them. This is to  show readers that everyone has similar problems to them and they are not alone. They leave contact details at the bottom for anyone for call and it gives them any type of advice they the reader needs. This help the editors connect with their readers as they would have someone/ something to trust. These real life experience show to people how common they are and it connects the readers to other fan of the magazine as well at the agony aunt and editors of the magazine which makes the editor know which sensitive subject to talk about next and what would make the readers comfortable. It keeps them informed about how everyone is doing and what worried people think aren't normal. Which makes the whole "Shout" community feel closer. Some readers might find this interesting after having problem of their own, when they look at this page they can see that they can get help and that they are not alone.

Analysing the Editor's Letter in a Magazine 

The editor welcomes the reader using informal language to get along with their readers and subscribers. By asking rhetorical questions like "are you ready?" It implies that the editor wants to know the readers their attracting by asking a question they won't get the answer to so the reader will just expect the article. Also, using a  declarative like "make sure" tells the reader that the editor wants to get along with the reader to let the editor know what wrong about the issue or if there is anything they should add in or take out making the connection on what the readers want and what the editor can understand from them.

Colour in magazines

  Connotations of pink are sweet, nice, playful, cute, romantic, charming, feminine, and tenderness. Pink is used to show how the colour is usually addressed about girls within the magazine. It makes the magazine seem approachable and feminine. It is used to border the title of the magazine and used as a background colour for majority of the articles. 

Purple-royalty, nobility, luxury, power, and ambition. Purple makes the magazine seem more sophisticated especially as it is mixed with white and blue. It makes the magazine seem more presentable, friendly and feminine implying that the magazine is meant to be for older teenage girls. The colour purple is also used to border images and used on titles  of articles. 

Yellow-joy, happiness, intellect, and energy. Yellow makes the magazine seem more enjoyable and exciting to see. Yellow is an eye-catching colour meaning that it can attract more readers in to see the flashes of yellow. The colour yellow I it on the title on the front cover of "Shout" suggesting that the editors want their magazines to be really noticeable.