MAGAZINE the key steps to a good cover

You need to clearly evidence engagement with the KEY CONCEPTS of Media Language and Audience. That means knowing the technical terms, understanding design conventions, and how each media language decision can impact on the likely target audience. This is a task about branding, and the media language choices that enables an institution a specific target audience that can be sold to advertisers! In a declining market suffering from digital disruption, with plenty of titles closing or going web-only, the 'migration' of ad revenue to online (especially Google and Facebook) is a massive blow for the magazine industry.

STEP 1: IDENTIFY THE COMPONENTS OF A MAGAZINE COVER
There are many terms to learn, from straplines to masthead to hyperbole ... you need to be able to apply the correct, accurate industry label to each of these common elements of cover design.

STEP 2: BEGIN TO EXAMINE HOW EXISTING MAGAZINES VARY THESE COMPONENTS FOR DIFFERENT AUDIENCES
Throughout your Media Studies journey you'll be asked to research existing examples to learn industry conventions before constructing your own. You need to learn how media language choices are made to target different audiences.

STEP 3: RESEARCH A MAGAZINE SECTOR
Gather details of what magazines are available (we will focus on the UK market) in print of a magazine sector you think you would like to focus on for your own production. That might be music (if so, any specific genre?), fashion (men's, women's, girls?), technology (gaming - which console/platform?; futurism; general computing - or Windows, Mac, Linux...), consumer/lifestyle (homes, holidays, boats...), celebrity (usually considered women's magazines), film/TV (genre, time period...), sports/hobbies ... there are magazines covering most things you can think of.

See what ideas these examples give you - you might decide it does not seem such a good choice after all!

STEP 4: WRITE UP ANALYSES OF TWO MAGAZINE COVERS
You should by now have an idea of what type of magazine you will work on, so should pick two from your sector. You need to carefully and accurately apply a wide range of relevant terms. You also need to use the full range of audience terms, and engage with any theories that help to explain how audiences make their choices.




STEP 5: DEVELOP + PITCH YOUR MAGAZINE IDEA