How does your media product represent particular social groups?
The aim of my media magazine was to represent the casual music industry. By this I mean that it is not directed at any single type of person. Magazines such as KERRANG! are directed at one target audience only, the heavy metal listeners, however I want my magazine to reach out to anyone that has listened or listens to the POP/R&B music style. I wanted my magazine to be similar to that of VIBE or Q magazine. Both of these have had a wide variety of artists on them from, Eminem, Cheryl Cole, Jay-Z, U2 and Take That. This is a different array of music that anybody can listen to also known as popular music. As well as this, the artists used on the covers of theses magazines are identifiable by the general public as their music is so widely known. If there were to only be pictures of heavy metal band, then more people wouldn't know who they were than do as heavy metal is a genre of music that is not listened to or spoken about as much as POP/R&B music. Kerrang! is a magazine that uses bands such as Slip Knot, a band which in my eyes is not seen as a casual, popular, well known band due to the genre of music that they cover. However my picture is more calm and collective than that of Kerrang! This means that the social group that my magazine is trying to reach out to and represent is that of the popular music fans that covers genres such as R&B and POP.


To put in perspective how my magazine reaches out to to my target audience and social group, I will compare my magazine front cover to that of a VIBE front cover as this is the closest magazine that focus on my social group. The first notable thing about the two is that both of the models are male. Not only this, but the pictures are of a casual, friendly nature. As well as this, both of the pictures are medium close ups. This is a recurring theme with magazines and seeing a full body, or long shot' on a cover is not often seen. The gaze at the camera from the model on the left suggests he is used to the fame as he is smiling. The smile also connects with the reader as they would feel a positive persona coming from the man. The pose on my model is very straight on and looking straight down the lens of the camera. This is to show how the model/artist is new to the music industry and is nervous about what is going to come to him in the future. The innocent looks in the artists eyes also suggest a calm collective atmosphere associated with the genre of music. The clutching of the guitar also suggests how he writes his own songs. This would reach out to my social group as there would be people that are interested in songwriting and would maybe want to take some hints in how to do this from the artist in the picture on the right. As well as this, the clothing of the two models is fairly casual. The model in my design is simply wearing a long coat and white top. I did this to show that he is not someone that has unlimited sums of money, but to show that he is the same as everybody else and that the reader can relate to him by following in his footsteps.