Contents Page Development

Additional Photos for my Contents Page

My Photoshoot

Semiotics

Semiotics is the belief that everything used in a certain product has a reason for being that way, i.e. a a heavy metal music magazine using dark colours to fit in with the genre of the magazine or a feminine magazine using girly colours such as pink or yellow. This technique is used in magazines to attract potential buyers and make them purchase the magazine.

Uses and Gratifications Theory

The Uses and Gratifications theory suggests that people actively choose their media products based on their needs.
Blumler and Katz discussed that audiences consume the media for different needs and in different ways. The media industry is not the only one to blame, people need the media to fulfill their needs and wants.
Media consumers choose texts that fulfill one or more of these needs:
-To be informed and educated about the world in which they live.
-To identify personally with characters and situations in order to learn more about themselves.
-To be entertained by a range and variety of well-constructed texts.
-To use the media as a talking point for social interaction or discussion.
-To escape from their "daily grind" into other worlds and situations.

Stereotypes

Stereotypes can be defined as "a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing." Examples of common stereotypes that can be found today would include: all Irish people are drunks, all blonde people are stupid or all young people are hooligans/vandals.

Stereotypes are often repeatedly used within the media, with different media outlets that include stereotypes being the internet, television, radio and magazines to name a few. The reason for this is to encourage large audiences to have beliefs that all people in a particular group are the same. This can be considered harmful as the stereotypes often hint at negative characteristics for that particular group and, as a result, influence prejudice and discrimination towards that particular social group.

Title for my Music Magazine.

After both researching into music magazines of the indie music genre, and brainstorming and preparing several different names, I have finally come up with the title of my music magazine - "UPRISING". The reason for this would be that the title links well with my chosen genre, in that it highlights and represents the upcoming/rising talent within the music industry and gives hints of mystery and rebellion in the title - a big theme throughout the independent music genre. By naming my magazine "UPRISING", it will give a strong impression on the genre of my magazine, as well as stand out to both my target audience and the general population.

Target Audience

After doing research into music magazines based around my genre and the target audience that read them, I have come up with the target audience for my music magazine: 16 to 22 year-olds. The reason for this is that I am in that age group and so I would know how to keep that age group interested in the magazine and its contents, as well as appealing to their interests such as music and the media.
As well as this, I am trying to attract people interested in Indie music, as they can find bands they like in my magazine, as well as upcoming indie bands. Examples included in the magazine will be M83, Of Monsters and Men, Gabrielle Aplin, The Wombats, Two Door Cinema Club and Glen Hansard.