T.B.I.

Representation Analysis
Selection and combination The magazine uses representations to connect a vendor’s story,
of issues, events, social homelessness, suicide prevention, a bedtime story and music.
groups and individuals Poverty and homelessness, vendors
Issues speaking out

Ann’s story on how The Big Issue

“saved” her, novelist and
Events songwriter’s “reasons to stay alive”,
bedtime story read by David
Tennant, John Simpson’s soundtrack,
big data’s solution to homelessness
Social groups Subordinate group
Individuals A T.B.I. vendor Ann

The magazine shares one of their workers’ story to have a clear link to their
aim in battling poverty, as well as giving them a “voice” to the public. The
theme of stories and life links to the cover lines; as they are promoting how
everyone’s life is a story like Ann’s. This could advertise equality whilst
targeting the main issue of poverty, which is the sole reason and aim that
the producers sell the magazine.
 Ann is presented as a white, female, lower-class, middle-aged
Social Groups vendor that is part of the subordinate social group and is
represented as a positive person saved from a negative social
problem in the media. The magazine reinforces their values and
ideology by promoting one of their own vendors’ story that was
positively impacted by The Big Issue, which appeals to the reader
to continue buying the magazine to further help their cause. This
also breaks the stereotype of magazines only selling celebrity
content and focuses on serious matters; such as poverty.

The producer’s decision to have Ann as the feature article and

central image, instead of the celebrities and famous writers that
are in the cover lines, shows the change in representation of the
lower class that the magazine is trying to make, as the vendors and
those in poverty are under-represented by the media. The
representation of Ann is inspiration and inviting to the reader, so
they can influence them to help those in poverty and partake in
their social aim. To include, this breaks the typical approach in
using sympathy and pity through sad visual representations, and is
more clear and direct with their message.
 How the media, through
Impact of industry contexts on
representation, construct versions of
choices producers can make
reality
The unique style and approach to the
The economical factors impact the
reader is a break from the
representations on front covers as
mainstream media as it offers a
they rely on production costs,
realistic and direct message that isn’t
vendor’s need to sell the magazine
usually focused on other magazines,
and the target audience.
especially when the main feature
articles consist of those who are part
The high-quality photograph of the
of the a subordinate social group.
vendor is beneficial as the reader
can see this as a well-produced
The smiling face of Ann gives the
magazine. It also is a fresh image
impression that she is much happier
that is inspirational and a break
as a vendor and reinforces the
from the celebrity cover pages.
beneficial impact that The Big Issue
had on her. This makes the reader see
the magazine as a trusting and
helpful social organization, with
inspirational values and ideologies.
Realism
• The combination of the photograph and text
constructs a warm and inviting approach to the subject
of the feature article, especially from a individual’s point
of view instead of the magazine’s. The headline
commands the reader to “listen” to Ann’s story and to
her “voice”, which directly instructs them to listen to
their own opinions and stories, instead of the
mainstream media’s general version. This brings a
realistic point of view to the reader, which separates it
from the mainstream media’s stories that are usual
based on general facts and not from an individual’s
perspective.