MAGAZINES: The Big Issue Puff – golden puff is the shape and
colour of the sun, continuing the Illustrative collage
Masthead – iconic black and white logo
for the magazine (distinctive contrast) –
uppercase sans-serif typography –
confrontational and informal
COMPONENT 1: MEDIA MESSAGES // SECTION B: MEDIA LANGUAGE AND REPRESENTATION
Colour palette – minimalist use of
three colours: pink/yellow/blue with
connotations of warmth
Slogan - absent
Priceline/dateline -
anchored to masthead
Tagline – ‘A hand up not a handout’
stands for the ethos of The Big Issue
as a charity rather than just a
magazine – empowering the
marginalised to gain agency
Central image – illustrated medium
close-up image of a frowning Donald
Trump as a dripping ice cream cone
as if he is melting – satirical
mockery of the political figure –
connotations of idiocy and the
grotesque
Main cover line – “FLAKE NEWS” is
a pun on Trump’s famous counter
‘Fake News’ (intertextual reference)
used in a disparaging manner -
“flake” with connotations of
weakness – sun-shaped to reinforce
the summer theme
Barcode – absent (sold on streets
and therefore unnecessary)
Composition and layout –
symmetry to enhance the
focalisation of the main image –
unique typeface for the issue
highlights an issue-specific theme
Typography – sans-serif font to
reiterate Trump’s simplicity
convention
metaphor of a summer heatwave – the
image of theatre play Hamilton inside
Straplines are absent – placement of the
acts as an intertextual reference about
cover lines on ‘Flake News’ is similar to a
strapline, drawing the eye to these words the American founding father – as an
intellectual counterpoint to Trump
Sub-headings – Avoid Meltdown /
How To Beat Anxiety / Discover
Intertextual
Uselessness / Eat Ice Cream –
reference –
humorous, satirical mode of address
Flake ice cream
mocking Trump and whimsically
referencing magazine contents
Magazine Description of convention
– ‘Bumper Issue’ aesthetic
Masthead Usually at the top of the page and is the placement for the name of the magazine – instantly
Central composition
recognisable to the audience as a brand image.
– motif for Big Issue special
editions
Tagline A tag line is a catchy phrase that represents the brand.
Themed design
– issue-specific premise Slogan Catchy phrase that represents the product and helps it to stand out against rival products.
Serif typography
– formal aesthetic Dateline The line for the date of the magazine.
Intertextual reference
Feature article The main feature or story, usually in the largest font size and possibly in a different colour to
– the film ‘The Greatest Showman’
stand out.
Celebrities on the cover
– Beyonce, Mick Jagger, Kendrick Central image The main image on the magazine, it is usually connected to the feature article and appeals to
Lamar, Noel Gallagher, Liam the audience.
Gallagher, Kanye, Motorhead and
Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Cover lines Short, catchy phrases referencing content inside the magazine and helping persuade the
reader to buy.
Colour palette Usually made of no more than three colours that contrast but complement one another. Each
edition may use different colours to reflect a theme for that issue.
Representation Barcode The placement of the barcode used to purchase the product.
• The Big Issue is a charity that, through
the magazine, aims to help those who Priceline The placement of the price.
are marginalised in society and Composition - the way in which all the elements on the cover are organised; how text, images and shapes
subsequently misrepresented or under- and layout are positioned on the page
represented in the mainstream media.
• The magazine’s owners and target can Typography Style and size of font – serif (formal), sans-serif (informal) – font size can infer importance.
be seen to fall into the dominant group
– white, male, middle-aged and middle- Mode of The way the magazine ‘talks’ to the audience, will depend on the genre of magazine and who the
class. address and target audience is – lexis is usually straightforward so readers can make quick decisions about
• Complex representations that possibly language whether to buy the magazine.
both challenge and support those seen
in mainstream magazines. Shot types and The central image is usually a long or mid-shot – the angle may depend on the subject in the
• The Big Issue are able to satirise angles image and the message the magazine wants to communicate.
political and cultural figures, issues and Strapline Bands/lines that go at the top or bottom of the page, usually filled with text.
events. Big Issue Founder
• Selection and combination of Trump’s John Bird Puff A shape, usually in a contrasting colour, that attracts the reader’s eye.
UK visit, the British heatwave and the
Hamilton play have been juxtaposed to
create polysemic meanings. Audience interpretation
• The Big Issue have represented Trump Viewpoints and ideology - Able to satirise political figures that makes assumptions
unfavourably, in line with the ideological - Political bias of the magazine isn’t direct, as this could affect sales of the magazine on the target audience:
viewpoint of the magazine which for the vendor – covers multiple areas (social welfare, current affairs, politics, - that the reader will decode the meaning encoded by the
challenges Populist Right political culture, the environment, finance, health, food, sport) to broaden its demographic. producer in the preferred way.
positions – within the white, male, - Can be seen to counter right-wing politics, which do not value progressive social - that the reader has the cultural capital to understand the
middle-class, middle-aged, conservative welfare policies but instead value individual and financial profit from business above intertextual references made by the front covers in order to
demographic. access to social provision and equality for all social groups. interpret polysemic meanings.
• ‘Flake News’ tagline constructs a - Owners of The Big Issue are members of the dominant group (white, male, middle- - shares the ideological values of the producer and
representation that he is an unfit class, middle-aged) but give an alternative viewpoint from a position of privilege. contributes to social welfare programs as a Reformer.
- methods: satire and creative use of media language in order to construct a nuanced - enjoys satire and is interested in political, social and
president.
ideological position. cultural figures, issues and events.