Part of creating a music magazine is not just to take photos and create a narrative through images and words, but it is too also provide information relating to the genre in order to inform the audience. In this task we create a full music magazine, this means that there is not only the design part of the magazine but we are also tasked with creating a double page spread, the writing of this is also assessed.
Therefore it is good practice to analyse articles from a professional perspective. In this analysis I will explore how the article is written and how that relates to the psychographics and demographics of the target audience. In this task we had a choice several different articles to follow and analyse they were …
- Biography
- Intro to a long read.
- 10 Tips for Life
- Q&A
- New Band
- Album Reviews
- Interview
Below is the article I chose..
And here is my analysis of this article…
The Article
Q September 2017 “The rapper and musician’s rule for life” This is by Chris Catchpole
I have chose to analyse this article as it is from Q magazine which is of a similar genre to my own music magazine as it is also a very well known magazine, which helps me understand how to cover a wide audience. This article also covers a personal insight into a particular star, this could be helpful for my magazine as I might want to base my article on a specific artist.
Structure
This article has a unique structure as it is a list, this article explores the stars top 10 tips for life, this is a very personal article which also makes the audience feel like they are involved with the star and makes them feel more in touch, this links to Dyer’s theory of how star image is portrayed, and that stars can be ordinary or extraordinary, with this case the star is portrayed a fairly ordinary.
Presence of a Journalist
This article seems to be written in the first person which suggests that there is no strong journalistic presence, this meant that the article is all written from the perspective of the star and his thoughts and feelings are shown through his own words. This is a really effective way of connecting and gaining a liking from a targeted audience, this is because the audience feel as if they are involved in a conversation with the star as well as having personal insight on the thoughts and feelings of the particular ☆, once again linking back to the ideology of Dyer.
Language and Aim
Linking back to the lack of journalistic presence in this article this again makes the reader feel like they are in conversation with the star, this is also highlighted by the design of the article as there are speech bubbles, these show direct quotes of what the star has said, this then links back to the audience feeling like they have a personal insight and feel like they are in conversation with the star in the article.
The article is aimed at the target audience of the rap genre this means that the way the article must be written must follow the conventional language that would appeal to the specific target audience. This is clearly shown on a direct quote from the star “I remember when is was 27 this person was an asshole to me” This shows the typical conventions of the rap genre as he is using an aggressive tone which is usually associated with rappers. However in contrast the star also wants to connect with his audience like he has been doing throughout the article, this is further highlighted as he goes on to show appreciation for other artists that have had an impact on him personally and the way he now creates his media, this shows the audience that he is humble and appreciative for other people which also shows that he is emotional and empathetic. Overall, the reader will gain a sense of closeness with the star and a personal insight into their thoughts and beliefs, this looks like what the writer is trying to aim for within this article.
Representation of the Performer
In conclusion this article helps the target audience with their sense of personal identity as it follows the conventions of the rap genre, this is shown by the use of an aggressive tone in several of the quotes. However, the article is written in the first person which shows that the star is a genuine humbling person which seeks attention from the audience as they feel like they can relate, throughout the article the star continues to share how he has learnt things from other people and how they have had an influence over the way he lives, this shows once again that the star is a genuine person, this also shows the audience that the star could be a role model and someone to learn from as he has done him self.