Analysing magazines

For my magazine the genre that I am going to choose is hip pop and RnB

The front cover has an image of Eminem which will be the main article of this magazine. The shot of this image is a medium close-up; it gives a view of the head to the waist. It is a shot of Eminem with a serious but innocent face which may suggest to the viewer it is a serious topic the main featured article which the main cover line also suggest when it says ‘comes clean’. The image also suggests that Eminem is exposed because he has a vest on and his skin and tattoos are showing. The image position is in front of text/ mast head VIBE which may suggest that the magazine is well known and the audience who view this magazine already know the name, it also adds importance to Eminem. At the top of the magazine it has a list of names presumably rappers. Next to it in text box in bold the real rap. In smaller print it has the issue of the magazine and the volume. The issue means cover date refers to the date displayed on the covers of periodical publications such as magazines. Under the list of names it has a question ‘is 1998 rap’s last classic year’. This may mean that this is the main question that is answered in this magazine throughout. There are many different cover lines and which tell us what it is featured in the magazine, the language in the cover lines is appealing to the type of audience who would buy this magazine. ‘Hottest rap blogs’ would attract the audience because it means that this is a must see and it’s the hottest which is fresh which draws readers in. The main featured article is in red and bold. The colour scheme is very basic red, black, white and grey. The website is labelled on the bottom left hand side of the magazine so the reader will know where to get to get more information.

The contents page is on a single page which is dark and has an image of the artist Eminem on a medium close up shot. The designer may have done this to shot the expression on this persons face and to shot a bit of what he is wearing.  The image that is given off is a smart look because he is wearing a suit and tie. The bar code is at the top which has its trade mark branding VIBE which makes clear that the magazine is still VIBE. The contents are fairly simple and easy to read, it is set up in number order. The headlines for each of the articles are in bold yellow and the text is in white.  It has the page numbers of each of the articles which is useful to the read because they can locate it in the magazine. There is an editor’s note in small print just below the end of the contents which tells us who wrote this issue, the date it was published, what the issue title is and a note to the audience telling them to enjoy this issue. Everything that was in the contents page appeared in the flat plan/magazine.

This magazine is quite different from the first one but the genre is the same. The cover image is what you first notice. The image type is a close up, which takes up the whole page. The picture is of 50 cent in which this case is the feature article in this magazine. The expression on his face looks a bit serious which may suggest it is also a serious topic. ‘The future is now’ may suggest that it is now or never for 50cent which tells why he has a serious face. The mast head is clearly in bold so the viewer can see unlike the vibe magazine. The main articles of this magazine are listed on the side but it also has a list of names which is an extra to this magazine. Unlike the vibe magazine at the bottom it has the main headline possibly a quote from the featured article. The overall colour scheme is dark; it is mixed with red and white. On the side there is text which seems to be dominated by the image because it is one side of the page. There is a barcode clearly on the bottom right but no QR (quick response) may be because there may be no apps linking to this magazine.

The contents page has the same colour scheme as the front cover but is kind of reversed. The background is white and the text is dark. It has a medium long shot of 50 Cent. 50 cent is posing with his back turned but looking sideways. The cloths that he is wearing are cloths that people wear in the ghetto which may suggest that 50cent is from the ghetto. The content language is arranged out as if it was a poem e.g. ‘hate it or love it’ ‘love and crime’ ‘prodigy’. The language for each featured article is very short. At the bottom left-hand side of the page is the number 48 and the words 50 cent. Half of the writing is in black and half in white because of the contrast of the background and 50cents jeans. This shows that 50cent stands out. There is a visible boarder which the content is in but the image of 50cent comes out of the boarder. This makes him stand out to the audience.