Industry Context
Mainstream Magazines-
- large-scale and geared towards large, homogeneous audiences
- state-owned organisations or commercial companies
- vertically structured organisations staffed by professionals
- carriers of dominant discourses and representations
Alternative Media-
- small-scale and oriented towards specific communities, possibly disadvantaged groups
- independent of state and market
- horizontally structured, facilitating greater audience access and participation
The Economic Context of Magazines
Although independent publishers are not generally driven by the same ‘logic of profit and power’ as the larger publishing houses, they still need to generate revenue in order to survive. While most magazines generate revenue through advertising as well as their cover price, the fact that independent magazines are not made purely or primarily for commercial gain means that they are often more selective rather than mainstream magazines in terms of the advertising they choose to carry. For many independent publishers, maintaining integrity and identity of the magazine is more important than maximising profit. In order to do this, they have to ensure that the advertisements they carry fully cohere with the magazines brand values and editorial philosophy.
Within more commercial mainstream companies,these priorities are often reversed, as magazine content is sometimes tailored to suit the needs and interests of advertisers. For example, when a nylon company called ‘British Nylon Spinners’ paid £7,000 for a double-page spread in Woman in 1956, the magazines publishers agreed not to include any articles ‘which predominantly featured natural fibres in the same issue’ (Winship 1987). As this demonstrates, the need to attract, retain and appease advertisers can influence the decisions that editors make about what to include in a magazine and how that content should be presented.
Industry Context- The Big Issue
Since 2011, The Big Issue has been published in partnership with the independent media company Dennis Publishing. Under the terms of the partnership, Dennis provides support with subbing, production and design. It is also responsible for generating advertising revenue.
The Big Issue’s business model is primarily designed to support those who are homeless or experiencing poverty by enabling them to become street vendors or entrepreneurs. However, over the past decade The Big Issue has diversified, moving into a number of different business areas. Alongside the magazine, there is also an independently funded charity, The Big Issue Foundation, which provides support and guidance to vendors in areas such as training, education and health and housing. The Big Issue Group also has a social investment arm, Big Issue Invest, which helps to finance sustainable social enterprises and charities, and a social trading platform, The Big Issue Shop, which aims to promote ‘social consumerism’ or ‘shopping with a social echo’. This is where the purchases that consumers make have a positive social impact. It might involve purchasing eco-friendly products, for instance, or buying products from organisations that use the profits to support social enterprises or charitable causes.
Digital Convergence
As digital convergence enables publishers to disseminate content across multiple platforms, this has led to an increasing number of magazines to adopt a digital-first strategy. It is commonly argued that in the digital new age, publishers can no longer rely on print alone.
The increasing importance of transmedia storytelling in the magazine industry is reflected in the way that videos are posted to accompany or supplement articles either on the magazine’s website or through social media platforms such as YouTube.
Audiences
While some magazines target a mass audience, others are aimed at more specialised, niche audiences. Since the mid-20th century, the general trend within the magazine industry has been away from mass-market publications and towards more specialised titles aimed at specific audience segments.
The circulation figures shoe to provide a general indictation of the audience reach for each of the set products.
Vogue circulation in 1965: 139,000
The Big Issue circulation in 2017: 83,073
Marketing and Distribution
The internet and social media have become increasingly important in magazine marketing in recent years. Platforms such as Twitter and Facebook are commonly used to alert readers when a new issue of a magazine is about to be published. These social media posts often include links that direct readers to the magazines website, where the readers can preview articles or access additional content. The use of hashtags also encourages user participation and facilitates viral marketing, as key messages are passed from user to user through social networks.
As well as social media, magazine producers may also use other channels and platforms to market their products. For example, for the 25th anniversary edition of The Big Issue, the magazines co-founder, John Bird appeared on The One Show, which is shown at peak time on BBC One, and BBC Radio 4’s late-night show Westminster Hour.
How magazines construct their audiences
More than simply targeting audiences, magazines can also be seen to construct their audiences in various ways. For example, Gerbner’s cultivation theory suggests that regular exposure to repeated patterns of representation over long periods of time can shape and influence the way in which people percieve the world around them.
The Big Issue can be seen to shape and influence audience understandings of social inequality. By challenging the dominant discourses that surround homelessness and poverty, the magazine aims to change public perceptions, shaping the values, attitudes and beliefs of its readers.
How audiences interact with magazines
Considering when analysing magazines, another issue to consider is how the readers engage and interact with themes products. While the majority of articles in The Big Issue are written by professional journalists, the magazine does provide a space for vendors to tell their own stories in the ‘My Pitch’ section.
Key Words
Homogeneous: Being composed of elements that are all the same or broadly similar. The opposite of this is heterogeneous, which means being composed of diverse or varied elements.
Co-opt: To adopt or appropriate something for ones own uses. Often used to describe the way in which aspects of alternative culture are exploited and incorporated by mainstream media to make a profit.
Independent Magazine: A magazine that is produced outside the control or ownership of the major publishing houses.
Subbing: A term used in publishing for the process of reviewing, editing and correcting copy in preparation for publication.
Desktop Publishing: The use of computers and software programs to design, create and publish books, newspapers or magazines.
Convergence: A process through which different media forms merge or overlap with one another.
Digital-first: A policy in which media content is first created in digital form and then adapted for other mediums. For example, in the case of a digital-first magazine, content is generally published online before it appears in print.
Transmedia storytelling: Defined by Jenkins (2007), a process where integral elements of a story/narrative get dispersed systematically across multiple delivery channels for the purpose of creating a unified and coordinated entertainment experience.
Reformers: One of the psycho graphic groups in the 4Cs system of consumer classification developed by advertising agency Young and Rubicam. Reformers tend to be tolerant, socially aware and anti-materialistic. Their core need is for enlightenment.
Exam Question
Explain what you understand by intertexuality. Refer to the set episode of Life On Mars to support your response.
Life On Mars is a British crime drama, the television show subverts from typical themes by implementing the science-fiction genre into the show, giving it a unique selling point to the viewer. The dynamic of the genre is shown in the show through Steve Neale’s genre theory. The use of police uniforms, cars and stations apply directly to the genre. However, it subverts from stereotypical police programs by having a 2006 show set in the 70s. Life On Mars has adapted from taking elements from both genres and combining it together.
Whilst Life On Mars could be viewed as a conventional police procedural, these stereotypical conventions are challenged when Sam is hit by a car and travels back in time. The mise-en-scene completely changes highlighting the change in time period and characters reflecting the disruption from conventional police procedural. The show mimics the 70s show The Sweeney, creating a nostalgia for the audience whilst contradicting some of these attitudes to suit a modern-day audience. Therefore the attitudes and opinions were vastly different to 2006. For example, the character of Gene Hunt being represented as a toughened cop, directly reflecting the character of Jack Regan. Sam Tyler, from the era of 2006, alongside the modern-day audience are able to recognise comments made by Gene Hunt and therefore highlight the change in societies attitudes towards gender and race. Gilroy’s Postmodernism theory shows the difference in police work alongside the persona of 70s police officers vs modern police officers. Furthermore, the postmodern culture is rarely represented in mainstream media in present day, therefore most audiences would never of experienced The Sweeney in its prime. Police work is also extremely different, with the juxtaposition of the 70s high-speed dramatic car chases against the modern office work of the police. The character of Sam Tyler is there to produce insight and influence on the other characters, showing that society is capable of changing.
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