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MAGAZINE ANALYSIS Magazines usually have a target audience. Of course, they would like to sell to as many people as possible, but since no magazine can be all things to all people, they will usually target a group large enough to make a profit, but specific enough to be distinctive. (No one wants another LIFE magazine; that niche is already filled. Your first task is to choose a magazine that interests you, then try to figure out what their target audience is. You will do this by looking at the type of ads, departments, articles, and, if available, the reader responses in such things as "Letters to the Editor." In this analysis or the audience , consider such factors as: -the education level required to read the articles -the hobbies or interests of the audience - the political slant (conservative or liberal) -the economic class of the reader You can get hints to these by analyzing: -the products advertised (Tide or Godiva Chocolates?) -the depth of the articles (superficial, in-depth) -the level of vocabulary -the tone (lighthearted, serious) - what is emphasized in the coverage of a particular newsworthy event (politics, business, fashion, behavior) It is often helpful to compare two magazines in the same field (Vogue vs. Cosmopolitan, Time vs. Newsweek, Rolling Stone vs Vanity Fair) to fine-tune your answers. ------------------------------------- NAME OF MAGAZINE_______________Group Members_______ ______ __________ ________ Describe the general category of magazine (what are the majority of the articles about?) Soci-economic class of the typical reader __________________ Reason: Educational level of the typical reader ________________ Reason Age and gender of reader_____________________ Reason: Lifestyle and Occupation of reader___________________ Reason: Emphasis of articles (What is concentrated upon in a given news event): Reason: Conservative or liberal reader? Reason: On the back, in one sentence (complex!) describe the profile of the targeted reader, including all of the above information |