Magazine Industry Introduction (Task 1-5)

Overview of industry
Source 1:

• The heyday of the magazine came in the early 20th century
• Time was founded in 1923
• The 30's brought about aspirational magazines like Esquire and Fortune.
• Widely popular,topical publications directed at niche audiences rolled out in the 40's and 50's,including Sports Illustrated and Rolling Stone
• The 60's and 70's gave us celebrity-and entertainment-focused magazines People and Cosmopolitan.
• In the following decades,magazines diversified,with the Face debuting in 1980,Entertainment Weekly in 1990,Wired in 1993.
• The late 1990's and 2000'S brought about digital revolution

• About 190 new titles launched in 2014.up 185 in 2013.While some legacy magazines like Glamour,Parents and Better Homes and Gardens all reported increases in paid and verified circulation from 2013 to 2014.

Source 2:
Almost three quarters of adults in GB consume a magazine either in print or digitally

Source 3:

• The UK magazine industry remains a major media sector and industry in its own right
• The annual value of the magazine industry in 2012 to be £3.5billion
• Consumers spend £1.8billion on magazines at retail or via subscriptions 
• There are in excess of 2,400 consumer magazines.

Magazine industry introduction

Brand identity: How a business wants to be perceived by its consumers

Aspirational magazine: I think an aspirational magazine promotes things that people aspire towards.For example,a car magazine encourages people to buy super-car one day.

‘magazines like Nuts and loaded ( amongst others) have closed recently’

What do you think might have been some of the reasons this occurred?

Now it is easier for people to access pornographic media online,so it is more convienient for people.Also,it is usually free to access pornography online,therefore,it is the cheaper alternative to magazines.  

The role of women:

• women began campaigning for improved rights in the 1960's
• Wanted equal pay and narrow portrayal of roles (housewives) 
• As women had more money to spend so advertises and magazines targeted them more

Mind Map/Thought Shower

1. Cover Image
2. Barcode
3. Mast head
4. Cover line
5. Strap line
6. Cover line
7. Advertisements
8. Feature article
9. Date
10. Price

Reading Between the Lines: An Analysis of Women’s Magazines

1.

The first women's magazine was The Ladies' Mercury and it was founded in 1693. 

2.
From the article we understand that Fiona Smith enjoys the photos in Vogue magazine.This is clear from the point in the text where she says "  Why Vogue, you ask? Because the chances that Blake Lively is on the cover are as high as is the cruising altitude of my plane. I like to look at the meticulously styled photographs with the intensity of a five year old drawing in a colouring book".The use of a simile tells us that there is a good chance that Blake Lively is going to be on the front cover.She compares herself to a five year old in the way that she likes to " look at the meticulously styled photographs",which would suggest that she is fascinated by her and other women that feature on Vogue.
3.
The tone of this article is against women's magazines.The author starts off by praising magazines and  says that "these publications have given women a voice and earned a rightful place in American history".However,she then talks about how magazines have changed over time,and have now become about the "worship of materialism".She then tells people not to "encourage self hatred",that is being promoted through magazines today. 
4.
One of the main issues the author has with women's magazines today is the "paid influence of advertisers".This takes away from the reliability of magazines and it becomes hard to know whether these articles are someones true opinion.Also,she argues that these magazines causes women to live in an shadow of "arbitrary standard of beauty".She goes on to say that this creates "increased competition,and in some cases,unhealthy habits" for women.Another factor that contributes to this is the common use of photo shop in magazines.
5.

·         This incessant focus on materialism is often funnelled toward female clientele.

        It is mainly just in women's magazines that materialism in encouraged.

·          magazines …  pitch the intangible: the promise of happiness.

 Womens magazines give people false hope that they are going to look like the cover models. 

·         Much of society runs on conspicuous consumption.

 Women think that meeting this arbitrary standard of beauty enhances their reputation.

·         women are objectified and taught to self-objectify. 

Women think that they have to look a certain way.

Option 1
In women's magazines beauty is "held on a pedestal as the most sought after value"?

I agree with this statement.It is evident that this is true as most front pages of women's magazines feature beautiful women.Being on the front page, it shows how it is the centre of importance for women.However,times are changing,and some magazines are now endorsing plus-size models aswell.