conventions of magazines

There are a few different conventions of magazines that nearly all magazines follow:

Image and header:

• The image on the front of the magazines must correspond to the content and target audience of the magazine.
• The name of the magazine (header) must also correspond to the content and target audience of the magazine.
• The colour scheme of the magazine must also create a house style that is appealing towards the target audience.

Mode of address:

·         This is the way that the text creates a relationship with its target audience.

·         The most common mode of address is direct address this is created when the artist on the cover is looking straight out of the magazine, this invites the reader in

·         Indirect address is when the person looks away and is not the convention although it has been used in some magazines.

·         Mode of address can also refer to the writing in the magazine and how it addresses the reader normally in a friendly and informal way.

Stars and celebrates

• Music magazines normal will have an artist on the cover to increase sales.
• The audience admires the stars and with them on the cover they will want to know what they have said in the magazine.

Magazine covers

• The front cover of a magazine is the main advertisement. Because of this it must represent the magazine as a whole.
• It should be bright, intresting and eye catching to entice its readers into buying the magazine.
• The colours should both represent the target audience and also the music that the magazine is about.
• Normally there is a variety of fonts on the cover to make it visually interesting and eye catching.
• The title of the magazine is normally at the top of the page(this logo will also create the brand image of the magazine making it instantly recognisable  for its readers)
• Sometimes a slogan is used under the main header to explain the magazines content.
• One main star on the front either in close up or medium always as a direct address
• The leading caption normally dominates the cover. This will be the advertise the main article with the cover star.
• Subheadings of all the other main storys that are in the magazine usually appearing on the left and right sides of the magazine.
• Date and barcode on cover and normally now with a web address.

Contents page

• Should be bright and colourful- encouraging the reader to read on.
• Images dominate the text. Images with page numbers dominate the page.
• Again direct address is used in all images
• The title or header usually appears on every page(usually at top corner)
• List of contents- usually under usual section.