GQ - Language & Representation blog tasks

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 GQ - Language & Representation blog tasks


Create a blogpost called 'GQ: Language and Representation' and complete the following tasks:

Language: Media factsheet


1) What are the different magazine genres highlighted on page 2 and how do they link to our magazine CSPs?

General interest, special interest, and professional. This links to our magazine CSP as GQ is a general interest magazine


2) Look at the section on GQ on page 2. How do they suggest that GQ targets its audience?

They are targeting men through fashion and image, but also appealing to their intelligence and needs for information about culture. “Beyond” is vague, but the magazine also covers politics, technology and trends. It employs leading writers and experts on a wide variety of topics appealing to activators, achievers, and seekers.

3) What does the factsheet say about GQ cover stars?

GQ selects their cover stars very carefully.

4) Pick out five of the key conventions of magazine front covers and explain what they communicate to an audience.

1: Masthead: The title of the magazine, at the top. Commonly using a sans serif font for maximum impact, price, month and year conventionally added, as is a barcode

2: Puffs, on the left or right side to catch the eye of the reader

3: Numbers, to suggest a quick read to busy people: e.g: "Top 15 ways...."

4: The use of sensationalism and language of true crime and or gossip magazines are intertextualised to create and emotional response.

5: Pull quotes such as “I was dancing so hard my dress fell off!” invoke humour and perhaps shock, but also appear to give insider knowledge. This creates a close, albeit illusory, relationship between the reader and the star.

5) What is a magazine’s ‘house style’? How would you describe GQ’s house style?

A house style is a distinguishable style, where it can differentiate one magazine from the other. This is necessary if the magazine is in a shop where the crowding of titles on the shelf means that the eyes of the consumer must be caught. The GQ house style is one that is very sleek and professional.

 

Extension tasks: Look at the final pages of the magazine factsheet that focus on creating magazine pages for coursework. What can you take from this to help future coursework projects? 

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