TBI - History/Branding

 The Big Issue - History and Branding 



Intro

Magazines must be studied in relation to media language and media representations, including a consideration of the social, cultural and political contexts that influence how media language is used to construct representations. 

The Big Issue is a niche magazine outside the commercial mainstream. It provides a contrasting example of how the elements of the theoretical framework for media language can be used to construct alternative representations than we see in the mainstream that appeal to particular audiences, including a consideration of the influence of the social, cultural and political contexts. 

Learners must study two front covers of The Big Issue.



Discussion Point

  • To what extent can we perceive The Big Issue to be a solution to localised poverty, and do you think this can have an impact on global issues?




Task - Branding

On your own, bullet point some analysis of The Big Issue covers below. You should make reference to:

  • Visual style
  • Content
  • Ideology (values, attitudes, beliefs)
  • Uses and Gratifications, and Audience Pleasures
  • Magazine Covers as a Genre






News Magazines as Sub-Genre


Time Magazine

      

         






The Economist

           





The Week

         





Magazines as a Genre


     










Task - History

The Big Issue has undergone two major rebrands. Read the articles below and copy down the reasons why and how - what changed about the magazine and why?












Homework - Context

Create a mind map or infographic detailing the key information below regarding the context influencing The Big Issue, its target audience and its ideological positioning.



Launched in 1991 - to transform the lives of London's homeless 'A hand up not a hand out'. It aims to help those who are often marginalised, under-represented & misrepresented in mainstream magazine, and serves as a platform for social issues (nationally/globally).


A Street Paper
  • The magazines tag line reflects the social issues of homelessness and poverty
  • Individual vendors (people seeking to escape poverty) buy the magazine at a fraction of the cost, sell it for £3 and use the profits to buy more
  • The visual aesthetics of the front cover absolutely need to be bright, vibrant and visually engaging to catch the eye of passers by

Target Audience
  • The Big Issues reader will likely be university educated (intellectual to access the cerebral pleasures encoded); interested in politics/popular/high culture; limited disposable income; want to help make a difference to the society we live in (Reformers)

Ideology
  • TBI is a NICHE magazine that operates outside the commercial mainstream. It encodes EXPRESSIONIST media language to create ALTERNATIVE & PROGRESSIVE representations that appeal to progressives and reformers.

    • Expressionist - media language that draws attention to itself through bold contrast through illustration and graphics
    • Niche - subject specific or specialised target audience who have a particular interest

  • Subject matter challenges those in positions of power/offers alternative viewpoints = breaks traditional consumption of cultivated representations, becoming cerebral and cathartic.






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