TBI - Media Language

 The Big Issue - Textual Analysis



Starter

List some terminology that we would use during textual analysis.

List all the conventions of a magazine that you can think of.






TBI Conventions

  • Masthead - the title of the magazine
  • Cover Image - the main image on the front page
  • Featured Article - the main story
  • Tagline - stands for the ethos of TBI as a charity, rather than just a magazine
  • Image - Often a use of illustrations, but photographs used too (challenges mainstream mags)
  • Composition/Layout - changes with every front cover, rather than having a standard layout that is recognisable as part of the magazines brand
  • Mode of Address - often encodes intertextual references to other media products or cultural traditions
  • Puffs - the shapes help to reinforce the theme of the issues and create coherence with the main image (aesthetic)
  • Cover Lines - they aren't always used and when they are, they are usually integrated into the main image
  • Price - the price of the magazine. Vendors purchase for £2.50, sell for £5 (as of Nov 2025). (Time=£5.45, The Economist=£10.99, The Week=£4.99)



Task - Textual Analysis

In pairs, you are going to undertake textual analysis a The Big Issue front page before sharing your findings with the group. You must do the following:

  • Identify written, symbolic, technical codes and their connotations
  • Identify the conventions
  • Consider ideological leaning - the attitude, values and beliefs communicated by the cover
  • Apply AT LEAST TWO media language theories
  • Apply AT LEAST TWO representation theories


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