Analysis of my college magazine cover.

AS Media Studies, Preliminary Task

College Magazine Cover Analysis.

After a few weeks of working I have finally finished the front cover of my college magazine. I am now going to do an analysis of my front cover.

Language – The masthead on my college magazine is in large bold purple text in the Gill Sans Ultra Bold font which contrasts within the light green background, making the masthead stand out superbly, running off the left hand side of the cover and finishing just before it reaches the other side. There are three subheadings featured on the cover of my college magazine which are in the same font and colour as the masthead, which shows consistency within the magazine, I have kept the same house style throughout my magazine cover. The main subheading on my cover is just under the mast head which says “ James tells us why he left Wyke? “, which relates to the picture of James on the cover in medium close up. The photograph that I chose for the front cover of my college magazine was clearly taken in medium close up which was asked in the brief. It is the dominant figure on the front cover and fits in perfectly with the great photograph of the college grounds featured in the background. This is a clever sub heading because it leaves an unanswered question and it makes the reader want to buy the magazine. The other two subheadings that I have used on the cover of my magazine are “ 98% of students hit 100% attendance in September!”, This shows the respect that the students have for the college and that the majority of the students within the college have excellent punctuality and commitment to their college life. The other subheading used is “ An inside look at the NEW Oak building! “ This sub heading emphasises to the reader that Wyke college has had a lot of recent development and building work done and it shows that the college is heading in a new and positive direction. The photograph of the new building is pictured the left of the medium close up photo and stands out clearly. The photograph of the male student also indicates that this is a student college magazine which will entice the viewers to buy it. The headlines and subheadings that are featured on the front cover fit in with the style of magazine, they are stories and articles which the readers will find interesting.

Institution / Ideology  – The institution of the magazine would be Wyke College, they are the company that produced the magazine for their students. The ideology of my college magazine front cover is that they are trying to promote the college in a positive manner. They are talking about key events that will be happening within the college during the release of this particular issue.

Audience - The audience for this magazine is aimed at students between the ages of 16 and 19. Who either currently attend the college, or who are looking for a college to join. Although the college magazine audience will mostly be aimed at students, it could also be aimed at members of staff who work within the college. The audience of students is targeted well by featuring the medium close up photograph of the student featured the cover.

Representation – Representation is used within the front cover of this college magazine, by simply promoting the college in a unique way. The magazine cover features an appropriate images to represent the college. For example the male student stood in front of the college grounds, the viewers can see the college grounds clearly. There are three subheadings on the cover of the magazine, they are represented by being bold headlines, they stand out and catch the eye of the reader.