Magazines-The Big Issue

Tuesday 5th November

The Big Issue (Magazine)

Media Language

Typography

• Font Types
• Serif/San Serif
• Size 
• Colour

Design & Layout

• Rule of thirds
• structured/unstructured
• negative/positive space

Colour Theory
Verbal & non-verbal codes

Big Issue Language Analysis

• The Big Issue logo in bold sans serif font.
• Seasonal orange Halloween colour.
• Structured layout 
• Linked relevant contexts of Brexit and Halloween
• Clear, uncrowded layout
• Blonde wig on pumpkin mocks Boris Johnson, creates humour

Media Representation

• Demographics
• Psycographics
• Gender
• Age
• Race/Ethnicity
• Sexuality

How does the text reflect society or a particular culture?
How far is a media text influenced by society or a particular culture?
Does the text play a part in shaping or changing society of a particular culture?

Contexts-the wider issues surrounding a media text, its production and those who created it.
Media Contexts: social, cultural and political contexts.

Politics

• There are a number of political parties active in the UK but the biggest three are Labour, Conservatives (Tories) and Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems).
• Political viewpoints are broadly defined as being left wing, right wing or centrist.

Political Contexts

• Reflection-Does the product give the consumer any information or knowledge about the political climate at the time of its production?
• Messages-Is the product biased? Is it trying to promote any particular viewpoint? Is it trying to disparage or criticise any other viewpoint?
• Influence-Has the product been influenced by political viewpoint or ideology.

Big Issue Representation Analysis

• Boris Johnson is mocked suggesting that the big issue are left wing supporters.

Thursday 7th November

The Big Issue

• The Big Issue is the masthead
• The Big Issue is a charity/not for profit
• it is a weekly publication
• The Big Issue is a financially independent company
• The organisation allows registered vendors to work selling the magazine and recieve half of the cover price for each copy sold.
• People who buy the magazine are culturally aware as they want to help the homeless
• The big issue is a niche magazine outside the commercial mainstream
• The magazine is part of a larger organisation and movement to help homeless people.
• The magazine provides a contrasting example of how media language can be used to construct alternative representations that appeal to particular audiences.

• This copy of the magazine is dealing with the issue of Brexit in a comical and irreverent way.
• It is showing Brexit to be something which has divided the United Kingdom very strongly.
• It is poking fun at this fact and portraying it to be something absurd which fits into a fictional comedy world better than it does reality.
• It is using intertextuality very strongly with its references to Alan Partridge and Malcolm Tucker.

Key Representations

The United Kingdom-divided along very clear lines. Both sides at war with each other.

Brexit-A ridiculous and rather absurd idea which is bringing division and hostility to the United Kingdom.

Media Language Key Examples

• The font and style of the main headline, Tucker vs. Partridge resembles an old fashioned boxing promotional poster.
• The Union Jack in the background contextualises the whole text as regarding the whole of the UK and has associations with patriotism and racism.
• The cartoon style of the the images shows that the issue is also somewhat cartoonish and ridiculous.
• The use of intertextuality shows the magazine's view that the issue is rather absurd and fits well into a fictional satire rather than reality.
• The differences between the two figures are apparent even though the two are actually very similar. The only real difference is cosmetic-the colour of the tie.
• The smaller cartoon of Armando Iannucci himself is comical and perplexed, showing the magazine's attitude to Brexit.
• The black and white Big Issue logo represents the diametric opposition in views.

Friday 8th November

Context & Analysis-Boris Johnson Cover

• Brexit is said to be led by a pumpkin
• The fire may suggest how drastic everything has got and that parliament may as well be set on fire.
• The fire could also link to all the criticism that the party leaders are receiving and suggest that they are all in trouble.
• The Big Issue knows that there are a lot of people who want Brexit to be sorted and the magazine is offering to 'ease Brexit blues'.
• The other party leaders are portrayed as ghosts which have connotations of evil, suggesting that the government are causing suffering for the public.
• The idea of dressing up for Halloween and pretending to be something else suggests that the party leaders pretend to have control over Brexit and that they are doing their best for the public.
• High key lighting suggests that the issue of Brexit is dominant.
• The font is a stereotypical horror font which connotes the horrors of Brexit.
• Pun on the famous halloween phrase of trick or treat. 
• The nightmare before christmas references the film (intertextuality) suggests Brexit is a nightmare and matches up with the film with the main character being a jack o lanten.
• The ghosts have different coloured ties to represent their parties.
• The colours are typical to Halloween.
• The ghosts are looking down on Boris waiting for him to fail so that they can step in.
• Labour are on the left and conservatives on the right (left wing/right wing reference).
• Boris Johnson's hair is mocked on the pumpkin.
• The pumpkins facial features look fed up and confused as Boris probably is.
• Links to turning into a pumpkin at midnight, Boris being exposed for who he really is. Low key lighting in background does suggest that it could be midnight.
• The Big Issue suggests that their readers are against Brexit with 'Brexit blues'.
• The moon suggests that it's midnight and links to the deadlines and that Boris has run out of time and therefore turned into a pumpkin.

Context & Analysis-All Rise Cover

• There are references to Hamilton and His Dark Materials which readers are likely to have heard of and want to find out how Lin-Manuel Miranda is involved in this.
• Lin-Manuel Miranda is from Puerto Rico which contrasts the very British image portrayed by the His Dark Materials programme.
• The use of the phrase 'exclusive interview' suggests that the customer should read/buy the magazine as it contains information that you won't find anywhere else.
• The cover looks like a musical theatre poster with its gold lights which connote fame.
• His body language commands your attention
• He is pointing upwards which links to all rise.
• His pointing could link to magic and his role in His Dark Materials,
• The representation is positive considering he is of ethnic minority. 
• He is subverting the stereotype that men have to be muscley and strong to be powerful.
• He worked on Hamilton which is known more for homosexual men rather than heterosexual men like Lin-Manuel.
• The line about Hamilton suggests a journey and a range of work of Lin Manuel as he's being up in the heights and lights of Hamilton and down in His Dark Materials.
• Purple/blue (indigo) is associated with mystery and royalty. The gold sparkles connote the dazzling world of acting and fame.
• His outfit portrays his as an ordinary guy in spite of all his fame and fortune,

Wednesday 13th November

Magazines

• Niche magazines would include Emu Today & Tomorrow, Coarse Fishing and Smooth Jazz. 
• Mass market magazines include Heat and 442.

Magazine Institutions

• Emap-Bauer Media Group/Ascential
• IPC Media-Time Inc
• National Magazine Company-Hearst Magazine UK
• Conde Nast
• Dennis

History of The Big Issue

• The Big Issue was launches in 1991 by Gordon Roddick and A. John Bird in response to the growing number of rough sleepers on the streets of London. The two believed that the key to solving the problem of homelessness lay in helping people to help themselves. Vendors buy their magazines with their own money and sell them at their own profit or loss.
• To complement the self-help ethos of The Big Issue Magazine, The Big Issue Foundation was established in 1995 to link vendors with the vital support and services which help them address the issues that led to have arisen.
• Since its creation the Big Issue Foundation has provided services and referrals to address issues around housing, health, finances, education, employment and personal aspirations; helping Big Issue vendors to regain their independence and turn a livelihood into a life. In the last decade they have achieved over 40,000 positive outcomes with their vendors alone, life improving steps one and all.
• In 2015 over 200 Vendor's achieved record levels of personal outcomes and their impactful, cost effective work included: teaching transferable sales and customer service skills, enabling and advocating for decent accommodation, access to mainstream health care and access to employment, training, education and volunteering as well as facilitating the establishment of support networks made up of other The Big Issue vendors, customers and specialist service providers.

The Big Issue Objectives

• Vendor-centric-charity work is led by the hopes and aspirations of Big Issue vendors.
• Inclusive-social and financial inclusion at the heart of their philosophy.
• Non-judgmental-they work with anyone who is prepared to engage with self-help.

October 2017 

• The black, low key lighting makes the cover look mysterious and intriguing
• Game of Thrones is represented
• Reference to old hollywood black and white movies suggesting he's a well respected actor.
• Serious facial expression
• Targeted at male audience so the actor isn't trying to look cute
• 'Game Changer' intrigues reader as to how the game will be changed (enigma).
• The font used appears to be on fire which has connotations of drama and a hot topic.
• 'Game' is in the biggest font as it links to Game of Thrones.
• No evidence of game of throne costume implying that the interview isn't just about the show.

March 2018

• Will.i.am is featured. He is known to give a lot of money to charity.
• His face is pixelated
• His quotes are relatable and makes him sound like a reasonable and interesting person.
• The image also makes him appear to be glowing

March 2018 2

How is a political perspective presented on this front cover?

• Trump is featured with the twitter logo as well as Putin.
• The key word is happy which is almost sarcastic
• The crying laughing face suggests that this whole ordeal is a bit of a joke
• The whole thing implies that the world has gone mad
• The busy cover makes everything seem unorganised and chaotic
• The political perspective of the cover disagrees with both Putin and Trump since they are mocking them.

May 2018

How is intertexuality used om this front cover to present the main cover star?

• Benedict Cumberbatch featured.
• His expression is quite angry
• He appears to be in a bath which is quite odd and intriguing
• The steam/smoke makes the scene look dramatic
• Everything in the bath is a reference to a movie that Cumberbatch has been in.
• He comes across as intelligent which fits with the audience.
• His body language is quite cool and rebellious
• His suit could link to awards ceremonies or the films he was in.

June 2018
How are the values of The Big Issue organisation presented on this front cover?

• Background implies 'seeing the light'.
• Story seems interesting as no one is proven to have seen god.
• Yellow is a bright and happy colour
• The interview comes from someone who isn't a fake celebrity so appears quite down to earth.
• The man featured is a big issue seller which puts them into the spotlight and values them just as much as the celebrities. This links to their vendor-centric and non-judgmental objectives.

Explain how the representation in magazines reflect their contexts. Refer to The Big Issue covers you have studied to support your answer. (10)

In the Halloween edition of the magazine, The Big Issue combines the contexts of Halloween and Brexit to bring humour to a situation that lots of people are now very bored and fed up of.

The magazine represents Boris Johnson and the other party leaders in mocking and comedic way. Boris Johnson is portrayed as a pumpkin which could be a reference to the Disney movie Cinderella. In the film, Cinderella made it home before midnight and therefore didn't turn into a pumpkin, although, Boris Johnson has not delivered Brexit before the deadline and has therefore turned into a pumpkin. The pumpkin in the picture has quite a confused and defeated look which isn't at all scary as Halloween pumpkins are stereotyped to be. This suggests that Boris is even less powerful than your average Halloween pumpkin and gives a sense of irony considering he is one of the most powerful people in the country. The |Big Issue generally has a left wing political stance so it makes sense for them to mock a right wing politician as they would like their audience to side with then against the likes of Boris Johnson.

The Big Issue have also chosen to feature the phrase 'Trick or Treaty?' on the cover. This rhetorical question suggests that Brexit is a game just like the traditional 'trick or treat' on Halloween. It also portrays the uncertainty of Brexit as well as the repetitive nature of constantly trying to get a better deal agreed like a child looking for the house with the best sweets on Halloween. This could be suggesting that Boris Johnson needs to give up the game and give one of the competing ghosts behind him a turn. Again, this mocking rhetorical question fits The Big Issues contexts and political stance as it mocks the Conservatives and puts Labour and the other parties in favour.

In conclusion, I think The Big Issue Halloween edition cover is cleverly put together to represent the contexts and values of the magazine. The cover is also used to entice the audience with the relevant theme of Halloween and humour.