Front Cover Textual Analysis Example

The magazine's title, Vibe, has both musical connotations, as part of the music making process involves the vibration of sound, as well as connotations of youth culture, the word vibe being a colloquialism used by young people. This link with young people illustrates that the target audience for Vibe magazine are males and females aged 16-24. The target audience can also be seen as having a broad range of musical interests from rap (Dr. Dre) to hip-hop (Beastie Boys) to R&B (Rihanna) and pop music (Janet Jackson).

Most of the text involved in the copy is presented slanted, which indicates that the magazine is aimed at a young audience, who perhaps have a slightly untraditional take on life. One of the articles advertised is '15 Crucial Video Games', the gaming medium popular with teenage males, which again illustrates the young target audience for this magazine. The use of a number (15) on the front cover is a running motif found on the front cover of Vibe magazine that was originally launched by the music composer and producer Quincy Jones.

The main image on the cover is of Janet Jackson. It is not unusual for a female artist to be on the cover of Vibe magazine, Beyonce and Mary J. Blige are just two of many female R&B/Hip-Hop/Pop stars who have appeared on the magazine's front cover. However, Janet Jackson's appearance can be seen to differ from other female artists as she is represented as being unintimidating, fully clothed, framed in a medium shot (rather than a close-up) and is smiling. Here she is represented as friendly and not as a sex symbol, as artists like Beyonce have been represented in the past. In ways of mise-en-scene she is dressed in masculine clothes (a suit, tie and trilby with her hair pinned back) and fans of Michael Jackson would notice the intertextual reference of the Off The Wall album, recorded by her brother in 1979. Using this image on the front cover would suggest that the producers believe that the audience are music enthusiasts and would recognise and appreciate the reference. A non-direct mode of address is used in this main image, Janet is not looking at the audience, which is unconventional for the cover of Vibe magazine, and most music magazines. This presentation technique doesn't help to engage the audience, however it does portray Janet (as she is referred to in the sell line, as if we all know her well) as perhaps knowing something we don't, be if we read the article we would.

The front cover employs lots conventions that you would expect to find on most magazine front covers. A small amount of colours (four) are used in the masthead and sell lines to attract the audiences attention and to inform them of the content of the magazine. Bright colours like yellow and red may also appeal to a young audience. There are also phrases like 'First Ever', The Untold Story', and 'Exposed' to hook the reader in and suggest that the content inside is important. By purchasing and reading the magazines such uses and gratifications elements of surveillance and social relationships could be achieved as readers would expand their knowledge and be kept updated with information from the music genres the magazine specialises in. Other front cover conventions are the date, a bar code and the website address.