What are newspaper magazines?
Newspaper magazines target a very specific niche in a tried and tested manner. What are some of the generic conventions of the newspaper magazine? How do they target their audience effectively? And who are they even targeting?
- Conventional use of headings and subheadings allows the producer to convey the message or ideology in a simple and straightforward
- Pull quotes are used to highlight important aspects of the interview, suggesting the target audience lead busy lifestyles. Pull quotes also function as proairetic codes, inviting the target audience in
- The lexis is sophisticated, reasonably complex and specifically targets a middle-aged and middle class target audience
- Models and interviewees are often middle class and potentially midget. The main image of Sally Rooney features a stereotypically middle class coded dress, that clearly would appeal to the middle aged target demographic
- The use of models is often aspirational to a middle class target audience, and constructs a glamorous and fashionable lifestyle
- Articles are typically written by journalists, and also typically construct a somewhat complex narrative. This is highly conventional of Sunday supplement magazines
- Typically, they cover a wide range of topics, including interviews and information about celebrities. However they tend to avoid scandalous gossip and rumours
- They tend to target a specific audience. Middle aged, middle class and living a comfortable lifestyle
- Sell an aspirational lifestyle
- A range of hegemonically attractive women are used throughout the article, functioning as a source of aspiration for the target audience
- A sophisticated lexis is employed throughout. Examples of sophisticated words and phrases “I found social life completely mystifying” and terms like 'euphemism’
- Articles typically will construct an often complex narrative to the audience. Often, the journalist will take the role of the narrator, and will insert themselves into the story
- A sophisticated style that leaves much to audience interpretation
- A simple and straightforward colour scheme often favours a single colour, for example blue. Classy and sophisticated!
- Font selection is straightforward yet sophisticated. Subtle, serif fonts are used
- The MES of costume often reinforces and suggests a middle class audiences
- Use of a large, main image, anchored by several smaller images
- Fashion articles often employ an edgy, grainy, flash saturated aesthetic, constructs a nostalgic and aspirational mode of address
- A big emphasis on writing, suggests a more sophisticated audience with time on their hands
- The layout is simple, straightforward, neat, sophisticated, which suggests a middle of the road, straightforward, and particularly large audience
Brief
We very, VERY strongly recommend that you use the style and format of a British BROADSHEET newspaper, and therefore focus on higher production values and an older, middle class target audience.
You are NOT making a magazine double page spread, you are making a NEWSPAPER MAGAZINE double page spread. What this means, in practice, is a clean, simple, straightforward layout with high quality images and an interview feature that constructs a compelling narrative. Please use the below examples to construct your layout.
- Double-page feature article from a new British newspaper’s weekend supplement (or extract from a longer article):
- Headline and stand-first
- Feature article (approximately 200 words) on the artist or band’s attempting to ‘break into’ another country
- An interview with the artist or band
- Column layout appropriate for a newspaper’s weekend supplement
- One main image and additional smaller/minor images (all original and different from the images on the poster); these may include photographs of the artist/band on the music video set, but ‘stills’ from the music video must not be used
- At least one pull-quotation
- A running header and page numbers
Examples of British newspaper magazine double page spreads and interviews
Check out this huge .pdf resource of excellent, high quality magazine double page spreads! Thanks so much Naamah!
Here's a few more from various Times on Sunday supplements, all published Sunday 22nd September 2024
