Codes and Convention of a Magazine

 

1.       There is always a central image. This is to tell the audience what the main story in this magazine is.

2.       There are also smaller images which are used to tell us what else in inside the magazine.

3.       Masthead. This is a bold title usually in a different font to let the reader know what the name of the specific magazine is.

4.       Colour schemes are used to interest and attract the reader. When the same colours are used in every issue the audience start to recognise which magazine it fits to. The colours may fit in with the genre of music, for example the rock music genre may be black and green this may connote the type of rock music it is. Magazines only tend to use 2-4 colours as this look tidier.

5.       There is sometimes a bar across the tip/bottom of the magazine, this draws our attention and gets us to read what is in that box. Usually it will say something like ‘Inside WIN a trip to...’ as an audience we will want to win something and will then buy the magazine.

6.       Cover lines also known as sub headings are used as this gives the audience a glimpse of what is in the magazine. This also gets us interested and makes us what to buy it. There will be lots of these to exhibit that the magazine is packed with interesting information/gossip.

7.       A price is displayed usually near the bottom of the page if the magazine is expensive or near the top if it is cheap.

8.       A bar code is used on all magazines at the bottom or side.

9.       The number and date of the issue is also near the bar code, they have placed this there so the audience will remember where it is and will therefore be easy to locate the next time. They have the date on the issue so we know if the magazine is out of date or not, and to also tell us if it is daily or weekly or monthly etc. The number of issues is displayed to let us know if we have missed any issues.

10.   Usually the website address is added in near here so that if the audience want to go onto their website to look for a specific item they can easily find it.

11.   Buzz words are used to catch the audience’s eye. These are; plus, exposed, exclusive etc. These words automatically interest us as we think that we are getting the exclusive and no one else will know what we know.   

12.   Puffs (an item free) are sometimes included in magazines. These are usually used in little kind’s magazines because when they seem them they want it and will convince their parents to buy it for them just for the free bee.

13.   Lastly a slogan is used as this reveals something about the magazine.