How does your media product represent particular social

groups? Charlie Harris

Colour- representation of youths

• I selected the colour scheme to be gender neutral (red, green, purple, yellow and white), but still bright and colourful. The bright colours help to target a younger demographic (15-25 year olds) where as the gender neutral colours keep the magazine attractive to both the genders.• Purple has connotations of wealth and power which goes

against the connotations of being a youth (poor and a criminal). This reflects the target demographic positively and attracts them as; a magazine aimed at them, reflecting in them in a positive way, will provide a sense of self esteem and self assurance (Harlow's hierarchy of needs)

Pictures- representation of women (positive)• The girl on the contents page is not dressed provocatively, this

is a positive representation of woman as, normally in media, women get represented to be provocative. By dressing the model in a way to show minimal flesh and show closed off body language, its causing creating an identity for women to confide in. This goes agents the theorist Paul Messaris who said “female models are addressed to women… appear to imply a male point of view”

Pictures- representation of women (negative)• Barthes 1972 said “woman are desexualised the moment she is

stripped naked” therefore by leaving the model fully covered up, there is still a lot of sexual tension as it’s left to the male readers imagination as to how provocative the image could be.

The models

• When choosing the model, I went for a younger models (aged in the late teens). This is because where rock magazines are aimed between 20-30 year olds, mine is aimed at 15-25 year olds. I did this because there is a gap in the market for a rock magazine aimed at teens.

• The models doesn't have and over powering masculine qualities. This has the benefit of not scaring of under defend (pre-pubic) teens and women. The magazine has been also aimed at women to fill the gap in the market. Because the magazine will fill in a gap in the market, it should get more sales and be more likely to get advertisers and have advertorials.

• This is developing rock conventions as the rock magazine I looked at use pictures stereotypical men. I felt this was an outdated stereotype of a rock star as now with technology, anyone can make music and be a rock star, so I wanted to update the stereotype and represent the “new rock star”

The models continued

• Strauss 1985 said that “all representations have ideologies behind them”, the way the model is represents the rock genre is conveying the new ideology behind making music and the “technical revolution” in the production, mixed with the belief that anyone can be a rock star.

• Maffesoli 1985 came up with the idea of the “urban tribe” showing how members of groups have similar tendencies. This is why when I created my magazine thinking about music creators and the new image of rock stars, I could show only a few members of the tribe, knowing it will represent the majority of the tribe.