Detailed class analysis of music magazine nme

Detailed class analysis of music magazine- NME

The genre of this magazine is clearly music, this is obvious from the cover star being a rapper, as well as the coverlines that mention bands and other artists.

The main image is a long shot of the rapper, Dizzee Rascal, this shot is effective because you can see his body language and easily see his emotion- he looks happy and excited. The audience can see he is crouching down with his arms spread out, as if he is in celebration or dancing. This image is effective as it follows the rule of thirds. The image almost looks skewed because of the camera angle and his pose, however his face and arms are still central, as well as the main coverline with his name. His whole body more or less fits within the points of interest within the rule of thirds. This representation of Dizzee Rascal is showing him as low class as he doesn’t look respectable or conserved.

The masthead ‘NME’ is in a bold red, white and black typography, this seems to be the house style of the magazine as this colour scheme is continued throughout the coverlines and on the cover. The colour red is associated with music magazines as it is quite predominantly used in them, possibly continuously copied because the music magazines are successful. Furthermore the masthead NME is like a brand name, because it is well known. Also, it sounds like an abbreviation for enemy, so therefore I think that the target audience is a younger audience, aged younger than 25. Moreover I think the target audience are also low class as the abbreviation could suggest the target audience haven’t had a quality education, so therefore are C2 and lower. representable

The cover model is Dizzee Rascal, a black rapper. He is representing rap music in this magazine. I think that the cover stereotypes this group of people, and within this there is the stereotype that rappers are only black too. I think this stereotype is represented negatively because he is wearing a vest top and a chain around his neck which people associate with being low class - he looks scruffy. The look comes across as being cheap as if he low class. Furthermore the background is of graffiti which represents this group as criminal. The representation of rap music in this cover is quite stereotypical and negative as rap music is often perceived as being anti-establishment, hateful and disrespectful, despite Dizzee Rascal’s happy facial expression.

The barcode is on the right hand side bottom corner, it is placed here so that it doesn’t draw attention from the main focuses of the magazine, this is a code of magazines.

The layout of the cover has a lack of writing suggesting the target audience isn’t well educated; therefore low class

The strapline follows convention as it offers a ‘16 page autumn tour special’, this type of statement is often used in straplines.

Front cover

The layout of the magazine in the middle looks like a tour poster by the way the edges are framed, this is effective because of the genre. The focal point of the contents page is this section, it is placed in the centre of the page so that the audiences attention is drawn to this first.

The font used follows the house style with bold fonts in red, white and black. However on the band index a smaller font is used that readers can refer back to if they need to (it is not a focal point). Likewise the text in the middle is also in a smaller font.

The titles expressing the content inside the magazine are: news, radar, live! and feature, which are about all things musical- fitting the genre. The magazine has a fountain of knowledge on the genre shown from the long band index that readers can refer to.

The mise en scene of the main image of the contents page anchors the text and title following it, as the bus relates to touring.

Alongside the contents there are page numbers which is one of the codes and conventions of magazines, so that readers can easily find the articles.

The main heading reads: ‘NME contents’ in a bold font, which is a typical convention of a magazine contents page.

One of the subheadings says ‘touring special’ presenting what type of topics the magazine will be covering in this particular edition. This sub-heading anchors the genre of the magazine.

The house style of NME is consequently part of the brand identity, because the colours are associated with the magazine. Furthermore because the magazine is so famous it has become a brand name.

Due to the fact that the front cover is predominantly male and is aimed at a male target audience, a female is in the main image of the contents page; this is to broaden the target audience to women as well as men. The woman is photographed in a medium long shot and has relaxed body language and looks confident and happy.

The date is in the right corner in a small font, as it isn’t the central focus of the contents page- however because it is a code and convention it is included.

Contents page

On the left page it is entirely an image of Dizzee Rascal graffiti painting a wall. On the right page the main title reads ‘ from tags to riches’ in a slanted, bold, black typography. There are also images at the bottom of this page. This double page spread has a quite neat and organised appearance.

The writing on the page is kept minimal which suggests as I previously mentioned an audience of low class, or who are young

The colours used on this page are bright and lots are used, for example in the background filled with graffiti and Dizzee’s bright red leather jacket. However the colour of the font is kept to black.

The image of Dizzee used represents him as low class and anti-establishment and in a way this image contradicts the title of the article. Furthermore the red he is wearing doesn’t represent his ‘riches’ as it isn’t associated with the connotations of wealth. As well as this the pictures in the bottom of the second page of empty beer bottles still represents a rap singers in a negative light as being bad role models. This representation of Dizzee Rascal also mirrors the target audience.

The large letter of the start of the article (drop cap) is one of the conventions of magazine articles. It is aesthetically pleasing and represents the start of the article clearly.

Double page spread

The colour scheme is maintained throughout the magazine: red, white and black, for example red is visible in all the pages: the masthead, font colour and Dizzee’s jacket. Furthermore the slanted, bold font is used on the cover and the double page spread, this is the house style. The cover star Dizzee Rascal is also on the double page spread, this is because the reason the audience bought the magazine is usually because of the cover star (the backgrounds of these pictures are also the same). The double page spread linking to the front cover is one of the codes and conventions of magazines. The masthead ‘NME’ is on the cover and on the contents page. The coverlines on the front cover are expanded on within the contents page, this links the magazine together effectively because it anchors the audiences understanding of exactly what the content covers. For example, the strapline states there is a ‘tour special’ and the contents page’s main focus is the middle block titled ‘touring special’, the main image anchored to this title on the contents page has a girl next to a bus.