Representation

The first thing to consider when looking at representation in this magazine is the target audience; the representation of the target audience is most important as it shows how the industry wants the audience to see themselves. As the target audience is males aged 18-35, the model on the front cover is a male who roughly falls within that band. This allows the audience to identify with the model more and thus makes them more likely to buy the product. Furthermore, by having the model look slightly off-camera and dressing them in shades and black clothing, the magazine creators make the model seem mysterious and important, thus making the audience aspire to be like the model (bringing in the Aspirers psychographic group). As the target audience are also people interested in music, the inclusion of music-based articles in the magazine and advertised on the front cover are there to appeal to that group. The headphones on the front-cover model also appeal to these music-lovers by way of identification with the model. As such, young men and music fans are represented as mysterious and important (fitting in with the standard 'rock star' image that is still in the Zeitgeist).

My magazine does not, however, do a very good job of representing women in its pages. Woman are not included as models and not mentioned within its pages, and this creates a separation between a female audience and the content. Conversely, most representations of women in the media fit into a few stereotypes which has been accused of fuelling sexism within modern society. Same-sex relationships, and by proxy homosexuals, bisexuals, pansexuals and other sexualities that are attracted to the same sex and gender are represented within this issue through the main model (who has a boyfriend).

The target audience are represented within the product very well, showing music props, urban backdrops and a clothing style that could be afforded by the ABC1 social-economic group. The topics which may be of interest to the target audience are included, although other subjects such as fatherhood / motherhood, making use of a low budget and other broader topics are not included as they are less likely to appeal to the target audience. As such, this is good representation but not so much an in-depth one.