I have now analysed four articles; a feature, a review, a preview and a news article. The articles were from 'Kerrang!', 'Uncut', 'Rolling Stone' and 'NME'. As with the cover analyis, I chose to focus on magazines that aim at a relatively similar target audience to mine. I did this as to consume some techniques to attract my target audience.
Kerrang!
The headline is ‘We Are Scientists’, the name of the band that the article is “introducing”. This means that it is clear to the readers what the article is about thus meaning they can read or skip the article from the off (depending on their opinion of the reader) due to the size of the headline.
The strapline is “Genre-bending geek rock hotter than a Bunsen burner”. The strapline reveals information about the band, in that they make ‘geek rock’ and that they ‘bend genres’. The choice of words also refers back to the name of the band, such scientific terms being used as “bending” and “Bunsen burner”. This form of witty repartee reflects the band’s humorous nature whilst entertaining the reader (and most probably, the writer!). There is no byline in this article, perhaps due to the fact that is only a small feature and, as such, the writer does not need to be credited.
There is a picture of the band thus literally “introducing” the band to the reader. Due to the picture, it feels as if the reader is literally being introduced to the band rather than just being introduced to their music. Furthermore, the readers can associate the description of the band’s quirky and ‘geeky’ nature with the suitably quirky and ‘geeky’ image. The picture is considerably larger than the text, further reiterating the fact that the readers are actually meeting, or being introduced to, the band rather than reading about them.
The article is laid out in a simple fashion with a large picture (or rather, pictures) and a textbox. The lack of ostentatious graphics means that the audience can concentrate on discovering this new band rather than being distracted. Also, regular text is used thus making the article easier to read.
The article begins with an ‘anecdote intro’, in which the band’s lead singer tells an anecdote of how the band’s name came about. This states the article’s intent to entertain, as well as inform, right from the off. It is also a quote intro, as it is the lead singer, telling the story and not the writer. As such, the reader is interested due to the fact that they want to find out about this new band and, therefore, they would be intrigued by what the frontman has to say.
The article continues by stating the kind of music that ‘We Are Scientists’ play before giving some general information about the band (who comprises the band, where they’re from etc). This means that the readers know whether they will like the band in future whilst informing the readers of the band’s background thus aiding the likelihood of them discovering the band in the future. The article then concludes with a comical quote which further emphasises their ‘geeky’ nature thus leaving a lasting impression on the reader.
The lexis of the article is advanced; possibly reflecting the intelligent of the band. It also caters to the relatively intelligent fan that would enjoy this band due to their quirky nature. This is epitomised by the utilisation of phrases such as “smouldering disco beats”, “discordant guitar riffs” and “coax the most socially-awkward”.
The article is clearly a feature they have every month, as indicated by the ‘Introducing – New Music Heading Your Way’ bar on the top right. The feature is, unsurprisingly, used to promote a new band each month through a short description. The sentences are complex with a plethora of clauses, this supports the notion that this article (and perhaps, magazine) is aimed at an intelligent target audience.
The colour scheme is reasonably varied, thus remaining in line with the rest of ‘Kerrang!’. ‘Kerrang!’ uses a variety of colours to entice the relatively young target audience into reading the magazine and it is no different there. There are several colours but this is juxtaposed by the lack of colour contained in the text box (white is deemed sufficient). This means that, due to the contrast, the reader’s eyes are drawn to the text, meaning that they are more likely to read the article.
Uncut
This article is a review and, as such, does not contain a headline. It does, however, give the album a rating out of five at the start. This, along with many other typical ‘review’ style conventions, informs the reader that they are reading a viewer. It also pre-empts the opinion of the album in that the reader knows what the writer thinks of the album before they have even started reading thus helping them to understand the article further.
The strapline is “High gloss Vegas extravagance from Brandon Flowers’ boys”. The strapline gives a taste of the article’s spin (that the album is ‘snazzy’ and ‘extravagant’, the personification of Vegas) whilst establishing that Flowers is the front man of ‘The Killers’. The byline states the writer (in this case, that would be Stephen Trousse), meaning that the readers can put a name to the opinion whilst also helping the reader to either read more from the writer in the future or steer clear of his articles.
There is a picture of ‘The Killers’ complementing the article. As a result of this, the readers can associate the picture of the band with the review. The picture can also act as an introduction to the review as they can tell from the picture whether or not they will like the genre of music they play.
The article is focused around the mass of text that is the review. However, there is also a small interview with the bassist and a pull quote. The layout of the text (i.e. fonts, positioning etc) is standard hence making the article easier to read and focus on. The small interview is of a lighter tone than the review, incorporating a Q&A question style that means a large amount of information can be consumed in a little amount of space without seeming overwhelming. The pull quote – “As spectacular, eager-to-please, corny and heartbreaking as a night out on the strip...” – summarises the article’s sentiment in a sentence thus breaking the reader into the article smoothly. Moreover, the pull quote refers to their home town, “the strip” meaning Vegas.
The introduction used is a “summary intro”, an intro that summarises ‘The Killers’ history and their reaction to the success of their first album. The introduction entices readers to read on as, after learning that they did not live up to the expectations with their second album, they will be intrigued to see whether they have done better with their latest effort.
The article then proceeds to assess each song’s qualities whilst making comparisons to other artists and their previous album’s work. The reader will be enticed to read on as they want to hear what the album’s like in the eyes of the writer. The readers also want to see comparisons as they want to have something to compare the, as yet unheard, album to. The final paragraph sums up the album, meaning that the readers can finish the article with an opinion on what the album will be like and whether they will purchase the album.
The article uses formal lexis thus appealing to the magazine’s older target audience (‘Uncut’ is aimed at 30-40 year old fans of rock generally). This is epitomised by terms such as “symphonic showstopper”, “refreshingly brazen” and “greater grandeur” (as you can see, alliteration is also used to aid the cohesion of the article). The article, as previously stated, is a review of an album that’s release is imminent. The sentences that are used are predominantly complex, thus further appealing to their intelligent target audience.
The colour scheme is very simple – predominantly white with some blue thrown in for good measure. This means the minimalistic style is reinforced, meaning that the readers can focus on the text without being distracted. However, the pieces of blue on the page mean that, by contrast, these stand out. And rightly so, as the album’s name ‘Day and Age’ is highlighted, as is the interview with the bassist. As a result of this, the album’s name is easily recognisable and the reader can also easily recognise that the interview is a different (but related) feature to the review. Furthermore, there is one element of red in the article: the rating. As a result of this difference in colour, the rating stands out and makes the opinion of the writer even clearer.
Rolling Stone
The headline is ‘Killers Fight Back With “Stripped Down” Third Album’. This headline is factual thus giving the article a pre-emptive informative edge. Furthermore, the headline connotes that the Killers are battling with the critics whilst suggesting what the third album’s musical undertone will be. The words “fight back” insinuates that the Killer’s second album was not well received and this notion is confirmed later in the article. This implication also means that the audience is intrigued by ‘the Killers’ battle with the media.
The strapline is ‘Las Vegas rockers shrug off critical reaction to Sam’s Town on new disc’. This strapline is extremely informative in many ways, whether it’s aimed at people who are yet to hear of ‘The Killers’ or their fans. The strapline informs the reader that they are from Las Vegas, that their second album was not received well critically and that they are releasing a new album, remaining unfazed by the critics’ judgement of their previous album. The manner in which the strapline conveys this information forces the reader to consume it subconsciously thus meaning they are acknowledging this information but in the quickest way possible. It also gives a brief overview of the forthcoming article thus meaning that the readers can assimilate whether they will enjoy the article or not. The byline informs the reader of the writer – “Brian Hiatt”. This means that the reader is further aided in their decision to read the article or not, depending on their view of Brian Hiatt.
There is an accompanying picture of the band; this means that the reader can instantly associate the band’s picture with the band’s words. It also aids the reader in that it informs them what ‘The Killers’ look like. The picture shows them in a studio thus informing them that they are in the process of creating an album and therefore giving the reader an insight into what the article is about (and possibly enticing the reader to continue reading). It also shows the band looking pensive thus inferring that they are thinking of their new album which could intrigue the reader. The picture does not obstruct the text, meaning that the picture is not essential to understanding the feature whilst placing the focus of the reader’s attention on the text. This reinforces the informative element of the article.
The article is laid out in a standard format as the magazine does not want to bombard its target audience with too much information; wanting the readers to focus on the information and not ostentatious graphics. The text is wrapped around the picture thus packing in information and simultaneously associating the picture with the written content. The article is also laid out on a single page, thus informing the reader that it is still a work in progress as the band do not want to reveal too much about the forthcoming album.
The introduction is effective in that it entices the reader to continue reading; but how does it do this? The introduction is a ‘summary intro’ which, quite plainly, summarises what ‘The Killers’ have been doing since the reaction to their last album. The writer then utilises a quote to ensure that the reader retains their interest as they want to hear what the front-man has to say about the new album. The article’s second paragraph continues by emphasising the success of the second album with facts but then contrasting that with the album’s relatively poor critical reception. The writer then queries Flowers on the critical reception thus further persuading the reader to read on as they want to hear what he thinks about the album’s poor response.
The article continues by talking about the imminent album, ‘Day and Age’. The writer uses a mix of quotes and information about the individual songs to induce the reader to read on – they want to hear what Flowers has to say about the new album and the fans want to hear about the tracks that they have yet to hear. The article then concludes with a quote from Flowers, stating his intent to ignore the criticism. He then says that he has faith in what they do, thereby concluding the article sweetly as it sums up his feelings towards the new album.
The article’s lexis is reasonably formal but the writer is careful not to use too formal language as to appeal to a widespread audience. As the target audience of the magazine is generally reasonably old classic rock fans, the vocabulary of the article is slightly more complex than, for instance, ‘Kerrang!’, which attracts a different target audience entirely. This reasonably formal lexis is epitomised by the use of terms such as “overblown” and “bombastic”. Moreover, the article tends to steer away from colloquial terms unlike other magazines thus further appeasing it’s relatively intelligent target audience.
The article is a preview of a looming album but also splices an interview into the works by mixing facts and quotes. The sentences are complex, containing several clauses and sub-clauses and generally being long sentences. This reinforces the fact that they are appealing to an intelligent target audience whilst also accentuating the fact that they have a lot of information to convey.
The colour scheme of the article is very simple; consisting of mainly white and red. This colour scheme means that the readers can concentrate on the information being communicated without being distracted by a plethora of colours. Moreover, the simple colour scheme helps the classy style that the magazine is attempting to cater to thereby helping the magazine to avoid a tacky style that is now synonymous with magazines such as ‘Kerrang!’ and ‘NME’.
NME
The headline is "MCR: Expect New Album Real Quick". "MCR" is an acronym for the ‘emo’ band 'My Chemical Romance' and, by using their acronym, it connotes that they are appealing to fans of that band with this article. It also entices the 'My Chemical Romance' fans as, by using the acronym, they know that it is for fans and, as such will want to read the article. The notion that it appeals to 'MCR' fans is reinforced by the term "New album", the fans will want to read on as they want to hear the lead singer, talk about the new album. One could infer from the term "real quick" that it is almost ready and, therefore, people will want to hear about the near-completed album.
The strapline is "Gerard Way hopes to finish new album very soon, as he's invited to work on Umbrella Academy movie". By mentioning "Gerard Way" ('MCR's lead singer) from the off, the writer has indicated to the reader that he is talking to 'NME'. This will entice fans to read the article as they want to hear what their favourite frontman has to say. Moreover, the fact that they mention “new album” again, further connotes that the album is almost ready and, as such, fans will be interested. The fact that they are bringing the audience news in that he has been “invited to work on Umbrella Academy movie” will also interest not only fans but general readers as they would be intrigued by the fact that Gerard Way is working on a film. There is no byline as such, the only notable mention of a possible creator is the editor of the news section – “Paul Stokes”. This could be due to the fact that it is only assembling what Way has said and, consequently, it does not really require a writer.
There is a picture of Gerard Way featured with the article; this denotes to the reader that the article is about him. Due to the fact the picture is so big, it makes it patently clear that the article is about him and his band. As such, his fans will want to read the interview. Gerard Way is directly addressing the reader hence making the reader feel more involved and, as such, more inclined to read on. Furthermore, the image is more eye-catching, meaning that the readers are more likely to take note of the page and possibly read on.
The article is laid out in a white text box over the picture. This makes the text easier to read, meaning that the readers can focus on the content rather than being distracted by a dark backdrop. Moreover, the text box makes the article seem as if it was a newspaper article. As such, the informative edge of the “News” section is reinforced visually as well as textually. The picture is directly next to the text, so the reader can associate the article with the accompanying picture easily.
The introduction is a ‘summary intro’, an introduction that summarises what Way has been doing since he’s last been in the spotlight. The introduction is short but concise, consisting of just one sentence but telling the readers all they need to know about the band. Because the opening paragraph is so short, it intrigues the reader thus enticing them to read on as they want to find out more.
The article continues by talking about the forthcoming film and the impending album. The reader continues to read as they await a quote from Way and they want to find out more about both the film and the album. The article then proceeds, and concludes, with a series of quotes from the lead singer. The article then finishes by combining the two as Way talks about how the two facets of his career influence each other.
The article’s lexis is not that complex. This could be to appeal to NME’s target audience – mainly teenagers – but it is, more likely, to appeal to ‘MCR’s fan base, that of pre-teens and young teenagers. If they were to alienate MCR’s fans with a varied vocabulary and a generally complicated lexis, they would not read it.
The article is a news feature but it also implements elements of an interview and a preview. It is clearly labelled as a news feature, as signalled by the title in the top left of “News”. It contains an element of an interview though as it includes quotes from Gerard Way. The preview part of the article is prominent due to the fact it is speculating about a forthcoming film and CD release. The sentences are reasonably short, further reinforcing the aforementioned sentiment that they are appealing to a younger, less intelligent audience than counterparts such as ‘Q.’ and ‘The Word’.
The colour scheme is vibrant, thus attracting the younger, easily influenced target audience to read the article. Different colours are used for each different element of the page thus clearly signalling each different part of the article from title to section title to picture.
As previously stated, the article analysis was tough, especially in comparison to the cover analysis. However, as I persisted with the analysis of articles, I discovered several conventions that attract my target audience and, as such, I am confident I will be able to create a more enticing final product due to my analysis of articles.
I then decided to construct an article summary sheet that briefly compared the four articles. I was hoping to discover the subtle differences in the articles, due to their target audiences, and then adapt my articles accordingly.
Summary Sheet
I analysed four different articles on three bands (‘The Killers’ were featured twice) from four different magazines – ‘NME’, ‘Rolling Stone’, ‘Uncut’ and ‘Kerrang!’. There were many similarities, particularly between ‘Uncut’ and ‘Rolling Stone’ (due to their similar target audience, no doubt) but there were also many differences.
Each magazine had an accompanying image of the person/band the article was about. As such, the audience can instantly relate the article to the picture, thus further informing them about the band. Each picture was, obviously, different and each held different connotations about their particular band. For instance, in ‘Rolling Stone’, ‘The Killers’ were in a studio, thus implying that they were working on their latest album that the article was previewing.
Each article utilises the convention of a “summary intro” except for the ‘We Are Scientist’s article in ‘Kerrang!’. This is due to the fact that, whilst the three other articles are talking about established bands, ‘We Are Scientists’ are a new band and, as such, there is no ‘previous’ to summarise. Moreover, the anecdotal introduction utilised reflects the band’s humorous nature. This is juxtaposed by the use of the summary intro for the two serious bands as the introduction reflects the band’s tone and nature in general.
The colour scheme that is integrated in the articles is reflective of the stark difference in target audiences. Whereas ‘Kerrang!’ and ‘NME’ appeal to a younger target audience, ‘Uncut’ and ‘Rolling Stone’ appeal to an older audience. This is mirrored in the colour schemes, as ‘Kerrang!’ and ‘NME’ utilise a vast array of colours to entice their younger target audience, ‘Uncut’ and ‘Rolling Stone’ opt for the simplistic look, settling for one or two colours.
I prefer the latter two’s (‘Uncut’ and ‘Rolling Stone) approach as I prefer the sparse and minimalistic style. Whereas, ‘Kerrang!’ and ‘NME’ could be accused of being cluttered, ‘Uncut’ and ‘Rolling Stone’ are the opposite. I feel that this style, coupled with their target audience, works perfectly as the lack of colour and clutter appeals to an older (and perhaps, more intelligent) audience. However, ‘NME’ and ‘Kerrang!’ both cater to their target audience’s needs, stimulating their youthful demographic with images and colours galore. As such, the readers will be enticed into reading the articles.
