How does your media product represent particular social

groups?

In my previous audio link, I have discussed a point about challenging the stereotype of my social group. I addressed this by using a ‘girly’ colour scheme throughout my magazine. I have used delicate, soft colours to attract the teenage girls. Stereotypically, pink is associated with girly girls whereas boys find it quite a humiliating colour to be associated with. Young girls now a days are often perceived as:

Trying to fit in with the older teenage girls

Wearing make up

Dressing more like a woman than a young girl

It’s clear that the girls are immature minded

Intellectual level of average or above as the magazine includes a lot of text such as interviews, gossip or musical interests

Not having a varied music taste, but sticking to ‘pop’ genre

REPRESENTING MY TARGET AUDIENCE

The dominant representation of teenagers has connotations of; creating chaos, partying, acting older than their age. This is down to the music genre being ‘Pop’ meaning it is very upbeat and dancing is associated with that.

My target audience

-Smiling

- Posing (head tilt, hands on hips, leg posed)

- young

- fashionable

Sexuality is a key factor, as older women are portrayed as more realistic and working their way in life, whereas young girls are portrayed with the party life style and having fun out. As my target audience ranges at young teenagers 13-15, it is important to make sure the magazine is not overly explicit and that the content is suitable for the genre and age. Taylor Swift is perfect for the modeof address on the front cover, as she is seen as young, sweet and talented which is what most girls aspire to be and look up to. The genre is important as it sets the theme and style – the feminine, girly approach. Not only is it essential to include feminine role models in the magazine, but equally as appropriate to include male artists/bands, as that is what may physically attract the young girls as they are ‘insane fans’. This fits in with the more adult side, to being gay or straight but girls of this age focus on loving slightly older boys who are famous and have great talent about them. Including Justin Bieber, JLS and One Direction as cover lines on my front cover will attract the audience, because they will be interested in their voice and images inside.

Thinking about the class of my magazine is important, as this enables the profit to increase if the audience are well educated and are able to afford the magazine, on a regular basis. Middle classed families are most likely to invest with this magazine as they have a disposable income whereas working class or unskilled labourer may fail to meet these costs. A reasonable priced magazine for this genre would be in the range of £2-£4, which will be distributed weekly or monthly. This matches with my questionnaire results. Class is more difficult to perceive and judge today, as people’s lifestyles vary as it isn’t so specific within terms of higher class essentials then lower class essentials. Some families or individuals have the qualities of both, therefore get mixed up.

Ethnicity is also important as including a mixture of cultures targets a variety of people. My magazine represents a variety of cultures, from British to American however the artists listed on the front cover are from a mixed race background (JLS) too. The focus for my magazine is middle class white girls as that is where the magazine would be distributed – an area dominantly of white girls.