Media Studies Portfolio: November 2018

After looking at magazines I had in my house as well as one's that my teacher let us look at in class, I conducted this research.

Genre - The genre I will be exploring today is a Cooking Magazine.

Genre Conventions - Content - The content in these magazines varies but one thing they all have in common is that they are about all things related to food. It usually contains: a note from the editor, advertisements relating to food and health, what’s trending, asking the experts and their responses, best new chefs and their recipes, meals that are well balanced and made easy, different ways to use up what’s in your pantry and get a good source of certain supplements and vitamins, shopping lists for multiple dinners that can be used to make a wide variety of recipes, introducing new products, big events occurring about food, how to fill your kitchen, articles and stories about food, easy ways to do things using food makeovers, coupons, their app (if they have one), and much more.

Genre Conventions - Production Techniques - The production techniques used in these magazines are all to target their main audience. The Main Image is appealing to the eye and has an article to go along with it on another page. The Masthead is used to catch the audience’s attention and go along with the style of the magazine. The Issue date gives the audience information about how recent it is and what food will be in it relating to that season. The Bar code gives the reader an indication of the quality of the magazine relating to which demographic they are trying to target. The words near the title of the magazine gives the reader the maker’s motto. Buzzwords on the front of the magazine, such as plus, free, and exclusive, get the audience attracted. Adverts on the second page have a catchy slogan for the audience to easily remember.

Institutional Conventions - Marketing

Marketing is used to ensure the growth of a business to get products out there. The magazines are beautiful and inviting, just by looking at the front cover and continue the theme throughout. There are complex stories for the readers to spend time digesting in. The magazine is printed with originality and ambition. It zooms in on stories that have been overlooked or misrepresented in traditional magazines. They are advertised everywhere from cooking shows to airplanes to supermarkets and much more.

Analysis of Magazine Sample #1

The first sample I looked at was the August 2018 issue of Cooking Light. This magazine targets those who are trying to stay fit and eat healthy with their slogan. The main stories are about an easy-to-make pasta salad, a french dip makeover, chicken skewers, and all about omega-3s. The main image is appealing to the eye as it’s an image of salmon and green beans. The masthead is in red text which is very appetite stimulant. A different part of the magazine shows the viewer how to use pistachios in 18 different ways. Another part of the magazine goes along with the season it's published in. It has a recipe for a Mediterranean pasta salad, perfect for summer. The magazine includes an article about how marinades works best on skewered meat to get the reader intrigued. It also has 5 easy ways to spruce up your kid’s lunches. There’s a story about how to prepare the best seafood, including the salmon on the front cover. A famous chef shared his recipe for a 5-course end of summer feast to share with the readers of his content.

Analysis of Magazine Sample #2

The second sample I looked at was the November 2016 issue of Taste of Home. The masthead is in black to show it’s importance. The main image is a turkey as it’s issue date is in the same month as Thanksgiving. The big feast was shown three different ways. The slogan on the front cover states, “Inspiring Home Cooks Everywhere.” Buzzwords like plus is also on the front cover including 20+ super sides to make for the holiday. Pie inspired desserts are what famous chefs make for Thanksgiving. The best loved brands are included in the advertisements of the magazine. There’s an article of how to make a turkey using herbs to cook with it, following the main picture on the front cover. It contains gadgets and gear to stock up your kitchen with.