The Big Issue: Case Study
Basic Facts About The Big Issue:
- sold by people on the streets
- used as a means to help people sleeping rough by providing them with a source of income from selling the magazine
- Focuses on current affairs topics
- Street magazine
- written by professional journalists
- its weekly
- its a social enterprise but also a business
The magazine covers up to date current affairs which makes its content relatable to the majority of people. The magazine often features high end stars to appear on their front page, agin helping to attract buyers.
4th February, 2019
LO: to identify the primary target audience for the big issue
What Ideologies are present in this cover and how have they been represented?
- Great Britain, using the myth of king Arthur who represents the 'great' in great Britain
- Political views
- references the British film king Arthur
- could be representing the film industry and celebrating British film
The big Issue reader profile:
This is Mark. Mark is a 29 year old coffee shop manager and owner from Plymouth. He lives in a flat he rents with his girlfriend in the heart of Exeter city. His hobbies include amateur photography, reading and cycling. He got a degree in food management at university. Mark is a supporter of the labour party and believes in social equality. Every Monday on his walk to his shop he buys a copy of the big issue from his local vendor. He chooses this paper over any other because he likes to help people in need. He also take pleasure in reading the big issue because of the quality of writing it contains.
- bright colours
- Mix of old and new / 94 year old holocaust survivor / fantastic plastic ecobricks
- focus on the 'change makers' section of the paper
- works with the ideology of changing the world for good
- Social resposablity / change
- positive outlook
- range of topics / sport/ science /legal/ entertainment
- puns and humour used
- older target audience
This issue of the big issue features a cover that mainly focuses on the idea of war. the cover is simple yet will have a profound effect on the reader. the covers mode of address is indirect, emphasising the idea that the topic being presented effects everyone, not just a handfull of readers. At first glance the star vehicle of the cover appears to be a soldier, but a closer look show that he is wearing civilian clothes and has had a helmet added to the top. This shows that the cover is not about serving soldiers but about veterans. The text that is placed overt the face of the civilian soldier also shows that the issue is about trying to help find a way to improve quality of life for former service men and women.
The colour scheme for the cover has been well picked. The use of dull and neutral colours represents the military aspect of the story. The only bright colour featured on the cover is that of the hemet appearing on the cover. The tag line 'the battle for peace of mind back home, rebuilding lives, fighting for futures' shows that the subject is not about actual wars but the wars that individual solders fight with mental health after there service has finished. Many solders will suffer from PTSD. this topic will atract the target audience of the big issue because they are socialy aware and feel socialy responsible for those less fortunate for themselfs.
This cover of the Big Issue features intertextual references to the pop band Abba. The heads of four of the most prominent politician (at the time) have been placed on the bodies of the members of Abba. The editors of The Big Issue will have done this to please and attract the target audience. The target audience will have grown up listening to Abba and will then understand the intertextuality of the cover.
This cover was published at the time of the EU membership referendum. This is significant when analysing and understanding the cover. The four politicians featured on the cover are Nichola Sturgeon, David Cameron, Borris Johnson and Nigel Farrage; all prominent campaigners during the run up to the vote. The Big Issue could have chosen to represent the referendum in a number of different ways, but they chose to take a comedic and intertextual approach. The reason for this is the target audience of the paper. This almost light hearted approach to what is undoubtably an important topic will sit well with the target audience who will most likely find the humour-us value in the cover.
With regards to the lexis of the cover there is only a small amount of text, there is no mention of what the contents of the issue are, simply the masthead of 'Decision time, The Winner Takes It All.' This lack of text shows to the reader that although the cover is comical and not very serious the topic is serious and important. By not listing anything else about what is in the contents the focus is only on the referendum, showing its importance. The majority of The Big Issue covers have at least one or two pieces of text about something in the issue. The target audience will be attracted to this as they will want to read about and keep up to date with the information about whole situation. they will be expecting in depth and high quality journalism, something that isn't hard to find in the big issue.
In the background of the cover you can see a voting slip and in the foreground there is a Ballard box. All of these small details are important to helping to understand what the intertextual references are about because no where on the cover does it mention the referendum or campaign. The reader is expected to know what the cover is about, because without these key details the whole cover falls through and becomes very random. The quote that are positioned in speech bubbles around the star vehicles also help to give some extra hints as to what its all about, in particular 'Knowing me, knowing EU'.
All in all I believe thatThe Big Issue made a very effective cover for the time of the referendum and hit the nail on the head in terms or appealing to their target audience. By using intertextuality they have made the topic seem more appealing through to many through humour that will have attracted people to buying their paper.
27th February, 2019
- open adress
- no star vehicle
- mixed fonts (chaos??)
- intertextuality of the the sex pistols cover
- punk (safety pin)
- asking why people aren't standing up for their idea like they used to 30 years ago
- target audience will understand intertextuality and be attracted to the cover
- standing up for rebellion and 'spirit' of rebellion showing that they have a positive view on rebellion
This cover of the Big Issue features intertextual references to the pop band Abba. The heads of four of the most prominent politician (at the time) have been placed on the bodies of the members of Abba. The editors of The Big Issue will have done this to please and attract the target audience. The target audience will have grown up listening to Abba and will then understand the intertextuality of the cover.
This cover was published at the time of the EU membership referendum. This is significant when analysing and understanding the cover. The four politicians featured on the cover are Nichola Sturgeon, David Cameron, Borris Johnson and Nigel Farrage; all prominent campaigners during the run up to the vote. The Big Issue could have chosen to represent the referendum in a number of different ways, but they chose to take a comedic and intertextual approach. The reason for this is the target audience of the paper. This almost light hearted approach to what is undoubtably an important topic will sit well with the target audience who will most likely find the humour-us value in the cover.
With regards to the lexis of the cover there is only a small amount of text, there is no mention of what the contents of the issue are, simply the masthead of 'Decision time, The Winner Takes It All.' This lack of text shows to the reader that although the cover is comical and not very serious the topic is serious and important. By not listing anything else about what is in the contents the focus is only on the referendum, showing its importance. The majority of The Big Issue covers have at least one or two pieces of text about something in the issue. The target audience will be attracted to this as they will want to read about and keep up to date with the information about whole situation. they will be expecting in depth and high quality journalism, something that isn't hard to find in the big issue.
In the background of the cover you can see a voting slip and in the foreground there is a Ballard box. All of these small details are important to helping to understand what the intertextual references are about because no where on the cover does it mention the referendum or campaign. The reader is expected to know what the cover is about, because without these key details the whole cover falls through and becomes very random. The quote that are positioned in speech bubbles around the star vehicles also help to give some extra hints as to what its all about, in particular 'Knowing me, knowing EU'.
All in all I believe thatThe Big Issue made a very effective cover for the time of the referendum and hit the nail on the head in terms or appealing to their target audience. By using intertextuality they have made the topic seem more appealing through to many through humour that will have attracted people to buying their paper.
Big Issue Analysis: Jasper, this isn't a) complete or b) nearly as detailed as it should be
ReplyDeleteWWW - identification and explanation of some of the elements used
NTT - link to the TA appeal and ideologies of the magazine
Exam Practice:
ReplyDeleteWWW - great use of terminology and links to the target audience
EBI - link the humour to a political comment or ideology