Front Page Analysis
Rolling Stone
'Rolling Stone' is a magazine that focouses on popular culture and is produced by a company called Wenner media and also LLC, and the target audience seems to be for young adults, usually from around 21. Other forms of media that this mass market audience may appreciate other aspects such as band tours and also the radio.
The magazine is sold biweekly at $4.99 and has a total circulation of 1,459,154.
The masthead of this magazine connotes that already the magazine will be filled with a rock theme that is almost retro. It's also very bold which is captivating to the reader, also the typeface seems to a bright red which is highlighted with a black shadow that is very interesting and intriguing. Furthermore, it doesn't seem to be very basic in its presentation as the font is funky and un-simplistic. However, when it comes to the colour it is a simplistic tone. The idea, that rock 'n' roll is seen as quite dark and devious, could be why there's a hybrid of elements in this magazine to also portray it as a magazine for all genres which would make it a mass market product that varies massively (vibrant font, basic colour, capital letters).
The headline of this magazine, is presented in a kind of column layout. The layout has influenced the main graphic to become centre of attention as it puts focus on the main graphic. Many teenage girls and also women are obsessed with the idea of Nicki Minaj, as she's a very independent young women who empowers females hugely, which means this issue may have been very influential. The typeface has been created with a serif font, its also been enlarged to be striking to the mass market audience as it emphasises the 'diva' headline. When it comes to the typeface, it has been made in dark capitals as its supposed to draw the reader in. However, there is no hybrid of font as they're all the same.
This is the main graphic of this magazine. It features Nicki Minaj, a famous female rapper who has gained many fans through various albums such us 'Pink Friday' and 'The Pinkprint'. By using the image of Nicki, a certain mass market audience is promoted as she has a huge fandom of various people. Nicki has a glowing complexion, which is beneficial to the magazine and it draws in readers. Also, the use of a mid-shot and having her photo taken on a the backdrop makes Nicki more captivating and centre of attention, and also the idea of her sweating really emphasises the headline of the magazine.
The cover lines in this magazine is very basic again as they're simply giving a quick insight as to whats inside. The typeface is basic as it has been throughout. The graphics are very captivating and is structured nicely in aligned in columns along with the line pattern. The graphics really suit the colour scheme as they match the headline which maintains the house style of the magazine. Also, the main headlines of the stories have been made slightly bigger on the cover lines to signify importance. Finally, as the cover lines are on the side of the magazine, they still maintain the idea of Nicki Minaj being the main focus.
This is the bar code of the magazine, which is located on the front page. The bar code is there just to give general information on the magazine. This includes it price, issue number and also website where the circulation can be obtained.
Overall, this magazine seems to have content that purely focuses on American popular culture. The language used is quite basic, yet it still uses language that is intriguing that makes you want to read more. The headline of this magazine, contains the use of sibilance, which may be used to impress and catch the attention of readers. This magazine in similar to magazines such us Q and Billboard( may also be rivals as they all focus on the music industry). This is due to the fact they all maintain the layout that is quite graphical; they also maintain the idea of the main image being the focus. Finally, throughout the magazine the same typeface has been maintained.