in the digital age, magazine-like content is more easily accessible than ever. the rise of websites dealing in the kinds of specialist content magazines generally produce has undercut magazine sales – especially because most of these websites are free, and make their money from targeted advertising rather than physical sales. the speed at which information generally moves in the digital age is also not favorable for magazines, as it favors continuously-updating online content rather than weekly or monthly magazines – magazines frequently run the risk of becoming ‘old news’ only days or weeks after their publication. most consumers are used to getting much of their news and views at home, via the internet, TV and radio, and so many people will rarely go to a shop to buy a newspaper or magazine. magazines are also made of paper – significant numbers of consumers have grown averse to print media, in the name of saving the trees.

One challenge a magazine faces is time. Most magazines are posted once a month and struggle to stay relevant as they don’t have frequent or the latest news compared to what you can find on the internet.

Some people don’t have time or the effort to go to the shop and buy magazines and would rather stay at home or use the internet to look at blogs or news anywhere.

• Digital content is frequently uploaded and spreads information quicker than a paper copy.
• Magazines take up physical space where as digital content has no storage involved.
• Digital content is cheaper than physical magazines.
• Digital content is greener where as magazines use paper which damages the environment.
• Magazines cannot produces videos/audio.
• Digital content shows the latest news and trends where as magazines go out of date.
• Magazines are expensive to print.
• The process of printing magazines is far too long.
• Young people prefer digital copies rather than a physical object.

Digital content is updated constantly so it can be hard for magazines to keep up with trends, news or anything they need to add to their stories. Ease of access when a magazine is online compared to a physical copy. Online means no waste either from the producers of the magazine or the consumers that buy it to only throw it away after its read. Therefore there is an economic advantage to online magazines, making physical magazines obsolete.

As more people can access the internet and therefore get their information online which is quicker so less people will go out to buy a magazine. By the time the magazine is created and published, the news could be old or irrelevant by the time someone buys a magazine. Also websites are usually free and so people may not want to pay for information. Magazines also take up environmental resources by cutting down trees for paper.

-More effort to pick up from a shop compared to making online

-Magazines companies make less profit because it is more money to produce

-Their printers don’t become of use because they are used less

-Had to stay relevant against digital content because it is easier to update

-Easier to share faster using viral marketing to a lot more quickly.

-Uses environmental resources

-Takes up physical space

 Choose a magazine cover and label the key features (signifiers). Go on to identify the producers intended messages through the selection (paradigm) and combination (syntagm) of these visual elements (connotations/signified meaning).  Place your diagram on the blog.

 Images on magazine covers/feature articles need to be of “pin sharp” quality.  The top third of a magazine cover needs to be visually striking.  A magazine title needs its own specific branding to make it stand out.  Covers should not use too many fonts or colours – font colour and images should be unified where possible.  Coverlines should be visible from at least two meters away.  The key function of the front cover is to sell the product.

MAGAZINE COVER LAYOUT KEY TERMS:

 Masthead  Puff  Coverline  Dateline  Skyline  Cover Image/ Cover Star (dominant signifier)  Features

Roland barthes- Founder of media

C.S. Pierce- Discovered semiotics

Ferdinand de Saussure- Developed a way of understanding how meaning is created

Semiotics – The term used to describe the study of signs and symbols and their interpretation

Sign- A gesture/ object/ sound etc that conveys a meaning. the smallest unit of meaning. Anything that can be used to communicate

Signifer- A signs physical form

Signified- The meaning expressed by a sign

Icon- sign which has a direct connection to its’ object (ie it looks or sounds like the object)

Indexical – sign which has an indirect link to its’ object (think smells)

Symbolic – sign which has a random or arbitrary link based on a shared knowledge or an agreement, for example, a shared culture or language (think letters, words, writing, shapes, squiggles, colours, sound effects, facial expressions, hand gestures, clothing, hair styles, etc

Code – A collection of semiotic signs

Dominant signifier – A code or item Anchorage when a piece of media uses another piece of media to reduce the amount of connotations in the first, therefore allowing the audience to interpret it much more easily.

Paradigm – where signs get meaning from their association with other signs

Syntagm- where signs get meaning from their sequential order, e.g., grammar or the sequence of events that make up a story

Signification – the representation or conveying of meaning

Denotation – the most basic or literal meaning of a sign, e.g., the word “rose” signifies a particular kind of flower.

connotation- the secondary, cultural meanings of signs; or “signifying signs,” signs that are used as signifiers for a secondary meaning, e.g., the word “rose” signifies passion

Myth – A combo of paradigms and syntagms that make up an oft-told story with elaborate cultural associations

Dominant – ideology Codes that reinforce or are congruent with structures of power

1.Roland Barthes- Founding father of media.

2. C.S Pierce- discovered Semiotics.

3. Sausure- developed an approach to understanding the way in which meaning is created.

4. Semiotics- the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation.

5. Sign- A sign is any motion, gesture, image, sound, pattern, or event that conveys meaning.

6. Signifier- a sign’s physical form such as a sound, printed word, or image as distinct from its meaning.

7. Signified- he meaning or idea expressed by a sign.

8. An iconic sign- has a direct connection to its objective, for example looks or sounds like the object.

9. An indexical sign- has sensory features.

10. Symbolic sign- random link.

11. Code- combination of semiotic terms.

12. Dominant signifier- item or code.

13. Anchorage-  is when a piece of media uses another piece of media to reduce the amount of connotations.

14. Paradigm- set of concepts, or thought patterns.

15. Ideology- believed by many people.

16. Signification- what we read.

17. Denotation- the literal meaning