Planning Task One : Magazine Title and Strapline

You have now finished the research phase of your NEA and will be starting the planning phase.

The first part of your planning journey is to consider the title of, and strapline for, your magazine.

Magazine title : this will be the masthead for your magazine. Most magazine titles are single words but this is not always the case.

Magazine strapline : straplines appear, conventionally, below the masthead and communicate a message about the magazine's identity. For example:

the strapline for The Wire is 'Adventures in sound and music'

the strapline for The Big Issue is 'A hand up, not a hand out'

You can look at other magazines to see how their strapline links to their brand identity.

Coming up with a magazine title and strapline can be a creative and challenging process and is not something that can just be plucked from the air.

For this task you need to take a sheet of A4 paper (or the digital equivalent) and complete a mind map of potential ideas.

It is essential that you do not show or share your initial ideas with other members of the class.

Here are some tips to help you:

1. Consider your target audience 

Consider the interests, demographics, and lifestyle of your target audience to come up with titles and straplines that resonate with them.

2. Brainstorm keywords 

Brainstorm a list of keywords related to your magazine's content, themes, and mission. Use a thesaurus to expand your list of keywords and synonyms.

These keywords could be the catalyst for potential magazine titles.

3. Use puns or wordplay if appropriate

Consider using puns or wordplay to make your magazine title more memorable and attention-grabbing.

4. Keep it simple and memorable 

Choose titles that are easy to remember, pronounce, and spell. Avoid using complex or obscure words that may be difficult for your audience to remember or understand.

Most magazine titles are 3 or less words with the majority being a single word.

When thinking of your potential strapline, keep this short and pithy too.

5. Check availability 

Before finalizing your magazine title, make sure it is not already in use by another publication.

6. Get feedback 

Get feedback from the people who assisted you with your audience research to see if your magazine title and strapline resonates with them.

Remember, a great magazine title should reflect the content and mission of your publication while also being catchy and memorable to your target audience. 

Take your time, be creative, and test out different options before settling on a name that feels right for your magazine.

TASK

Create a post for your blog titled:

Planning Task One : Magazine Title and Strapline

In this post you need only to do the following:

1. Add your mind map of initial ideas to your post (make sure that this represents detailed evidence of your thought process)

2. Confirm the title and strapline for your magazine

Deadline

The start of our lesson on Tuesday 4th June

Research Task Nine : Target Audience Research And Analysis

The target audience for your music magazine and accompanying website is described as "a primarily 16–25 year old middle market audience that likes to be entertained."

Your next research task is to conduct Target Audience Research And Analysis.

The media industry is highly competitive and all media texts are created with a target audience in mind.

If there isn’t an audience for your music magazine then it won’t be successful as a commercial media text. 

• Your magazine has to make money. If it is to make money, people will need to want to buy it.
• If you are to attract advertisers to your website, people need to visit it.

Research and Analysis

Media producers use audience research and analysis to find out as much as possible about their target audience and use that research to ensure their production will appeal to them.

Research is the process of finding information, while analysis is the process of evaluating and interpreting that information to make informed decisions.

TASK

Start by identifying a range of people from within your target audience profile.

These people must have an interest in listening to music and must be a mix of ages (16-25) and a mix of genders.

I suggest at least 10 people. 

You need to find out what these typical members of your target audience would want to see in a new music magazine.

This could be done through interviews, questionnaires, feedback via social media channels, etc.

Questions could cover things such as, in no particular order:

• Gender
• Age
• Favourite genres of music
• Favourite artists
• Do they buy music magazines? If so, which and why? If not, why not?
• Do they visit music magazine websites? If so, which and why? If not, why not?
• Do they go to gigs? If so, which, when and why? If not, why not?
• Where do they find out information about music? (radio, social media, etc)
• If a news music magazine was being published, what would they want to see in it?
• If a new music magazine was being published, what would make them want to buy it and/or visit its website?
• How much would they be prepared to pay for a music magazine?
• Are there any things that would encourage them to buy the first edition of a new music magazine?

The list above is not exhaustive - you may be able to think of other things that you would want to ask to find out further information.

After conducting your research, create a post titled:

Research Task Nine : Target Audience Research And Analysis

In this post, explain what you did in relation to finding out about your target audience (research) and what you learned as a result of this (analysis).

Your post could include results from questionnaires, interview questions and sample responses, etc.

Deadline

The start of our lesson on Friday 24th May (last day of term)

Reflection Point : What Have I Learned About Independent Music Magazine Websites?

By this point, you should now have completed eight independent research tasks and two Reflection Points.

You now need to produce a new post for your blog which has the same title as this post of mine:

Reflection Point : What Have I Learned About Independent Music Magazine Websites?

In this post you need to explain what you have learned about the layout, conventions and contents of independent music magazine websites.

This is an important activity as you will look back at this when considering the planning and production of your website.

Deadline

The start of our lesson on Tuesday 21st May

Research Task Eight : Research Into Other Independent Music Magazine Websites

Research Task Seven asked you to undertake research into the website for The Wire independent music magazine.

Research Task Eight now asks you to repeat this but for further independent music magazine websites.

I have pasted links to a selection of these below for you to use.

The purpose of this task is, again, to consider if there are any typical codes and conventions for independent music magazine websites.

Task

1. Visit one of the independent music magazine websites listed below.

2. Work your way through the homepage of each magazine's website. How is the website's homepage set out and what can a visitor to the website find?

Take some screen shots of the homepage and add these to a Powerpoint. Make some notes around the images setting out your observations about the way that the homepage is set out and what can be found by visiting it.

Make sure that you use at least 2 images for each website in the same way as you should have done for The Wire; one of the top of the page (usually including the masthead and hyperlinks to other sections of the website) and one from further down the homepage.

3. Repeat for a second website listed below.

Extension Task

4. Repeat for a third website listed below

List Of Independent Music Magazine Websites

RnR

RnR (previously publishing as Rock'n'Reel and R2) is an eclectic music magazine that, since 1988, has covered a broad base of music, from the mainstream to the fringes of roots, rock, folk, singer-songwriter, blues, world, country and beyond. 

So Young 

"So Young is a creative platform fuelled by the vibrant and underreported creative scenes within alternative music and the visual arts. 

With a community spirit, we aim to bridge the gap between some of the newest talents within illustration and the thriving underground guitar music scene. At its core, So Young is a printed publication and somewhere to discover your new favourite bands. Striving to do more and shine a brighter light on those the mainstream has failed, So Young now interlinks a record label, live shows and provides a creative platform to champion music and art from the underground up."

Under The Radar

"Under the Radar Magazine is an indie music Magazine that prints five issues a year, is distributed across North America and internationally, and bills itself as 'The solution to music pollution' The independent Magazine was founded in 2001 by publishers (and now husband and wife) Mark Redfern (a writer) and Wendy Lynch Redfern (a photographer) and is known for in-depth and characterized interviews with bands large and small, as well as their accompanying unique and stylistic photo-shoots. It offers intelligent, and sometimes humorous, articles that go far beyond a band's major influences, often accompanied by exclusive photo shoots."

Shindig!

"Shindig! is a music publication put together with genuine understanding, sincerity and utter belief. We bring the scope and knowledge of old fanzines and specialist rock titles to a larger readership."

Metal Hammer

"A hardcore magazine that is full of the brooding menacing attitude of its subject matter. Metal Hammer is the essential reader for the passionate metal-lover.

Covering all varieties of metal music from thrash to death, technical to traditional heavy, Metal Hammer never lets you forget that you’re reading a metal magazine as every page has all the attitude and style of the bands it covers. Inside you’ll find all the latest metal music news, coverage of the most extreme live gigs, albums and merch. Where Metal hammer really shines is in the in-depth interviews in each issue examining a huge host of different, infamous bands both established and new."

Blues and Soul

"Published 5 times a year, Blues & Soul Magazine covers the latest UK and US urban music info, including; News, charts, reviews, event and clubbing info + our signature world renowned in-depth interviews and influential artists past and present."

Deadline

The start of our lesson on Friday 17th May.

Research Task Seven : Independent Music Magazine Websites

So far, you have undertaken research tasks which sold have developed your knowledge and understanding of independent music magazine covers and the contents pages of magazines.

This research will be something that you will refer back to at a later stage when it comes to planning your own covers and contents pages.

The second part of your NEA will involve you having to produce the accompanying website for your independent music magazine. This will need to be made up of the homepage plus one linked page.

So, Research Task Seven asks you to undertake research into independent music magazine websites.

Task

Visit the website for 'The Wire' magazine. You can access this by clicking here.

1. Work your way through the homepage of the magazine's website. How is the website's homepage set out and what can a visitor to the website find?

Take some screen shots of the homepage and add these to a Powerpoint. Make some notes around the images setting out your observations about the way that the homepage is set out and what can be found by visiting it.

I will talk this through with you in our lesson today using the following screenshots from The Wire's homepage:

The Wire homepage : screenshot 1

The Wire homepage : screenshot 2

2. What pages are linked from the homepage via the hyperlinks at the top of the homepage? What can be found at each of these links when clicked on?

Take some screen shots of the linked pages (two should be enough) and add these to a Powerpoint. Make some notes around the images setting out your observations about what can be found by visiting these linked pages.

3. What evidence can you find of digital convergence between the website and the magazine? 

This means:

a) how do the website and the magazine work together to create a sense of brand identity

b) what references are made to the magazine on the website in order to promote this to the website visitor?

Create a post titled:

Research Task Seven : Independent Music Magazine Websites

Add images of your Powerpoint slides to this post together with a summary of what you have learned from your research into the website for The Wire magazine.

Deadline

The start of our lesson on Tuesday 14th May.

Reflection Point : What Have I Learnt About Magazine Contents Pages?

By this point, you should now have completed six independent research tasks and one Reflection Point.

You now need to produce a new post for your blog which has the same title as this post of mine:

Reflection Point : What Have I Learned About Magazine Contents Pages?

In this post you need to explain what you have learned about the layout and design of magazine contents pages.

These tend to follow similar conventions regardless of the genre of the magazine.

Deadline

The start of our lesson on Friday 10th May

Research Task Six : Wider Research Into Magazine Contents Pages

You have just completed a research task where you have analyzed the contents pages of 2 editions of The Wire magazine.

You now need to widen this research to analyse contents pages of other magazines.

For this task you will be working more independently.

Task

Find the contents pages of at least 2 other magazines (these can be from any genre; music, fashion, lifestyle, sport, film, gardening, travel, etc)

Repeat the process you followed for your analyses of the 2 contents pages from The Wire magazine, up to and including the annotation of 2 PowerPoint slides.

Create a new post on your blog with the following title:

Research Task Six : Wider Research Into Magazine Contents Pages.

In this post, Identify the magazines for which you have analysed contents pages and then post the screenshots of your PowerPoint slides.

Deadline

The start of our lesson on Friday 10th May

Research Task Five : The Wire Music Magazine Contents Pages

For your set brief you will have to plan and produce not just the covers for the first two editions of your independent music magazine, but also the contents page. 

For Research Task Five you will be deconstructing the contents pages for the editions of The Wire magazine that you have already analysed.

What To Do

Go the this page on The Wire's website

Find the first front cover that you analysed and access its contents page - I will show you how to do this in class.

What comments can you make about this contents page? 

Think about things such as:

• the layout of the different elements on the page
• the different sections of the magazine that are shown in the contents page
• the actual content set out in the contents page. What can be found inside the magazine? How does this link to the main coverline and other coverlines on the front cover?
• the use of typography - font, size, use capitalisation/lower case, text direction, etc
• the use of images
• the colour palette of the page
• the use of page numbers
• other information set out on the contents page

Repeat for the contents page of the second issue of the magazine that you analysed.

TASK

Take a screenshot of the contents pages.

Add these to a PowerPoint slide (one per slide) and then make notes around these based on the bullet points above.

Create a post on your blog titled:

Research Task Five : The Wire Music Magazine Contents Pages

Take screen shots of the slides you have produced and add them to your blog as images.

I have shown you how to do this in class.

Deadline

The start of our lesson on Tuesday 7th May

IF YOU ARE BEHIND WITH ANY OTHER POSTS MAKE SURE THAT THESE ARE ALSO COMPLETED BY THAT TIME.

Reflection Point : What Have I Learned About Independent Music Magazine Front Covers?

Well done to everyone who has completed the first four research tasks as requested. If you have done the further independent research task; brilliant!

You now need to produce a new post for your blog which has the same title as this post of mine:

Reflection Point : What Have I Learned About Independent Music Magazine Front Covers?

In this post you need to explain what you have learned about the layout and design of the independent music magazine front covers you have looked at.

Think about things such as the masthead, use of a main coverline and other coverlines, use of image, audience appeal, typography, etc.