Q2) How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My media product is aimed at the working class population; urban teenager preferably black. In the making of my magazine I looked at various magazines aimed at similar target audience such as ‘Vibe’ and added similarities into my magazine.

I made my magazine focus on a particular kind of music for a subculture, my magazine has mixed content because then the social groups represented might be a diverse group within a particular age group, meaning although  it is aimed at a particular subculture others of a different subculture can still purchase it. In order to make my media product represent my social group, I brought casual clothes for my model to wear such as hoodies and puffy jackets. The reason I did this is because my target audience are working class teenagers who don’t have a lot of money for designer clothes.



My main image for my music magazine front cover is of a black teenager listening to music on headphones. This represents my social group as the image is something the viewers can relate too, they love music and I’m providing a magazine that specializes in their area. This image represents every single black male teenager who dreams of making it big in the music industry. By doing so I also followed the conventions of the other magazines, by featuring someone dressed as a rapper on my front page.

I wanted the non verbal communication to be identical to the magazine front cover I analyzed, a photo of someone looking confident. His non verbal communication shows he is strong and confident as he is not posing but instead breaking the forth wall by looking directly into the camera.

The most obvious item I have used to represent the rapper is the 'nike hoody' that the model is wearing. This is very eye-catching as everyone in the social group I am targeting in this magazine knows this brand, and it is very likely that they wear this brand also. The posture of the model has his arms down and is standing firm, which conveys a sense of strength, and it is typical to see rappers having a very big build in magazines.  


I chose the models, clothes and props that seemed to fit with one particular subculture which are working class black boys.  I want the viewers to believe that the models; are just like them, dressing the same looking the same. Not knowing that I made that intentionally. I wanted my model to resemble my ideal viewer as seen on my profile of audience, and I believe my model does as they are dressed similar and they are around the same age group.