Semiotically Analysing A Magazine Cover

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  Many meanings are encoded within a magazine cover to attract and engage with the specific target audience. Editors do this by using semiotics hidden within a magazines cover. Some of these I will go though on this cover of NME (New Musical Magazine). Often magazines will use anchorage to give an overall bigger meaning to the reader making the pictures and text work together. As suggested by Roland Barthes in 1977. This magazine is aimed at the younger reader as younger artists are shown and the overall style is very loud which youths stereotypically like.
  
  
• The Mast Head is what draws the potential reader in showing the Magazines name which is usually a generic style so that it can be easily found every time in a magazine rack. The colours of this are bright reds white and black which work together to give a 3d look to make it stand out and the font is in capitals once again appealing to the target readers.
  
  
• Along with the masthead are a series of famous artists and bands which is designed to appeal to new buyers. Artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Lily Allen who regularly feature in the music news are plastered all along the top of the magazine. The bit that’s shown when covered by other magazines in a rack.
  
  
• Band members of KASABIAN are featured on the front of this magazine as the main body of the over. It features two male men which can be seen as ideal partners or even ideal selves to the possible reader. Their facial expressions are looking serious which has been mediated by the editor and the photographer to have the desired effect of making them to be seen as the above.