OSP: Clay Shirky - End of audience blog tasks

OSP: Clay Shirky - End of audience blog tasks

Clay Shirky: End of audience blog tasks

Media Magazine reading

Media Magazine 55 has an overview of technology journalist Bill Thompson’s conference presentation on ‘What has the internet ever done for me?’ It’s an excellent summary of the internet’s brief history and its impact on society. Go to our Media Magazine archive, click on MM55 and scroll to page 13 to read the article ‘What has the internet ever done for me?’ Answer the following questions:

1) Looking over the article as a whole, what are some of the positive developments due to the internet highlighted by Bill Thompson?

- We could email and exchange files with people at other universities

- We had access to a way to talk to hundreds of thousands of other computer users around the world.

- The net is open to innovation like email, the web, Spotify or Snapchat

2) What are the negatives or dangers linked to the development of the internet?

It makes it next to impossible to stop spam, abuse or the trading of images of child abuse. In some countries such as Indonesia and Nigeria some people using Facebook weren't even aware of the fact that they were using the internet which could potentially also show how using social media has become such a normal thing now and so many people have started using it without even knowing what they're actually using. 

3) What does ‘open technology’ refer to? Do you agree with the idea of ‘open technology’?

The openness shows how the media gives people a voice to talk about different subjects openly and giving them a chance to raise awareness of certain things and forming a community with other minorities just like them e.g. the LGBTQ+ community. 

4) Bill Thompson outlines some of the challenges and questions for the future of the internet. What are they?

The fact that we currently have a mostly open network is no reason to believe that there is a pre-ordained path towards constant improvement as we deploy advanced digital technologies throughout the world.

How can the network delivery you with the privacy you'd like?

5) Where do you stand on the use and regulation of the internet? Should there be more control or more openness? Why?

There should be a balance of both as openness is important for people to be able to express how they feel or their passion about something which then helps them find supporters and even if not gives them a platform to express their differences. However, there should also be some control over the media as people deserve privacy and it should be up to them how many people whatever they put on social media reaches out to as not everything that is put online should be available to everyone and this idea of it being 'out of your hands' as soon as you put it online should disappear because it's there choice what they want to share and if they do not want to share it anymore it should be incompletely wiped off, other media platforms shouldn't have the right over it and they also shouldn't misuse peoples information. 

Clay Shirky: Here Comes Everybody

Clay Shirky’s book Here Comes Everybody charts the way social media and connectivity is changing the world. Read Chapter 3 of his book, ‘Everyone is a media outlet’, and answer the following questions:

1) How does Shirky define a ‘profession’ and why does it apply to the traditional newspaper industry?

To label something a profession means to define the ways in which it is more than just a job. In the case of newspapers, professional behaviour is guided both by the commercial imperative.

2) What is the question facing the newspaper industry now the internet has created a “new ecosystem”?

'How society will be informed of the news of the day.'

3) Why did Trent Lott’s speech in 2002 become news?

"I want to say this about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We're proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years, either."

This then received criticism from politicians and the president and the press for his comment.

4) What is ‘mass amateurisation’?

Refers to the capabilities that new forms of media have given to non-professionals and the ways in which those non-professionals have applied those capabilities to solve problems.

5) Shirky suggests that: “The same idea, published in dozens or hundreds of places, can have an amplifying effect that outweighs the verdict from the smaller number of professional outlets.” How can this be linked to the current media landscape and particularly ‘fake news’?

This can be applied to today's media landscape as soon as one big thing happens all media platforms and companies start talking about it and giving their opinion and some even end up being biased. This also then triggers fake news to spread and media platforms sometimes putting 2 and 2 together to make their headlines sound attractive to customers and potentially spread fake news. 

6) What does Shirky suggest about the social effects of technological change? Does this mean we are currently in the midst of the internet “revolution” or “chaos” Shirky mentions?

Shirky suggests that we are perhaps in a state of chaos as revolutions involve going from point A to point B, with a state of chaos on the way.

7) Shirky says that “anyone can be a publisher… [and] anyone can be a journalist”. What does this mean and why is it important?

This defines the idea of 'end of audience' as today's media and especially social media gives everyone a platform and the chance to become an influencer, publisher, journalist or practically whatever they want to become as they have a platform for it and can talk about whatever they want as they'd always be someone to watch or listen on social media.

8) What does Shirky suggest regarding the hundred years following the printing press revolution? Is there any evidence of this “intellectual and political chaos” in recent global events following the internet revolution?

The world is in a period of 'intellectual and political chaos' as social media is filled with more fake news and it is beginning to dominate the media which is misleading consumers and spreading rumours and false information around the whole world as whatever's on the media can be accessed by pretty much anyone with internet access. 

9) Why is photography a good example of ‘mass amateurisation’?

Because on social media platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, Fcaebook and so on, people are able to create an image for themselves and this is mainly done through positing images whether it's of them or what they're passionate about; especially Snapchat and Instagram revolve around people taking and uploading images. 

An individual with a camera or a keyboard is now a non-profit of one, and self-publishing is now the normal case.

10) What do you think of Shirky’s ideas on the ‘End of audience’? Is this era of ‘mass amateurisation’ a positive thing? Or are we in a period of “intellectual and political chaos” where things are more broken than fixed? 

I believe we're in a period of mass amateurisation because people are finally being given a platform and a chance to express themselves on social media and they have a chance to post whatever they want, whenever they want at no cost and don't need to stand in front of a large audience to try and get their point or message through anymore. End of audience means anyone can post the news or whatever it is they choose to post and we don't need to wait to here things from large media associations anymore or only read or listen to whatever they choose to tell us meaning we now know less biased information as well now. 

Magazines: Men's Health - Language & Representation

Magazines: Men's Health - Language & Representation

Language

1) Write an analysis of the media language choices on the cover of Men's Health - e.g. colour scheme, typography, language, photographic codes etc.

The Men's Health magazine tends to have quite a professional layout as they are aiming at older, working class men. They use limited colours but the colours they use are bold and eye-catching such as red, black, white etc. The language they use is also very appealing to audiences' as their catch phrases and subheadings have a play on words. They also have the model(s) looking straight; directly at the camera so it's like they're looking at the reader which makes it feel more personal and engaging. 

2) Identify three specific aspects/conventions/important points (e.g. cover lines, colour scheme, use of text, image etc.) from each page of the CSP that you could refer to in a future exam. Explain why that particular aspect of the CSP is important - think about connotations, representations, audience pleasures, reception theory etc.

Front cover: features a model or a celebrity/influencer in the centre of the page; they'll have a feature in one of the first few pages of the magazine. In this case they'd also be quite muscular and built as they promote good health and fitness in the Men's health magazines. 

Editor's Letter and contents page: The contents page helps the reader find the exact topic that they're looking for and visuals are also used to make it look more appealing and help audience get a better understanding. The editors letter is motivational for the readers as they talk about fitness and maintaining your body which would give people tips and a push to make their body fitter and healthier. 

Feature - True Grit - 'The Marathon Man': The main image is of an old man which breaks typical media conventions as they usually tend to use young and 'good-looking' men to make it look attractive so they get more readers but this creates more realism. 

3) Apply narrative theories to Men's Health - Todorov's equilibrium, Propp's character types, Barthes' action or enigma codes.

Todorov's equilibrium - the disequilibrium is that the reader is unhealthy, out of shape or unfit and reading the magazine would give them tips and motivation to do new things to change their lifestyle and appearance which would then lead to the new equilibrium where they build a healthier and fitter body.

Propp's character type - the reader could be seen as the hero as they're trying to seek something; better health or body. The magazine writers could be seen as the donor as they're providing the readers with special information seen as hints to help them achieve their goal(s). 

4) Read the cover lines and the Editor's Letter. Does Men's Health offer a cure for male insecurities or does it create male insecurity?

Men's Health's cover lines and editor's letter helps cure male insecurities to a certain extent but it also reinforces stereotypes as these topics are specified for men to help them be a 'man'. They also mention 'new year, new you' which is usually something women tend to say or put more effort into but introducing this into a male magazine shows that they're allowed to also follow these things without judgement and make new changes as a fresh start which is also motivational, not just giving them ideas to make changes but also giving them a time to start. 

5) How does the 'Marathon Man' feature page offer an example of Steve Neale's genre theory concerning 'repetition and difference'?

Representations

We have already covered many relevant theories in our work on Advertising and Marketing (for example, David Gauntlett's writing on Media, Gender and Identity). We now need to apply these theories and ideas to Men's Health and specifically the three pages from the Jan/Feb 2017 issue identified as our Close-Study Product.

Representations: applying theory

1) How can Gauntlett's ideas on masculinity, gender and identity be applied to the Men's Health CSP we have analysed?

 ''The masculine ideals of absolute toughness, stubborn self-reliance and emotional silence have been shaken by a new emphasis on men's emotions, need for advice, and the problems of masculinity.” What Gauntlett has said can be applied to our Men's Helth CSP as they've brought in topics that are new to mens magazines such as mental well-being as that is something that is not really spoken about when it comes to males as they were just expected to hide their feelings however they themselves have now been given the right to express themselves.

2) How could van Zoonen's work on feminist and gender theory be applied to Men's Health?

Van Zoonen talks about how the female body is objectified in the media for male pleasure and to grab their attention whereas, in the Men's Health magazine, the male body is being used to spread a positive message and to promote fitness and a healthy well-being. 

3) How could bell hooks's work on 'corrosive masculinity' apply to Men's Health?

Bell Hooks argues that gender roles are something that is constructed by society over the years rather than something that is natural. In Men's Health they feature big and built men which is what men have been expected to look like for years which opens up for the 'female gaze' as men are posing shirtless with the built bodies that they're expected to have in order for women to admire them. 

Representations: academic analysis

Read these extracts from the journal article exploring the representation of masculinity in Men's Health magazine and answer the following questions:

2) Why is advertising significant in helping to shape masculine identity?

As what is being promoted and shown in popular magazines such as Men'sHealth is what is goingto reach out to majority of audiences' resulting in trends being set and popularity increasing for brands. What is being advertised is most likely what is going to get purchased by these men and them using these products would shape an image for them in society showing what sort of person they are. 

3) The article suggests that the representation of masculinity in Men's Health is not fixed or natural and is subject to constant change. What media theorists that we have studied previously can be linked to these ideas?

This could be linked to Gauntlett who says masculinity isn't in crisis as this means that the magazine isn't putting pressure on men saying they need to be or act in a certain way but rather just going with what is popular in society and what they believe their audience are more likely to read and enjoy.

4) What does the article suggest Men's Health encourages its readers to be? What examples and statistics are provided to develop the idea of men as consumers?

The global market for male grooming grew by 5.7% between 1997-2005 which shows that men have now started to take more care in grooming and their appearance over the years compared to other centuries. 

5) What representations of the male body can be found in Men's Health?

Men's Health promotes having a built but more importantly a health body and also a healthy mindset as men don't always need to carry themselves out as hard-headed and can express themselves if they feel like it. The male body is also being objectified as you can see shirtless men grabbing female gaze although that isn't the main intention. 

6) What does the article suggest regarding the objectification of men?

The male body is being objectified and exposed to readers of Men's Health. However, as there are is mainly a particular type of body that is being constantly shown in Men's Health, it makes it seem like the average body or any other types of males aren't socially accepted or that's not what people want to see.

7) What is 'metrosexuality' and how can it be applied to Men's Health?

Metrosexuality is someone who is about grooming himself and his appearance who tends to spend a lot of time and money on shopping for themselves. Men's Health does a lot of promotions and advertisements for different brands which reaches out to these metrosexual men who are looking for more products to invest in and groom themselves with. 

8) What representation of men in Men's Health is discussed in the section 'Homogenous bodies'?

MH seems to belong to the mainstream discourse which portrays the dominant depictions of maleness in physical terms, linked to power, strength, and youth. They're all very similar with a specific body type and dress quite well and luxuriously. 

9) What are the conclusions drawn by the article with regards to the representation of masculinity in Men's Health?

Men's Health still has some similarities to other magazines especially with the representation of men and the way they use images of the body to attract audience attention and gaze. Although they spread positive messages, they are still carrying out this physical image of how they think men should look adding a lot of pressure onto them. 

10) What is your own view of the representation of masculinity in Men's Health? Is it a positive representation that encourages men to the best they can be or is it a hypermasculine, consumer-driven representation designed to undermine men's confidence and objectify their bodies?

I personally believe that Men's Health is in attempt of changing peoples views and expectations of masculinity but reemphasising some of the stereotypes subconsciously during the process as they are slowly building up towards changing the way men are seen and expected to be in society but it is a gradual process and they would face slip ups on the way. 

Oh Comely - Audience blog tasks

Oh Comely - Audience blog tasks

1) How does Oh Comely introduce itself?

Oh Comely introduces itself by talking about what the magazine is all about and also provides statistics to show how well the magazine is doing and how many people they have managed to reach. 

2) How do the print circulation/readership statistics for Oh Comely compare to Men's Health?

Men's Health seems to have a broader age range and also reaches a lot more audience; this could be because they produce more editions of their magazine and give some out to free in places where they know their target market would be and Oh Comely could also have less audience reading their magazine because they have more of a niche market compared to Men's Health. 

3) How is Oh Comely distributed to the audience? 

Oh Comely only do a few prints so their regular customers would tend to buy from them and other than that they reach out to audiences by selling their magazines at popular cafes as they know their target audience go there and they'd be able to have a read of the magazine that way. 

4) What do you think the target audience demographics for Oh Comely might be? Some details are provided by the magazine (e.g. average age 27) but make an educated guess on further demographic details.

They'd mainly be aiming at middle class, young white women who have strong feminist beliefs and are also most likely to go to places like cafes regularly as they also have their magazines there.

5) What psychographic groups might be attracted to Oh Comely?

Explorers as they seek difference and are looking for newer unique things and Oh Comely are a modern magazine that talk about new things that traditional magazine wouldn't tend to mention. Explorers also tend to be a younger demographic.

6) What social class classification would you expect most Oh Comely readers to be? Why?

Most of them would be middle class as Oh Comely is a luxurious magazine rather than an affordable one and they have made it quite clear that they're aiming it at a higher class audience rather than people looking for an on-budget magazine as it also sets a brand image for them. 

7) What level of education would you expect for most Oh Comely readers? Why?

Oh Comely readers would most likely be well-educated as the magazine talks about inspiring women and women that work hard which comes with good education. It is also laid out in a more complex way that is for educated people to understand and find attractive rather than general audience. 

8) What audience pleasures are offered by Oh Comely?

The themes are easy for the audience to understand  the magazine talks about them in detail and makes it interesting for the audience to read. 
It is also pleasurable for women as they've been given a platform to praise other women, be supportive and also motivate others which would be pleasant for them to read. 

9) It has been suggested Oh Comely is a “magazine about people, their quirks and creativity rather than money and what it can buy”. How does the design and advertising content of Oh Comely support this view?

They have used a very aesthetic design in their magazine to reflect their artsy side rather than making it full of colour and text to promote as much things as possible. The uniqueness of the layout also reflects the articles that can be found inside as they are quirkier than usual magazine articles and have content that they think need to be spoken about in society rather than writing about it knowing that if they do, they'd attract a lot of customers. 

10) Why do you think Oh Comely has been able to build a loyal audience of subscribers in the eight years since it launched? Think about audience demand, rival magazines and the overall media landscape in the digital age.

Although their magazines aren't at an affordable price, they don't release their magazines often which leaves audience eager and waiting for the magazine to come out so that they can read the newer articles. Rather than publishing news and gossip, they write about peoples lives, inspirational stories, social issues etc. which would make readers come to them because they could find news and gossip elsewhere but it's rare to find these articles which is what their target audience is interested in.  

End of Year 1 exam learner response

End of Year 1 exam learner response

1) Type up your feedback in full (you do not need to write mark/grade if you do not wish to).

WWW - This is a very good, consistent exam that also offers potential to reach the higher grades. You've clearly revised terminology and theory and made good point throughout.

EBI - Question focus on the essay questions is the main EBI. This may also mean you need to revise postmodernism and industry for TV.

A little more theory and more detailed analysis needed to open up B+ grades.

2) Read the mark scheme for this exam carefully, paying particular attention to the 'indicative content' for each question. This is some of the best learning you can do all year as it gives you an idea of what the exam board is expecting. For your LR blogpost, identify ONE point you could have added for the first three questions in Section A:

Q1 additional point/theory: 

Binary opposition: cover image creates classic binary opposition of good and evil, hero and villain etc.

Q2 additional point/theory/CSP reference: 

Gauntlett – identity becoming more fluid; changes over time; generational differences. (Maybelline)

Propp’s character types reflect traditional gender roles in wider culture – active male hero, passive female heroine (‘damsel in distress’). (Man's Life)

Q3 additional point/theory/CSP reference: 

Bell Hooks: “normalised traumatisation” – bell hooks would suggest media products such as the Score hair cream advert help create a corrosive, toxic hypermasculinity that damages both women and men.

Jean Kilbourne’s work on the representation of women in advertising can be found in the

Score hair cream advert.

3) The final question in Section A was a 20-mark essay that required an extended response containing a coherent argument. Using the suggested content in the mark scheme, write an essay plan containing five paragraphs/points that answer the music video and postmodernism question.

Para 1 - finding originality in the Billie Jean video; The postmodern idea of ‘copying copies’ (that nothing is truly original)

Para 2 - How the editing, effects, camera shots etc. portray postmodernism

Para 3 - the narrative within the music video which was quite new during the time it came out.

Para 4 - Comparison to Letter to the Free and how it doesn't have much elements of postmodernism.

Para 5 - Conclusion; compare the differences between the two and talk about which one uses postmodernism the most.

4) Section B began with two questions testing your knowledge of industry terminology. Make sure you know the answers to these (get the answers from the mark scheme if you have to):

Two benefits of vertical integration: 

The business would have different fields giving competitors heavy competition and even if they don't do well in one sector, they'd be getting profits from another one. 

Definition of diversification: 

When a business or in this case, a media institution expands by introducing a range of products which don't need to be similar to each other e.g. having a TV channel and a radio station which are both for two different types of audience. 

5) Question 8 (TV industry) was arguably the hardest question on the exam. Write a new paragraph that answers the question referring to either Capital or Deutschland 83 and the global TV industry. Use the indicative content in the mark scheme to help you.

Capital reflects the global nature of London (multiculturalism) but perhaps less the global
nature of TV industry. State-of-the-nation drama largely aimed at British BBC audience who understand cultural references to house prices, Eastern European builders, city bankers etc. 
D83 reflects rise in foreign-language TV drama. Walter Presents from Channel 4 is VOD
streaming service with international long-form drama. Audiences increasingly comfortable

with subtitles and open to stories told over many hours.

Magazine cover learner response

Magazine front cover - Learner response

1) Add your finished magazine cover as a JPEG image.

2) Type up your feedback from your teacher. If you've received this by email, you can copy and paste it across - WWW and EBIs.

WWW: The use of language in the cover lines is effective with a range of stories that fit the Men’s Health brand. The cover image is appropriate for a magazine cover (although perhaps not Men’s Health specifically).

EBI: The key feedback is to look at your cover alongside the real examples – it is immediately apparent which yours is as there is a huge amount of empty space on your cover (the whole left side for example). There are errors in the cover line text (“This 55 year olds transformation” is missing an apostrophe) and the cover lines are not aligned to the side of the page. Another lack of attention to detail is the date in the very top left – this is not an important convention and you’ve placed it in the single most important part of the cover. Similarly, your evaluation questions lack detail, analysis or serious reflection. These are all great lessons in terms of creating coursework of a professional standard next year! 

3) Consider your mark against the mark scheme above. What are the strengths of your production based on the the mark scheme? Think about magazine cover conventions and the media language techniques you have used to communicate with your audience (e.g. mise-en-scene, camera shot etc.)

- Satisfactory application of knowledge and understanding of media language, demonstrated by the generally appropriate but inconsistently effective selection and combination of straightforward elements to communicate generally clear meanings throughout the product.

- A satisfactory cross-media production that constructs suitable narratives and shows occasional control of connotations but rarely constructs points of view. 

4) Look at the mark scheme again. What can you do to move your mark higher and, if required, move up a level?

- Improve my application of knowledge and understanding of media language. Which could be demonstrated through frequently appropriate and effective selection and combination of elements to communicate clear meanings throughout the product. 

- Use more cross-media production that constructs effective narratives and shows some deliberate control of connotations, constructs points of view that reflects values and attitudes.

5) What would be one piece of advice you would give a student about to start the same magazine cover project you have just completed?

- Have more cover lines to read. 

- Position the model in a better place so that you can see them and add in enough text when it comes to taking the images. 

Men's Health - Industries case study blog tasks

Men's Health - Industries case study blog tasks

Hearst publishing

1) Hearst UK is part of Hearst Communications. What is Hearst Communications and where is it based?

 It is an American mass media and business information conglomerate based in New York City; more specifically in the Hearst Tower in Midtown Manhattan.

2) What media industries and brands make up the Hearst Communications conglomerate?

Hearst owns newspapers, magazines, television channels, and television stations, including the San Francisco Chronicle, the Houston Chronicle, Cosmopolitan and Esquire. It owns 50% of the A&E Networks cable network group and 20% of the sports cable network group ESPN, both in partnership with The Walt Disney Company.

3) What was the global revenue for Hearst Communications (in dollars) for the most recent year on record?

$10.8 billion in 2016.

4) Focusing on Hearst UK, what other magazine brands are part of Hearst UK publishing? How many UK people do they reach in print and online?

Hearst Magazines UK publishes 19 magazines and 26 websites in the U.K.
e.g. Men's Health, Women's Health, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Company, House Beautiful, Red, Inside Soap, Bazaar, Elle Decoration...

UK’s largest digital magazine publisher and reaches 12.1 million adults in print and 43 million unique users online every month.

5) What is James Wildman's plan for Hearst UK?

To grow a share in print in order to to stem decline, accelerate growth in digital, diversify revenues through events and partnerships, and look at acquisitions. 

6) What percentage ad decline are consumer magazines facing?

There is currently over 10% decline.

7) What Wildman think about premium content and paywalls?

He thinks that premium content should be paid for and suggests media conglomerates should charge for their premium content. 

8) How has Hearst used diversification to grow the business?

"Diversification looks the best way to grow." - Wildman 
Hearst runs approximately 100 events a year allowing them to attract a large range of audiences. 

9) Is Men's Health increasing or decreasing in circulation?

It has recently increased by 1% in circulation. 

10) What does the press release say about recent successes associated with Men's Health?

These strong results, and the fact that several of our magazines are increasing their readership, highlight the extraordinary quality and continuing appeal of our print products. 
The impact of digital media on the print magazines industry

1) Why are traditional print magazines struggling?

They have been falling since the invention and the rise of digital media. 

2) What genre of magazines is currently bucking the trend and increasing sales? Why is this?

News and current affairs magazines are becoming more popular, but celebrity, gossip and fashion publications are still struggling.

3) In contrast, what magazine genres are struggling? Give examples of magazines that have declined or stopped printing altogether.

Entertainment and gossip magazine seem to be struggling the most. Gardening and cooking magazines have also become largely unpopular in the current day and age.

4) Look at the Guardian article in detail. What statistics are provided to demonstrate the decline in the print magazines industry between 2010 and 2017? What about the percentage decline from 2000?

Sales of the top 100 actively purchased print titles in the UK – those that readers buy or subscribe to – fell by 42% from 23.8m to 13.9m between 2010 and 2017. Since the start of the internet era in 2000, the decline is 55% from 30.8m.

5) What percentage of ad revenue is taken by Google and Facebook?

Google and Facebook account for 65% of the $6.5bn (£4.7bn) UK digital display ad market.

6) What strategies can magazine publishers use to remain in business in the digital age?

By expanding themselves from doing other things other than just print such as holding events to promote themselves and reach a wider audience, release their magazines online or create their own app where people can pay to view their content.

7) Why does the Hearst UK CEO James Wildman suggest that the magazine industry is not dead?

Because they will always have their loyal fan-base stick by them; especially for magazines such as Oh Comely who are aimed at a niche market. 

8) What examples from the Guardian article are provided to demonstrate how magazines are finding new revenue streams? What is the Men's Health branding used for?

New revenue streams are being discovered through the idea of creating a wider range of products under the publication's brand name.

9) What signs for optimism might there be for traditional magazine brands?

The importance of construction magazines in our daily lives are important because it's our source of entertainment. It's also very informational, and a lot of people read magazines. Whether it's celebrity gossip, politics, or other topics, there is a wide range to choose from that will satisfy the reader's interest, therefore it essentially be the same as the digital media. 

10) How does Men's Health fit into this picture? Why do you think Men's Health has remained successful in the digital age? Do you think Men's Health will continue to publish for many years to come? Why?

Men's Health is quite new to the scene compared to other magazine genres and are speaking about topics that people don't usually tend to associate with men but also plays a role in their life which has attracted a lot of audience attention. If they continue to do this and introduce more and more new topics there wouldn't be a reason for them to face a failure. 
The Men's Health website and social media

1) What similarities do you notice between the website and the print edition of the magazine?

They both feature celebrities as that will grab more audience attention and is a way of promoting themselves. They also share similar media conventions that makes the magazine stand out and underlines key features. 

2) What is the Men's Health daily newsletter and what does it include? How does this help Hearst UK to make money?

Daily dose of health news, weight loss tips and workouts straight to your inbox.

3) Look at the menu bar along the top of the website. What are the menu options? What does this suggest about the representation of men and masculinity associated with Men's Health?

The menu bar offers different options such as workouts, building muscle, fitness, nutrition and weight loss. This suggests that appearance and looking muscular is one of the most important things for men and they must be like this in order to prove their masculinity; reinforcing stereotypes. However they also have a category called mental strength which is new to a men's magazine. 

4) Choose one of the menu sections and write a list of the features in that area of the website. What target audience are these features aimed at?

Workouts - 

'Everything you need to know to build bigger shoulders' 

'Jason Momoa's 4-move back workout'

'Melt fat with this tough battle rope workout' 

'This medicine ball workout torches your abs and burns fat simultaneously'

'10 of the best exercises for getting six-pack abs'

5) Do you think the Men's Health website is trying to sell the print version or simply build a digital audience? What are the advantages and disadvantages of a 'digital first' strategy?

Men's Health would also need to release digital versions of their magazines to reach a broader audience and have more people reading their articles as more people tend to read online editions compared to print nowadays.

6) How does the Men's Health Twitter feed use 'clickbait' to try and get users to click through to the magazine's website? Give examples of tweets that are designed to get the audience to click through.

They use famous people with 'clickbait' titles as audience would be more intrigued by well-known faces.

7) How does the Twitter feed uses images and video content alongside text and links?

They use more videos and pictures as people are most likely going to be attracted by visuals rather than large amounts of text and they also have a word count on Twitter. 

8) What does the Men's Health Instagram suggest about the Men's Health brand? Is this appealing to a similar audience to the print version of the magazine?

The Instagram account would be used more to target a younger audience compared to who actually read the magazine as Instagram is seen as a platform more for the younger generation in comparison to things like Facebook.

9) Is the Men's Health social media designed to sell the print magazine or build a digital audience? Why?

It's more to build a digital audience as they're reaching them through digital platforms and it'd be easier to share around the link to their website and how explain how to sign up for online editions rather than telling them where they can make the physical purchases from. 

10) Evaluate the success of the Men's Health brand online. Does it successfully communicate with its target audience? Will the digital platforms eventually replace the print magazine completely?

Men's Health is running successful on digital platforms as they use different types of digital media to reach out to more and more people. This could be the turn where they can completely stop print and just focus on their digital platforms but they'll need to hold research to find out what audiences' would prefer over time. 

Advertising assessment learner response

Advertising assessment learner response

1) Type up your feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential).

WWW - Plenty of good points here and yourQ3 essay is extensive and explores the issues and debates positively. With a few minor improvements you can certainly be looking at at a C+ grade going into Year13.

EBI - Question focus! You don't discuss cultural & historical contexts in Q2. See mark scheme for examples. Written English. 

2) Read the whole mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Identify at least one potential point that you missed out on for each question in the assessment.

1 - Armani ‘Diamonds’ advert constructs a traditional, hypermasculine message – fiercely

heterosexual. Suit, white shirt, tie – classic masculine mise-en-scene.

2 - Hypermasculine, heterosexual image does not seem to reflect the significant social and cultural changes of last 50 years in terms of gender roles. Reinforces hegemonic masculinity.

3 - Lack of major advertising campaigns that seek to explicitly challenge or call out traditional masculine stereotypes. For women, the Dove ‘Real Beauty’ campaign and the Always ‘Like a Girl’ campaign have actively challenged dominant representations of women. Equivalent campaigns for men either do not exist or have failed to have the same impact.

3) On a scale of 1-10 (1 = low, 10 = high), how much revision and preparation did you do for this assessment?

6/7

4) Look at your answer and the mark scheme for Question 1. What aspect of technical film language (camerawork, mise-en-scene etc.) or advertising persuasive techniques do you need to revise to improve your response to this kind of question in future?

Mise-en-scene and camerawork needs to be revised a bit more. 

5) Look at your answer and the mark scheme for Question 2. What aspects of the cultural and historical context for the Score hair cream advert do you need to revise or develop in future?

Historical context because I didn't mention the years and cultural difference as much as I could've. 

6) Now look over your mark, teacher comments and the mark scheme for Question 3 - the 20 mark essay question on David Gauntlett and masculinity 'in crisis'. Write a completely new paragraph for this question based on the suggested theories/answers in the mark scheme. Make sure it is an extensive, detailed paragraph focused on the question and offeringexamples/textual analysis from the Advertising CSPs. 

David Gauntlett doesn't believe that masculinity is in 'crisis' which has been a worry in society for over 15years. It's fair to say that representations of men in the media has changed a lot over the years as the expectations for a 'man' has changed in society. Gauntlett’s analysis of men’s magazines suggested masculinity is changing but that main feature is men simply wanting to be better in life – and not always in the traditional sense.