The Big Issue's Target audience and codes and conventions PLanning YOUR own Big Issue front cover

1. Deconstruct a minimum of 3 Big Issue front
covers
Since Sept 2017
• Mise en scene: colours used, typestyle, imagery, shot sizes and
camera angles, costumes, props.
• Mode of address used/Media language : visually and literary
(informal, formal, serious, call to action, persuasive, aggressive.
• How are the characters featured on the front cover represented?
• Summarize a house style
• Who do you think the target audience is and why?
(Age, gender, socio economic / income, ideology/ psychographics)

2. USE
Media Language (masthead, tagline,
tagline, anchorage text etc)
Mise en Scene: colour, costume,
facial expression, body language,
props, costumes. Typefaces/fonts
Decode:
What is the message/meaning?
How is it encoded?
Who is it aimed at?
Why do you think this?
Support your opinions,

3. The Big Issue - Codes and Conventions?
Similarities

4. Similarities / Codes and Conventions
• Shot Size
• Mode of delivery
• Colours used?
• Graphical imagery
• Fonts/typefaces
• Key messages / themes
• Masthead position
• Style and content of Cover lines / Anchorage Text
• TARGET AUDIENCE? (age, gender, status,
psychographics)

5. Similarities / Codes and Conventions
• Shot Size: Often a close-up or medium close up
• Mode of delivery: direct address. Often informal
• Colours used? Bright, eye-catching.
• Graphical imagery Often manipulated graphic
imagery
• Fonts/typefaces: Sans serif, modern.
• Key messages / themes: Arresting/eye catching,
sometimes humorous.
• Masthead position: Top left or top middle.
• TARGET AUDIENCE? (age, gender, status,
psychographics)

6. BTW
The Big Issue Target audience in the UK:
•72% of Big Issue readers are
ABC1.
•43% of readers are AB
•Psychographics:
Reformers Explorers

7. BTW
The Big Issue Target audience in the UK:

8. Socio-economic demographics
Grade Social class Chief income earner's occupation
Frequency in
2008[3]
A upper middle class Higher managerial, administrative or professional 4%
B middle class Intermediate managerial, administrative or professional 23%
C1 lower middle class
Supervisory or clerical and junior managerial, administrative
or professional
29%
C2 skilled working class Skilled manual workers 21%
D working class Semi-skilled and unskilled manual workers 15%
E Non-working
Casual or lowest grade workers, pensioners, and others who
depend on the welfare state for their income
8%
The grades are often grouped into ABC1 to equate to middle class and C2DE to be working class.
Only around 2% of the UK population is identified as upper class and this group is not separated by the
classification scheme.

9. Plan YOUR Big Issue Front Cover – practical
task
• Plan your own cover that reflects a story in the news/zeitgeist
• It can be a campaign (eg gender equality etc) or a celebrity feature
• Follow the codes and conventions of The Big Issue
• What will your aim/encoded message be? MIND MAP and PLAN
• How will you represent the characters (reinforce or challenge Positive/
Negatively)
• How will you attract/persuade/appeal to your target audience?
• Take your own photograph - today or in lesson 1 Tuesday
• You will have 3 lessons to complete WHOLE magazine
• Produced in Photoshop and/or Illustrator

10. Haveyouconsidered
andincludedallof
these?