AS Media Exam 2014
Revision Booklet
Friday 23rd May 2014
2 hour Exam
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Contents
Section A: TV Drama (out of 50 marks) ....................................................................................... 5
Technical Terminology ................................................................................................................... 7
Areas of representation ............................................................................................................. 13
Generic Essay framework for Section A ................................................................................ 15
Higher Grade Essay Structure Guidance ................................................................................ 16
Revision activities: ........................................................................................................................ 17
Section B: Institutions and Audiences (out of 50 marks) ...................................................... 19
Section B Terminology ................................................................................................................. 21
Ownership ....................................................................................................................................... 23
Key Magazines ............................................................................................................................... 25
Higher Grades: ABC Data comparisons ................................................................................... 35
Technology...................................................................................................................................... 37
Changes in the Magazine Industry ........................................................................................... 39
Example response: How do audiences consume and receive the product produced by
the particular industry you have studied? .............................................................................. 43
Possible Section B Questions..................................................................................................... 45
Revision activities ......................................................................................................................... 47
Mark Schemes for Section A & B ................................................................................................. 48
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Section A: TV Drama (out of 50 marks)
This is the first part of the exam.
You will have 30 minutes to:
 Read the exam paper
 Watch the extract the first time (without making notes)
 Watch the extract another 3 times, making notes on your
answer booklet (a plan)
You then have 45 minutes to write your response in exam conditions.
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6
Technical Terminology
Camera shots, angles, movement & composition
SHOTS
A shot that shows all of a fairly large
subject (person) and often much of the
surroundings. Used to give perspective &
context.
Sometimes used as an establishing shot.
The camera is at its furthest point –
emphasising background and reducing the
importance of the subject.
Commonly used to open scenes/stages –
showing location/environment/atmosphere.
This shot is often wide and often used at
the beginning – showing all of the action.
Shows key relationships, often with other
shots.
In the case of a standing actor, the lower
frame line cuts off his feet/ankles.
Subject and setting are often equally
spaced in the shot. In the case of a human
figure, this shot is often waist up.
Shot that shows little context. In the
case of a human, the neck up would fill the
screen.
Head/shoulders up.
Forehead/chin.
Long shot
Extreme long shot
Establishing shot
Master shot
Medium long shot
Mid-shot
Close-up
Medium close-up
Big/extreme close-up
Extreme high-angle shot – often taken
from a helicopter.
Shot framed by the side of the head and
shoulders of a character in the extreme
foreground – looking at the same thing we
are.
A shot that appears through the eyes of a
characters.
A shot that shows two characters in a
scene.
A shot taken of the subject from a
distance and includes a wide-angled field
of view.
Aerial shot
Over the shoulder shot
Point of view shot
Two-shot
Wide shot
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ANGLES
A shot that looks down on the action.
High angle
Low angle
A shot that looks up at the action.
Angle in which the camera is tipped
sideways so that the world of the film
seem to have tipped over. Shot used to
show imbalance, transition or instability.
Canted angle
MOVEMENT
A shot that is mounted on a crane to
achieve great height.
Camera movement where the camera is
hand-held and not steadied.
Camera pivots on its horizontal axis –
panorama/panoramic.
Camera pivots on its vertical axis.
Crane
Hand-held
Pan
Tilt
Show taken from a camera mounted on a
dolly/other moving vehicle – often used to
follow movement or action.
The change in image size when the zoom
lens is altered. Reverse zoom reveals more
of the scene, and vice versa.
Hand-held camera worn as a ‘harness’ –
steady and close-up of action.
A camera dolly is equipment designed to
create smooth and steady camera
movements. Camera is attached to the
dolly and an operator normally rides on it
to operate the camera.
Track
Zoom/Reverse zoom
Steadicam
Dolly
COMPOSITION
Individual still images of film/video of the
rectangle in which the image is
composed/captured.
An imaginary division of the frame into 9
sections. Optimum focus is assumed at the
central lines of intersection.
The distance between the objects nearest
and furthest from the camera that appear
in acceptably sharp focus.
The refocusing of lens during a shot to
keep a moving subject within the depth of
field.
Frame
Rule of thirds
Depth of field
Focus pull
8
Editing Techniques
The change of show from one
viewpoint/location to another.
Most common type of cut – the action
jumps from one scene to another.
The process by which shots are put
together into sequences.
Alternation between two or more
different scenes which are (usually)
developed simultaneously.
Interruptions of a continuously filmed
action by inserting a view of something
else.
Begins with a character looking at
something off-screen – then a cut to the
thing they are looking at.
Any show transition that reveals a strong
visual similarity between the shots.
The addition of another camera angle for
a short period.
Alternating shots – typically of two
characters in a dialogue sequence
Transition from one shot to another – how
it is achieved.
When the first shot is faded out and the
second is faded in.
An uninterrupted shot which lasts much
longer than the conventional editing pace.
Shot shorter than conventional editing
pace.
Stage of production after principle
photography (editing, sound, special
effects).
Techniques where time appears to have
slowed down.
The placement of an image/video on top of
another existing image/video.
A gradual spatial transition between one
image to another. One image if replaced
by another with a distinct edge that forms
a shape.
Cut
Jump-cut
Editing
Crosscutting/parallel editing
Cutaway
Eyeline match
Graphic match
Insert
Shot/reverse shot
Transition
Dissolve
Long take
Short take
Post-production
Slow motion
Super imposition
Wipe
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Sound
Diegetic Sound
Non-diegetic sound
Music
Silence
Direct address
Sound effects
Sound mixing
Sound perspective
Voice over
Soundtrack
Ambient sound
Incidental music
Score
Any music or sound that belong ‘within the
frame’ – or that can be considered a
natural part of the narrative. Can be seen
OR unseen.
Music or sound effects not generated in
the frame world, but also added to
indicate characters’ state of mind or to
generate audience response.
Type and rhythm are very important.
Can be used to generate tension.
A character openly acknowledging the
audience.
An effect which imitates a sound.
The combination during post-production or
three categories of film sound: dialogue,
sound effects and music.
Helps to create a sense of physical space –
sounds in the distance seem to come from
far away.
The voice of an unseen narrator, or an
onscreen character not seen speaking.
The audio components of a film – dialogue,
sound effects and music.
The natural sounds occurring in the scene.
Music composed to accompany the actors
or dialogue of a drama.
The music written for a film or play.
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Mise-en-scene
Mise-en-scene
Setting
Costume
Make-up
Production design
Set design
Properties
Colour design
French theatre term, meaning ‘what’s put
in the scene’. Refers to all things visible in
the scene: background, costume,
proxemics, lighting, style of production,
framing, actors, props. It is the way that
these things are composed or
choreographed.
Location/studio – realistic or stylistic.
Clothes and accessories worn by actors.
Cosmetic make-up and special effects.
Design of all sets and props and oversight
of realisation of designs, structures,
make-up and costume.
The creation of a location within which
shooting will take place.
Props, furniture etc.
Choice of colour choreographed to create
lighting effects.
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Areas of representation
Area of
representation
General questions to
consider
Are the youth presented as
lazy and disruptive to
society?
Age
Gender
What different
ages/genders/sexualities
etc are present in the
clip?
Sexuality
Ethnicity
Are the older generation sat
in rocking chairs?
Are men the physically
stronger sex?
Do the women participate in
domestic chores?
Are homosexual
relationships accept in the
extract? Are they kept
quiet?
How are these being
presented?
Are straight relationships
always the most perfect?
Do the higher classes have
better jobs and more
money?
Do they reflect expected
stereotypes?
Are working class people
less intelligence?
Are southern people better
off than northern people?
Class/status
Regional Identity
Specific questions
to consider
Are they presented as an
archetype?
Are you surprised by any
representations?
Disability
Do certain parts of the UK
conform to their
stereotypes? (Accent,
mannerisms, hobbies,
employment, wealth)
How do ethnicities differ
from each other?
Are they presented in an
expected/unexpected way?
Are you less able if you have
a physical or mental
disability?
What types of disabilities
are being
explored/presented?
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The difference between Regional Identity and Ethnicity is that regional identity
is concerned with a specific region or town and relates to common assumptions
about where they live. Ethnicity is concerned with an area or country and
relates to common assumptions about the people who originate from that
certain place.
Stereotype
Archetype
Countertype
Remember:
An assumption, opinion or form of
judgement
A typical or ideal model of something
A type that is the complete opposite of
another type
Tips:

Before viewing: think carefully about the area of representation;
consider stereotypes; what are you expecting to see?

First viewing: don’t write anything – just watch; think about how the area
is being presented (this is your intro).

2nd/3rd/4th viewing: make notes on what you can identify.

Organise your analysis into the 4 areas: terminology & example are vital.

Write in PEAL paragraphs.
Camera techniques
Sound
Plan
Editing
Mis-en-scene
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Generic Essay framework for Section A
Introduction



Explain what genre the TV drama is and add any wider knowledge you have about it.
Give a very quick overview of what happens in the extract – 1 line only.
Give an overview of what you think the representation is showing – negative, positive etc.
Camera Work (x2)
Choose 2 examples of either shot/movement/angle and composition. Write 2 paragraphs:




P: State what you have identified, using the correct terminology
E: Provide an example of where this occurred in the extract – be specific and to the point; do not
describe the whole extract.
A: Analyse and explore how the media technique has been used and how it contributes towards
your view of the specific area of representation, remembering to
L: Link back to the question.
Editing (x2)
Choose 2 examples of editing technique or speed. Write 2 paragraphs:




P: State what you have identified, using the correct terminology
E: Provide an example of where this occurred in the extract – be specific and to the point; do not
describe the whole extract.
A: Analyse and explore how the media technique has been used and how it contributes towards
your view of the specific area of representation, remembering to
L: Link back to the question.
Sound (x2)
Choose 2 examples of sound used in the extract. Write 2 paragraphs:




P: State what you have identified, using the correct terminology
E: Provide an example of where this occurred in the extract – be specific and to the point; do not
describe the whole extract.
A: Analyse and explore how the media technique has been used and how it contributes towards
your view of the specific area of representation, remembering to
L: Link back to the question.
Mise-en-scene (x2)
Choose 2 examples of mise-en-scene used in the extract. Write 2 paragraphs:




P: State what you have identified, using the correct terminology
E: Provide an example of where this occurred in the extract – be specific and to the point; do not
describe the whole extract.
A: Analyse and explore how the media technique has been used and how it contributes towards
your view of the specific area of representation, remembering to
L: Link back to the question.
Conclusion: Sum up how successful the extract was in confirming a view about the area of representation
explored.
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Higher Grade Essay Structure Guidance
Going for a higher grade? You need to show an overall, thorough
awareness of how media techniques are used to present the area of
representation.
Possible structure of essay:
Introduction:



Explain what genre the TV drama is and add any wider knowledge you have
about it.
Give a very quick overview of what happens in the extract – 1 line only.
Give an overall argument of what you think the representation is showing
– negative, positive etc.
Body of essay:


You could work through scene-by-scene and evaluate how various media
techniques are used in each different section
You could work through various ways the area of representation is
presented.
! Ensure you talk about a mixture of media techniques in one paragraph
Conclusion

Sum up how successful the extract was in presenting the area of
representation
Higher level example
Within the extract we’re shown a use of shot reverse shot between Doc Martin and the other characters
when the water explodes. By doing this, we’re given the stereotypical view of people of the village being
laid back about the mess whilst also being given the stereotypical view of people from the city, Doc Martin
being uptight. This is especially shown in the close-up of Doc Martin whilst we’re given the diegetic sound
of him shouting over the continuous barking of the dog. The use of these sounds over each other create
the stereotypical view of the hectic lifestyle of businessmen like Doc Martin. Furthermore, during this
scene we’re given a high angled eye-line match from Doc Martin looking down at the dog. This creates the
stereotypical view of posh businessman being unattached from animals and not liking them.
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Revision activities:
Terminology

Make flashcards of the technical terminology and ask somebody to test
you

Try and see how many techniques you can remember from each of the
sections

Create your own terminology table to stick on your wall at home to revise
before bed

Choose 5 key terms each day you will learn and remember
Areas of representation

Create revision cards for each area of representation, thinking about
stereotypes, archetypes and countertypes

Ask your friends and family at home what stereotypes they associate
with each area of representation

Research regional identity stereotypes

Research ethnicity stereotypes
Extract analysis

Youtube ‘G322 tv drama media’ and practice identifying different
techniques in the clips

Whilst watching the television at home, consider what media techniques
have been used and for what purpose

Create your own movie, experimenting with different techniques
Essay practice:

YouTube ‘G322 TV drama media’ and watch a clip 4 times. Create a plan
during viewing. Then, spend 45 minutes writing a timed response.

Practice writing PEAL paragraphs on different YouTube clips.
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Section B: Institutions and Audiences (out of 50
marks)
This is the second part of the exam.
You will have 45 minutes to:
 Read the exam paper
 Plan your response (5mins)
 Write your response (40mins)
For this exam, you must know:
 Your magazine case study inside and out
 Other exemplar magazine facts that you can draw upon
 As much information surrounding the magazine industry as
possible
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Section B Terminology
Term
Magazine Industry
Ownership
Cross media convergence
Synergy
Production
Marketing
Consumption
Institution
Audience
Local audience
National audience
Exchange
Technological convergence
Proliferation
Multinational
Global
Segmentation of market
Niche market
In-house magazine
Conglomerates
Oligopolies
Definition
Large-scale production or activity creating
magazines
The companies who own and publish various
magazines – these can significantly vary in size
The coming together of various media forms to
best suit the audience’s need
The working together of two or more people,
organisations or things. Can be media-related or
company-related.
The making or creating of a magazine
The selling of products, or the presenting of
products to an audience
The purchase and use of goods from consumers
An influential organisation
The targeted group of people products are
specifically aimed at
A smaller audience within a reasonably limited
proximity
A larger audience scale that operates worldwide
The relationship between seller and consumer;
what is gained/achieved by both sides.
The merging of older or current
systems/processes towards new forms of
media
A sudden increase
A company with institutions in more than one
country
Worldwide
The market split off into different genres
A very specific genre
A magazine produced by large retailers such as
Tesco or Sainburys.
A collection of companies owned by a single
institution
When a small number of media institutions
dominate an industry
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Ownership
Some facts worth remembering:
Scale of
ownership
Company
Their brief story
Interesting
facts
Large Global
Conde Nast
Launched in 1909 with the purchase of Attracts
Vogue.
more than
164 million
20 print and digital media brandes
consumers
worldwide such as: Allure, Brides,
Glamour, Teen Vogue, Vanity Fair etc.
Market themselves as a high quality
magazine relating a vast range of
audiences.
In 2011, Conde Nast Entertainment
was launched to develop film,
television and digital video
programming.
In 2013, CNE’s Digital Video Network
debuted featuring web series for
publications such as Glamour and GQ.
Large Global
Bauer
Founded in 1875 as small printing house.
Entered UK scene in 1987 with Bella
magazine.
Operate in 16 countries
Launched ‘Take a Break’ in 1990 – massive
hit – selling over 1m copies a week.
In 2008 they expanded even further by
taking over Emap’s consumer magazine
divisions. The named was changed to
Bauer Media.
Large _
Global
Imagine
Publishing
Formed in 2005
In 2006 they acquired 24 magazines
23
570+
magazines
from Highbury House
In 2011 they launched 20 magazines
on Apple Newsstand
Now a worldwide multimedia content
publisher – print, online & digital
Products are sold in 54 different
countries
Work with many different companies
to distribute their products (WH
Smith, Tesco)
Small
Their magazines are in 4 key markets:
technology, videogames, photography,
knowledge/Science
Richard Guy Richard Guy publishes one magazine:
(When
When Saturday Comes is a leading
Saturday
football magazine – first launched in
Comes – one 1986.
magazine)
Within two years, it has developed
from a hand-stapled magazine into a
monthly mag with a national
distribution.
During the mid-1990s, WSC
established a niche in the football
magazine market.
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Key Magazines
Production
Bauer Media –
formally Emap
(taken over in
2008)
Heat was launched
in February 1999
as a general
interest
entertainment
magazine, at a cost
of more than £4m.
However, unlike
other Emap (now
Bauer) magazine
launches before
and after, it was
not an immediate
success, with a
circulation below
100,000. A series
of revamps quickly
repositioned the
magazine as a less
serious, more
gossip-oriented
magazine aimed at
women, and
circulation quickly
grew.
Heat Magazine
Audience
ABC figures Distribution
See below
Circulation
241,328 ( Jul-Dec
'13)
Total print
circulation:
241,328
Readership
1,320,000 (JanDec '12
See attached ABC
info,
Print.
Not available
digitally.
Heatworld – May
2007
1,500,000* unique
users
7,800,000* page
impressions
Heat Radio – Sep
2007
Reach - 758,000**
Target
Demographic 15-34**
ABC1 Profile 36%**
Female/male 59%/41%**
Heat TV – July
2012
Reach - 2.2
million***
Target
Demographic (1634) - 973,000***
ABC1 Profile 787,000***
Female/male 61%/39%***
Heat Extra App
Downloads 60,000*
Page
Impressions 410,000*
Average CTR 15.7%
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Other
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Production
Conde Nast.
Vogue is a
world fashion and lifestyle
magazine that is published
monthly in 23 national and
regional editions by Condé
Nast. Vogue means "in
style" in French.
Condé Montrose
Nast bought Vogue in
1905 one year before
Turnure's death and
gradually grew the
publication. He changed it
to a bi-weekly magazine
and also
started Vogue overseas in
the 1910s. After first
visiting Britain in 1916, he
startedVogue there,
followed by Spain, and
then Italy and France in
1920, where the magazine
was well received. The
magazine's number of
publications and profit
increased dramatically
under Nast's management.
By 1911, the Vogue brand
had garnered a reputation
that it continues to
maintain, targeting an
elite audience and
expanding into the
coverage of weddings.
Vogue Magazine
Audience
ABC
Distribution
figures
The median
reader's age is
37.9.
Average
circulation
total: 201,077
The gender
split of the
readership is
87% female
and 13% male.
UK & ROI:
159,591
2.2 mil average
monthly online
audience.
12.3 mil print
audience.
Other
countries:
41,486
Any other
figures of key
interest? (See
attached)
Can you use
audience
research &
terminology to
decide where
Vogue fits in?
27
Other
Vogue Digital –
online distribution
of magazine.
Vogue Festival in
March 2014 –
promotion
Free daily news
app
Facebook has
1,665,985 likes
Twitter
@BritishVogue
28
Golf Monthly Magazine
Audience
ABC
Distribution
figures
Production
IPC Media

Golf Monthly is the

market-leading

magazine brand in the
UK in a sport that
continues to grow and
grow. Golf Monthly is a
lively and welcoming
brand targeted at good
golfers who are regular
players - and keen to
get even better. With
over 100 years of
heritage and authority
behind it, it represents
the real 'voice of golf'
with leading columnists,
top players and
unrivalled coverage of
equipment and
instruction. The Golf
Monthly brand also has
a strong and growing
presence in digital
publishing, with a
popular website deliveri
ng over 1 million page
impressions each month,
an interactive digital ipad edition and a strong
following on the key
social media platforms
AUDIENCE: ABC1 
men, aged 25 to 54
ABC: 50,245
(ABC Jul-Dec
13)
MEDIAN AGE: 44
Average print
circulation:
50,245
Niche market
audience (very
specific group of
people)
Average
digital
circulation:
1,945
29
www.golfmonthly.co.uk
Digital edition
available –
downloadable from
Kindle Store, App
Store, Google Play
Other
What
else can
you find
out about
Golf
Monthly?
30
Production
When Saturday Comes
LTD.
(Richard Guy)
Launched in 1986
When Saturday Comes Magazine
Audience
ABC
Distribution
figures
Niche market –
football fans
Total
circulation:
16,792
Consider the
audience research
and theory you have
looked at. Where
would this magazine
fit in?
Total print
circulation:
16,034
Total digital
circulation:
758
31
Available printed
and digitally.
Digital editions
are free to
subscribed users.
They use Twitter,
Facebook and
Google+
Other
32
Stylist Magazine
Research the Stylist Magazine, a free magazine that is becoming increasingly
popular. Fill in the tables below with what you find out.
Production
Audience
Methods of distribution
33
ABC figures
Other things you have found out (website, key facts etc)
34
Higher Grades: ABC Data comparisons
Use the internet to search for each of the magazines’ last set of ABC data. Fill
out this grid to help you compare them to their most recent figures:
Magazine
Previous data
Recent Data
Heat
Vogue
Golf Monthly
When Saturday
Comes
Stylist
35
Trends/changes/
other notes
36
Technology
If you get asked on technological influence/change, you can consider any of the
following:

The release of Web 2.0

Social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc)

Digital distribution

Cross-media convergence

Webzines



Research Web 2.0 – detail anything you find below
Research Social Media – detail anything you find below
37
Research Webzines – detail anything you find below
What are they?
Why are they used?
What examples can you find?
38
Changes in the Magazine Industry
Read the article below taken from The Economist Website. Fill out the table following:
Non-news is good news
The threat of the internet has forced magazines to get smarter
Jun 9th 2012
“PRINT is dead” was a common refrain a couple of years ago. The costly print advertisements that
kept magazines and newspapers alive were migrating to the web, where they earned only pennies
on the dollar. To publishers, it felt as if a hurricane was flattening their business.
But as the storm has cleared, a new publishing landscape has emerged. What was once a fairly
uniform business—identify a group of people united by some shared identity or passion, write
stories for them to read and sell advertising next to the stories—has split into several different kinds.
Hard news is perhaps the hardest to make profitable. It is increasingly instant, constant and
commoditised (as with oil or rice, consumers do not care where it came from). With rare exceptions,
making money in news means publishing either the cheap kind that attracts a very large audience,
and making money from ads, or the expensive kind that is critical to a small audience, and making
money from subscriptions. Both are cut-throat businesses; in rich countries, many papers are
closing.

Apple iPad
But among magazines there is a new sense of optimism. In North America, where the recession bit
deepest (see chart), more new magazines were launched than closed in 2011 for the second year in
a row. The Association of Magazine Media (MPA) reports that magazine audiences are growing
faster than those for TV or newspapers, especially among the young.
Unlike newspapers, most magazines didn't have large classified-ad sections to lose to the internet,
and their material has a longer shelf-life. Above all, says David Carey, the boss of Hearst Magazines,
a big American publisher, they represent aspirations: “they do a very good job of inspiring your
dreams.” People identify closely with the magazines they read, and advertisers therefore love them:
magazines, says Paul-Bernhard Kallen, the chairman of Hubert Burda Media, a large German
publisher, remain essential for brand-building.
Which is why luxury magazines are doing particularly well, as are those in emerging markets, where
a fast-growing middle class is coming into those advertisers' sights. In Brazil, for example, the Abril
Group has made Minha Casa, a home-improvement magazine, the leader of its kind in two years
thanks to a careful focus on new homeowners.
39
Back in the United States, the number of ad pages in magazines has dropped for three quarters in a
row, according to the Publishers' Information Bureau. But that is partly cyclical, says Nina Link, the
MPA's head, and it doesn't account for the growing number of ads in digital form.
Once, digital ads would have been scant comfort. On the web they are typically worth a small
fraction of what they were in print. But tablets, such as Apple's iPad, could change this.
They have been around for only two years and most magazine subscriptions on them for less than a
year; the MPA suggested measurement standards for advertising on tablets only in April. Yet already
there are signs that advertisers are accepting higher rates on tablets than on the web, because
magazines on tablets are more like magazines in print: engrossing, well-designed experiences
instead of forests of text and links.
Publishers are still experimenting with formats: some are little different from their print versions,
while others are more interactive, perhaps too much so. Hearst'sCosmopolitan launched the digitalonlyCosmo for Guys, which purports to shed light on feminine psychology for baffled males; an early
issue included 3-D models of sexual positions that you could rotate to view from every possible
angle. Who says glossy mags aren't educational?
But the wiser publishers are finding ways to rely less on advertising. They are looking to make more
not only from subscriptions but also from other sources. Today, “you need five or six revenue
streams to make the business really successful,” says Mr Carey. Spurred by necessity and enabled by
technology, magazines “innovate in ways they never dreamed of a few years ago,” says Ms Link.
What else a magazine can do besides sell copies depends on its audience and subject matter. Many
are turning themselves from mere carriers of ads into marketing-services companies, giving their
advertisers a range of new ways to reach readers. Travel magazines' websites can track if their
readers end up buying the holiday packages they write about, and take a cut. “I count that as
advertising,” says Mr Kallen. “What many people call advertising…is definitely declining, but
advertising in the broader sense isn't.”
Other commercial branchings-out include a growing range of conferences or celebrity events, the
licensing of magazines' names to products such as cosmetics, and tie-ups with deal and coupon
websites such as Groupon. Successful new magazines have been launched on the back of TV
programmes, such as Hearst's “Food Network” and “HGTV” (a home-improvement show) and the
BBC's “Top Gear” (a show about macho cars). With so many countries now boasting a big middle
class, international franchises often work well; Hearst's Cosmopolitan now has 66 different country
editions.
There are also more esoteric business models. Monocle, a global magazine for the insufferably
stylish, claims that the online radio channel it launched last autumn has been profitable from the
start, since normal commercial radio stations never deliver the kinds of listeners its high-end
advertisers want. The Atavist, an American iPad magazine that publishes one long piece of narrative
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journalism each month, says it makes money largely because it licenses its iPad publishing software
to other people.
Loyalty is lucrative
The ability of magazines to inspire fierce loyalty among readers means there are also lots of smalltime, quirky successes. XXI, a French quarterly of long-form reportage, is profitable despite carrying
no ads, not putting its text online and being sold only in bookshops; it seems to capitalise on French
intellectual traditions and the concentration in Paris of voracious readers. Germany's Landlust, which
extols the virtues of living at a relaxed pace and in close contact with nature, is another print-only
holdout, with a circulation of 1m after seven years. As long as there are coffee tables, people will
want things to put on them.
What are the key points highlighted in this article?
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Search this article: http://www.themediabriefing.com/article/432print-magazines-close-in-two-years-how-long-have-print-mags-got
What are the key points/issues raised in the article?
42
Example response: How do audiences consume and receive the
product produced by the particular industry you have studied?
The particular institution which I have studied is the magazine industry. Although I have
studied a variety of magazines I have focussed specifically on heat magazine because it is of
personal interest to me. Heat was first launched in February 1999 but its methods of
consumption and reception have changes significantly since.
Distribution of heat now comes in four main forms: magazine, website, mobile and radio. The
magazine is sold via News stand or subscription. However, this has not always been the case.
Heatworld.com was launched on 22 May 2007 and is designed to complement the magazine; it
also serves as an extension of Heat's digital portfolio, which already included a radio station and
mobile presence. The main focus of heatworld.com and its revamped mobile site is to provide a
daily fix of breaking celebrity news and video clips. The site also offers an insight into life in
the Heat office, with staff blogs, fashion and beauty reviews. Users can create their own
profiles on the site, join forums and comment on stories. Heat editorial employees can link
content in the magazine to the website which adds value to the magazine; the magazine can
write a celebrity story but the website can show footage of it. Clearly, the product produced
can be received in a particularly interactive and varied way by its audience.
Of course, not all magazines are so widely received. If we consider that the magazine Rugby
World is distributed by subscription only it seems obvious that meets its own specialist, sports
orientated readership who will subscribe to the magazine. Likewise, Top of the Pops magazine
does not have a website, only a webpage which suggests that its printed format is more suited
to those pre-pubescent teens at which it is mainly aimed.
Of course, some magazines use different distribution channels, for example Nuts which has its
own TV channel to ensure the consumption needs of its male audience are met.
If we consider the consumption of heat magazine we can see that sales of Heat were down
15.8% year-on-year to 470,129 in the first six months of 2008. This decline halted at the end
of 2008 when the average net circulation of Heat was 470,476 per issue. Interestingly, Heat
had given away 5,00 free copies every month in an attempt to boost their consumption which,
one assumes, would be necessary in today’s grim current economic climate. However, it is worth
bearing in mind that in its first year Heat sold only 66,000 copies. Heat Radio has an average
weekly listening audience of 446,000 people (tune in by DAB or online). In September 2007,
heatworld.com received 400,000 unique visitors and generated eight million page impressions.
It appears that heat’s readership is moving toward the more recent technologically innovative
distribution methods which are now available.
With the advent of Web 2.0 with its proliferation of blogs, social networking sites and video
sharing resources, the magazine industry has been able to alter its product to meet the
changing needs of its readership. Heat in particular has needed to move swiftly to keep up with
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the demands of its young audience. Heatworld.com, referred to earlier, is a clear example of
convergence within the industry and of the changing reception patterns within it. One further
extreme example of this is the magazine Elle Girl whose publishers Hachette Filipachi decided in
2004 to stop printing copy and, instead, the magazine can now only be received at ellegirl.com,
the webzine address. This clearly evidences the changing patterns of consumption and
reception in the magazine industry.
To fully answer this question it is necessary finally to review the production of magazines at a
corporate level. Heat is produced and published by the Bauer Media Group, one of the most
significant and prolific magazine publishers with some 238 magazines in circulation. Bauer
publish worldwide and across the many magazine genres. Heat was originally produced by EMap
who were bought by Bauer in 2006. As is the case across all Media Industries, major media
conglomerates are now in operation that produce Media products across a range of platforms.
On the one hand, the possibility for the pooling of resources here in terms of media synergy to
ensure that the needs of the target audience is met are, without doubt, enormous. However,
there are serious concerns about the lack of competition and jeopardy of press freedom which
have been raised at parliament on several occasions. The Lords have confirmed ‘It is possible
for one voice to become too powerful’ and recommended that any future mergers need to be
carefully scrutinised by the government. They also insisted that the current system of
regulation remain to protect media recipients. Consequently, it is evident that this level of
global Cross Media Ownership has both advantages and disadvantages in terms of the
consumption and reception patterns in the magazine industry.
To conclude, the way that audiences consume and receive the products produced in the magazine
industry is rapidly changing. Magazines are no longer simply printed documents to be read; they
are now interactive tools which can be explored and contributed to by their consuming audience.
Key facts/points you have learnt from this response
44
Possible Section B Questions
Question
Is it an example of: audience,
change,
ownership/globalisation,
technology?
Discuss the issues raised by an institution’s
need to sell their product to a specific
audience in a particular industry you have
studied.
How is the industry you have studied
making use of technological advances and
how are these changes, if any, effecting
its audience?
How and why are changes in consumption
and production happening in the industry
you have studied and what effect are
these changes having on the audience?
To what extent are media audiences the
agents, beneficiaries or victims of the
changes taking place within the industry
you have studied and how are the audience
able to challenge or influence these
changes?
What are the means of distribution or
exhibition within the particular industry
you have studied and what changes, if any,
are taking place within that industry which
effect its audience?
How do audiences consume and receive the
product produced by the particular
industry you have studied?
Discuss how, or if, the industry you have
studied is changing in the light of both
cross media ownership issues and advances
in digital technology
How do your own experiences of the
institution you have studied reflect the
wider practices and habits of its audience
as a whole?
The magazine industry is in decline.
Discuss.
45
Practice essay
done
(tick when
complete)
In ten years time the magazine industry
will be defunct. Discuss.
How has convergence changed the
magazine industry?
What is Cross Media Ownership and what
are its implications for the industry you
have studied?
What impact has globalisation had upon the
industry you have studied?
To what extent does digital distribution
affect the marketing and consumption of
media products in the media area you have
studied?
‘Successful media products depend as
much upon marketing and distribution to a
specific audience as they do upon good
production practices.’ To what extent
would you agree with this statement,
within the media area you have studied?
Discuss the issues raised by media
ownership in the production and exchange
of media texts in your chosen media area.
What significance does the continuing
development of digital media technology
have for media institutions and audiences.
‘Media production is dominated by global
institutions, which sell their products and
services to national audiences.’ To what
extent do you agree with this statement?
How important is technological
convergence for institutions and audiences
within a media area which you have
studied?
Discuss the ways in which media products
are produced and distributed to audiences
within a media area you have studied.
46
Revision activities
Terminology

Make flashcards of the technical terminology and ask somebody to test
you

Try and see how many techniques you can remember from each of the
sections

Create your own terminology table to stick on your wall at home to revise
before bed

Choose 5 key terms each day you will learn and remember
Key facts/figures/data

Make magazine/institution flash cards with key information on them and
ask somebody to test you.

Write out everything you know about different magazines/institutions on
A4 paper. Keep re-writing it, decreasing the amount of space you take up.
Start using multiple sheets of A4, then decrease to just one sheet, then
just a revision card, and then see if you can fit the key information on a
post-it note.

Learn the pneumonic Phil Dances And Mandy Can’t Create Runny Omelettes
(Production / Distribution / Audience / Marketing / Consumption / Convergence
/ Relationships / Own experience) – see how much you can recall from your case
study and other magazines you would like to look at.
Essay writing/analysis

Choose from the practice questions and write responses in 45 minutes (5 mins to
plan)

Use the mark scheme attached to mark these
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Mark Schemes for Section A & B
48