1GWS 1000: CONTENT ANALYSIS ASSIGNMENT #1
Name:
Class (day/time):
Sydney Bowden
Wednesday, 6 to 8:30 pm.
Directions: Find a mainstream magazine that is no more than six months old that is targeted towards primarily
girls/women to utilize in your content analysis. Utilizing the magazine, your own observations and opinions,
and your textbook complete this form. Make sure you fully complete each section.
Please type all responses, and note that assignments that are not typed will not be accepted.
Magazine Details:
Name: Cosmopolitan
Date of Publication:
Part I: Content Analysis by Page Count
Total Pages
Pages Dedicated to *Content
127
248
*Content refers to any non-advertising information.
October 2012
Pages Dedicated to Advertising
121
Part II: Content Analysis by Theme
What are the major themes that the content of this magazine centers around? Devise your own categories (i.e.
advice, quizzes, beauty, health, fashion, family, etc.). How many pages are dedicated to each type of content?
Note: While some pages may have more than one type of content, please put each page into only one category.
This number should match the “Pages Dedicated to Content” number above.
Category
Pages
Horoscope
2
101 on Men
Fashion
24
Lust
Beauty
16
Quizzes
8
13
2
Love
8
Miscellaneous
Celebrity
10
Need to
Know
7
18
Health
8
Life
11
Part III: Advertising Content Analysis by Theme
What are the major themes that the advertising of this magazine centers around? Devise your own categories
(i.e. beauty, alcohol, sports, health, fashion, etc.). How many pages are dedicated to each type of content?
Note: While some pages may have more than one type of content, please put each page into only one category.
This number should match the “Pages Dedicated to Advertising” number above.
Category
Pages
Beauty
41
Women’s
Personal
Items
14
Fragrance
16
Alcohol
Hair
24
Beverages
Fashion
12
Miscellaneous
1
2
8
Classifieds
1
Adult
2
Part IV: Considering the Message
Consider the following questions in determining what gendered messages the magazine you have selected is
sending to its target audience.
Question
1. What do you consider to be the overall message that
this magazine is sending its target audience? Why?
Answer
The overall message to women of all ages is that
beauty and the clothes you wear does matter. With
beauty will be love and once loves falls into your
lap there is advice on how to keep it.
2. What are the possible implications of the message
that you uncovered through your content analysis?
The possible implications of the message are that
only outer beauty appeals to the world around us.
There is nothing in this magazine that implies that
intelligence matters as well. Inner beauty does not
really matter at all.
3. In Chapter 9 of Media, Gender and Identity: An
Introduction, David Gauntlett discusses women’s
magazines. Find at least one idea discussed by
Gauntlett that you found to be TRUE based on your
content analysis.
Sex and Sexuality: “The magazines for young
women like Cosmo, Glamour, and More include
numerous features on different sexual positions and
techniques, “sex tricks”, “drive your man wild”,
“the best sex ever”, and so on. (There are so many
of these articles, in every imaginable permutation,
that there’s not much point giving particular
examples here.”
4. In Chapter 9 of Media, Gender and Identity: An
Introduction, David Gauntlett discusses women’s
magazines. Find at least one idea discussed by
Gauntlett that you found to be FALSE based on your
content analysis.
Another common criticism of women’s magazines
is that they make women feel bad about themselves.
Their repetitive celebration of a beauty “ideal”
which most women will not be able to match, but
which will eat up readers’ time and money-and
perhaps good health- if they try, as well as the many
pages of advice on how readers can improve their
looks, sex skills or personalities, are likely to make
some readers feel somewhat inadequate.
5. Did anything surprise you when completing your
content analysis?
I have never really been a magazine reader, but as I
was completing this assignment I notice how much
Cosmo really try’s to sell sex and ways to buy into a
mans heart or maintain a relationship. Health, and
everyday life weren’t really big in this magazine so
that everyday women or girl couldn’t really relate if
she’s not the type of person who has to be perfect in
all aspects of life.