Codes and Conventions

All magazines tend to follow basic codes and conventions for example they all have a masthead usually at the top of the page it will usually be quite large so that people notice it. Also there would usually be a large main image that takes up most of the page and often some smaller images around it. another factor they all share is that they will have the date and issue number somewhere on the cover of the magazine.

The codes and conventions will differ as to what genre the magazine is. Different genres have different colour schemes for example NME magazine uses a colour scheme of dull colours such as black, white, grey and red. on the other hand magazines like top of the pops use bright colours like pink and purple that will catch the attention of a younger audience.

Also I noticed that the different genre of magazine use different types of font. The punk rock genre of magazine will often use bold block writing that stands out and pop magazines tend to use more bubbly writing to match the light hearted tone of the magazine.

They also try and make their magazine popular by giving away free gifts like a poster or a special offer. this tends to make some people more interested in buying the magazine. There will usually be a little teaser of what is going to be included in the magazine to make you want to buy it and read more. this will often be a quote from a popular artist that they have interviewed.