Analysing the front cover, contents page and double page spread of

NME Dizzee Rascal Edition, September 2009

Header

The header summarises what sort of things will be expected inside the magazine

Masthead

If the masthead was covered it would still be recognisable to the NME brand, due to its bold red and white scheme and stand out font.

Main image

The main image relates to the cover line of “Dizzee Rascal”. This is useful to those who may not of heard of the artist. It takes up the whole of the background.

Quote

This quote is a sample from the article. It has to be short and sweet in order to hook the readers interest

Footer

There are a selection of different artists that the reader will expect to see within the magazine.

Cover line

The cover line highlights what the main article is going to be about.

Flash

The flash offers the reader more information about what to expect inside.

Cover line

The cover line offers the reader insight into the magazine.

Drop capital is seen at the start of the editors message. The editors message varies each week and it is written informally and direct.

This is a list of bands that will be seen within the magazine. It is clear to see the diversity of the artists NME covers, Lily Allen to Coldplay.

This is the same NME masthead which is used on the front cover which helps readers recognise the NME brand.

On the front page there is an advertisement to other NME magazines. This is a good way of trying to improve sales.

Sub-Headings are shown to highlight certain articles in this edition

Headings are used to separate the different sections. It makes it more accessible for the reader. These would tend to stay the same for each issue.

The main image shown anchors the text provided below.

This is the banner which follows the masthead. It stays the same for each magazine. The contents page highlights what the reader should expect from the magazine.

This is the main image which anchors the main article. This is seen through the use of the word “Tags” and how he is using graffiti on the wall.

It is a medium/long shot.

This is the main headline, it tells the reader roughly about the article. The headline is in Sans serif.

The main article starts with a drop capital, it is split into four separate columns and they have used text wrap to allow the text to continue a flow between each column

The by line is used to acknowledge those who have helped with making this article, photographer and author.

This is a subheading it gives a brief outline of what to expect within the article.

The background image behind the article also follows the same style as the main image.

AudienceThe main audience of NME would be males aged between 16 and 24. They would be

from a social class of B-C1. The NME Dizzee Rascal edition would attract an audience who are interested in rap music. Other artists they would be interested in would be Professor Green, Tinie Tempah and Chipmunk. However, NME largely appeals to a rock/indie audience. This is due to it having the likes of Kasabian and Muse on its front cover.

In the footer there is a mix of different artists such as Jay-Z to Paramore. This shows they are trying to appeal to a wider target audience, a more Rap/Rock group. The magazine is priced at £2.30 which shows that it is targeted at a B/C1 audience.

The methods they use to attract this audience is a big background image of Dizzee Rascal. NME has also included a quote from Dizzee Rascal which makes them want to read on. They have also appealed to the rock/indie audience by including articles on Maximo Park and Muse.

About NME

NME has been publishing since March 1952. At one point NME were selling 200,000 magazines a week, making it one the biggest selling UK magazines. However, due to the changes in musical scene, NME’s sales started to fall. NME used to be a popular rock magazine but as new music genres they have covered artists such as Lady Gaga and like this edition Dizzee Rascal. This was done to appeal to the audiences need for certain music.

NME Magazine