Magazine Conventions

Conventions in the Media

Below is a music magian called 'Kerrang' which has been labelled with key conventions. 

The main key terms I think are:

A Mast Head - having large bold text at the top of any article immediately draws the readers attention. This needs to stand out from any other piece of text as it indicates to the audience what the nature of the article is about. Also, if the magazine is popular, the mast head is positioned slightly behind the main image.

Images - having images is almost as important as a header. Lets face it, no one wants to read a magazine purely full of black and white text, and so having images makes the magazine more exciteable and catches the readers eye straight away.
The Main image which covers the full page of the magazine is most important as just like the text, it is used to pass a clear view of what the article is about.

A Selling line/Strapline - this is usually situated below the master head which describes the magazine and informs us what we are going to be reading about. This is also important as most buyers read the front page headlines before buying, so its got to be catching to make them want to read more.

Coverlines - These are nowadays situated around the main image without detracting from it too much. They need to be short and snappy so that that give the reader little previews of what's to come inside the main magazine.

Main Cover Line - This needs to be very large, taking up at least 3/4 of the magazine cover. It normally comes in 3 layers each in a different colour. It is best places next to the models shoulder so it shows up more clearly.