BIG ISSUE STATS & FACTS

1. BIG ISSUE STATS & FACTS 1991 Gordon Roddick, John Bird Body Shop 1.25. sell for 2.50 Weekly 1500 UK vendors Hand out 83,000 Social Circulated 35 Homelessness/ poverty Founded in what year? Names of the 2 founders? Founder has a connection with which company? Vendors buy it for … and sell it for … How often does the magazine come out? How many vendors approx in the UK Slogan: A hand up not a Weekly circulation The Big Issue is a ………… business enterprise Europe’s most widely ………. street magazine The concept exists in how many other countries? Some people criticise the content for not concentrating enough about the main topic which is …… Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYO-TeBzYWY

2. For the exam, you have to choose two Big Issue front covers, published anytime during your course (ie Sept 2017-May 2019). in the covers you have chosen, you need to be able to discuss how language and representation help to convey meaning. Choose your covers carefully – make sure there is enough to say. There should, if possible, be some examples of intertextuality. In the exam, you may also be given an unseen cover in the exam and you are expected to be able to discuss how representations and language help to convey meaning. A good place to find screenshots of covers is the Big Issue website.

3. 1) THE BIG ISSUE Research The Big Issue Use the Big Issue website Make up a 10 question factual quiz to give the others 2 columns, answers must be able to be folded over. Founded? Who by?Slogan? vendors? Cost? etc KEYWORDS ETHICAL CHALLENGE SUBVERSIVE, SUBVERT DISRUPTIVE, DISRUPT PRIVILEGE HOMELESSNESS / POVERTY SOCIAL INEQUALITY/DIVISION 2) Front cover analysis General what makes the covers different from conventional magazines? Connotations of the masthead Explain the double meaning of the title 3) Specific a) Why would the editors be critical of the royal wedding? b) In what ways does this cover reflect this critical attitude? Harry & Meghan’s Wedding 2018

4. HOMEWORK FOR WEDNESDAY 30TH JANUARY a) Complete your Big Issue Quiz – 10 questions for others in the class b) Select a cover (see Big Issue website, click Magazines top right and select 2018.) Analyze your selected cover: aim for 300 words How is it different from conventional magazines? Discuss language & representations and how they help to convey meaning. Use big textbook to help you – pages 89-96

5. Read the magazine section in large text book pages 89-96. Make your own notes and add comments in a different colour. You will be given 5 questions to check your reading.

6. Big text book pages 89-96 distribution shops smaller, migrates hybrid unsophisticated sophistication A hand up not a handout authentic poverty and homelessness social, economic, political (cultural) underrepresentation underrepresentation, annihilation Street vendors are the mag’s main method of …….. The product does not need to be easily recognized in ….. This explains why masthead is ……..than in conventional mags and the way it ……. across the top in different editions Content is mixed (……………. ) It is also random, varied, unpredictable The layout is simple and un………………. This simplicity is often counterbalanced by elements of intertextuality that add wit and a degree of s………………….. The sell-line or slogan is : Representations of celebrity are generally more down to earth, and informal. They are more real (auth………………….). Representations of celebrity are not glamorized and there is often a link on the cover with the two central themes of the magazine: ………. and ……….. The aim of the mag fits in clearly with anti-consumerism . This fits in with a number of particular contexts: The Big Issue tackles the conventional media under……. of the homeless. This under …….. Is an example of what Gerbner calls symbolic ………

7. Bake Off moves from BBC to C4. Aug 2018

8. Jan 2017. Trump’s becomes US President In what way is this cover intertextual? What is the purpose of intertextuality in this cover? 100 words Discuss how the representations and language of this cover help to communicate a message of humorous political criticism (satire) . 250 words 1950s disaster movie poster

9. This cover is pre-2017 so can’t be used as your ‘free’ choice for exam in 2019

10. Big Issue Cover Analysis. Political Satire Background Big Issue covers are sometimes like a more gentle version of Private Eye covers. Private Eye is a satirical political magazine that makes fun of the British establishment. It is famous for its front covers which always feature a photo and an amusing speech bubble. It often gets into trouble for being disrespectful towards politicians and celebrities Private Eye also publishes controversial news stories about corruption and shady activities that mainstream newspapers do not dare to publish. These covers are good examples of subversion - where the original meaning of the photo is transformed by the addition of the speech bubble. In terms of the original photo, the new Private Eye modification is a good example of Stuart Hall’s oppositional reading. • Other good examples of subversion and political satire: • Russell Brand’s The Trews • Charlie Brooker’s Newswipe • Cassetteboy’s video mashups • Jonathan Pie’s fake interviews You should also take a look at Cold War Steve, a set of clever photoshopped images posted regularly on Twitter. See article here

11. SAMPLE EXAM QUESTION

12. BIG ISSUE: CONTEXTS SOCIO-POLITICAL, CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC) Essay – what do the covers and contents of the Big Issue tell us about the socio-economic context in which they are produced? Cultural Climate of anti-sexism #metoo movement, this girl can Female empowerment Anti-racism Pluralism (democratic liberal pluralist values) Awareness of minority groups Sympathy & compassion for marginalized and underrepresented groups Butler – gender is a result of conditioning; gender roles are a performance Gauntlett– identity as non fixed and fluid Social Zeitgeist – reflects the spirit of the times Divided society Increase in homelessness and poverty + private wealth Gaps between rich and poor Fighting social inequality Lots of overlap here- it’s hard to separate some of the contexts Political Left-wing, liberal (Guardian readers) Environmental concerns Eco issues (travel ads, fairtradeetc) Ethical and moral stance (contains ads for other charities) Body Shop (Roddick connection) Appeal to a more sophisticated middle-class demographic brand loyalty ABC1s = top end of society (not C2DE) Economic Anti- consumerism Helping the poor and deprived in society Appeals to people with a social conscience Reformers – people who want to improve society

13. Classtools quiz http://www.classtools.net/z-a/201902_-LmDFU5

14. Group activity Visual codes – write comments in pink Typographical codes –comments in black Textual codes – write comments in green

15. In what ways is this cover similar to other Big Issue covers you have studied? Feb 2019 In what ways is this cover different from other Big Issue covers you have studied?

16. Big Issue summary questions (5 marks for each question). Spend about 5 minutes on each one and write about 30-50 words on each answer. • 1 How is the Big issue's distribution model different from other magazines? • 2 Define the magazine's core values. • 3 How do the covers you have looked at generally reflect these core values? • 4 Explain how Intertextuality can enrich a media product. • 5 Who is the magazine's target audience and how do we know? • 6 How does the magazine fit into contemporary political, social and economic contexts?