Blog Post #2 - Representation

In my travel magazine, I plan on representing and appealing to families and their vacations. 
Typical travel magazines include content that families of the middle class would read, 
since this tends to be their largest audience. A majority of these families go on yearly 
vacations, like my family and my peers. The middle class family is represented 
in generally the same way, like in these examples:

In the magazine, Travel + Leisure, they have an entire issue based on Family Vacations. 
Some modules are labeled “How to Plan an Amazing Trip With Your Kids,” or “I Took My 
Daughter on Her First Girls Trip.” There’s also other content that is based on a single location 
or vacation spot, but generally it’s about families. There’s also many pictures that show mothers 
and their daughters, sons and their fathers, and vice versa. These pictures form an idealistic 
dream family that isn't’ always the case. Yet, the magazine still draws in readers.

Another example of such content is, ROAM family travel, which is an online travel magazine 
whose main purpose is to assist in planning family vacations. Again, the photos place an ideal, 
probably fortunate, family exploring the world together. ROAM’s slogan is Real Families, Real 
Adventures, Real Fun, which is ironic since not all representations are real.

This representation is not necessarily a “bad” thing but it tends to generalize. No 
representation is “fair” because it always depends on the scenario. I would still retain content 
based on families and vacations, but challenge the representation by also appealing to more 
audiences and those who seek adventure in general.

Blog Post #1 - Additional Genre Research

1. Genre: Environmental Magazines
2. Content: Environmental magazines aim is to provide information about environmental
   issues and to share ideas about the Earth’s diverse terrain. It goes hand in hand with
   travel magazines because it features many aspects of the world. The goal of these 
   magazines is to encourage a sustainable lifestyle and promote a sustainable future. 
   Some examples of content would be stats on global warming and climate change, 
   ways to use renewable energy, and appealing landscapes and environmental scenarios. 
   I can add to the visual strength by enhancing the color (which also correlates with production.) 
   The color theme would be green and blue, representing the Earth.
3. Production: Due to the numerous photos, an environmental magazine could be costly. One of the 
   most important aspects to magazines and photos, is its color.  A way around the expensive 
   production costs is to use many photos that are smaller in size, and still fill up a page. Another 
   appeal of magazines is the longer “life” they have. While newspapers are discarded, magazines 
   can be kept for days, weeks, and years. Because of this, magazines need to have high-quality 
   paper and ink to produce that visual appeal. Again, this is costly, so the environmental article 
   should have different modules taking up space to balance the cost of production. Maybe a 
   “How-To” section that gives examples of easy sustainable methods of living, or a “Did You 
   Know” with facts about animals.
4. Sample 1: Environment. 
   

In the environmental magazine clearly labeled, “Environment” 
the cover alone tells readers what they need to know. As an environmental 
magazine, the main purpose is to teach readers to appreciate their surroundings, 
this cover is titled “Paying for Change” which embodies it. The colors are the same 
scheme that I think matches the topic, green for land, and blue for the water. The appealing 
question on the cover asks if foreign aid is really green. By reading this magazine it is clear 
that the audience will take away valuable information about the environment.

5. Sample 2: Orion

This sample to a more simplistic approach, but still embodied the environmental 
magazine genre. The same 2 colors are shown “coexisting”, green and blue. 
The specific goal of the Orion is to “focus on nature, culture, and place addressing 
environmental and societal issues.” All environmental magazines plan on accomplishing this. 
The specific issue is all about the promotion of coexisting, and how humans should respect animals. 
The Orion is a non-profit magazine that hopes to enlighten those who read it.

6. Examples!

E–The Environmental Magazine

New York State Conservationist

Resurgence & Ecologist

A\J: Alternatives Journal

The Ecologist

Environment

Down to Earth

Genre Research Activity!

a. Genre: Travel

b. Genre conventions – content:
Travel magazine’s content should feature be ideal, dream destinations. 
In a typical magazine, the contents page is usually set out in 3 or 4 columns. 
For a travel magazine, the page should stick to a theme such as a location or a 
similarity between locations. There should also be a variety of content, not just all 
words or solely pictures. The name of the magazine should also be at the top of 
the page as well as subscription and contact information in case the consumer
 wants to read more. The color scheme (explained in marketing conventions) 
should be the same as the front color, creating consistency. In my travel magazine, 
I want to include numerous types of content on the layout like photos of pretty 
locations, travel tips, or bucket lists.

c. Genre conventions – production techniques:

In a typical magazine production, the content isn’t the only component. Production 
techniques for a travel magazine are usually based on the physical making. For 
example, the binding of a magazine has multiple methods, depending on the number 
of pages. If the page count is relatively low, magazines are constructed from folded 
sheets that are held together by write staples to secure the pages as one. This is 
called the Saddle-Stitch method. If there are more pages, the Perfect Binding method is 
used in which, pages are glued with strong, flexible glue. This allows printing on the 
magazine’s spine, which is more appealing for certain companies. Sometimes in stores, 
the spine is faced out-so it also needs to be eye catching. The Saddle-Stitch method 
might have a plain spine, but is more professional looking. A magazine’s size also affects
 how it is sold and its production cost. Lower dimensions lower the cost. In order to 
distribute magazines to readers, mailing costs also relate to the size. Another important 
aspect to the cost of production that I can work on is ink colors. Brighter and better use of 
colors cost more, but in turn, might promote more sales.

d. Institutional conventions – marketing:

The purpose of front covers on magazines is to sell the magazine and should 
be eye catching and interesting. Front covers should also be the initial page 
with the designated theme, that will be consistently carried out through the content. 
Certain aspects to a theme, such as color, layout, and fonts, should be copied 
throughout the book to maintain a loyal readership. For travel magazines, the 
dominant color is blue, relating to oceans and the sky (color psychology.) The 
masthead is displayed at the top of the page and serves as a recognizable brain 
image. In National Geographic’s “Traveler” magazine, their masthead is a bright 
yellow rectangle, displayed against a blue background (again, usually the ocean.) 
The contrast in colors draws attention the the familiar logo.-Fonts are also contrasted 
by using a variety to avoid a boring cover. On the front page, a slogan might be used 
to explain what content the magazine contains and differentiates the travel magazine 
from others. Content is also displayed using tag lines, which advertise specific enticing 
articles. And finally, the central image has to be a location, obviously, that is unique in a 
certain way to draw readers to want to visit it. These magazine’s audience is mostly toward 
readers with jobs and money to travel. It’s also picked up a lot by couples in search of a 
homecoming location or family vacation. The entire front cover serves as verbal and 
sometimes non-verbal communication.

e. Film/magazine sample #1:

An example of a travel magazine is, National Geographic Traveler. This embodies my 
genre because this magazine incorporates all of the travel content I want to include. 
The cover page includes a landscape of Westminster, London-one of my favorite location 
spots. Inside the magazine it features tips to beating airport lines, top hotels, details of 
traveling locations, and more. Travel magazines purpose is to serve as a tourism information 
source and show enticing locations to explore, which I think National Geographic efficiently does.

f. Film/magazine sample #2:

Another great example of the travel genre is the magazine, Wanderlust. Wanderlust 
content offers a narrative and personal perspective to travel. This magazine features 
“100 Greatest Travel Experiences,” which again, draws in those who seek a destination 
and have a passion to travel. The issue below, also includes a list of the “ultimate travel 
wishlist” and numerous photos of this dream destinations. In a way, readers can “travel” 
 to places that they may never see. The travel genre provides insight on the different cultures 
of the world and helps readers better understand other people and places. Readers can get 
tips for their own trips and tend to avoid the costly mistakes.

g. List of 5-7 other film/magazine examples within the genre (with links or images of these

examples):

Budget Travel

Afar

Travel and Leisure

Islands

Destinations

Introduction :)

Hi! My name is Jessica and my purpose for this blog is to share the process of my 
AICE Media Studies magazine portfolio. I plan on creating a travel magazine to share 
my love for traveling in a creative way. Since I’m involved in yearbook, I hope to use 
my knowledge of layout and design to better my project.