Analysing HOT PRESS Front Cover

HOT PRESS magazine is released fortnightly; it bases

its articles on music and politics. Located

in Dublin, Ireland it was founded in June 1977. The

magazine title, HOT PRESS, is a pun for a common

Irish term for an airing cupboard. Masthead can also

symbolize the idea of paparazzi and ‘press’ in the

media – they have the hot press, the ‘not-to-be-

missed’ press. Furthermore, the masthead can also

give the idea that the magazine knows everything

you need to know about music. The title almost

sounds like a gossip-centre place; the HOT PRESS. As

though the magazine directly tell their readers

everything – nothing is held back which creates a

friendly feel to the magazine.

The magazine has a circulation of 17,179 (ABC,

January – December 2012). The magazine is sold in

both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland

which means they have a wider target audience and

market. The magazine is mostly directed at individuals aged 18-35 with 90% of their

audience being in that age group. 45% of this percentage is 18-25 years old while the other

45% are between the ages of 26-35. The magazine is aimed equally at both sexes with 52%

of their readers being male and the other 48% being female.

The house colours for this magazine are; gold, black and grey. This helps the magazine

become a house-hold magazine for its readers, the colour scheme is dark and rock ‘n’ roll

like. From this house style we can assume the magazine promotes non-pop music such as

arctic monkeys, Jake Bugg and of course U2. The gold and black contrast of colours suggests

an award-like magazine as these colours are used in the music industry for platforms and

awards. This makes us the audience assume this award-winning magazine who features

award-winning musicians. All words and letters printed on the front cover are displayed in

block capitals which suggest that all information is important on the cover and so the reader

should read it all. The issue vol and issue number is displayed alongside the date in which

the magazine is published; this helps the reader determine how long the magazine has been

running and ensures they are reading the up-to-date edition. The font of this is small and

printed at the side of the masthead. The layout, choice of colours and design of the front

cover has created a niche audience – those interested in vintage, old-school music. This

helps to create a ‘fandom’ for HOT PRESS magazine as they will have buyers who will buy

every release and those who buy for their favourite band who may be featured in the

magazine.

The masthead of this magazine is HOT PRESS; the O in hot is replaced by a fire symbol which

further implies the idea of the word HOT – as though their music and articles are on fire, a

metaphor for the best. The masthead is printed in a stamp-like fashion which connotes a

homely-feel for their readers.

The main image is displayed on 70% of the front cover which instantly attracts the audience

to look at U2. The use of this band helps to introduce new readers to the magazine as

people may see U2 as the front cover and may be interested to read it- therefore an

increase in audience numbers and sales. The image is in black and white which is in contrast

to the house style of the HOT PRESS magazine. The black and white image could further

suggest that the band are ‘old-school’ and so therefore a black and white image would

deeply present the band as the ‘kings of music’ – to many people they may be. Not one

band member is making eye contact with the camera/ reader which intrigues us to as why

they do not make eye contact- this makes us believe that ‘the big interview’ may include

some mistakes and secrets in which the band have made throughout their careers and so

this intrigues the reader to read on. The image was taken at eye level which helps to

emphasises the band as down-to-earth people – who make music. The use of this eye level

angle is very naturalistic and even. Every band member is seen equally in the shot and so

there is no ‘main’ singer-band member. This further gives us the audience that U2 want to

create a new image- which the angle of shot helps to establish this. The main coverline is

displayed in front of the main image which suggests to the reader that U2 is based on their

music not their image – which is uncommon in today’s music industry.

The mise en scene presented in the main image have been carefully chosen to highlight

important aspects of the band. The musicians look very relaxed – this helps the reader

connect to the band on a humanly basis. The use of sunglasses on two of the musicians

symbolised what they may be hiding from their past – two without sunglasses show how

they’ve changed, moved on. One band member is wearing a monkey hat; which would

usually see on a hard working man, such as builders or carpenters. This hat represents to

the audience how hard the band have worked to get to where they are – although mistakes

(sunglasses representation) they have worked hard.

‘The Big Interview’ is presented to the reader in a faint font; it is not instantly directing the

reader to what it reads. Yet, as the reader is attracted to the main image it is when the look

down they can notice this coverline. The wording interests the reader at once as the adverb

‘big’ is used which implies this interview is not something to be missed. Furthermore, the

white writing under the coverline reads; ‘BONO, EDGE, LARRY AND ADAM TALK TO OLAF’,

this line is displayed in block capitals to further imitate the house style. The magazine has

chosen to print all band members’ names which is strange and interesting because most

people and readers would only recognise Bono- who is the main singer. By doing this, HOT

PRESS magazine are promoting the band as a new generation of themselves; because the

band are older they need to become more relevant with the new generation of music.

More coverlines are displayed on the strapline of the front cover; these are printed in a

careful way- where by the reader is only appealed by them once they have saw everything

else on the front cover. The wording is direct and only tells the reader some of what is

furthermore featured in the article. The mode of address presented in these coverlines

continues with the exact wording of the main coverline. The coverlines displayed on the

HOT PRESS front cover can be labelled as ‘headings’ or ‘titles’ which present the magazine is

quite a formal way.

From the front cover I can suggest that HOT PRESS magazine focuses its content on mostly

males – this is only based on the fact that the house-style does not represent women in any

way and so the use of these colours would more likely attract male readers.

Analysing HOT PRESS Contents Page

Firstly, the reader’s attention is instantly attracted to the large teal heading of the contents

page; it reads, ‘contents’ in block capitals – further emphasising the house style of HOT

PRESS magazine. Under the main heading it states the vol and issue number once again

however this time it gives the reader a vintage feel as the font is quite antique looking. The

‘HOT PRESS 3820’ once again shows how many magazine publications this brand has had. In

doing this, the reader feels like the magazine will always been published and s o will be

intrigued as the magazine must contain popular and interesting articles - therefore the

reader will want to read on due to this.

Furthermore, the contents page additionally emphasises the fire we see on the masthead of

the magazine. The fire image on this page is in the blue teal colour with a circle of different

coloured sections around it. This implies to the reader that this fire image is the magazines’

logo and so apart of the house style of the magazine.

There is only one image on the contents page – an unusual convention of a contents page.

The image is once again the band U2 which again displays them in a black and white image.

This image is on the bottom of the page and alongside the list of page numbers. HOT PRESS’

contents page only displays two highlighted articles within the magazine; one of which

concerns music while the other, politics. The name of the article is highlighted beside the

page number to give the reader clear guidance on what the story about U2 is. It then goes

on to describe the main narrative of the story which helps intrigue the reader.

Diagrams of dots, in the teal colour, are seen on above and below the heading ‘contents’

and ‘HOT PRESS 3820’. These dots present the magazine in a professional and neat way

which helps the reader understand what they should be attracted to – the page numbers

and U2 image. The font used on this page provides the reader with an old-English

presentation. In doing this the audience make a prejudgement of the mode of address in

which the magazine communicates with the reader. We, the audience, can assume from this

appearance that the magazine is very formal in the way it communicates and so gives off a

professional feel.

The overall style of the contents page in this magazine is very sheik and vintage which

further emphasises the fact that U2 is an older band. This gives us, the audience, the

impression that this magazine features the older bands, the ‘chiefs of music’, and the house-

hold names within the industry.