How does your media product represent particular social groups?

The media represent people in different ways. It influences us to think about someone or a certain group of people in a certain way. For example we are encouraged to think that all youth are troublemakers who smoke and drink all the time. My media product is no different; it has represented a certain group of people's interests and focused on these interests to create a magazine that appeals to my target audience.

My magazine was centered around a subject that arguably crosses all ages and genders. A know quite a few people who watch the Eurovision Song Contest. Some because they actually tend to enjoy the music, others because they like to laugh at the various acts that perform just for fun each year, but even then, they are still watching the programme and therefore have an interest in it meaning they may like to read my magazine. To represent the people who watch the Song Contest, I have picked a colour theme that is relevant to the next contest, blue and yellow: The national colours of Sweden (host country in 2013). Blue and yellow stand out from one another and I haven't seen another magazine with this colour scheme so it will stand out to everyone who looks at the stand so soon a lot of people would have heard about my magazine. It is it's only competitor; there are no other centrally Eurovision magazines on the market at the moment as the UK fan base isn't said to be very large, but rather than focus my magazine contents and die hardy fans, I have included lots of different aspects like competitions, food, parties and other musical interests and cultural activities in the magazine to attract a wider audience the world of Eurovision and of course my magazine. 

The main viewing audience of the Eurovision Song Contest tends to be families. Class is  a tricky one as I feel that it's aimed at all classes. Some of the entrants are rather high class and some are not. But I have represented families in my magazine by choosing some light bubbly fonts and the bright colours that stand out but are still easy to read. Some features in my magazine also focus on families. I included a competition to win a family holiday to the location at the time of the contest for example with second prize being a caravan holiday in Kent; something a lot of families would be more than interested in. Another aspect of the family orientation of the show is the contests 'little brother'; the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. As my magazine is in early development, I wanted to appeal to the families as a priority so I have featured Britain's JESC entrant from the previous contest on the front cover of the product, looking all happy and excited with her arms in the air; representing a normal 12 year old girl. I wanted to show the children that see the magazine that there are people just like them who are going on to big things. They should know that if they try hard and do their best they can be anything that they want to be and they themselves could end up on the front of my magazine one day.

I think that my final products have represented my rather wide target audience quite well as I have included things that many people are interested in and that they can relate to thus creating a friendly, easy read.