SCRIPT - 1502
We will be discussing the
codes,conventions, viewpoints and ideologies of the front cover of issue #1502
of the Big Issue
The front cover we have chosen
is an example of an environmental cover. A conventional presentation of similar
covers include: an artistic cover (using digitally or physically drawn images),
a ‘cartoonish’ approach using sketched, one-dimensional image/drawing hybrids
to create a lighthearted presentation, and finally a ‘realistic’ image, similar
to those found in nature journals. However, the issue we have chosen to study
seemingly breaks this genre convention in multiple ways.
Slide 5
The masthead conforms to the
conventions of The Big Issue’s typical layout, using a sans-serif, large, bold
font to connote the bold statements The Big Issue typically makes to attract
new consumers due to their large non-core reader base.
However, the masthead has been
slanted to represent the areas of Britain that are endangered because of rising
sea levels and flooding. The ‘Big’ is just managing to float above the surface,
whilst the ‘issue’ has sunk to the bottom. This connotes The Big Issue’s
support for environmentalist views, seeing the significance of mitigating
climate change for the benefit of society and the planet, but also how
different groups and classes will be affected by the various changes caused,
which is very inclusionary.
Slide 7
The Headline and Subheadline
construct the intention of the cover. The headline denotes that the country is
‘going under’ (water), an outlandish statement to draw the reader in, with the
subheadline clarifying the key exploration in the article of ‘how the poorest
communities in Britain are being left to flood’. The phrase ‘going under’ is
also commonly used to describe the failure and disappearance of businesses,
possibly constructing an idea that it won’t just be the physical landscape
endangered, but also the neglected lower classes.
The cover illustrates how the
poorest members of society will be unable to mitigate, protect themselves from
and eventually recover from natural events as climate change increases their
frequency and intensity, whilst the richer percentage of the population will
adapt and disregard those with less. This could also be linked with the
masthead as the ‘issue’ (in this case, the poorer population who would be
unable to fend for themselves) literally disappear from the surface, or as a
topic of importance.
This clearly aligns itself with
The Big Issues’ typical inclusionary values, and although they tend to focus on
individualism in examples of their ‘celebrity spotlight’ or ‘marginalised
heroes’ covers, in instances like this that deal with greater scale issues, The
Big Issue conveys how significant collectivism can also be. In terms of
environmental issues such as climate change, global efforts are required, be it
through local or smaller scale efforts or larger, government or societal change
that The Big Issue seem to propose in this issue.
Slide 9
The colour scheme chosen features
what would typically be a natural colour palette associated with nature I.e.
blues and greens. However, the shades chosen seem to be purposefully extraordinary,
giving the image a freakishly dystopian tint. This signifies the possibly
‘dystopian’ future humanity may face with lack of climate intervention,
reinforcing The Big Issue’s environmentalist ideology.
The use of image is also fairly
unconventional as The Big Issue usually does not select edited images for
environmental covers. This both shows how they are constructing a future
projection, or ‘what if?’ take on current events, and the significance they
believe the issue holds hence it being the splash.
Slide 11
Finally, the teasers conform to a
typical Big Issue cover, apart from the slanted angle which corresponds with
the broken masthead convention. The offlead stories’ copy is much smaller than
the headline and subheadline, signifying how The Big Issue did not want them to
overshadow the main story. They are simply the metaphorical pebbles on the
seabed of the image. This once again reinforces The Big Issue’s support of environmentalism
and progressive values which correlates with their general readership who they
advertise as ‘environmentally, socially and ethically aware’.
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