The Seven Areas of Representation

The seven areas of representation is a method used by the media in order to make their product appealing to their target audience. The seven areas include gender; age; ethnicity; sexuality; class and status; physical ability or disability; as well as regional identity. 

So, what do the terms really mean?

media

noun
the main means of mass communication (television, radio, and newspapers) regarded collectively.

representation

noun
the action of speaking or acting on behalf of someone or the state of being so represented.

target audience

noun
a particular group at which a product such as a film or advertisement is aimed.

stereotype

noun
a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.

So, they are really quite simple and obviously comprehensible at the same time. As you can make out from the definitions above, the media's view of people is also rather simple too, People are labelled with being "athletic", "posh" and so on, which may be controversial to some but quite simply makes it easier to reach out to the select group (target audience). For example, if you were to take the following magazine covers it is evident that they each have a target audience. However, with saying that people who fit into the Clash audience may also be interested in the NME magazine. Whilst they all feature different genres, and therefore appearances, the seven areas of representation have enabled the publisher to keep a clear theme.

Clash:
Running for 11 years, the magazine has proved to be a success with printing monthly copies which has featured the likes of Florence & The Machine; Kanye West; DJ Shadow; and The Horrors. Alternating between modern bands and hip hop artists, Clash also promotes a wide variation of themes. From music and fashion, to film and technology, the magazine is aimed at a younger audience who want something more than just a music exclusive magazine.

Q:
Originally sub-titled "The Modern Guide to Music and More", it's first issue was published in October of 1986 and his gone on to launch a Q television channel and a yearly awards ceremony called the Q Awards. Prior to the final decision for the name, it was thought that the magazine would be called "Cue" (in terms of cueing a record) but the title was changed after the possibility of the magazine being confused with a snooker magazine. The target audience seems to be young and knowledgeable, drawn in, and attentive to popular music. Furthermore, the use of bright colours, stylish fonts and fashionable glasses suggest that the majority of the audience are in fact adolescent or in the 20's.

NME:
The British music journalism magazine, New Musical Express (NME), was first published in March 1952. Publishing issues weekly, it is largely associated with genres such as rock, alternative and indie. By looking at the cover its plain to see that the audience will be educated in musical icons/history; would also be frequent readers ("60 Years of NME"); and are more interested in the articles than the appearance of the cover. Although it does stand out from other magazines, due to the black and white colour scheme with the eye catching yellow, the cover is very minimalist which reflects the audience who are attracted by the content.

BBC Music Magazine:
Publishing 13 per annum, the magazine's first issue was in June 1992 which was soon followed by a North American version 9 months later. Primarily devoted to classical music which also highlights other genres (jazz and world music), it revolves around BBC Radio 3's broadcast output. With each issue having an audio CD of BBC recordings or full-length works the magazine has proved to be a success whilst exploring other uses of media in the product. Typically, classical music is aimed at the older generation who may not care for loud music but something more relaxing.


Overall, the seven areas of representation affect the styles, fonts, photos used and so on, in the magazines. With saying that, the strategy is not based on fact and is merely an ideology which assists the publisher's decisions.