OSP: Teen Vogue - Audience and Representation

 Audience focus

1) Analyse the Conde Nast media pack for Teen Vogue. What is the Teen Vogue mission statement and what does this tell us about the target audience and audience pleasures?

They want to learn about the issues that they are passionate about. They want more from their so called 'connected' world. They find personal identity within the people that feature in the features

2) What is the target audience for Teen Vogue? Use the media pack to pick out key aspects of the audience demographics. Also, consider the psychographic groups that would be attracted to Teen Vogue: make specific reference to the website design or certain articles to support your points regarding this.

Most of their audience (63%) are a part of Gen Z so they would be more inclined to use social media and the internet, an area where TV is trying to ace.

They clearly have a thing for activism as their 'pop feminism' feature is very empowering and likely to spark debate about a popular topic.

3) What audience pleasures or gratifications can be found in Teen Vogue? Do these differ from the gratifications of traditional print-based magazines?

Like print, audiences can find personal identity as well as personal relationship due to their lifestyle and interests being reflected in the magazine. They also form a personal connection with the content due to the annual summits which help them become a part of the website. However, an added layer which is only social media-specific, Gen Z will feel a much closer connection to the content now that it's online, which is the medium they frequent most.

4) How is the audience positioned to respond to political news stories?

They either disagree or agree with the author's opinion. This places them to agree with it however as it attacks issues they are passionate about. Does TV push their own alternate political agenda? 

5) How does Teen Vogue encourage audiences to interact with the brand – and each other – on social media? The ‘tentpoles and editorial pillars’ section of the media pack may help with this question.

The summit is the most obvious example of audience interaction. The Under 21 feature will star women around the world which allows the audience to share their opinion on them. The 'Her @' feature is a great way to combine images with a personal yet relatable takeaway.

Representations

1) Look again at the Conde Nast media pack for Teen Vogue. What do the ‘tentpoles and editorial pillars’ (key events and features throughout the year) suggest about the representation of women and teenage girls on teenvogue.com?

they cover a diverse range of jobs, races and aspects of feminsim/activism. It displays women as proactive and supportive. There's no negativity on these features!

2) How are issues of gender identity and sexuality represented in Teen Vogue?

They are presented as in the process of improving. They present gender/sexuality as fluid (Gauntlett) and ever-changing. 

Identity is formed by micro-rituals and is therefore a performance.

3) Do representations of appearance or beauty in Teen Vogue reinforce or challenge traditional stereotypes?

they include POC so they oppose the standard western beauty ideal. they support it somehow through the occasional fashion post that is just your average beauty article.

4) What is the patriarchy and how does Teen Vogue challenge it? Does it succeed? 

patriarchy - male-dominated society

Teen Vogue challenged it because they stand up tp men like Trump who they mention in a very negative light.

5) Does Teen Vogue reinforce or challenge typical representations of celebrity?

they reinforce it with their YT videos because they need the views but other than that they subvert them because they include a wider range of people.

Teen Vogue: Factsheet Part 2

Read Media Factsheet #205 Teen Vogue Part 2 - Application of theory. You can find the Factsheet in our Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive in school or download it here using your Greenford Google login. Answer the following questions: 

1) How does the Factsheet apply David Gauntlett's ideas about gender and identity to Teen Vogue? 

The way we think about identity has changed, This is evident in TV as we see how they include people who are gender fluid or of a different sexual persuasion. The meaning of gender changed over time which is shown through the way that gender has become a part of one's identity as opposed to just a label.

2) David Gauntlett has also written about the importance of role models. How can this be applied to the Teen Vogue CSP?

Role models need to be included somewhere in Teen Vogue so they decided that it would be best if they did it on YT where views mean everything. They use star power when they need clicks, it's rooted deep within our minds to click on something we recognise or like.

3) bell hooks suggests that profit-seeking media industries reinforce patriarchal values and power structures. How can these ideas be applied to Teen Vogue? Try and argue both sides - that Teen Vogue both empowers women but also arguably reinforces some hegemonic gender stereotypes.

on one hand TV do their best to be inclusive and try to empower their readers to make a positive impact in the world but that won't pay their bills. They use traditional beauty ideals as well as good old-fashioned gossip to create more clicks and more attrition between opinions to have some financial gain. 

4) List the key points on van Zoonen's gender theories in the Factsheet. How can we apply some of these ideas to Teen Vogue?

• The media tends to reflect hegemonic ideas about gender.
• Women tend to be valued for their looks and apparent sexual availability.

some of the celebs featured on TV are subtly sexualised to increase appeal, linked to the male gaze.

• Women are often shown to be passive.

Opposes this as TV support feminine activsim

• Women’s bodies are often commodified.

The fashion industry, which TV is a part of, is based upon this statement.

• Men tend to be valued for their accomplishments.
• Men are often shown to be active.
• Men’s bodies are presented as ‘spectacle’.

5) Read the Greta Thunberg case study on pages 3-4. How does the Factsheet use media theories in the analysis of the special 2019 print edition of Teen Vogue? 

- Alternative representation of teenage magazines as it shows their demographic exploring political issues, something which TV does well.

- Thunberg places herself to be the child 'who must be protected at all costs' which makes her a 'Damsel in distress' links to Propp

- Thunberg also presents evidence that we do live in a patriarchal society which is supported by her criticism of Trump