OSP: Teen Vogue - Industry and social media

 Industry: Condé Nast

1) Research Teen Vogue publisher Condé Nast. What other magazines do they publish and how much money did they make last year?

GQ, Wired, Vanity Fair

£13.6m

2) What are Teen Vogue’s main sources of income?

- Advertising

- Brand deals/promotional deals

3) How are traditionally print-based products like Teen Vogue diversifying to create new income streams?

- Online advertising

- Social media for brand deals

4) Why is sponsored content and ‘advertorial’ particularly important in media linked to the fashion industry?

They could use cookies and star power. Fashion needs to be a 'trend' and for it to be so it needs to gain popularity amongst like-minded people.

5) Do you view Teen Vogue’s content as a form of public service media or is Condé Nast simply interested in clicks and profit?

I think it's a combination of both. TV wants to seize the opportunity to make a quick buck however a part of their mission statement is to enlighten and educate so they wouldn't be fulfilling that if they were not acting as some sort of public service.


Closure of print edition research

Read the following short articles to learn the background to Condé Nast's decision to close the print edition of Teen Vogue in 2016 and then answer the questions below:

BBC: Teen Vogue: How will going online-only affect readers?
New York Times: Condé Nast Ends Teen Vogue’s Print Run
Folio: Your Teen Vogue Hot Takes Are All Wrong

1) Why does the BBC suggest “Teen Vogue’s digital game is strong”?

They have used the internet as the new home for Teen Vogue due to the decline of print

2) What does the BBC suggest is responsible for the Teen Vogue website’s success?

They are really good at attracting online traffic, resulting in more clicks

3) How did Teen Vogue justify the closure of the print magazine?

"As audiences continue to evolve around content consumption, we will modernise and calibrate how, where and when we produce and distribute our content to be in sync with the cultural moments and platforms most important to our audiences."

4) In the BBC article, David Hepworth suggests there is a risk to going digital-only. What is it?

You lose some value as you are "just another website" so you would lose originality.

5) How do online-only publications make money?

advertisements and celeb endorsements

6) What does Sarah Penny suggest regarding audience consumption for print and digital – and how might it be changing for Generation-Z?

the gen z consumption is very high digitally and extremely low for print. this makes companies more inclined to go digital.

7) What does the New York Times say Conde Nast is known for?

"its lavish spending and its visually rich glossy magazines"

8) The New York Times states that Conde Nast expects to bring in less revenue in 2017 than 2016… by how much?

$100 million less

9) The Folio article also looks at the switch from print to digital. Pick out a statistic that justifies the digital-only approach.

"traffic to TeenVogue.com has surged from around 2 million monthly visitors to nearly 9 million"

10) Finally, Folio also highlights some of the aspects we have studied elsewhere. Pick out two quotes from the article that link to our work on the Teen Vogue audience, representation or design.

"Activist Mommy"

"political spectrum"

"Teen Vogue‘s young female audience prefers to consume articles on mobile devices and via social media rather than in print magazines"


Social media analysis

Work through the following tasks to complete your textual analysis of Teen Vogue's social media presence:

1) Look at the Teen Vogue Twitter feed (you don’t need to sign up to Twitter to see it but may need to log in at home). How many followers does Teen Vogue have?

3.3M

2) Now look at the content. Classify the first 20 tweets you can see using the sections on the Teen Vogue website: News & Politics, Fashion, Entertainment, Beauty, Lifestyle, Wellness and Homecoming. What does the Twitter feed focus on most? Does this differ to the website?

They focus a lot more on entertainment than anywhere else, with a small point on politics

3) How are the tweets and headlines written? Can you find examples of clickbait?

"

"Bella Hadid is apparently Dating Jack Nicholson's Grandson Duke"

The use of apparently is significant due to the gossip nature of this news article.

4) How does the Twitter feed use videos and images?

use collages and glamorous images of celebs. The videos are well edited.

5) Analyse the Teen Vogue Facebook page. How many ‘likes’ and ‘follows’ do they have?

5.7m likes

5.6m followers

6) Click on the Videos link on the left-hand menu. What type of content do the videos feature? Does this differ to the website or Twitter feed?

Not really that different to the Twitter feed. FB page has a focus towards fashion, playing closer to the true values of Vogue.

7) Now look at the Events tab to explore past events. What are these events and what do they tell us about how audiences interact with the Teen Vogue brand?

They want to have one to many & many to many. This links with Shirky as this includes the audience having an impact or even directly creating their own content.

8) Go to the Teen Vogue Instagram page. How many followers do they have on Instagram?

2.3m

9) How does the Instagram feed differ from other social media channels?

Because they can't directly post article links, they post excerpts from those articles with the header image as the main theme of the post, making it celebrate the people as opposed to fashion or identity.

10) What examples of digital convergence and synergy can you find on Teen Vogue social media including the Teen Vogue YouTube channel? (E.g. opportunities to engage with the brand across different platforms).

this allows the YT channel to make video specific content with stars to make it more attractive, they also use other social media platforms to increase the traffic for the website itself, making full use of their target audience who spend a majority of their day on their phones.

Y13 Baseline assessment: Learner response

  1) Type up your feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential).

WWW: Strong response to the extended question with clear knowledge and understanding of the impact of digital media and its influences on the relationship between producers and audiences. 

Frequently reference both magazine CSPs and how they have retained loyal audience during digital transformation.

EBI: You need to focus on your structure and theory specific explanations when it comes to long answer questions

- Q2: Draw conclusions and judgements on effects theories is often discredited. Also consider rivalry of media industries

- Q3: Better sentence opening for thesis statement

2) Focusing on the BBC Life Hacks question, write three ways it helps to fulfil the BBC's mission statement that you didn't include in your original assessment answer. Use the mark scheme for ideas.

Life Hacks lets people know how to deal with certain situations in life. Debt, relationships and gender identity. 

They also inform people how to react to certain situations they may not know how to navigate. These topics are not shared socially due to a 'taboo' stigma.

Entertainment comes in the form of their playlists of music.

3) Question two asked you how useful media effects theories are in understanding the audience response to War of the Worlds. Complete the following:

• Gerbner's Cultivation theory: useful or not useful? Why?
• Frankfurt School's Hypodermic Needle model: useful or not useful? Why?
• Stuart Hall's Reception theory: useful or not useful? Why?

Hypodermic needle: 

This being one of the first audience theories to gain traction, this was initially supported by everyone. As the two step flow model started to become common knowledge, people started to decredit the hypodermic needle theory because it assumed that all the people were passive consumers which turned out to be wrong.

4) Write a full essay plan for the 25-mark Magazines question. The mark scheme contains plenty of ideas you can use here. Your plan should include notes/bullet points addressing the following:

• Introduction: Both industries have been successful in transferring to digital platforms which in return causes the products to become more widely used by their target audience.

• Paragraph 1 content: explaining the audience features of MH, applying B&K uses and gratifications theory, demographic and physcographic 
• Paragraph 2 content: explaining the industry with MH being a part of a conglomerate so they have more chances of success in the digital world
• Paragraph 3 content: the demographic and interests of the average OC reader revolves around feminism
• Paragraph 4 content: OC is a part of an independant
• Conclusion: feminism vs masculinity

5) Finally, identify three key skills/topics you want to work on in A Level Media this year before the final exams in June.

- Structure of extended questions

- Applying theory properly 

- knowing how to write without waffling 

OSP: Teen Vogue - background and textual analysis

 Teen Vogue: background reading

Read this Guardian feature from 2017 on Teen Vogue and answer the following questions.

1) What was the article that announced Teen Vogue as a more serious, political website – with 1.3m hits and counting?

Trump gaslighting America

2) When was the original Teen Vogue magazine launched and what was its original content?

It launched in 2004 and it featured a lot of fashion-based content, focusing on beauty and celebrities.

3) How did editor Elaine Welteroth change Teen Vogue’s approach in 2015?

Focused on black empowerment and feminism

4) How many stories are published on Teen Vogue a day? What topics do they cover?

between 50 and 70 a day, they present a typically mixed bag of fashion, entertainment and current affairs.

5) What influence did digital director Phillip Picardi have over the editorial direction?

He wanted to give the reader more, more about what they wanted to read. Not what some old people thought young girls should read

6) What is Teen Vogue’s audience demographic and what does ‘woke’ refer to?

Their key demographic is 18-24. Woke is a byword for political ans social awareness.

7) What issues are most important to Teen Vogue readers?

contemporary issues, often involved with social activism. 

8) What does Tavi Gevinson suggest regarding the internet and ‘accountability culture’ with regards to modern audiences? Can you link this to our work on Clay Shirky?

“Now they’ve successfully rebranded themselves to appear in opposition to toxic ideas and beauty standards.”

She suggests that we contribute to what the media produces. TV listen to their audience and they react with swift effect. This could support Shirky's theory that we have become the producers of the content we consume.

The relationship between the consumer and the producer is much closer and transparent with "accountability culture" 

9) What social and political issues have been covered successfully by Teen Vogue?

- Trump's various scandals

- Racial activism

- Gender activism

10) What do Teen Vogue readers think of the magazine and website?

"most of what I read on social media is unreliable”. For her, “The recent presidential election brought to the surface a lot of important issues that weren’t getting as much attention as they should have: women’s rights, LGBTQ community rights, immigration.” Like many young people, Wagner is galvanised by the election, in which she saw “a complete misrepresentation of the younger generation. It’s important now to educate young minds so they can form a political identity. We are the future of America.”

Teen Vogue: Factsheet Part 1

Read Media Factsheet #200 Teen Vogue - Part 1. 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) The Factsheet suggests Teen Vogue has successfully made the transition to an online, social and participatory product. Why? What platforms is it now available on?

Because they target topics that gain traction quickly online. It connects with its readers better than most platforms of that calibre do. It's all over social media, Intsgram, Twitter and others.

2) Look at the screenshots and details on pages 3-4 of the Factsheet. What does Teen Vogue offer its audience?

They offer a diverse range of fashion news, activism updates and empowering articles that make their readers form a decent relationship with TV.

3) Who is the typical Teen Vogue reader?

The reader of TeenVogue in traditional terms is the 18-24

demographic, millennials with an interest in popular culture,

current affairs and issues of identity and lifestyle. For Elaine

Welteroth, editor of TeenVogue (2016-18), it was important that

TeenVogue “ages up” as the audience was not all teens. This

was reflected by those on the staff of TeenVogue. In an interview

with the Guardian (Feb 2017) Welteroth defined the TeenVogue

reader: “our sweet spot is 18-24… genderless. It’s more about a

sensibility. This is somebody who is sophisticated, conscious. We

say ‘woke’ here. We’re a woke brand, and our readers are woke

too.”

4) Read the content analysis of the Teen Vogue website on page 5 of the Factsheet. Pick out three key examples of how meanings are created in Teen Vogue and what is communicated to the audience.

They use iconograhpy to portray the activists as educated and intellectual

They use a blend of popular topics and niche topics to bring in a diverse range of readers

They use questions as their headlines for politics as they don't want to be radically political as opposed to an opinion, the latter is what is done by TV.

5) Finally, look at pages 6-7 focusing on representations. What range of representations can be found in Teen Vogue and what does this suggest regarding Teen Vogue's values and ideologies?

A diverse range of gender and race

they VIEW WOMEN S EMPOWERMENT AS OPPOSED TO SEX SYMBOLS

a positive representation of activism as a changing and powerful force

Teen Vogue textual analysis and example articles

Work through the following tasks to complete your textual analysis of the Teen Vogue website and read notable Teen Vogue articles to refer to in exam answers. 

Homepage analysis

Go to the Teen Vogue homepage and answer the following:

1) What website key conventions can you find on the Teen Vogue homepage?

Header image for articles, range of topics including politics, Halloween and music

2) How does the page design encourage audience engagement?

Simple yet inviting layout, the use of the 'read more' buttons, articles with a personal question

3) Where does advertising appear on the homepage?

at the top, maybe suggesting that they need some extra money where they can get any

4) What are the items in the top menu bar and what does this tell you about the content of Teen Vogue?

Politics, style, culture, identity and summit - tells me that they cover a wide range of topics and cater o a more female market

5) How far does the homepage scroll down? How many stories appear on the homepage in total?

there is quite a few stories here, suggesting that their target audience will be used to scrolling a lot and being bored, thus creating more popular

Lifestyle section

Now analyse the Lifestyle section of Teen Vogue (in the Identity section) and answer the following:

1) What are the items in the top menu bar for the Lifestyle section?

fashion, beauty, shopping, features and prom

2) How is the Lifestyle section designed to encouragement audience engagement? Think about page design, images, text and more.

There is the front image which is very large and catches readers attention. The font is quite simple and is very friendly rather than official, compared to the NYT. The image placement is that from social media, creating a small social platform with the article itself.

3) What do you notice about the way headlines are written in Teen Vogue?

They're either questions or statements, leading the reader to believe that they either agree or disagree with them.

4) What does the focus on education, university and ‘campus life’ tell you about the Teen Vogue audience demographics and psychographics?

Their readership are preparing for adult life in the 'real world' so the website aims to educate them about it.

5) Choose one story featured in the Lifestyle section and explain how reflects the Teen Vogue brand.

- James Charles talking about botox

- uses star power, it's about beauty which is a common interest between readers, it has an intriguing headline.

Teen Vogue: Five key articles

Read the following five notable Teen Vogue features then answer the questions below.

Donald Trump Is Gaslighting America

The new face of teen activism 

Black Teens Have Been Fighting for Gun Reform for Years

Netflix and strong female leads 

How to Break Away From the Gender Binary

1) What do you notice about the content and style of these articles? What do they have in common? 

They all are from a liberal stance, catering towards young people

2) How do the articles use narrative to engage the reader? Try and apply narrative theory here if possible - what makes the reader want to click or read more?

enigma and action codes - engages reader to read further

Propp's character theory - villain (Trump)  makes people interested in what he has done

3) Pick a quote from each article that illustrates the political, 'woke' ideology of Teen Vogue and paste it here.

"His rise to power has awakened a force of bigotry by condoning and encouraging hatred, but also by normalizing deception"

"I found myself drawn to posts about gender biases and links to stories about girls who were denied proper contraceptive care"

"Some even participated in President Donald Trump's "listening session", during which survivors of the shooting told their stories and offered their ideas on policies that could prevent further tragedies"

"People like to label women and put them in two categories."

"Cis folks, I get that you want to celebrate the births of your children, but I thought that was what baby showers were for. You really need to invite everyone you know over to drop confetti and talk avidly about your unborn child’s maybe-vagina? (I assume that’s what happens at these shindigs.)"

4) What effect on the audience are these articles hoping to achieve?

It  makes them more likely to relate to the information in the articles and perhaps apply this info to a real life setting.

5) How do these article reflect the values and ideologies of the modern Teen Vogue?

- they want to be big in activism which they are doing

- they want to present and oppose the current political occupation

- they also educate their readers

Clay Shirky: End of audience blog tasks

 Media Magazine reading

Media Magazine 55 has an overview of technology journalist Bill Thompson’s conference presentation on ‘What has the internet ever done for me?’ It’s an excellent summary of the internet’s brief history and its impact on society. Go to our Media Magazine archive, click on MM55 and scroll to page 13 to read the article ‘What has the internet ever done for me?’ Answer the following questions:

1) Looking over the article as a whole, what are some of the positive developments due to the internet highlighted by Bill Thompson?

increased connectivity, new jobs, advances in technology/knowledge

2) What are the negatives or dangers linked to the development of the internet?

cyber security, cyber bullying, illegal trafficking of illegal objects

3) What does ‘open technology’ refer to? Do you agree with the idea of ‘open technology’?

I don't agree. Regulation across many platforms where users interact is still needed. Open technology is also a political challenge as many people will be divided on the pros and cons so it won't really catch on unless the whole world/general public changes their opinion to the same.

4) Bill Thompson outlines some of the challenges and questions for the future of the internet. What are they?

the issue with mass regulation on the internet, conglomerate dominance, rules and order of the internet and the main one being privacy online

5) Where do you stand on the use and regulation of the internet? Should there be more control or more openness? Why?

I think there should be more regulation when it comes to frowned upon or illegal practices taking place on social media right now. Regulation on YouTube should only apply to those who pose a threat or danger to the consumer, not screwing over the creators.

Clay Shirky: Here Comes Everybody

Clay Shirky’s book Here Comes Everybody charts the way social media and connectivity is changing the world. Read Chapter 3 of his book, ‘Everyone is a media outlet’, and answer the following questions:

1) How does Shirky define a ‘profession’ and why does it apply to the traditional newspaper industry?

People who work in the media industry are no longer employees or professionals as the lines have become blurred as to who is a professional who actually uses media as a profession. People who have written articles online face more professionalism as they are seen as more 'up to date' but they often lack the qualifications and knowledge that go with it.

2) What is the question facing the newspaper industry now the internet has created a “new ecosystem”?

The newspaper industry is in danger as the online news outlets are gaining more and more traction every day. The coherency of the newspaper industry is being dismantled online as it's just lines of code to look like words and pictures. It's an industry that's unfortunately dying and struggling to keep their head above the water with this 'new ecosystem'

3) Why did Trent Lott’s speech in 2002 become news?

He ran as senator for Missisippi and retold a story about the time he saw the level of unprofessionalism in the press at the time he was around (mid-20th century) and the press didn't cover this as they might have 'ignored' it.

4) What is ‘mass amateurisation’?

When people believe that they can create as good content than the people who provide quality content. People follow in their footsteps, suddenly you have tons of amateur content creators.

5) Shirky suggests that: “The same idea, published in dozens or hundreds of places, can have an amplifying effect that outweighs the verdict from the smaller number of professional outlets.” How can this be linked to the current media landscape and particularly ‘fake news’?

Fake news, if believed, can spread really quickly. It's a matter of making sure the source you get the information from is credible. The mass amateurisation of the internet makes this news much more likely to get spread as we see how one person believes one thing just because 'everyone is reporting the same thing'. This is that quote in essence. We always try to look for credible sources though, active consumer do at least.

6) What does Shirky suggest about the social effects of technological change? Does this mean we are currently in the midst of the internet “revolution” or “chaos” Shirky mentions?

Because the consumers are becoming the producers, it's created a habit of publish then edit. This shift in balance creates censorship issues and problems for the professionals to stay afloat. There is six times more fake news than real. That shows you how the consumers have the power, not the producer.

7) Shirky says that “anyone can be a publisher… [and] anyone can be a journalist”. What does this mean and why is it important?

Anyone can now wrote online. Almost like I do... Anyway, the point Shirky is trying to ,make is that the mass amutuerisation has become to saturated that people are making careers out of it, much like myself.

8) What does Shirky suggest regarding the hundred years following the printing press revolution? Is there any evidence of this “intellectual and political chaos” in recent global events following the internet revolution?

The printing press meant that books became mainstream and that that more people could buy them. This then increased exponentially. The same with the internet. Now that we can create our own content, we have power to change the face of  the media or indeed the global internet landscape.

9) Why is photography a good example of ‘mass amateurisation’?

If everyone has a camera, they think that they can do the same thing as professionals, with  years of experience and knowledge.

10) What do you think of Shirky’s ideas on the ‘End of audience’? Is this era of ‘mass amateurisation’ a positive thing? Or are we in a period of “intellectual and political chaos” where things are more broken than fixed? 

I think it's a good thing because we see so much positive change from it. Whether it's posting articles about F1 or even using your platform to highlight BLM, it's very good that we can create our own content - for others to consume. Although, political issues can be made worse by social media and the internet due t the global nature of it. The internet is a useful tool to those who are sensible, however in the wrong hands, it's a manipulative weapon, impacting the lives of millions.