Attitude Flashcards
When did Attitude begin publication?
1994
The exact year is unclear due to the ‘r’ in the date.
What group did Attitude used to be part of?
The Northern & shell group
What types of media does the Northern & Shell group publish?
Adult magazines and other media, including owning Channel 5 and acquiring the Express and Daily Star newspapers
Who is the owner of Stream Publishing?
Darren Styles
What event did Darren Styles work with Northern + Shell to launch?
The successful Attitude Awards in 2012
When and why did Stream Publishing acquire Attitude?
September 2016, due to N&S financial struggle
This potentially reflects the very difficult nature of magazines & print-publishing- decline in readership.
What happened to Winq magazine in relation to Attitude?
Attitude magazine and website was one of the main competitors for Winq. So stream decided to purchase it (horizontal integration) to absorb the competition into their own company.
What was a conscious shift in Attitude’s editorial focus?
More representation of other groups within the LGBTQ+ community
What type of company is Stream Publishing?
A smaller independent contract publishing company
How is Attitude’s creative freedom characterized under Stream Publishing?
Arguably able to remain free creatively and take more risks
They can write, edit, design, print and distribute their own products due to vertical integration- they aren’t owned by a conglomerate. They still have the power to be creative because they’re small and independent (against Curran & Seaton’s power industries theory).
What is debated about Attitude’s creative freedom?
Whether it is genuinely free under a smaller vertically integrated company versus a larger conglomerate owned brand
What adjectives describe the Attitude magazine?
edgy, progressive, challenging, diverse, political, celebratory, active
These adjectives reflect the magazine’s brand identity and its approach to content.
What is a key part of Attitude’s brand identity?
Resisting attempts to fully join the mainstream
This resistance contributes to its slightly subversive representation.
How has Attitude online evolved in terms of community representation?
It has become more progressive, offering diverse communities within LGBTQ identities a platform
This includes representation of asexual and intersex individuals.
What type of content does the Attitude website focus on?
Diverse content designed to engage a range of different audiences
This includes issues and lifestyle content relating to gay men.
On which social media platforms does Attitude have accounts?
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
These platforms are used to direct traffic back to the website.
What is the purpose of Attitude’s social media feeds?
To position Attitude as a globally present brand and to post about LGBTQ issues
This helps the magazine maintain relevance in various countries.
How does Attitude monetize its social media presence?
By allowing advertisers to advertise via these social media feeds
This provides an additional source of revenue.
What does the Attitude magazine primarly focus on?
The magazine is centered on issues and lifestyle content relating to gay men.
What platforms is the e-edition of Attitude available on?
All major devices, Kindle, and other key platforms
The e-edition is designed for maximum audience reach.
What is essential for a print magazine to remain competitive in modern media?
Establishing a convergent presence online
This helps maintain relevance to modern media audiences.
What is a major focus of the Attitude website?
There’s a high focus on celebrities + star-appeal on the digital & print editions, every page is plastered with names that would be familiar with the audiences- this makes the website more attractive.
e.g elton john, Chappell roan, lady gaga
The website is known for attracting mainstream stars for exclusive interviews.
How does Attitude help celebrities signal their support for the LGBTQ community?
By consolidating the power of the brand and providing a platform for exclusive interviews
This helps celebrities align themselves as allies of the community.
What brings wider advertising opportunities for Attitude as a global brand?
Establishing itself as a global brand
This allows for increased revenue through advertising space on the website.
What are some ways Attitude generates revenue through its website?
- Selling advertising space
- Regular competitions with partner brands
- Sponsored posts in the form of advertorials
What is churnalism?
When journalism/news outlets copy or rephrase press releases or other content without original reporting
This practice can lead to shallow and uncritical stories.
What motivates the use of churnalism?
Financial pressures
- Links to Curran & Seaton’s C v P profit.
These pressures can lead to a decrease in original reporting.
How does Attitude challenge Curran and Seaton?
Stream Publishing run events such as the Attitude Award to build the brand identity amongst audiences and industry professionals. They’ve also set up something called the Attitude Magazine Foundation which is a registered charity that raises money and funds to distribute to LGBTQ communities and charities around the company- running youth/support groups, events, donations towards pride festivals, etc. This challenges Curran & Seaton’s theory that companies are all about profit and power. Attitude seems to be about giving back to LGBTQ communities too.
What is a common feature of articles on the website similar to Zoella?
Clickbait titles to ensure large audiences.
What types of brands does Stream have long-established relationships with?
- Vauxhall
- P&O
What opportunities do these relationships offer Stream?
Advertising deals and synergistical partnerships.
What is churnalism?
The practice of using recycled content to maximize revenue.
How does the website maximize revenue?
The digital copies sell over 11,000 copies a month. With the print magazine, they were earning a large chunk of revenue from advertising. So they have to offer brands advertising opportunities online too. They sell banner adverts, sidebar adverts, companies can sensor sections of the website, they can take over a page, create advertorials that look like articles but are actually adverts. They can run competitions and promos on the website, and they can even advertise via their social media pages.
What type of publisher currently owns Attitude?
A mid-sized ‘independent’ publisher.
What trend has been observed in Stream as the brand has grown?
Adoption of traditional business practices of larger media conglomerates.
Fill in the blank: The website’s use of churnalism might be seen as indicative of _______.
[Currant and Seaton’s argument that creativity is limited by financial considerations]
What is vertical integration in the context of publishing companies?
Attitude bought by an established and successful publishing company that has already successfully vertically integrated the different stages of production
Vertical integration refers to the consolidation of multiple stages of production within a single company, allowing for greater control over the production process.
What does horizontal integration involve?
Merging with Winq, allowing integration of talent, creativity, specialist knowledge, and expertise developed across Winq’s lifespan into Attitude
Horizontal integration is a strategy where a company acquires or merges with its competitors to enhance market share and reduce competition.
How has diversification helped mitigate risks for Attitude?
By offering an online version that provides more choice, reflects the nature of media consumption, and increases content
Diversification in media can involve expanding offerings to different platforms or formats to reach a broader audience and reduce reliance on a single revenue stream.
What is the impact of digital convergence on audience development?
Development of international print edition has increased audiences
Digital convergence refers to the merging of previously distinct media forms due to technological advancements, leading to broader audience engagement.
What does maintaining high audience traffic to the website indicate for Attitude?
The continual need to maintain high audience traffic demonstrates the struggle for a brand to survive in a media saturated environment
High audience traffic is crucial for online brands to remain competitive, as it often correlates with advertising revenue and brand visibility.
What type of content does Attitude often feature?
Content related to LGBTQ+ culture, activism, and sexual expression
This includes advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights and visibility for marginalized groups.
How does Attitude Magazine promote freedom of expression?
By giving voice to a community that has historically been marginalized in mainstream media
This aligns with the Livingstone and Lunt framework.
What concerns arise regarding the regulation of content in Attitude?
Concerns about explicit material related to sex and sexuality
This includes the suitability of such content for younger or more impressionable readers.
What new considerations arise with Attitude’s online presence?
Regulation of online content and varying standards compared to print media
This involves content moderation and censorship issues.
What does Livingstone and Lunt’s theory suggest about audience control?
Media consumers have increasing power, especially with the internet
Audiences can curate their content and engage with articles online.
How does Attitude’s website adhere to Livingstone + Lunt’s theory?
- The ability to share posts from its website is limited
- Comment sections are heavily policed/moderated to protect audiences from being subjected to possible online abuse. This highlights the struggle between citizens and consumers and begins the question would a larger company have done the same?
Most of their content includes “scantily clad” male models but some of the more adult content use Twitter or Facebook algorithms to censor the content so that they are at least trying to keep it away from much younger audiences. That way people have to sign-in with accounts to try and “prove” (in theory) they are over 18. But obviously, there are no real checks done on social media so regulation is extremely difficult.
How can Hesmondhalgh be applied? (REDUCING RISK)
Strong brand identity: Focuses on LGBTQ+ issues, celebrity interviews, and lifestyle content to attract a loyal audience.
Features regular columns, exclusive interviews, and opinion pieces that appeal to its audience.
Attitude was independently published but is now owned by Stream Publishing, a larger media company.
Being part of a larger media group gives financial stability and access to better distribution networks.
It can cross-promote content across different platforms (magazine, website, social media).
- Attitude has multiple global editions which is an example of using a successful formula to maximise profits
How does Attitude challenge Hesmondhalgh?
Instead of mass-market content, Attitude focuses on a niche LGBTQ+ audience, showing that some cultural industries succeed without broad appeal.
As a pro-LGBTQ+ platform, it provides social and cultural value beyond just profit-making.
How is Attitude’s older audience targeted?
Young audiences might not be interested in political content, so the amount of political content on the Attitude website appeal to an older audience.
There is very little “interactive” content on the website, which might reflect the slightly older target audience too.
They promote the print magazine on the website a lot, lots of pictures and references, links to subscribe- another indication that the target audience is older, who still consume print products, whereas young audience might’ve left print magazines behind them.
How is Attitude’s male audience targeted?
A lot of the content online is quite factual and avoids deep emotional responses
This is because of the stereotype that men aren’t very emotional. Even when they do interviews, it’s about the history or opinions on that person and not anything emotional.
There’s many clickbait article headlines to highlight any salacious/risky content, designed specifically for audiences to click further into the website (cost-per-click, advertisements, etc).
Another stereotype used to target the male audience is the idea that men are less likely to read as much as women, so Attitude’s website is simple, easy to read, with small chunks of text, large images and lots of white space.
