The Big Issue - Media Language

Question 1

How do there pages represent the homeless?

Answer 1

represent the homeless in a positive and sympathetic light because supporting the homeless is their main goal as a magazine

Question 2

Contents page: What helps readers understand and sympathise with the homeless?

Answer 2

Personal stories and first person perceptive help readers to understand and sympathise with homeless vendors (Donato Article)

Question 3

Contents page: What are the representations of the homeless like?

Answer 3

Representations not all positive. Includes some gritty details of homeless culture, creating a realistic representation of life of homeless vendors, not idealised

Question 4

Contents page: What ideologies are clearly represented?

Answer 4

Left wing ideologies

Question 5

Contents page: Who does TBI paint a negative image of?

Answer 5

The conservative government, Donald Trump etc

Question 6

Why does it make sense for TBI to challenge stereotypes?

Answer 6

Because they are an alternative magazine so makes sense to challenge traditional stereotypes. eg gender

Question 7

What are majority of the pages dominated by?

Answer 7

Majority of pages dominated by men - writers of the big issue are primarily male and so are reders

Question 8

What might reflect the fact the pages are male dominated?

Answer 8

May reflect the fact that men are more likely to be homeless than women. So focuses on creating positive male role models

Question 9

Grayson Perry: What is he not afraid to do?

Answer 9

Challenge gender boundaries by expressing his feminine side by wearing dresses and makeup

Question 10

Grayson Perry: What does his appearance create?

Answer 10

A more modern diverse representation of masculinity that if often not seen in mainstream media products

Question 11

Grayson Perry: What other side does the article discuss?

Answer 11

Article also discusses his more typically masculine past e.g watching war films, being in the army cadets, expressing frustration - complex and not a one dimensional version of masculinity.

Question 12

Grayson Perry: Codes of makeup

Answer 12

Very perforative reflects ideologies that identity is a social performance designed to fit in (Judith Butler)

Question 13

Grayson Perry: Codes of clothing

Answer 13

Projects confidence, challenges everyday clothing. Mixture of textures/colours feeds into patchwork of identity fitting with his message

Question 14

Grayson Perry: Codes of gesture

Answer 14

Both holding himself in a gentle feminine way and also tightening a tie (hegemonic businessman meets high women’s fashion), tie imposed on a dress

Question 15

Grayson Perry: Codes of expression

Answer 15

Enigmatic and ambivalent. Exaggerated to show identity as a performance. He is also used to challenge gender assumptions readers may have

Question 16

What does the ‘Letter page’ feature?

Answer 16

Various letters, one titled “celebrating vendors” refers to homeless vendors of the magazine as “inspirational” and “friendly” the use of personal stories and first person perspectives helps readers to understand and sympathise with the homeless vendors. This page represents a typically underrepresented social group.

Question 17

What representations of the homeless aren’t positive?

Answer 17

Some representations do include some more gritty details of homeless culture, like being included in drugs, alcohol, and even violence. This creates a seemingly realistic representation of homeless life for vendors and doesn’t attempt to make the vendors seem perfect.

Question 18

How are left wing ideologies represented in TBI pages?

Answer 18

They talk negatively of Margret Thatcher, conservatives closing down libraries, the history of terrible unemployment due to their laws painting a negative picture of the conservative government.

Question 19

How are men represented in the Sky Westwolrd advert?

Answer 19

It represents men as powerful, successful and important. This is a reasonably stereotypical way of representing men in the media.

Question 20

Representations of men in the articles

Answer 20

-Male dominated with male managers being interviewed, Blue-ray DVD also male dominated
-All of the art work is male artists
-All set pages dominated by men

Question 21

What might the pages being primarily dominated by men be because?

Answer 21

The writers of TBI are primarily men but also men are more likely to be made homeless than women so their focus might be to create more positive role models for men.

Question 22

What representations of women challenge mainstream representations?

Answer 22

-Women in positions of leadership, especially in the political sphere like Theresa May, Nicola Sturgeon.
-Women as educated and respected in their fields
-Representations of women as strong and powered

Question 23

Which ad shows stereotypical representations of women relying on men financialy?

Answer 23

The woman on the Turn2Us charity advert stating “money was tight when my husband became terminally ill” suggesting women can’t cope financially once their husbands have passed away

Question 24

What makes sense for the representations in TBI?

Answer 24

Typical readers of TBI are more likely to be left wing, have liberal, alternative points of view, so it makes sense for the magazine to include these representations in their pages.