Work through the following tasks to complete your first case study on Teen Vogue.
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?
"Donald Trump is gas-lighting America."
2) When was the original Teen Vogue magazine launched and what was its original content?
2003, fashion and celebrity gossip
3) How did editor Elaine Welteroth change Teen Vogue’s approach in 2015?
She used black models on the covers of 3 physical copies.
4) How many stories are published on Teen Vogue a day? What topics do they cover?
the team publishes between 50 and 70 a day
5) What influence did digital director Phillip Picardi have over the editorial direction?
He changed it to digital instead of print.
6) What is Teen Vogue’s audience demographic and what does ‘woke’ refer to?
a byword for social awareness.
7) What issues are most important to Teen Vogue readers?
Feminism and social injustice.
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?
"the relationship with readers is closer and more transparent, and says brands have had to respond to that. “It is in their best interest to subvert expectations of teen girl magazines,” Gevinson says."
This links to Shirky as the internet has allowed for the lines between consumer and creator to be blurred.
9) What social and political issues have been covered successfully by Teen Vogue?
coverage of the Dakota Access pipeline protests and the Black Lives Matter movement.
10) What do Teen Vogue readers think of the magazine and website?
one reader, 16-year-old Paige Wagner, reads Teen Vogue for truthful news coverage.
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?
"As a result of this ideological shift, the traffic to teenvogue.com increased by 500% in 2 years."
Their content evolved with their audience, allowing for them to keep their place in mainstream media.
2) Look at the screenshots and details on pages 3-4 of the Factsheet. What does Teen Vogue offer its audience?
Fashion advice, feminist celebrations of female achievement and political commentary.
3) Who is the typical Teen Vogue reader?
18-24, socially conscious.
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.
use of news website convention adds validity to
the shift in focus of TeenVogue’s reporting.
the use of
a main image in the central third and the aspirational lifestyles
being presented through the images.
The
order in which the different sections appear signifies the branding
priorities: the amalgamation of ‘beauty’ and ‘fashion’ into ‘style’
reflects an attempt to position the audience within the new brand
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?
Readers are interested in beauty and latest trends whilst also considering under represented groups such as the black, Asian and plus size communities. Additionally, there are articles pertaining to activism and political debates.
Teen Vogue textual analysis and example articles
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?
title, menu bar, articles
2) How does the page design encourage audience engagement?
Enough tiles with alluring names as to create the the feeling of variety in their media coverage but not too much in a screen's length as to overwhelm.
3) Where does advertising appear on the homepage?
There is an article about Black Friday deals, naming specific products on sale that their readership should buy.
4) What are the items in the top menu bar and what does this tell you about the content of Teen Vogue?
Style, Politics, culture, identity and summit.
As style is first, it can be assumed teen vogue see it as their number 1 priority. They value fashion over politics despite their campaigns.
5) How far does the homepage scroll down? How many stories appear on the homepage in total?
27 stories appear on the home page in total, 5 grouped together up top, two appear as trending and the rest have bars across the screen until you finish scrolling.
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?
2) How is the Lifestyle section designed to encourage audience engagement? Think about page design, images, text and more.
There's an article called "what each zodiac likes in bed" which will naturally prompt any reader to open and check to see if they got it right, as well as direct address in articles like "hoe to care for your fat body"
3) What do you notice about the way headlines are written in Teen Vogue?
lots of use of "you" and "your", directly involving the reader.
4) What does the focus on education, university and ‘campus life’ tell you about the Teen Vogue audience demographics and psychographics?
They are above the age of a teenager, in the 18-24 range. They are also assuming their audience is educated.
5) Choose one story featured in the Lifestyle section and explain how reflects the Teen Vogue brand.
The "how to care for your fat body" feature relates to the brand's feminist ideologies. It chooses to bring light to issues pertaining to being overweight and doesn't demean them.
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