First Day of Research Redux

Continuing with my survey of American political magazine covers... (citations featured at the bottom)

While my earlier post looked at The Atlantic, a fairly unbiased source, I've decided to continue my research by looking at covers from two of the most partisan issues magazines in the U.S.: National Review and Mother Jones. These examples will give me an idea of the conventions for more partisan magazines, and based on these conventions and the observations I made earlier about the Atlantic, I will decide upon my target audience and style. Then, the creative decision-making process can begin in earnest.

National Review

Link to National Review Archive Where this Cover Was Found

This cover, from a December, 2010 issue of National Review is a great example of the super-opinionated tone that a partisan political magazine should embody. For background information, know that National Review was founded by conservative commentator William F. Buckley Jr., longtime host of the PBS program Firing Line and a driving force behind America's conservative movement. As much as I may disagree with its politics, it is a well-respected magazine and I find this cover in particular to be very well designed.

The cover image itself is obviously the most striking part of the cover. The hand reaching out from red water, is a perfect visual metaphor for the issues theme of debt. Moreover, the way that the hand is in the center of the story titles illustrates the way the designer took great care in directing the attention of the viewer. Moreover, the idea of giving the issue a specific theme that will show through in the cover image seems like a grand idea that I will likely emulate in my portfolio project. Lastly, I think its interesting how the designer created a contrast between the red of the water and the blue tones of the border and pale horizon. This creates a patriotic color scheme that subliminally uses the age-old propaganda effect of transfer. 

The masthead is also notable, with its multi-layered bright red design, it surely stands out. Most importantly, I like how it remains in tune with the rest of the cover's color scheme, making for an altogether more aesthetically appealing design. The font itself is also very formal, which contribute to the intellectual ethos and makes it seem like quality, well-researched opinions will be found inside. 

The story titles are notable here because they all include the author. It is likely that the editors chose to do this so as to use the ethos and credentials of their authors to increase the credibility of the magazine. It is plausible that someone could purchase this magazine just to read one of the very commentator's whose name is right there on the cover. The other thing that is notable about the title lines is the opinionated language that they include. Along the top, two stories designate two different topics "pointless". Pointless is a rather strong word for mainstream journalism, and this diction is an example of a unique convention to the genre of opinion-based political commentary. If I decide to go the opinionated route, this will surely be a convention I use.

Mother Jones

Link to Mother Jones Website Where This Cover Was Found

This cover, from the March/ April 2017 issue of Mother Jones, represents the other side of the political spectrum. Mother Jones is an independent non-profit magazine with a liberal slant (as you could probably infer from the cover). Obviously, the cover is supposed to practically scream the liberal opinion even at first glance, and since I've already decided my magazine will have a similar slant, it would be a crime not to look at this stellar example.

The cover image is illustrated, although highly detailed, and includes a fair bit of humor. The president is depicted as a school bully, in elementary school striped shirt and in the process of browbeating a cowering child. While this image is also metaphorical, it is also incredibly critical. This reflects a common trope in opinion magazines: caricature of those who disagree with them. This convention features heavily in National Review covers as well, but I chose not to use one as a case study because their Obama caricatures are borderline offensive. Either way, this not a likely convention for me to emulate because, frankly, I have nowhere near the artistic ability required. Instead, I will likely use a strategy similar to that of the Atlantic and National Review covers that I have examined.  

However, I do like the way that the masthead interacts with the feature story title an the background. The yellow, white, and green all complement each other nicely, and reflect the theme of education quite effectively. Specifically, I like the way that the feature story's title is slanted and layered in front of the masthead. It reflects the informal manner of the magazine in a way that appeals to the most progressive and hippie-ish of liberals. 

The other stories featured on the cover show a decent amount of intent in the language. The mandatory pun is included in the story "West-Bling" which helps to make farce out of the subject and wraps up the magazines pointed criticism of the other side. The use of questions as the titles of the other two stories is a particularly enticing strategy for making people buy the magazine to hear the author's pinions on the issue. This convention isn't specific of opinionated magazines, but I will likely use it in my project.

The Decision

In my next post, I will have decided on the specific genre (opinionated or unbiased) and the target audience (liberal youngsters or the educated elite). Then, I will shift into more research that will help me make specific choices on conventions and design.



"William F. Buckley Jr." National Review. Garret Bewkes, 07 Nov. 2014. Web. 11 Mar. 2017.

"December 20, 2010." National Review. N.p., 01 Dec. 2010. Web. 11 Mar. 2017.

Rizga, Kristina. "Heavens to Betsy."MotherJones. N.p., Feb. 2017. Web. 11 Mar. 2017.