timed essay question 3

 

Explain how magazine front covers represent social, cultural and political events. Refer to Source A to support your points.

The Big Issue is a left-wing publication which discusses UK issues, global politics, and many other events. This issue is focused on politics – demonstrated via the front cover, but other issues may have more of a focus on celebrity interviews. The magazine publication caters to its educated, middle-class, middle-aged audience.

Since the magazine is left-wing, then the intended audience – who are also left-wing – would view the publication with a preferred reading. On the other hand, the right would take an oppositional view, and would likely not purchase and read the magazine. Those who take a more centred viewpoint would probably take a negotiated reading, agreeing and disagreeing with parts of the publication. The cover of the magazine demonstrates the image of an elite person: right-wing American (former) president Donald Trump. He is not presented in a positive light, with a big head and an awkward, laughable face. This raises concerns about his ability to be in power. As a right-wing republican, a binary opposition is created between the two sides of him and the magazine. On the cover, the use of the word ‘worst’ being in the largest and most visible font demonstrates the anti-Trump agenda being portrayed by the publication. The combination of the size of the word ‘worst’ and the size of Trump leads to an easily formed like between the man’s negative reputation and how much more disastrous things could now become. This issue was published in January 2017, the same month in which Donald Trump was inaugurated into office. The publication is suggesting that Trump being in power is one of the ‘worst’ events of recent history, and pokes fun at his ability to do his job by sarcastically titling the issue with ‘what’s the worst that could happen…’. His big head is reminiscent of a comical depiction of a baby, with oversized features and a loud, brattish behaviour. The depiction of Trump in an infantile state is common in media, and he is quite the target for mockery. The Big Issue represents current political events in a mocking way, due to it having support from a left-leaning, Trump-hating audience.

In the bottom right, there is an image of a man fleeing the White House, seemingly in fear of the inflated Donald Trump. This may be the magazine suggesting that those who work with Trump are likely to run from him due to his unkindly persona. In the top, there is an image of Russian president Vladimir Putin riding on an eagle. The origin of this image is from Putin riding on a bear, the typical animal symbol of Russia. The original image was used as a form of propaganda to display the immense power of the country’s ruler, and that he is skilled enough to tame unruly beasts like bears. Having edited the animal from a bear to an eagle suggests that while Putin is still in control of his own country, he now has control over the USA, since the bald eagle is an iconic American image, and Putin now has the power to tame America like he did with the bear (allegedly). The inherent link between Trump and Putin – and the US and Russia – is something that many people fear, since the combined power of the two would be overbearing. Two of the most powerful and WOMD-armed people on the planet being seen together in a negative light instils a valid sense of fear in most people, with the publication suggesting the possibility of political warfare now that Trump is in office.

Since the audience is likely to have a university education, and be left-wing, middle-class, and middle-aged, they would likely have the understanding and knowledge of Carl Bernstein, who wrote the analysis ‘What’s the worst that could happen’ that is plastered across the front of the issue. Bernstein is famous for his involvement in the coverage of Watergate, with the exophoric reference between it and current day politics being something that may only be understood by the more scholarly readers. There is an important link between Nixon and Trump because of this, with both being implicated as highly disagreeable figures in power, and the intertextuality between this magazine cover and the overall power in the media.

In conclusion, The Big Issue is able to use its platform to provide its educated middle class left leaning adult audience with resources to demonstrate their disapproval with Donald Trump. Social, cultural, and political events are able to be represented in a comical or sardonic light due to the assumed shared understanding that any mockery is used against the right-wing enemy. Since this magazine is more often purchased by those with a left leaning proclivity, there is a high chance that there will not be many oppositional readings towards the imagery, allowing any discussion of the cover to fall under praise rather than critique.