Rolling Stone Magazine Research

Rolling Stone is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, popular culture and politics and is mainly known for its in depth music journalism, album reviews and artist reviews and has covered generations of huge artists from The Beatles to Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter. The magazine is famous for its role in shaping music journalism with it’s Rolling Stone interview series being considered a prestigious platform for musicians and public figures.  Rolling Stone was Started in 1967 in San Francisco by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J Gleason and is named after Muddy Waters (one of the most influential artists in American music history) song Rollin’ Stone. Like Vogue Rolling Stone also has international editions in countries such as Germany, Italy, India and Japan, however the U.S. edition remains the most popular with digital content consumed worldwide.  In 2012 Jann Wenner sold controlling intrest and now majority of the magazine is owned by PMC (Pensake Media Corporation) which also owns Variety and Billboard. Last Year Rolling Stone drastically reduced its  print circulation in the US down from 1.6 milion to 600,000. In addition to this the magazine also began transitioning it’s lifetime print subscribers to digital only subscriptions.

Due to Rollings main purpose being to introduce people to new artists and music weather they’ve been in the industry a while or are brand new it attracts the “explorer” from Young and Rubicam’s 4Cs model . It attracts the “explorer” as they value discovering new things such as new artists and also value something that challenges the normal conventions and may make them think such as the politics aspect of the magazine. Therefore because the Rolling Stone has roots in rock journalism and alternative culture that speaks to the curiosity and desires for fresh experiences that the ‘explorer’ values. Looking at a demographic profile the magazine used to be targeted and read by a majority male readers however over the recent years I would say it has become more balanced as music, politics and culture attracts diverse genders. For age I would say the magazine targets people from the ages of 22-32 because of the topics which has some for a younger audience and some for a more mature audience.

TEXT ONE - FRONT COVER

The cover of Rolling Stone is extremely similar every month with majority of the covers having a plain background with the same iconic red masthead its had since 1967.  The masthead of Rolling Stone isn’t just a masthead but has a strong cultural significance to it as it represents an entire era of counterculture, music journalism and American identity. Over the decades the iconic red masthead has become a prestigious mark for artists to be featured under as appearing on the cover of Rolling Stone is seen as a huge achievement for artists around the world and is almost seen as a signifier of if you make the cover you’ve made it within the music industry.

On the cover Timothée Chalamet is wearing a mask that says “suckcess” which I think is him showing the world how what we deem as success within celebrities and how we become so invested with some people wanting to be them when in reality  we don’t see the full picture. The mask represents how there is two sides to celebrities as they navigate public identity with everyone telling them how they should behave and who they are which “sucks”. I think it could also be a warning to people who dream of fame that it is not everything it seems within the media and actually has many downsides which aligns with Rolling stone’s history of questioning mainstream culture. The blank background also tells the audience that the image is all they should focus on with its important message.

The snippets on the right of the cover which lists musicians such as Bruce Springsteen, Zack Bryan and Jade who is embarking on her solo journey mixed with the large text on the left announcing Timothee as the feature of this edition shows the coverage of the magazine and how long they’ve been around as they are discussing older artists who have been in the industry a while to newer ones which gives them a wider audience and reinforces how Rolling Stone doesn’t just focus on older popular artists but new ones too therefore making them a bridge between past and present in music and popular culture.

This covers aesthetic of low-key lighting only using a pop o red on his jacket which helps make the magazine cohesive reflects Rolling Stones tradition of showing celebrities in a real, raw and authentic way rather than artificially which happens in other interviews.

Chalamets intense stair at the camera creates a sense of intimacy and intensity with the reader almost making them feel like they can understand the point he is trying to make with this cover. The cover line ‘on becoming Bob Dylan’ tells us what the main story I the magazine is going to be about as they uncover how Chalamet prepared for the role while presenting him as a cultural figure who represents much more than just acting as Bob Dylan is not only a legendary iconic artist but a figure who is associated with reinvention and resistance to mainstream expectations therefore saying that Chalamet embodies ideas of artistry, authenticity and change.

Therefore this cover shows the audience that The Rolling Stone is still relevant with the same morals and curious aspect as before as it still questions fame by using the authority and trustiness of its masthead, the message that the cover leaves the audience with questions and a curiosity to open the magazine and cary on reading.

TEXT TWO - DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD

This type of double page spread is very typical of a convention in magazines especially with the image taking up over half of the page with the title: the triumph of Adele which reinforces her success and makes her seem like a legendary figure who everyone aspires to be as successful as rather than just another pop star like other magazines would have written it. The word ‘triumph’ shows that she has overcome struggles and then achieved greatness (her grammies) which reflects how the media framed her rise after her heartbreak and personal challenges. The fact this is part of a women who rock segment truly adds to the greatness and unreachableness to Adele as shes almost painted as some sort of superhero in the main body of text. However the text also adds a sense of relatability to her as she’s explaining what made her write her song ‘rumour has it’ which makes it feel personal and as if she trusts us with her deepest thoughts.

The close up monochrome image of Adele we are instantly drawn to her facial features which is soft but intense especially around the eyes which conveys a sense of emotion and strength which matches her reputation amongst her fans of a powerful and soulful singer. The choice of monochrome makes Adele dramatic and timeless giving her an iconic yet serious presence. The way her hair is moving adds to the dramatics feel from the image as it is big and dramatic which also adds a vibe of luxury.

The subheading highlights ‘the voice, the passion and the making of 21’ which shows how the Rolling Stone is focusing on her musical process and how they are not just focusing on her as a celebrity but her music which is different from how many women are represented in the media as typically it is all about looks and gossip which is the whole reason Adele made the song ‘rumour has it’ because she was sick of her friends questioning if gossip in the media was real when it was all made up nonsense which shows how Adele is being taken serious and is seen as a respected artist.

Another key convention that the magazine uses is the oversized letter at the beginning of the text this is to draw the readers attention to the article and make them invested in Adeles story and is definitely a feature I'm going to use in my double page spread.

This double page is aimed at readers who value artistry and music as the design of the page  show how Adele is being framed for an audience that see her as more than just another pop act as she is being presented as an artist with longevity and cultural importance / impact. Therefore Adele is presented as an artist who's talent sets her apart from. Many of the other artists in the industry.

TEXT THREE - EDITORS LETTER

This editor letter by Jann S Wenner is used to reassure Rolling Stones loyal supporters that even though they are going into a ‘new era’ the brand and its values and morals are not changing. The tone and and language of the letter positions the magazine as a heritage with its 50 years of history while also making itself known as a modern media product adapting to its new ownership and digital convergence.

The use of words such as ‘integrity’, ‘honesty’ and ‘quality’ help reinforce the idea that Rolling Stone is not just another entertainment  magazine but a magazine that values serious journalism. In the letter we are reminded of the magazines founded belief from 1967 that ‘music is a force for positive change’ which links the magazine to its original values and beliefs making people reflect on how far the magazine has come.

The ‘got a hot news tip? We want to hear it.’ on the right hand side makes the readers feel valuable and that the magazine values them as people and genuinely care about what they have to say this combined with the personal mode of address throughout the letter with the pronouns ‘we’ and ‘our’ helps build a sense of community and trust with the readers and helps them believe that even though the ownership has changed  the identity of the Rolling Stone and what its become is going to stay the same. She also makes it sound like they have carefully picked PMC because they align with the magazines current ideologies and messages which assures readers that not much will change within the magazine and brands integrity

Unlike other editors letters there are no images and just a plain background which the theme of the letter adds a sense of seriousness and sadness to the letter as Jann S Wenner is saying goodbye to an era of her life and the magazine.

Therefore the editors letter in this edition represents the magazine as authentic, politic  ally engaged in the bit about ‘the president of the united states has openly declared war on free press’ and relevant. From this text we can tell that the ideology of the magazine is that music and journalism matter for freedom and social change while the references to design and digital development show that the brand is adapting to what the readers want with the challenges of the 21st-century with technology.

TEXT FOUR - WEBSITE

Like most magazines the Rolling Stone have an online website which is vital with the world turning into a more digital space and part of their website is hidden behind a paywall which was introduced in 2020.  However unlike other magazine websites Rolling Stones looks more like a newspapers website with the first page being flooded with current news on politics, weather and current issues with celebs within the media. Even though its different from other magazines website it perfectly fits with the Rolling Stone brand as their ideological positioning remains coherent as they still occupy the space between pop culture and journalism making it the perfect place for people interested in current affairs and pop culture.

The website also seems easy to navigate as the masthead on the top that brings you back to the home page whenever pressed and the section underneath which lets you go onto the section of the website that interests the viewer. Even adding a search bar for if you’re looking for a specific story. Another key feature of the magazines website is the ads as they are a way they can make part of the website accessible for people who don’t have the money to pay for the physical copy or access to the digital one however without a subscription you cant access the main story only the title and the first paragraph.

A feature that I haven’t really noticed on any other websites it the ‘got a tip?’ section where members of the public can send in any information you know about any story to Rolling Stones journalists which can create a personal relationship between the magazine and its audience as they can come hands on and help with the story’s on the website! They even ad tips on how to stay anonymous if that is something people are concerned about.