David Gauntlett’s identity theory suggests that icons and celebrities can be role models to audiences – although, he points out that a role model is not someone who the audience wants to be, but someone who they may share an ideological outlook with. The main social group that is represented throughout the magazine is the homeless, who many may not see as role models. However, the Big Issue represents this group in a way that people can become inspired by and therefore share their ideological outlook with.
The “Moving On” article spotlights 12 former Big Issue vendors who have all gone on to successful lives and careers. The article as a whole presents the homeless as role models as it shows how they can and have overcome homelessness. In each section, it includes a brief summary of how they got to where they are now and photographs of them performing their work. This creates a powerful belief that homelessness can be overcome and how the Big Issue has such a huge contribution to this being done. The section that discusses how Marivina Newton overcame homelessness shares the ups and downs she went through in her early-mid adulthood, and she is proud of it! She states that “you’re the superhero in the story”, implying that she wanted a change to her life, and she made it happen – tying in the Big Issue and explaining how selling the magazines helped her do just that. Herself along with other individuals in the article, are embracing their past and are fighting for change, similar to the Big Issue.
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