Influence of Media 3

In this post, I will be discussing the “Agenda Setting Function Theory“. This theory states that the media cannot influence the way you think but it can influence on what you think. This stems from a study during the 1968 presidential election, in which there was a correlation found “between issues that voters believed were important and issues the media gave prominence to.“ In print media, this can be demonstrated by the story that appears on the cover. While it may not be the story everyone considers important, it will APPEAR as more important.
As a relates to my sports magazine, I may focus or dedicate an entire issue to a certain player and constantly praise this player. it may or may not change the opinion of this player for my readers, but the thought would already have been placed in their head.

REFERENCES:
Lamb, B. (n.d.). Brett Lamb. Retrieved December 28, 2019, from https://lessonbucket.com/media-in-minutes/the-agenda-setting-function-theory/.

Influence of Media 2

The Two-Step Flow Theory is another explanation of how the media affects a society. This theory suggests that “audiences are active participants in the communication process.” This occurs through opinion leaders, people who pay attention to a specific set of information from the media, who spread certain viewpoints to other audiences. As it relates to my magazine, I may publish a positive opinion of Players X. This viewpoint will then be seen by opinion leaders, like Player X fan accounts on social media or sports bloggers, who will then spread this opinion to more people. The whole point of the theory is to show that the mass media isn’t one huge machine working by itself. It uses people to spread their message everywhere to a more vast audience.
REFERENCES:
• Lamb, Brett. “Brett Lamb.” Lessonbucket, https://lessonbucket.com/media-in-minutes/the-two-step-flow-theory/.

Influence of Media

The media has always been described as an influential instrument of swaying the mindset of people. One of these theories is called the Hypodermic needle, “a linear communication theory that suggests that media messages are injected directly into the brains of passive audiences.”The Hypodermic theory stems from a fear of the mass media and how much it can truly affect those who watch, read, and/or subscribe to the many forms media can take (print, audio, visual, spoken, etc). As it relates to my magazine, the presentation of my work may sway public opinion on a certain player, be it negative or positive. The portrayal of an athlete or team may be well received or panned by readers, further increasing the influence of this print media

SOURCES:

Hypodermic Needle Theory - Media Studies - Revision World, https://revisionworld.com/a2-level-level-revision/media-studies-level-revision/hypodermic-needle-theory.

Representation in Media

In the various aspects of media, including written, representation is an important factor of how groups of people interpret events and societal groups. representation can be developed in the form of ideas and beliefs which are considered true or “the right way of thinking“. Throughout the history of media, many theories have been put forward to explain how people are influenced by said media.

Props in Sports Magazines 2

This blog post serves as a continuation of the previous post, which focused on the use of props in sports magazines. Here, I will be focusing on two types of props:

Personal Accolades

In this cover, former Detroit Pistons player Ben Wallace poses with a ring on his right index finger. It is tradition that NBA Teams who win the NBA Finals have championship rings made for their players. Wallace wearing his ring supports the cover line that the other teams in the NBA “have been warned” about the strength of the Pistons, who are proven champions.

In this cover, former association football player Michael Owen poses with the Ballon D’Or (French for Golden Ball) Award. In association football, best player in the world is awarded the Ballon D’Or, it is similar to the MVP Award used in most American Sports. His posing with the award in essence shows off his skill as a player and separates him from his peers.

In this cover, former Cleveland Cavaliers player LeBron James poses with two trophies: the NBA Finals MVP Award (L) and the NBA Championship Trophy (R). For this specific post, I’ll be focusing on the Finals MVP Award. It is typically given to the best player throughout the NBA finals series. By posing with it, LeBron James shows that he can lead a team to victory in one of the most highly contested sporting events in the world.
Sports Equipment

In this cover, Cleveland Browns players Jarvis Landry (L) and Odell Beckham Jr. (R) are seen posing with their uniforms on, as well as their cleats and gloves. Additionally, they are holding footballs. The use of sports equipment gives a more refined sense of style to the cover, making it feel more natural as opposed to putting football players in high-end clothing. It also makes the players recognizable to the average sports fan.

In this cover, former Seattle Mariners Ichiro Suzuki poses in his game-day uniform, gloves, and with his bat. For similar reasons mentioned before, it makes Suzuki appear more recognizable and natural to the average sports fan. Additionally, the use of team uniform makes players stand out from the magazine cover, attracting more readers.

Props in Sports Magazines

Using specific items in magazines, especially sports-themed ones, is essential to convey the message of the product. Below are some examples of how Sports Illustrated uses props:

In this cover, the main cover line “The Gold Standard” is emphasized by the gold medal worn by Mikaela Shiffrin. It stresses the idea that U.S. olympians will now have to compete (and win) at the level set by Shiffrin at such a young age. 

In this cover, US Women’s soccer player Julie Johnston is seen holding the Women’s World Cup trophy. This reflects on her ability as a great athlete on a winning teams and gives a deeper meaning to the the right cover line, “After The Gold Rush”, implying the future US Women’s soccer teams may win this trophy as well.

On this cover, U.S. olympians Katie Ledecky, Michael Phelps, and Simone Biles are donning their multiple medals from the 2016 Summer Olympics. While not restricted to gold medals (Ledecky and Phelps have silver medals), the number of medals bring home the point of the lines used for the page: “The Greastests” and “Stars of a Red Hot American Summer”. The number of medals reflects on their athletic ability in their respective sports and their competitive nature.

Magazine Moodboard 2

Below, I have attached screenshots of the following mood boards: Sports Illustrated Magazine, SLAM Magazine, and ESPN Magazine.

- Sports Illustrated Magazine

- SLAM Magazine

- ESPN Magazine

Magazine Moodboard

Below are screenshots for the following mood boards:
Sports, Basketball, Soccer, NFL Football, and Baseball magazines.

- Sports Magazines

- Basketball magazines

- Soccer magazines

- NFL Football magazines

- Baseball magazines

Sports Photographers Research

In preparation for my improved sports magazine pieces, I have studied the photos taken by some photographers who have taken sports-like images..

Robbie Jay Barratt

1. Robbie Jay Barratt is an English photographer who worked on the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Employed by AMA Sports, Barratt has always had a passion for soccer, but his photography skills didn’t take shape until he photographed his friends’ bands. Barratt is primarily based in England, where he produces images of the English Premier League players and teams. Below are some of his images.

James Milner of Liverpool FC

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson (L) and manager Jürgen Klopp (R) embrace each other after a late game winning goal.

Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates the opening goal of
a World Cup match versus Nigeria.

In these images, Barratt takes advantage of the natural emotions expressed by players in sports. In this case, scoring and subsequently celebrating a goal or having a serious look. These produce great images that can be used for any section of a sports magazine. Since soccer matches are often played at dusk, the floodlights hitting the green grass make for great lighting in the images.

B. Alyssa Trofort

2. B. Alyssa Trofort is a Los Angeles-based sports photographer who has previously photographed at multiple Olympics. Her work focuses on studio shots of athletes showcasing their skills, some of them being Olympians. Growing up, Trofort was herself an athlete, which inspired her passion for sports photography. She describes her camera as a “gift”, as it shows others the inspiration she has when photographing athletes. Below are some of her images:

In these images, the athletes are in natural positions for their respective sports (juggling a soccer ball, getting set on a track, and handling a basketball). In the Soccer and Basketball images, Trofort relies on natural setting and light to capture her images, whereas the Track image is taken in a studio with artificial lighting. This is further emphasized by the athletes, since the basketball and soccer players are not focused on the camera, while the track runner is. All 3 images have limited to no distractions in their backgrounds, making them great options for the cover of a magazine.

REFERENCES:

- Football Photography, Sports Photography, Premier League, Champions League, FIFA World Cup - Robbie Jay Barratt: PHOTOGRAPHER. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2019, from https://www.robbiejaybarratt.com/footballportfolio.

- Los Angeles based commercial fitness and sports photographer B. Alyssa Trofort. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2019, from http://www.balyssatrofort.com/sports#e-36.

- Los Angeles based commercial fitness and sports photographer B. Alyssa Trofort. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2019, from http://www.balyssatrofort.com/sports#e-39.

- Los Angeles based commercial fitness and sports photographer B. Alyssa Trofort. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2019, from http://www.balyssatrofort.com/sports#e-53.

- Russia FIFA World Cup, Football Photography - Robbie Jay Barratt: PHOTOGRAPHER. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2019, from https://www.robbiejaybarratt.com/russia-fifa-world-cup-18#7.

- Wimbush, J. (2019, April 9). Meet the Sports Photographers Knocking It Out of the Park. Retrieved December 5, 2019, from https://www.format.com/magazine/features/photography/sports-photographers.

Football Photography, Sports Photography, Premier League, Champions League, FIFA World Cup - Robbie Jay Barratt: PHOTOGRAPHER. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2019, from https://www.robbiejaybarratt.com/footballportfolio.

Los Angeles based commercial fitness and sports photographer B. Alyssa Trofort. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2019, from http://www.balyssatrofort.com/sports#e-36.

Los Angeles based commercial fitness and sports photographer B. Alyssa Trofort. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2019, from http://www.balyssatrofort.com/sports#e-39.

Los Angeles based commercial fitness and sports photographer B. Alyssa Trofort. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2019, from http://www.balyssatrofort.com/sports#e-53.

Russia FIFA World Cup, Football Photography - Robbie Jay Barratt: PHOTOGRAPHER. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2019, from https://www.robbiejaybarratt.com/russia-fifa-world-cup-18#7.

Wimbush, J. (2019, April 9). Meet the Sports Photographers Knocking It Out of the Park. Retrieved December 5, 2019, from https://www.format.com/magazine/features/photograp

Football Photography, Sports Photography, Premier League, Champions League, FIFA World Cup - Robbie Jay Barratt: PHOTOGRAPHER. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2019, from https://www.robbiejaybarratt.com/footballportfolio.

Los Angeles based commercial fitness and sports photographer B. Alyssa Trofort. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2019, from http://www.balyssatrofort.com/sports#e-36.

Los Angeles based commercial fitness and sports photographer B. Alyssa Trofort. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2019, from http://www.balyssatrofort.com/sports#e-39.

Los Angeles based commercial fitness and sports photographer B. Alyssa Trofort. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2019, from http://www.balyssatrofort.com/sports#e-53.

Russia FIFA World Cup, Football Photography - Robbie Jay Barratt: PHOTOGRAPHER. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2019, from https://www.robbiejaybarratt.com/russia-fifa-world-cup-18#7.

Wimbush, J. (2019, April 9). Meet the Sports Photographers Knocking It Out of the Park. Retrieved December 5, 2019, from https://www.format.com/magazine/features/photography/sports-photo