Preparing for the music press exam

Firstly, it is important to understand the structure of the exam, as it varies from any other exams. It is in four parts:

1^st question - This looks at the historical context of the music press and how it has changed.
2^nd question - A task looking at audience, such as pitching an idea for a new music magazine.
3^rd question - This becomes more theoretical and looks at a particular context.
4^th question - This is usually evaluative - possibly including a practical element - and examines how well you can analyse printed and electronic media.

This topic has three main parts:

Codes and conventions in the music press. You must have an awareness of the layout and normal design for music press products (websites and printed material).
You must look at modern technologies; this includes modern printing techniques and the Internet.
Bias and representation - how are celebrities and audiences represented? There are particular questions to ask on gender issues for some magazines.
Consider the institutions who own the press. NME is owned by IPC magazine, which in turn is owned by TimeWarner. Can the reviews of TimeWarner products really be trusted in the NME?

Search for all the magazines above, they should have one, but particularly:

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