Critical Readings of Magazine Advertisements


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Critical Readings of Magazine Advertisements

• Roberta Linder Ed.D.
• Aurora University
• rlinder_at_aurora.edu
• Critical Perspectives Symposium presentation
• 52nd IRA Conference
• May 14 2007
• Toronto Ontario Canada

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Young teens know whats going on in magazine ads
right

• Not necessarily
• Do not generally recognize the emotional appeal
  of the adsdo not think of the ads as having an
  author with a purpose
  
• Seldom reject or challenge the content of the ads
  (stereotypes claims made in the ads)
  
• Can not always distinguish the ads from the
  articles of the magazine or determine the product
  being advertised
  
• Can not always explain what the text means or how
  it relates to the picture

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Why provide reading instruction that uses
magazine advertisements

• Magazines are a major source of information
  advice for adolescent girls and provide
  information entertainment for male readers
  (Zollo 2004)
• Magazine advertisements provide a text which is
  appropriate for textual analysis (Buckingham
  2003)making the familiar strange
  
• Close attention to detail
• Rigorous questioning
• Delay making judgments
• Provide evidence for views

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• Begin to understand that media texts have to be
  read like other texts
  
• Students enjoy the analysis and production
  activities associated with the reading of
  magazine advertisements
  
• Teachers and students learn about each other and
  with each other as they engage in the activities
  
• Broaden students ideas of what constitutes
  reading
  
• Encourages students to begin examining the
  social historical and economic contexts of
  media texts

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• Utilizes texts from students out-of-school
  literacies
  
• Helps students develop the types of critical
  reading skills that can be applied to media and
  non-media texts
  
• Provides students with opportunities to practice
  and apply important comprehension strategies
  
• Makes students more sensitive to the ways
  messages are conveyed through images and texts
  and how these messages privilege some groups and
  marginalize others

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Four-tiered model of reading (Luke Freebody
1997)

• Code breaker
• How do the sounds and marks relate both singly
  and in combination What are the patterns and
  conventions of this text
  
• Text participant
• What are the cultural meanings and possible
  readings that can be constructed from this text
  
• Text user
• How do the uses of this text shape its
  composition What are my options and
  alternatives
  
• Text analyst and critic
• What is this text trying to do to me In whose
  interest

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How can teachers help students become critical
readers of magazine advertisements and other
texts

• Remember 5 Critical Questions to Analyze Media
  (Center for Media Literacy)
  
• Who is sending the message and what is the
  authors purpose
  
• What techniques are used to attract and hold
  attention
  
• What lifestyles values and points of view are
  represented in this message
  
• How might different people interpret this message
  differently
  
• What is omitted from this message

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• What are you thinking about or feeling while you
  are reading How are these thoughts and feelings
  influenced by your background your experiences
  and other texts you have read
• What is the text asking you to think or feel Do
  you agree with the point of view offered by the
  text Why or why not
  
• What events or points of view might have been
  left out of the text
  
• What view of men / women does this particular
  text promote How is this different from the
  views constructed in other texts Why
  
• Do you agree / disagree with the images
  presented Why or why not
  
• Kempe (2001)

• Who is in the text / picture / situation Who is
  missing
  
• Whose voices are represented Whose voices are
  marginalized or discounted
  
• What are the intentions of the author What does
  the author want the reader to think
  
• What would an alternative text / picture /
  situation say
  
• How can the reader use this information to
  promote equity
  
• McLaughlin DeVoogd 2004

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Deep Viewing Media Analysis Framework
(Pailliotet 1999)

• Level One observe identify and describe
  elements in the medium being analyzed
  
• Level Two respond explore and construct
  meaning using data gathered from level one
  observations to support their explanations
  
• Level Three synthesize extend evaluate and
  apply their knowledge
  

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How can activities with magazine advertisements
reinforce use of comprehension strategies
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Building on critical reading skills used with
magazine advertisements

• Apply the same types of questions to different
  types of media and non-media textsshort stories
  novels textbooks newspapers TV shows movies
  lyrics
• Apply the same types of comprehension strategies
  to different types of media and non-media
  textsstrategies need to be taught by teachers
  and practiced by students in order to become part
  of their reading repertoire
• Provide all readers with the skills to become
  text analysts and critics
  

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References

• Buckingham D. (2003). Media education Literacy
  learning and contemporary culture. Malden MA
  Polity Press.
  
• Luke A. Freebody P. (1997). Shaping the
  social practices of reading. In S. Muspratt A.
  Luke P. Freebody (Eds.) Constructing critical
  literacies Teaching and learning textual
  practice (pp. 185-225). Cresskill NJ Hampton
  Press.
• Paillotet A. W. (1999). Deep viewing
  Intermediality in preservice teacher education.
  In L. M. Semali A. W. Pailliotet (Eds.)
  Intermediality The teachers handbook of
  critical media literacy (pp. 31-51). Boulder CO
  Westview Press.
• Zollo P. (2004). Getting wiser to teens More
  insights into marketing to teenagers. Ithaca NY
  New Strategist Publications Inc.