GQ: Social & Cultural Context (WJEC Eduqas GCSE Media Studies): Revision Note
Exam code: C680
Product context: GQ (2019)
GQ magazine was first launched in 1931 as Gentleman’s Quarterly
It was published every 3 months
It became more popular over time and was rebranded as GQ in 1967 to communicate a more contemporary brand identity
It is produced by Condé Nast and is now a multi-platform brand
This means it exists in print, digital editions, a website, and as a mobile app
GQ is now published monthly and promotes itself as an intelligent men’s magazine
It covers a wide range of topics including:
Fashion
Sport
Health
Politics
Humour
Music
The target audience is ABC1 men aged 20–44 (middle to upper socio-economic groups)
It has:
Around 212,000 print readers per month
Over 2 million online users
More than 2 million social media followers
The magazine is funded through sales and advertising
The audience is highly consumer-focused
This means that the needs, desires, and satisfaction of the customer are very important to the producer,
This results in the audience being motivated to spend money
A survey showed that:
About 88% of the GQ audience have bought or plan to buy products featured in GQ
Designer fashion items are owned by 93%
Historical, social and cultural context
Historically, Black British men have been under-represented on magazine front covers
This is due to systemic racism in the media industry
In 2018 The Guardian studied magazine covers and concluded that only 9.3% featured a person of colour
This shows that Raheem Sterling as a cover star in 2019 was not the norm
Politically, after the UK voted to leave Brexit in 2016 there was a rise in racism and hate crimes reported in the UK
This reflected a change in the values and beliefs being voiced within society at the time
The 2018–2019 football season also marked a significant increase in reported racism within football, particularly in England, where reports rose by 43% compared to the previous season, according to equality organisation Kick It Out (opens in a new tab)
This cultural context highly influences the choices the producers have made when constructing the cover of the 2019 issue of GQ
Worked Example
C1 Section A : Representation
Explain how cultural contexts influence magazines. Refer to GQ magazine to support your points.
[5 marks]
Cultural contexts influence magazines by shaping the way they represent people and appeal to their audiences. For example, GQ magazine reflects modern culture by targeting ABC1 men aged 20–44 and covering topics such as fashion, politics, and lifestyle, which are important to this group. In 2019, the topic of racism had a high profile in social and political discussions post Brexit. GQ was influenced by this, choosing to make it a focus on their front cover in order to create appeal.This shows how magazines adapt to the interests and values of their audience.
Cultural issues such as diversity and representation also affect magazines. Historically, Black British men have been underrepresented on magazine covers due to systemic racism in the industry. It was uncommon to see people of colour used as cover stars which shows how cultural inequalities influence magazine content. However, as society becomes more aware of diversity, magazines like GQ are beginning to change their representations to reflect modern cultural values, which is evidenced through the producers choice of using Raheem Sterling as the cover star in 2019. This demonstrates how cultural contexts can shape both the content and evolution of magazines
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