Here is my analysis of what is meta language and given examples of meta language on two different magazine front covers.
Analysis
of the Meta-language of music magazine journalism
What
is meta-language?
Meta-language
is basically language or symbols used to describe something to do
with the subject, in this case the subject would be to do with a
music magazine. It is mainly used to make a statement about another
statement in a different form of language. There is many different
types of meta-language:
- embedded
- ordered
- nested(or hierarchical)
embedded-
the form of language used to describe embedded would be mainly
formal, this is because it is firmly and naturally fixed. It can
sometimes appear in informal language, the simple terms of
adjectives, adverbs, etc are also connected towards the embedded
meta-language.
Ordered-
the ordered type of meta-language is basically the form/order of the
logic being used to do with the subject. It builds up on the language
and then it can lead onto another form of meta-language if needed.
Nested(or
hierarchical)- this form of language is similar to ordered
meta-language, but the part that does separate them is that the
nested form of meta-language discusses the genre of the situation and
the form it is in.
I
think that for the music industry it would be hard to discuss if
there is a certain single type of meta-language being used, I think
that it would depend on what magazine is being used at the time. This
is because each magazine has there own form of meta-language being
used, because it all depends on the audience they attend to sell
there magazine too. For example this DJ magazine will have very
little text on, this is because it is mainly aimed at young
adults-teens. At there age they will might not be attracted to a
front cover with a lot of text appeared on there, this may bore them
and then they could lose interest in the magazine. The language used
on the magazine is very simple as well so it is easy to understand.
Here it quotes 'AREOPLANE flying solo' this form of meta-language is
being used to discuss the other form of a statement in which this
case is in the form of a image. Also the length of words being used
is very limited to very small words, this is because it is short and
snappy and straight to the point. This can benefit the magazine in
many ways to make the magazine attractive to the audience. There is
some form of embedded meta-language being used for example 'Tom Mouton's Golden Grooves' here the form of using and adjective to
describe this persons type of dancing. The use of nested type of
meta-language is also used on the front cover 'OLD school to NEW
school DJ course come of age' the use nested meta-language being used
is to do with the 'old school to new school DJ' this is relevant
towards the actual magazine and links within the genre of the
subject.
Here
for this magazine called 'Billboard' the use of meta language being
used is very similar to the magazine 'DJ'. I think the use of the meta
language on the billboard magazine is mainly aimed at the audience of
the age around teenagers, late teens. And probably aimed at the female
female more than the male gender. I think how the text shows this is
maybe due to that the colours being used have the hints of pink and
the main writing in white, and with the use of the pink it makes the
words stand out and shows that they mean something, and also pink is
quite a girls colours as well very feminine And I think because it is
aimed at the age of teenagers, they have kept the text on the front
cover very limited so that the audience doesn't get to bored of the
writing, because teenagers would like the images to the talking for
the magazine it has a bigger effect to them. So that could be why
there is very little writing on the front cover. Here the quote
'LILLY ALLEN, the singer sneaks out of the EMI and endorsement deals
and how she deals with Perez and the paparazzi here the form of
meta language being used to discuss the form of the image it is
showing and what that person in the magazine has done. The language being
used is straight to the point and tells a quick story of what
happened to the person in the image. I think with the use of this
language it shows that the person they are talking about has a bad
side, and this therefore would get the audiences attention and make
them want to know if this person gets in trouble for the bad thing
she has done. So the language being used is like a taster of what is
about to come.
