Meta Language

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.