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Todays lesson

1. Re-cap of Online vs. Print

1. To look at Fanzine magazine

1. How do they differ from the mainstreammusic press and what kinds of threats do

they pose to it?

2. A group task

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Advantages of Print press

Popular in reaching its target audience veryuseful for advertisers as it will have a loyal

readership

Magazines and newspapers are constantly in

view of the public

Free gifts are available

Its embedded into our memory and has morevalue

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Disadvantages of Print press

It is not always accessible when you want it.

The price of the magazine maybe to costly forthe target audience.

You are not able to listen or watch full music

videos

After reading the magazine, you have to throwit away

Information you wanted to know about aparticular artist might be outdated by the timeit appears in the magazine.

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Advantages of Online press

Have access to music press anywhere i.e.social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc), YouTube,through your phone etc.

Everyone from around the world can have

access to the music press website. Fans/readers can post their thoughts about a

particular subject posted in the music press.

So a sense of a community (this includesbloggers as well).

Technology is always changing so there arenew ways to follow the music press i.e. an app

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Disadvantages of Online press

It is a content-led format and depends verymuch on results from search engines

Anyone can copy a piece of press from the

Internet! Advertisements on the music press website

could be seen as clutter.

There are too many music press websites tochoose from

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What is a Fanzine?

Short for fan magazines (non-professionaland non-official) which are produced by fans.

Home-made, typed by hand, photocopied &

distributed at concerts or throughsubscriptions via post.

Pride themselves on their home-spun image.

Power to influence mainstream publishing. It is a cultural phenomenon

Writers thought it was not through choice but

through necessity

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Brief History

Music fanzines were established in 1976 &

was the result of the Punk music and culture.

The Punk ethic for fanzines was D.I.Y. Do It

Yourself which exists in todays fanzine as

well.

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Examples

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Codes & Conventions

Drawings, line drawings & cartoon strips

Dont have a glossy look a very different look

Size of an exercise book

Photocopied sheets stapled together inside

the cover sheet

Do not feature interviews with big music stars

Contain information that you wont find

anywhere else for real music fans

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Photographs (online) but when photocopying,

the quality isnt very good

Feature unknown bands/artists who are not

famous

Articles are very opinionated real music, real

topics related to music

Very personal

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Industry Usually an independent publishing company

Sold outside gigs where a band or an artist is

playing or theyre sold in vintage/unusual

record shops

The writers who write for Fanzines are not

earning from it them as it is difficult to

persuade businesses to pay for advertisement

& have a small circulation. However established fanzines have advertising

from record companies or the music venues

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Writers hear about music bands/artists before

they hit the big time!

Mainstream press is influenced by fanzines.

As public taste changes, the mainstream

magazines adapt the ideas of the fanzines so

their readers will stay loyal to the magazine.

In the 70s & 80s, different music styles were

covered (punk, rock, dance).

Local gig reviews and articles were featured

that were below the radar of the mainstream

music press.

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They are produced using the technology of the

time.

With the Internet being at everyones

disposal, the paper fanzine has been turned

into the webzine. However printed fanzines

are still produced.

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Representation

Basic message behind any Fanzine is that

anyone join the editorial team by taking your

own pictures, writing articles or drawing

pictures.

Fanzines represent an underground club a

community who have a passion and

enthusiasm for music

New and different ideas

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Audience

Fanzines usually cover their own local musicarea

Enthusiastic and passionate people who have

a love for music

Does not really have an audience

Uses & gratifications Information & Personal

Relationships Psychographics Individualists, C2, D & E,

tend to either be an explorer & reformer

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How do they differ from the

mainstream music press and whatkinds of threats do they pose to it?

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1. Fanzines ethic is that anyone can do itregardless of lack of training &professionalism. All you need is theenthusiasm

2. Working class language & a DIY format lookat the codes and conventions andrepresentation

3. Have an influence on the music press andencourages them

4. Views of the unrepresented known andprovide a voice of expression for thoseoutside of the establishment - Unknown

5. Looks at topics ignored by the mainstream press

Differences

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6. Professionalism mainstream music press

are paid and told what to write and do not

have an interest in music.

7. Mainstream press is a lot closer the

artist/band than they are common fan

D F i h l h i i

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Does Fanzines help the music press it

or is it a threat?

1. Writers for fanzine use this as training to gaincommercial success to hopefully be part of

mainstream music press.

2. Writers say that the music press is out there

to make money at whatever cost (ethics &

contents is secondary).

3. If all the funding were taken out of

mainstream press (online or print) and were

told they could write whatever they please, it

would essentially be a Fanzine.

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4. Fanzine writer is writing from the outside,

and gaining a new perspective on his or her

subject matter from this standpointsomething mainstream are not able to do.

5. Fanzines are not taken seriously compared to

mainstream writers of Fanzines areconsidered professional

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Blog vs. Fanzine

Blog Fanzine

Cost nothing

Easy to produce

Distribution is infinite

Constantly updatedMore interactive links to

other peer groups,

conversation & arguments

develop!

They are still around

Audiences who do not

have access to the Internet

Its visible & touchableCreative & quirky

You get to see the faces of

your audience

Sentimental valueSimple way of sharing

information

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Task

Create on your own Fanzine based on one of

the key concepts given to you.

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Further Reading http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/feb/02/f

anzine-simon-reynolds-blog

http://www.lundwood.u-net.com/fandissy/fdhist.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/fanzines--the-scene-that-smells-of-zine-spirit-1792675.html

London Zine Symposium festival dedicated toFanzines

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/feb/02/fanzine-simon-reynolds-bloghttp://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/feb/02/fanzine-simon-reynolds-bloghttp://www.lundwood.u-net.com/fandissy/fdhist.htmlhttp://www.lundwood.u-net.com/fandissy/fdhist.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/fanzines--the-scene-that-smells-of-zine-spirit-1792675.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/fanzines--the-scene-that-smells-of-zine-spirit-1792675.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/fanzines--the-scene-that-smells-of-zine-spirit-1792675.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/fanzines--the-scene-that-smells-of-zine-spirit-1792675.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/fanzines--the-scene-that-smells-of-zine-spirit-1792675.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/fanzines--the-scene-that-smells-of-zine-spirit-1792675.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/fanzines--the-scene-that-smells-of-zine-spirit-1792675.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/fanzines--the-scene-that-smells-of-zine-spirit-1792675.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/fanzines--the-scene-that-smells-of-zine-spirit-1792675.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/fanzines--the-scene-that-smells-of-zine-spirit-1792675.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/fanzines--the-scene-that-smells-of-zine-spirit-1792675.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/fanzines--the-scene-that-smells-of-zine-spirit-1792675.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/fanzines--the-scene-that-smells-of-zine-spirit-1792675.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/fanzines--the-scene-that-smells-of-zine-spirit-1792675.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/fanzines--the-scene-that-smells-of-zine-spirit-1792675.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/fanzines--the-scene-that-smells-of-zine-spirit-1792675.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/fanzines--the-scene-that-smells-of-zine-spirit-1792675.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/fanzines--the-scene-that-smells-of-zine-spirit-1792675.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/fanzines--the-scene-that-smells-of-zine-spirit-1792675.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/fanzines--the-scene-that-smells-of-zine-spirit-1792675.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/fanzines--the-scene-that-smells-of-zine-spirit-1792675.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/fanzines--the-scene-that-smells-of-zine-spirit-1792675.htmlhttp://www.lundwood.u-net.com/fandissy/fdhist.htmlhttp://www.lundwood.u-net.com/fandissy/fdhist.htmlhttp://www.lundwood.u-net.com/fandissy/fdhist.htmlhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/feb/02/fanzine-simon-reynolds-bloghttp://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/feb/02/fanzine-simon-reynolds-bloghttp://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/feb/02/fanzine-simon-reynolds-bloghttp://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/feb/02/fanzine-simon-reynolds-bloghttp://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/feb/02/fanzine-simon-reynolds-bloghttp://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/feb/02/fanzine-simon-reynolds-bloghttp://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/feb/02/fanzine-simon-reynolds-bloghttp://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/feb/02/fanzine-simon-reynolds-blog