Viewpoints Comparison Essay

This is a U.S. presidential election year and a big story has been the rise of Senator Barack Obama as a serious candidate for presidency. I was interested in what various segments of the black community thought about this and chose two magazines that target the black community as their primary audience. JET magazine’s self-described mission is to inform, educate and entertain the African American community. The Network Journal magazine claims to serve the needs of black professionals and small business owners by educating them on trends in management, business, technology and finance.

JET magazine’s May 2008 cover has the word JET printed in large, bold and blue text block with white casual style font on the upper left-hand corner. There is a large smiling photograph of Sen. Obama waving his left hand at the crowd. Just two text blocks are present on the cover. The cover has titles for two articles, “He's The One: Barack Obama Emerges As Democrats' Hope To Win The White House” and “Why Are Black Actors Leaving Prime-Time TV?” The overall impression I received from the cover was that this is a casual reading magazine covering a wide range of topics of interest to black community.

Inside the JET magazine, there are cheerfully colored coded sections for articles relevant to blacks on health, fashion, music, sports, lifestyles and entertainment. There are also articles on black celebrity birthdays and news. It also has reports highlighting the achievements of famous black people including actor Will Smith and basketball player Kobe Bryant. The magazine has advertisements for Colgate toothpaste, Nivea moisturizer and various TV shows with black actors in prominent roles. The common every day affordable products and services advertised reflect the fact that this magazine has a wide audience.

The cover story, by Kevin Chappell, on Sen. Obama compares his Democratic primary bid to a heavy weight fight where he is about to deliver a knock out punch to his rival. It also likens his quest as history in the making and transcending race. At the same time, the article highlights the importance of black vote in his ascent (92% of North Carolina’s black voters voted for Sen. Obama). The article indicates that his success is inspiring black youth and states quotes from black young voters: “It’s our time to shine.” and “It's a great time for Blacks in America.”

The overall style of the cover story is informal, positive and informative. Its viewpoint reflects the pride that the JET magazine’s black audience of the magazine is feeling at seeing Sen. Obama’s success.

The Network Journal’s May 2008 cover has the title of the magazine printed in large, bold and red text block with white formal style font on the upper left-hand corner. The cover has Sen. Obama's photo from behind, emerging from curtains and walking on to a stage in front of an audience. The cover has title from only one story, “The Man Who Would Be President” The overall impression I received from the cover was that this is a formal magazine. However, I did not get the impression that this publication is targeting black professionals and small business owners.

Inside, The Network Journal is well organized and professional looking with sections on finance, economy, entrepreneurship and technology. The focus on the black audience in the articles is not as obvious as it is in the JET magazine. The editorial covers the rising price of fuel and its impact on food prices all over the world and there is an economic