University of Chitral Journal of Linguistics and Literature (Dec 2023)
Essence at a Glance: A semiotic Anaysis of Time Magazine Cover Page
Abstract
The study focuses on the semiotic analysis of Time Magazine cover pages; cover pages of the magazine from the year 2016-2022 have been selected for the current project. The study susses out that how the crux or the central thought of a magazine is inculcated in the cover of it; a cover of a magazine is pondered on in order to develop it in such a way that it covers almost all the aspects of the magazine, and to present the inside articles in iconic or symbolic form in reference to their relative importance. Sign Theory of Peirce is exploited in order to interpret the visuals displayed on the cover pages of the two issues of Time Magazine. The covers of the two issues sum up the pre–American Presidential Election Propaganda literature against Donald Trump and the post-election scenario in the minimum length of two pages. The very enrichment of semiotic presentation facilitates memory and attracts viewers to the visual message. The study reveals the fact that the visuals on the cover attract the masses to the inside articles, and in turn they are motivated by the thoughts of the authors in their decision making. The study surfaces the fact that how the world views, and decisions of the readers or viewers of one particular type of magazine are streamlined in a particular direction for some implicit beneficiaries.
