Media Blog Project Post #2
Introduction:
The Pacific
Showcase magazine (home page http://www.pacificshowcase.com/
) is a publication that is directed towards youth west of the Rockies who are
involved in the livestock showing industry. The magazine is comprised of
articles that provide tips for animal management, health, fitting, and showing.
One section of the publication that I think sets Pacific Showcase apart is it’s
“spot light” on champions from large shows or fairs on the West Coast. Another important element of the publication
is advertisements for specific producers and sales that includes pictures of
the ranches best stock in a posed position with a catch phrase and in some
cases the breed or bloodlines of the prized animal. These types of
advertisements are found in almost all livestock related magazines; in fact
many people say that these ads are their favorite part of Pacific Showcase
because they enjoy evaluating the livestock and studying the statistics. For
example, my livestock judging teammates and I would bring these types of
magazines on long trips, put together classes from the pictures, place them,
and discuss why we put them in the order that we did. During these exercises,
if there was a tie or major disagreement on how the class should be placed, we
would have our coach evaluate the pictures and end the dispute.
This publication
is given away for free at livestock shows, events, and clinics. Some youth and
families also order yearly subscriptions. I began reading Pacific Showcase
because I won a yearlong subscription, and became hooked!
Description:
The primary focus
of Pacific Showcase is to give youth involved in showing livestock on the west
coast a central publication for information, and a place to give recognition to
their achievements. Most of the stories are about animal health, changes in
industry policies, and/or articles that offer guidance on how to be a better
fitter and showman. Like a recent story titled “Supreme Fill Means Supreme Stock”,
which gives instructions on how to get the right amount of fill (also known as
fat cover in the flank region). Another example of the types of articles ran in
Pacific Showcase is one entitled “Show Your Appreciation”, which gives youth
suggestions on how to properly thank parents, advisors, producers, and award
sponsors for their help throughout the year.
This publication
is organized around the vast amount of advertisements in it. For example the cover
is always a large ad for a upcoming sale, the issue I will be focusing on
features the James Bright and Leo Brothers Show Steers upcoming sale. The front
cover includes six pictures, and lists some of the awards won by youth who
purchased steers from previous sales. The
next six pages are also advertisements, either for other sales, or clipping
products. Next is the table of contents which features pictures of youth exhibiting
livestock; on the page next to the table of contents, there is yet another
advertisement. After that is the letter from the editor, in the issue that I am
analyzing the publishing and managing editor discusses how fortunate we are to
have so many producers, companies, and other individuals on the west coast that
support the livestock show industry. To the left of the “From the Editor” piece
is a brief article that explains the cover more in depth. The next six pages
are ads, the seventh page is a feature story called “Planning for Success”
which gives advice on how to organize your tack, livestock, and yourself prior
to a show. The next article (which is prefaced by seven pages of ads) is part
of a series entitled “Sittin’ Round the Showbox” by Celeste Settrini, in the
article that I am examining she reminds youth to “always remember who brought
you to the dance” and to thank those individuals who help young people get
started in the livestock industry. This
story is followed by several more pages of ads, and then it features two pages
detailing important news in the California Junior Livestock Association (CJLA),
as well as giving recognition to members who have accumulated the most points
through the CJLA show circuit. The next portion of the magazine is called “Hot
Shots”, this is a page dedicated solely to exciting pictures of youth showing.
I personally enjoy this section because it shows junior livestock enthusiasts
like myself in action, and it’s always fun to see a few familiar faces featured
in the “Hot Shots” section! The next ten
pages of Pacific Showcase are dedicated to highlighting the results of junior
shows on the west coast; for each major show there are pictures of each
division winner along with youth’s name and the name of the judge. The final
article featured in this particular issue is called “Showmanship-Getting the
Most out of Your Goat” by Judy Kaye; which describes the most efficient way to
train and show your goat. The rest of the publication is advertisements for
shows, sales, and fitting products.
Analyze:
The difference
between Pacific Showcase and other livestock oriented publications because it
is geared towards youth who live west of the Rockies; this is somewhat of a
niche market.
There are a few
differences between the print and online version of the publication, including:
1. The informational articles are blank pages
online
2. The only parts of the magazine that you can
view online are the advertisements and CJLA news.
3. Some ads that are in color in print are
black and white online.
Interpret:
As discussed
earlier, Pacific Showcase is targeted towards junior livestock showmen whom
reside on the west coast.
The ads in Pacific
Showcase are well suited for the type of stories featured; all advertisements
are directly related to the livestock industry. The advertisements definitely fit
the stories online and in print, in fact most of the ads are exactly the same
in both versions.
This magazine
doesn’t include any stereotypes or offensive messages, it is very kid-friendly
which is good since the target age is 21 and under.
Evaluate:
Two of the
strengths in the print version include:
1. The article titled “Showmanship-Getting the
Most out of Your Goat” is definitely a strength of this issue. It is a strong
point because it does an excellent job of highlighting the steps you need to
take to prepare yourself for shows, as well as tips to succeed in the show ring.
2. The second strength of Pacific Showcase in
print is the “Hot Shots” section. This part is a stand out because of the large
vivid pictures that draw your attention. It is also highly relatable because
many of the photos shown are of situations that many junior livestock
enthusiasts have been in.
Two of the
weaknesses in the print version:
1. I think that having the cover as an
advertisement is a weakness. I believe this because while I enjoy looking at
some of the ads, seeing one on the cover tells me that every inch of this
magazine has been sold-there is no sacred place that hasn’t been infested with
advertisements.
2. The second weakness that I found was on the
upcoming events page. The majority of events listed in this column are in
California. There are very few shows listed for Arizona, Washington, Idaho, and
Utah. This may be attributed to the fact that there are generally more events
in California than the other states, but I think this could be combated by reporters
doing more research on shows going on.
Two strengths of
the online version include-
1. All of the attractive advertisements that
catch people’s attention are still featured in the same form online as they are
in print. I think this is strength because quite frankly many people read
Pacific Showcase specifically to look at the pictorial advertisements. For
example, the pages that include an ads for Kirk Stierwalt’s fitting products
and the Mother Lode Club Calf Sale appear exactly the same in print as online,
see for yourself at http://issuu.com/pacificshowcase/docs/psaugsept11/1
2. Also one of my favorite sections-“Hot Shots”
is featured in exactly the same format online as in print. The pictures are
still relatively clear, even when you zoom in on the image take a look at http://issuu.com/pacificshowcase/docs/psaugsept11/1
Two of the
weaknesses of the online version are-
1. The informational articles are not featured
on the website. Without a subscription, you can’t even view part of one
article! I feel this is a very large weakness because stories are the heart of
any magazine.
2. The second weakness I found was that the
inserts for registering for CJLA and subscribing to Pacific Showcase become
blurry when you read the full sized version. They are almost unreadable which
is unfortunate because subscriptions are the main source of income for the
magazine and making the registration inserts indistinguishable will hurt
business.
The
print version better serves Pacific Showcase’s audience. It includes articles
and stories that are relatable and informational for junior livestock showmen. It
is also something tangible that youth can pass around at shows or other
livestock related events.
Engage:
Outside
of receiving and reading this publication, I am also a fan of Pacific Showcase
on facebook. However news from the magazine rarely shows up on my news
feed.
Conclusions:
Through
this assignment, I learned that while technology has some advantages, there are
some publications that still benefit from traditional media sources.
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