The front cover and the contents page of Drugs the Facts are very effective at enticing young teenagers into reading the information presented. Whether it is effective at preventing them from actually taking drugs is dubious. It attracts teenagers by using similar generic conventions to those of a teenage magazine, as it is very ‘busy’ and lists the things you can find inside. This may be so that the demographic group of eleven to fourteen year olds feel they can relate to it, and continue to read it assuming they will be entertained. The front cover could persuasively prevent them from taking drugs by subconsciously reminding them of prisons, using images that resemble fingerprints and fonts, such as the one in ‘DRUGS and the DANGERS’, that are associated with legal documents. This may frighten them into not taking drugs, reminding them of the terrible consequences drugs can have.
In contrast, The Score’s layout is much more subtle, in an attempt to appeal to an older, more sophisticated audience. It uses a layout similar to that of a web page. The institutional belief that all teenagers use the internet has been employed to convey a contemporary style. The layout of the front cover and contents page in The Score is effective as it reminds people subconsciously of a web page. Because the page appears familiar to the teenagers, they feel attracted to it. The contents page of The Score has highlighted key words in the introduction and uses many small pictures. This may be because the HEA has assumed that teenagers have a short attention span, and so by highlighting key words the reader will not get bored and will read the rest of the leaflet. Hopefully, they will also absorb the information that is highlighted. Drugs the Facts has also used this idea where it has written the names of the drugs on its front cover. The first and last drugs in the list are a different colour to the rest, this may be because it attracts readers to it, and is more interesting, and the reader is likely to then take in the names of the drugs.
The language used in Drugs the Facts and The Score is very different, as it is aimed at different age groups. Drugs the Facts uses very simple language, which may appear belittling to older people. There are many rhetorical questions such as the ones on the inside cover, “What are the real facts about drugs?” and “What harm can they do?” These are many questions that the target audience would be asking themselves, and so they feel that the leaflet is their ‘friend’, and will believe what it says. The language used in The Score is very different. It uses more complicated language, with complex sentences and much longer words than Drugs the Facts. The HEA believes that older teenagers will be able to understand the Latin botanical name of the ‘magic mushroom’, “Psilocybe Semilanceata”, and scientific chemical names of other drugs. This use of language makes the teenagers feel that they are not being patronised.
The Score does not use inverted commas on words such as “trip”, because the HEA feels that the demographic group of teenagers aged fourteen to eighteen year olds will understand these words, and use them frequently so they do not need to be highlighted or explained, as Drugs the Facts does. Drugs the Facts uses much more punctuation than The Score. This may be that the Government feels that older teenagers do not need the information emphasised, as they will take in the information they feel is appropriate to them, whereas younger teenagers need the information to be accentuated in order for them to take any of it in because they have shorter attention spans.
In the drug ‘profiles’, Drugs the Facts have more ‘slang’ names for the drugs than The Score. This may be because it is an institutional belief that older teenagers will already know many of the colloquial terms used for the drugs, or the people reading Drugs the Facts will not be familiar with many of these names, and so need to be educated about such things.
The leaflets contain a lot of the same information, yet all of it is presented in very different ways in order to appeal to the target audiences. Both contain information on the first aid recovery position, the laws of drugs, and problems people have about drugs, but all the information is presented in many different ways in order to interest different audiences. The codes of gesture and expression on the ‘No Problem!’ page in The Score are very different to the problem page in Drugs the Facts. The models in The Score are all making eye contact with the reader, unlike in Drugs the Facts, where none of the models are. This may be because the government assume that younger teenagers haven’t experienced many of the situations mentioned, and the positions of the models reflect this by being distant. On the other hand, the models in The Score are looking into the camera, and appear to be making eye contact with the reader. This makes the models connect with the readers, and as they are old enough to have these types of problems, and so need to feel that they can relate to the models.
Both leaflets have tried to represent a wide demographic audience on the problem pages. Each has used one female and one male model, so neither gender feels left out. The Drugs the Facts problem page has left out the ages of the people who have written in, but The Score has left them in. The ages on The Score are all between fourteen and sixteen; this may make older people who have problems about drugs feel embarrassed. I feel that they have failed to subvert as effectively as they might the problem page convention of a teenage magazine because some readers will not be able to feel comfortable about having problems like these, feeling they are too old to have problems and not share them as intended by the magazine.
The “Dilemma” page in The Score has also failed to subvert effectively the convention of a photo storyboard. The main aim of the leaflet is to warn people about the effects of drugs, so that they will not take them in the future, and the Government will not need to spend money on treatment if it goes wrong. The story on the dilemma page does not show the demographic group the effect of the drug, and the ending seems like a fairytale, unlikely to happen in reality. The codes of gesture and expression on the characters faces are ‘corny’ and unrealistic. It is difficult to stereotype teenagers, because their lifestyles change all the time. These presentations of the teenage generation will quickly become out of date, and the sartorial representation expresses the idea that the leaflet is out of date and ‘uncool’. Some readers may not take in the information because it is not appealing and doesn’t represent their life.
The pages in the two leaflets that refer to the law both use lots of images to frighten the readers into not taking drugs. They consciously remind the readers of the bad things that could happen to them if they take drugs. When you first turn to “the Law unlocked” page in The Score, you see a pair of handcuffs. This is a very strong visual signal of what could happen if the reader handles drugs. Drugs the Facts may not have used handcuffs as they are aiming for a younger audience who will not get arrested, only “cautioned” or taken to court.
Drugs the Facts has laid out their law page to resemble a newspaper. This may deter their readers from taking drugs, as it would subconsciously remind them that if they do take drugs they might get a lot of unwanted attention if they do get caught. They have bordered some of the articles with black and white checks, which look like the police logo as used on hats and vehicles. This layout and these borders emphasise the seriousness of the issue being discussed. The Score has used a more linear layout for their law page, as they are aiming for an older audience.
The language used on both pages is very different. Drugs the Facts have explained and described many of the terms used, such as “formal caution”, and in some places they have left out the formal terms, such as “possession” and just explained instead. This may be because the HEA feels that the demographic group will not understand these terms, and so they will need explaining to them. The Score, however, uses all the terms, and explains them using colloquial language, for example it describes “possession with intent to supply drugs” as “dealing”. This effective use of both complex and colloquial language makes the reader feel that they are understood, and so will make use of the information presented to them.
Drugs the Facts and The Score have used the well-known genre of teenage magazines to attract their specific demographic groups. They have effectively subverted this genre in order to educate teenagers about the consequences of drugs. Unfortunately, some of the conventions utilised may appear denigrating or patronising to the youths of the current and future generations, as many generalisations and institutional beliefs have been used in order to interest a broadcast audience. The leaflets have had to deal with changing fashions, speech and ideals held by young people, and because the assumptions made by the Government about these things may be wrong, teenagers may feel repelled, rather than attracted, and not take in the information, having the opposite effect of the producers’ intentions. The subconscious conventions used are very effective in that they may frighten the reader into not using drugs, subliminally reminding them of prisons, dark nights and hallucinations.
The HEA has subverted the well-known genre of teenage magazines to manipulate the audience into thinking that the leaflets are entertaining. They have exploited the teenage familiarity with the entertainment genre in order to allow the teenagers to relate and take in the information provided. They achieve this effect by stealth, using images and layouts that subconsciously remind the target audience of ideas, both frightening and familiar, to persuade them to be aware of and change their opinions or actions in situations containing drugs. Teenage magazines are aimed to sell products, such as hair products or makeup. The leaflets have subverted this genre by not advertising beauty products, but “advertising” the prevention of drugs abuse.
Arguably, the information about drugs presented in The Score is more effective than in Drugs the Facts because it is less confusing, and laid out in a way in which the reader can easily understand. Drugs the Facts may well overwhelm the reader with bright colours and slanted layouts, although its information is appealing and educational to its demographic group. However, even more successful is The Score, containing a subtle mixture of complex and colloquial communication, slick production values and only slightly marred by the stereotypical teenage portrayals in the photo storyboards.