Case Study: Analysis of Editors Letter

Analysis of Editors Letter

This is the first edition of Oprah Winfrey’s magazine, O, in South Africa. The magazine is very well known worldwide and has recently started Production and is being sold to its South African readers. She mentions her shows theme song and refers to it as a direct example of what she feels; about the loyalty and love of her readers or “O Team”. This was  very significant hence why the Editor, Oprah Winfrey, deciding to address it in its first ever magazine in South Africa.

The magazine is designed in a very simplistic fashion with very minimal detail. The page is not titled ‘Editors Letter’ like other magazines but instead ‘Here We Go!’ referring to the production of magazines in South Africa. An image of Oprah herself is featured next to the text. She wears bright warm colours and appears smiling with open arms, almost welcoming her new growing audience. I predict that the reason the designers chose to make the mage very minimalistic may be because Oprah Winfrey is such a large recognisable iconic celebrity that doesn’t need much to be recognised. She is very well known and is also seen wearing very eye catching colours.

The letter itself seems like it was written to a friend or someone who she has known for ages giving the reader a sense of familiarity and relatability.in the letter she seems to catch up with her audience and she has a bit of a chit chat with them as if she was talking to a close friend. She uses pronouns such as ‘you’, we’, us’ to make the readers feel an individual connection to her therefore more able to relate to issues she brings up in the magazine. It is written in a very relaxed laid back format and mostly addresses her new South African audience. She effectively uses this tactic.

At the end of the letter there is a signature by the Editor. She writes “Continued Blessings on your life, Oprah”.This is aimed to make the reader feel special in a way that not everyone gets a signed letter form The Oprah Winfrey. It makes them feel one of a kind and makes them look at this letter as treasure, they give it a greater value.