Hillary Clinton on magazine covers
How are female political leaders depicted by the media? What does it mean for a woman to be a powerful political leader?
- Work in groups. Study Texts 1-10 below or print out the A6 cards. To what extent is Hillary Clinton depicted as a strong political leader on each magazine cover? Discuss your answer to this question, considering considering layout, diction, composition, camera angle, lighting, symbols, body language and gaze. Rank each cover from 1 to 10, with 1 indicating that she looks least powerful and 10 indicating that she looks most powerful. Do not reveal the analysis of each cover until you have completed your ranking.
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Warm lighting suggests friendliness.
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Showing teeth is a sign of emotion and weakness.
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Alliteration of ‘helping’ or ‘hurting’ encourages binary thinking.
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The use of a question questions her role in her husband’s campaign.
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She is a ‘factor’ for her husband’s campaign.
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The Time title is in front of her head, suggesting the magazine is more important than she is.
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Camera is at eye-level, putting the reading on equal footing with her.
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Her gaze into the camera engages the reader.
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Sharp contrast of white on red feels edgy and powerful.
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The lack of a smile or teeth adds to her position of strength.
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‘State’ is a pun (‘Secretary of State’ and to be in a ‘state’), suggesting that her mental position is to be in charge.
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The small question ‘can [she] make a more peaceful world?’ questions her abilities.
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Her gaze into the camera with her stark blue eyes is penetrating for the reader.
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The Time title is behind her head, suggesting she is more important than the magazine.
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Her posture is erect, suggesting strength.
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The photograph has been stylized using editing software, making her appear like a cultural icon.
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The lack of a smile or teeth adds to her position of strength.
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Her collar is turned up, suggesting independence.
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The camera is below her, making the reader look up to her literally and figuratively.
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Her gaze is into the distant, making her seem focused on the future.
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The language focuses on what she ‘believes’ and ‘why’ she thinks she will ‘win’, all of which are purpose-related words.
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She’s not looking at her audience, which makes her seem distracted.
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Her big laugh makes the reader wonder what is so funny.
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The use of the comma after her name suggests there is more than just her.
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‘In between’ is a rather ambiguous phrase, which intrigues the reader.
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The use of quotation marks around “ordinary, everyday” questions her words and her authenticity.
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She does not seem to know what to do with her hands, making her appear less powerful.
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She does not seem in control of her emotions, which is a sign of weakness.
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The story about hearings on the Benghazi attacks has been trivialized by focusing on the Clinton’s marriage.
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She is not aware of the camera, and is therefore not in control of the photograph, making the reader wonder if she is in control of anything.
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‘Bill’ and ‘Hillary’ are not formal ways of addressing them, which gives the newspaper a sleazy tone.
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‘The lady has some temper!’ is demeaning and condescending.
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Bill Clinton’s expression is comical, which questions how seriously the reader should take her.
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The context of the magazine is not concerned with ‘political power’, which detracts from her position of power.
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The colours are bright and festive, not dark and business-like.
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She is leaning into the chair, which suggests she requires support and strength.
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The teasers distract from the focus on her, which questions her importance.
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‘Her health, her marriage and becoming a grandmother’ are seemingly more important that ‘the Presidency’.
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The camera angle is low, making the reader look up to her, which adds to her level of power.
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Her pressed lips and stern eyes make her appear strong.
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She seems to be confronting someone, which is intimidating for the reader.
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‘Obama’s bad cop’ and ‘steely messenger’ suggest someone else controls her.
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‘Finding her footing’ implies that she is not in control.
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Dark background, highly contrasted with her face and the blue ‘power suit’ add to her appearance of being in command.
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‘Ascent of a woman’ is a play on words with a ‘scent’ of a woman, which is more about physical attraction than political power.
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Although the copy claims that she is the ‘most powerful first lady in history,’ the question that follows seems to question her power.
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The camera shot is extremely close up, showing the reader every pore, wrinkle and hair, which feels disturbing.
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Her gaze is distant, suggesting she is a visionary.
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The over exposure, possibly caused by spotlight, suggests there is a lot of focus on her.
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The photograph layer is behind the magazine title, taking away from her level of importance.
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A full body shot is risky.
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Crossed arms suggest closed personality and a firm stance.
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The use of a question questions anyone who doubts her power.
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The statement, ‘the world’s most powerful woman,’ clearly denotes power.
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Her smirk suggests confidence.
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Her gaze is direct and confronting for the reader.
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The power suit is powerful.
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The photograph layer is in front of the magazine title, suggesting she is more important.
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The question mark questions everything about her and whether or not she should be a senator.
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The oil on canvas technique is not typical of a current affairs magazine and makes the reader wonder why it was created.
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She does not seem to know what to do with her hands, which makes her appear uncertain and insecure.
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She is smiling, a sign of friendliness and affability.
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The teaser, featuring ‘Leo’ detracts from the focus on Clinton.
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The full body shot makes her look small in comparison with the blue background.
- How does your ranking of these covers compare to other groups' rankings? As a class, compare your rankings. Discuss your definition of 'political power' and how magazine covers can construct our understanding of 'political power'.
- Create a similar ranking game for your classmates, by searching for and collecting a series of magazine covers that depict a familiar male politician or another female politician.
- Write a Paper 1-style analysis of one of these covers, or a magazine cover of choice. Study the page on magazine covers in the text types section of this Support Site. Study the Paper 1 assessment criteria and an example of a good Paper 1 analysis in preparation for this activity. Ask your teacher for feedback on your analysis and place it in your learner portfolio.
A6 cards: 'Hillary Clinton on Magazine covers'









