Positive aspects of women of different cultures: an analysis of two multimodal covers

Abstract

We live in a society surrounded by texts where the visual dominates. Moreover, images reflect and influence the expression of social life, culture and the values of a community. The discourse of covers is multimodal by nature and emphasizes modes of communication that are not written. The visual mode is the most important in order to catch readers' attention. In this article I analyse two covers of the magazine Antena Misionera in which a woman from a different culture is represented. I have selected these texts because, in general, the images selected by the media represent certain attitudes of people towards immigrants. The selection of the covers is motivated by my interest on immigration, in other cultures and in the image of women represented in the press. The different visual elements that are found in these covers provide a basis for describing the meanings embedded within the images of immigrant women and provide examples of the portrayal of a non-stereotypical view of this group of immigrants.