Teen Vogue
Teen Vogue is an American online publication, formerly in print, launched in January 2003, as a sister publication to Vogue, targeted at teenage girls and young women. Like Vogue, it included stories about fashion and celebrities.[2] Since 2015, following a steep decline in sales, the magazine cut back on its print distribution in favor of online content, which has grown significantly. The magazine had also expanded its focus from fashion and beauty to include politics and current affairs.[3][4][5][6] In November 2017, it was announced Teen Vogue would cease in print and continue online-only as part of a new round of cost cuts. Other publications would also follow and go digital, such as InStyle. The final print issue featured Hillary Clinton on the cover, and was on newsstands on December 5, 2017.
Editor-in-Chief
Content[edit]
Politics[edit]
According to inaugural beauty editor Karen Jesella, Teen Vogue initially strived to be "apolitical" and tried to create "not not feminist" content.[18]
In December 2016, the magazine published an opinion article by Lauren Duca, the magazine's weekend editor, entitled "Donald Trump Is Gaslighting America."[38] Within weeks, the essay had been viewed 1.2 million times, and on NPR's All Things Considered, David Folkenflik described the essay as signaling a shift in the magazine's emphasis toward more political and social engagement.[39] According to The New York Times, many media observers were "surprised to see a magazine for teenagers making such a strong political statement,"[40] although Folkenflik acknowledged he drew criticism for expressing this surprise and at Slate, Mark Joseph Stern argued the essay was consistent with the magazine's record, since the appointment of Welteroth and Picardi, as a "teen glossy with seriously good political coverage and legal analysis, an outlet for teenagers who—shockingly!—are able to think about fashion and current events simultaneously."[41] At The Atlantic, Sophie Gilbert similarly noted, "The pivot in editorial strategy has drawn praise on social media, with some writers commenting that Teen Vogue is doing a better job of covering important stories in 2016 than legacy news publications."[42]
The op-ed, as well as a previous obituary on Nancy Reagan that condemned her lack of action on AIDS, signaled a shift to more political coverage and leftist perspectives in the magazine, which led to friction between the newsroom, advertisers and executives.[18]
Sexuality[edit]
Sexuality has also been a topic in Teen Vogue's expanded focus. On July 7, 2017, the magazine published a column titled, "Anal Sex: What You Need to Know" which author Gigi Engle described as "anal 101, for teens, beginners and all inquisitive folk."[43][44] The column drew criticism from some parents for what they viewed as content inappropriate to the target audience of teenage girls.[45][46] In The Independent, J J Barnes also criticized the column as "bizarre" for focusing on male reproductive anatomy rather than female.[47] Teen Vogue's digital editorial director Phillip Picardi defended the column, saying that backlash was "rooted in homophobia".[48]