Copyright Forbes
Vogue recently announced that its youth-focused publication Teen Vogue would be joining Vogue.com in a move to expand the Vogue ecosystem. Many have criticized this decision on social media and the union representing writers at Teen Vogue issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter condemning the merger and highlighting how the move could impact staff diversity and political coverage. In the statement, the union shared, “Management plans to lay off six of our members, most of whom are BIPOC women or trans, including Teen Vogue’s Politics Editor—continuing the trend of layoffs at Condé disproportionately impacting marginalized employees,” and went on to explain, “Teen Vogue now has no writers or editors explicitly covering politics.” “I’m still processing the news of Teen Vogue [merging] into Vogue,” shared attorney Leah Goodridge, who has written several pieces for Teen Vogue. “It feels like a stab at my heart, honestly. I’ve long been a reader and contributor, and I was so proud to see how Elaine Welteroth brought new energy and cemented it as a bold, progressive outlet.” Former editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue, Elaine Welteroth, shared in an Instagram post, “Teen Vogue was a once-in-a-generation experiment in what happens when you hand the mic to young people from diverse backgrounds and take their voices seriously. That era set a new standard in media and showed the power of trusting young people with real news and real stories. Losing Teen Vogue’s newsroom is more than a business decision—it’s a cultural loss at a time when we need reliable journalism more than ever.” In another major media shakeup, Bari Weiss was recently named the new editor-in-chief of CBS News. There have been many critiques of Weiss, who has no experience running a TV network, and has long been a critic of mainstream news. Although Weiss calls herself a centrist, many of her views are right-leaning: she has criticized corporate DEI efforts, the lack of political diversity in higher education, and pro-Palestinian protestors, according to The Associated Press. CBS News has also been under fire following claims made by former news producer Trey Sherman that CBS News’ Race and Culture division fired every person of color from the team. In addition, according to claims made by Variety, popular journalist and long-time anchor Gayle King will be departing from the network, though a CBS News spokesperson denied these claims, in a statement shared with People. It was also recently announced that Vibe, a magazine that has focused on rap and R&B music coverage, will be merging with Rolling Stone. A Substack article highlighting the merger explained that, “The consolidation raises questions about how corporate logics can absorb radical cultural projects and repackage them for commercial gain—what philosopher Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò calls Elite Capture.” One of the important issues with this merger, the author elucidated, is this: “Even if Rolling Stone expands its hip‑hop coverage, the editorial tone may reflect the tastes of a professional managerial class rather than the lived experiences of marginalized communities—an example of the phenomenon Táíwò identifies when he notes that identity politics can be deployed to serve the interests of elites rather than the vulnerable people it purports to represent.” MORE FOR YOU It was also reported recently that NBC fired journalists who focused on marginalized communities; 150 employees, who make up about 7% of its newsroom, were laid off and NBC News dissolved its editorial teams that covered Black, Latino, Asian American, and LGBTQ+ communities. To many, these actions signal more than a conservative shift in American media; this is an indicator of what may be considered the subtle silencing of more progressive voices, perspectives, and ideologies. Major media outlets that shutter departments focused on underrepresented and marginalized communities and diversity, equity, and inclusion risk censoring important content that directly and indirectly impacts us all. This may lead to media that is even more homogenous, but perhaps this is by design. As Malcolm X has said, “If you’re not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.” As many large media conglomerates divest from equity, publications that center and focus on historically marginalized and excluded populations as well as topics that are more progressive, will attract readers, especially during an era when more radical media is being diminished. Outlets like Scalawag, Blavity, BreakThrough News, People of Color in Tech, and The Intercept should be amplified and promoted often. It’s also important to support independent writers and journalists, whether through their websites or other outlets where they share media, news and content.
