I have always been a firm believer that the President deserves respect regardless of individuals' political beliefs. I found it admirable that Anna Wintour, a vocal supporter of Obama and Hillary Clinton, invited President-Elect Donald Trump to Condé Nast for a meeting. As a student interested in editorial work, I have a lot of respect for Condé Nast for showing our future President the respect he deserves, even if employees don't share his beliefs.
Trump met with some of the biggest names at Condé Nast at the One World Trade Center on January 6th. Attendees included Anna Wintour, artistic director of Condé Nast and Editor in Chief of “Vogue,” David Remnick of "The New Yorker," and Trump’s longtime nemesis Graydon Carter of "Vanity Fair". The 90-minute off-the-record meeting seemed like an unlikely event considering Trump has been extremely vocal about his issues with the media.
Established in 1909, Condé Nast is a powerhouse media company home to some of the most popular brands in the industry. Students who are interested in editorial work dream of working there because of its long history of success and innovative storytelling. With over 100 million consumers and more than 20 brands, it’s no surprise that they’re known for creating some of the most influential, quality content in the world.
While the meeting may come as a shock to some people, according to the "New York Times," it isn’t all that odd for the company to maintain a relationship with the president and his family; perhaps because presidential families make for strong media content. However, Trump provides a unique case for media companies because he is not an avid supporter of their work. His harsh criticism of the media is precisely what makes this meeting so progressive on the part of Condé Nast.
According to CBS news, “Mr. Trump made his antagonistic relationship with the media a centerpiece of his campaign, inciting his rally crowds to boo the press, singling out individual reporters with derogatory names like 'sleazebag' and using Twitter to attack coverage he didn’t like.” This doesn’t seem like the sort of behavior that would lead to an amicable meeting with some of the most influential people in the media.
At first glance, this meeting may seem like a step in the right direction for Trump, but political strategist Hilary Rosen told "The New York Times" that these meetings with the media are “nothing more than an attempt by his team’s part to take the horns off” following his somewhat vicious campaign and regular attacks on the media via Twitter.
The company set the example that it is imperative to respect whoever is elected into the presidency, regardless of beliefs. As a student aspiring to do editorial work, I appreciate the company making the effort to strengthen ties between the media and Trump.
"Teen Vogue", a Condé Nast publication, notoriously released a critical article about Trump because their audience consists of young women. As a writer, I think articles such as “Donald Trump is Gaslighting America” are acceptable considering it is the media’s job to not only provide us with the facts but also to present different points of view on all situations. Putting articles about politics in a magazine geared at young women is a bold move, but one that turned out successful for the brand.
Although some of the company’s employees silently protested the meeting, hosting this meeting sent a positive and important message to people throughout the nation.
During the election, it's all too easy to get caught up in our own political beliefs and became aggressive towards those who don’t share the same ideas. While this is understandable, there comes a time when we must set aside our differences and show respect toward the person who has been elected. We don’t have to like him, we don’t have to support him, we don’t even have to listen to his speeches, but what we do have to do is respect him. By being elected into one of the most influential positions in the world, he has earned that much; and by inviting him to their offices, Condé Nast has given him just that.
Regardless of the media’s relationship with Trump, they’re going to write a wide range of content regarding him, his family, and his presidency. However, Condé Nast reaching out to someone who has been so vocal about disliking the media was a good move on their part. They made an attempt to strengthen relations with Trump, so should he continue to bash the media industry, he will look nonsensical considering the media has made an effort to change his mind.
