In this period of post-election transition, there have been thousands of op-eds published about the building of the new administration and what it means for the country. If there’s any sort of news outlet that’s managing not to cover election — or even election adjacent — news, it would be a major feat. Besides the fact that anything Donald Trump-related drives web traffic, everyone seems to have strong opinions about the President-Elect and his transition to the white house.
This week Teen Vogue reported on that very subject when they published an article by Lauren Duca entitled “Donald Trump is Gaslighting America.” Whether or not you agree with the content of the article — and in the name of full disclosure after having read it, I do — one of the most interesting things to come out of its publication was not so much that the content was groundbreaking, but rather the reaction to the outlet where it was published.
Teen Vogue, mostly known as a teen offshoot of the popular fashion magazine, is no stranger to the political, as much as its critics would like you to believe otherwise. Its homepage right now includes a piece about a woman’s experience protesting the DAPL, a report that a 14-year-old boy had been shot, and a truly helpful piece about completing the CSS profile. Of course there are also stories about H&M, Kylie Jenner, and crop tops, but honestly, you’d be hard-pressed to find a news outlet that hasn’t talked about Kylie Jenner in the past year. When it comes down to it, Teen Vogue is publishing pieces that are timely, culturally and politically significant, and most importantly of all, aimed at an audience that is largely ignored in the political sphere: teen girls.
When Duca’s article began making its rounds on the internet, many expressed surprise at the level of writing and reporting being conducted by the magazine. Unsurprisingly, others were less than impressed. Every writer has to expect criticism, especially in opinion writing, but the controversy and condescension being slung at Teen Vogue was only in part because of an opinion, the rest was in response to the idea that a magazine targeted at teen girls could have real political sway and quality content above the level of what young women put on their bodies.
People were surprised that Teen Vogue would come right out and directly say what many outlets wouldn’t, or would tone down. However, this isn’t new for Teen Vogue. Ever since Elaine Welteroth took the reigns as editor-in-chief the magazine has put more of its digital space and physical pages towards social and political commentary than ever before. Welteroth and her writers aren’t content to simply pander to the audience they think they have, they are giving real teen girls the content they know they are interested in and ready for.
In a time where quality news media and correct information should be one of our top priorities, the idea that a magazine is not a valid news source because of its name and audience is a ridiculous one. If the work is good, we should read it. And not only that but acknowledge where it came from and the part and power the young women who make up its subscriber base have in our country.
