Teen Vogue and the
evolution of women’s
magazines
Here, Hope Williams, who graduated in 2019 from our BA English Literature and Communication &
Media programme, presents a case study of Teen Vogue as she discusses the new politics of women’s
magazines. The work was submitted as part of COMM341: Understanding Magazines.
This analysis will investigate women’s magazines by looking at Teen
Vogue, as it epitomises the ways in which women’s magazines have
evolved to more accurately represent the modern woman. Their current
discourse surrounding politics, social activism and resistance adds value
to girls’ popular culture, demystifying popular ideas by “acknowledging
that girls’ lived experiences go well beyond fashion, popular music,
television and the internet,” (Mazzarella & Pecora, 2007, p.116).
Research into this progression is important as Ytre-Arne (2011, p.247)
argues, “research on women’s magazines emphasises their political
relevance as purveyors of ideology about class, family structures and
women’s role in society”. Therefore, this analysis hopes to highlight the
kind of messages young women are receiving and how this compares to
those conveyed in traditional women’s magazines.
The sample selected for this analysis includes three articles published
by Teen Vogue. The first is an interview from the September 2016 issue
between Amandla Stenberg and Gloria Steinem titled ‘Amandla in
Conversation with Gloria’. The second is an article from the December
2016 issue, about women at work, titled ‘Great Minds’. Lastly, an online
article published by Lauren Duca, titled ‘Donald Trump is Gaslighting
America’. The print magazines were chosen from a period after June
2016, as Elaine Welteroth became the new editor, and before September
2017, when Teen Vogue’s print run ended. The analysis of different
types of articles enables a wider look at how their message is integrated
throughout the magazine. Additionally, looking at their online profile
allows for an analysis of how their discourse shifts when readers have
the ability to choose what they read.
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