In the age of Trump, ignore women’s magazines at your peril
Glamour, Vogue leading charge to reflect new political interests of young female readers
NEW YORK— No one can predict with certainty the direction of women’s magazines, which have struggled to maintain print circulation as their newsstand sales fall.
But if you’re placing bets on a strategy that might help them flourish, look no further than Samantha Barry, the 36year-old woman who is reinventing Condé Nast’s legacy title, Glamour.
An Irish-born millennial with hardnews experience via BBC and CNN, she’s using her digital expertise to drag the title into the 21st century. Part of her plan is political. She’s seizing the moment to remind female readers that the big glossies have always been the best source of reporting on topics critical to women. With Donald Trump in the White House, Republicans in control of Congress and a potential abortion-outlawing majority coming to the U.S. Supreme Court this fall, magazines that were once fairly understated about politics have decided to take a stand. Editors at top women’s titles such as Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire are ramping up coverage of sexual harassment, reproductive rights and identity politics.
As younger American women use digital platforms to mobilize politically, these editors know they’ll have to meet readers where they’re most engaged. There’s a lot of money to be made there, too.
“The general public doesn’t understand the appetite women in America have today for all things politics, digitally,” Barry said in an interview at Condé Nast’s headquarters on the 30th floor of One World Trade Center.
“I could not have picked a better year to come and work at Glamour — to talk to and with women.”
And she’s not alone, as the biggest name in women’s magazines lends credence to this industrywide shift.
“At a time when our world is so politically active, it’s only right that we should be as engaged and as vocal as our readers,” said Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. “I’ve always believed Vogue — indeed, all Condé Nast titles — should really stand for something, and right now that’s more important than ever.”
Since the 2016 election, Americans have shown an increased interest in politics and demand for news. But when it comes to women, that thirst has proven unquenchable. Women of either political party are more likely than men to say they’re paying more attention to politics, according to a 2017 Pew Research Center survey. That’s almost 60 per cent of women, compared with 46 per cent of men.
Political involvement is up among women, too — particularly among those who are young and college-educated. Almost one in three women aged 18 to 49 has attended a political event or protest since the election, the Pew report shows. And a record number of women — a whopping 516 — are running for seats in Congress this November.
Glamour, Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire are looking to capitalize on this new landscape. They’ve all made political news coverage a priority, while some are hiring reporters with experience in political journalism and promoting their content aggressively on digital platforms.
While cosmetics, celebrities and other lighter fare remain prominent, these magazines have staked a claim in the world of hard news.
“We can’t be everything to everybody when it comes to political coverage,” Barry said. “The two things we want to feature this year in our storytelling are how women are voting and how they’re running for office.”
Cosmopolitan has published features looking to educate women on how to run for office and started a “#VoteTwice” campaign encouraging them to vote in both the primaries and mid-terms. “Our ambition is to spur action, whether that’s running for office, registering to vote or going to the polls during the midterm elections,” said ed- itor-in-chief Michele Promaulayko.
“Women are leading the resistance,” said Stephanie Schriock, the president of Emily’s List. “And women’s magazines have been invaluable assets in covering that story.”
The pivot toward more aggressive political coverage is also an existential imperative.
Ironically, the media group shuttered the print edition of Teen Vogue — the title whose sudden, unexpected political relevance established the template for what was to come. Meanwhile, Cosmopolitan’s parent Hearst cut 130 jobs in January after acquiring Rodale Inc.
Magazine print-advertising sales in the U.S. are expected to fall a further 14.5 per cent this year; the rate of decline is expected to exceed 20 per cent by 2020, according to Bloomberg Intelligence, citing advertisingin-sights firm Magna Global. The U.S. magazine market, made up of consumer and trade magazines, will bring in $28.9 billion (U.S.) by 2022, down from $30.2 billion in 2017, according to a recent Pricewaterhouse-Coopers forecast.
Still, as print sales continue to decline, digital traffic for glossies is skyrocketing. Overall, U.S. magazine publishers are estimated to grow digital circulation revenue by 3.6 per cent by 2022, increasing it from $1.1 billion to $1.3 billion, according to PwC.
Promalayko and Barry said the rise of digital is, in part, due to the success of their online political content.
Magazine digital and social channels are drawing younger audiences, and America’s youth are the most active participants in online political discourse — whether connecting with local officials, using political hashtags or looking up nearby rallies, according to Pew.
When it comes to young female readers, pushing political content on digital platforms is the not-so-secret ingredient for success.
However, neither Cosmopolitan nor Glamour will compromise coverage advocating for women’s reproductive rights — an issue both magazines have championed throughout their histories.
“That is something we have a firm view on,” Barry said.