OSP: Teen Vogue - Audience and Representation
Audience
Analyse the Conde Nast media pack for Teen Vogue
1)What is the Teen Vogue mission statement and what does this tell us about the target audience and audience pleasures?
"Teen Vogue is the young person’s guide to saving the world. We aim to educate, enlighten, and empower our audience to create a more inclusive environment (both on- and offline) by amplifying the voices of the unheard, telling stories that normally go untold, and providing resources for teens looking to make a tangible impact in their communities."
This tells us that the target audience are young (aged 16-24) and are well educated and enthusiastic about learning more about the world and making a change themselves.
2) What is the target audience for Teen Vogue? Use the media pack to pick out key aspects of the audience demographics. Also, consider the psychographic groups that would be attracted to Teen Vogue: make specific reference to the website design or certain articles to support your points regarding this.
3) What audience pleasures or gratifications can be found in Teen Vogue? Do these differ from the gratifications of traditional print-based magazines?
4) How is the audience positioned to respond to political news stories?
The audience are positioned to respond in a positive way and to engage with the news. They may share what they have read on their social media or take a more active approach. For example, the news story on black teens fighting for gun reforms may encourage them to also start campaigning and protesting.
5) How does Teen Vogue encourage audiences to interact with the brand – and each other – on social media? The ‘tentpoles and editorial pillars’ section of the media pack may help with this question.
Teen Vogue have many opportunities throughout the year for audience engagement. Examples include the Teen Vogue Summit, which 'inspires, encourages, and connects a new generation of activists, creators and innovators, providing them with the insights and tools to change the world.' The Summit is a place where readers can come together, get to know each other and share their interests. It's also an opportunity to see many inspirational speakers and activists.
They also have many awards, such as the 'Young Hollywood' and 'Acne awards'. Additionally, they have video and digital series that audiences can participate with- 'Pop Feminist', 'Thigh-High Politics' and 'Ask A'
Analyse the Conde Nast media pack for Teen Vogue
1)What is the Teen Vogue mission statement and what does this tell us about the target audience and audience pleasures?
"Teen Vogue is the young person’s guide to saving the world. We aim to educate, enlighten, and empower our audience to create a more inclusive environment (both on- and offline) by amplifying the voices of the unheard, telling stories that normally go untold, and providing resources for teens looking to make a tangible impact in their communities."
This tells us that the target audience are young (aged 16-24) and are well educated and enthusiastic about learning more about the world and making a change themselves.
2) What is the target audience for Teen Vogue? Use the media pack to pick out key aspects of the audience demographics. Also, consider the psychographic groups that would be attracted to Teen Vogue: make specific reference to the website design or certain articles to support your points regarding this.
- Target audience- predominately (63%) Gen Z/Millenials (those born 1981-2010)
Key stats-
- $11B spent on fashion and beauty- so they care about looks and clothing (true as there are many articles on the site everyday linked with beauty and fashion)
- #1 reaching influential activists
- 5.4M digital reach
- 13.1M social reach
- 24.4M video reach
Psychographics include-
- Reformers- Teen Vogue readers support changes to make a better society and aim to make a difference themselves too.
- Aspirers- Teen Vogue readers are interested in fashion and are inspired to be like the celebrities they read about.
- Succeeders- Teen Vogue features succeeders (like Hillary Clinton) and they are encouraged to share their views.
- Surveillance- Teen Vogue keep their audience up to date on the latest current affairs, from the US and around the globe - quite different to other print-based magazines as they don't usually feature news to the same quality. They also have news on the latest fashion and makeup, typical of magazines.
- Diversion- Teen Vogue feature a lot of content that provides entertainment for their readers, such as celebrity news, film & series and music.
The audience are positioned to respond in a positive way and to engage with the news. They may share what they have read on their social media or take a more active approach. For example, the news story on black teens fighting for gun reforms may encourage them to also start campaigning and protesting.
5) How does Teen Vogue encourage audiences to interact with the brand – and each other – on social media? The ‘tentpoles and editorial pillars’ section of the media pack may help with this question.
Teen Vogue have many opportunities throughout the year for audience engagement. Examples include the Teen Vogue Summit, which 'inspires, encourages, and connects a new generation of activists, creators and innovators, providing them with the insights and tools to change the world.' The Summit is a place where readers can come together, get to know each other and share their interests. It's also an opportunity to see many inspirational speakers and activists.
They also have many awards, such as the 'Young Hollywood' and 'Acne awards'. Additionally, they have video and digital series that audiences can participate with- 'Pop Feminist', 'Thigh-High Politics' and 'Ask A'
Representations
Look again at the Conde Nast media pack for Teen Vogue
1) What do the ‘tentpoles and editorial pillars’ (key events and features throughout the year) suggest about the representation of women and teenage girls on teenvogue.com?
They suggest that the women and teenage girls on TeenVogue are strong feminists that are interested in politics. They are also very well educated. The women are very inspirational and empowering, suggesting to Teen Vogue readers that they can also become like this.
1) What do the ‘tentpoles and editorial pillars’ (key events and features throughout the year) suggest about the representation of women and teenage girls on teenvogue.com?
They suggest that the women and teenage girls on TeenVogue are strong feminists that are interested in politics. They are also very well educated. The women are very inspirational and empowering, suggesting to Teen Vogue readers that they can also become like this.
2) How are issues of gender identity and sexuality represented in Teen Vogue?
Gender identity and sexuality is something that Teen Vogue is very passionate about. They acknowledge the fact that these issues need to be addressed and talk about to lead to a better, more open minded future.
Gender identity and sexuality is something that Teen Vogue is very passionate about. They acknowledge the fact that these issues need to be addressed and talk about to lead to a better, more open minded future.
3) Do representations of appearance or beauty in Teen Vogue reinforce or challenge traditional stereotypes?
To a large extent, representations of appearance and beauty in Teen Vogue reinforce traditional stereotypes. The models on the covers of Teen Vogue or on campaigns associated with Teen Vogue wear makeup and are photo shopped. They also usually feature skinny models which is quite hypocritical because Teen Vogue stress the importance of loving yourself and the idea that everyone is beautiful. However, the way they construct their covers may lead to some readers become insecure or developing mental health issues (such as depression or anorexia). Covers like the ones below:
However, Teen Vogue challenges stereotypes to some extent. They feature a wide range of diversities on their covers.
To a large extent, representations of appearance and beauty in Teen Vogue reinforce traditional stereotypes. The models on the covers of Teen Vogue or on campaigns associated with Teen Vogue wear makeup and are photo shopped. They also usually feature skinny models which is quite hypocritical because Teen Vogue stress the importance of loving yourself and the idea that everyone is beautiful. However, the way they construct their covers may lead to some readers become insecure or developing mental health issues (such as depression or anorexia). Covers like the ones below:
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| Clothing line with Nowadays and Skai |
However, Teen Vogue challenges stereotypes to some extent. They feature a wide range of diversities on their covers.
4) What is the patriarchy and how does Teen Vogue challenge it? Does it succeed?
Patriarchy is the idea that men hold all the power and dominate society, while women are subordinate. However, Teen Vogue challenges this. They don't believe that gender determines how much value or power you have. They encourage all young people to be the best versions of themselves.
Patriarchy is the idea that men hold all the power and dominate society, while women are subordinate. However, Teen Vogue challenges this. They don't believe that gender determines how much value or power you have. They encourage all young people to be the best versions of themselves.
5) Does Teen Vogue reinforce or challenge typical representations of celebrity?
I think that Teen Vogue do reinforce the traditional representations of celebrity. Most of the celebrity news is click bait that is intentional to generate excitement around Teen Vogue's brand. Although their stories aren't as bad as Daily Mail's gossip, they still are irrelevant, like the story about Dua Lipa's 'Cat Eye'.
Feature: how Teen Vogue represents the changing nature of media aimed at women
Read this Quartz feature - The true story of how Teen Vogue got mad, got woke, and began terrifying men like Donald Trump - and answer the following questions:
1) How was the Teen Vogue op-ed on Donald Trump received on social media?
Some people were astonished and praised Teen Vogue for their work- one user expressed pure astonishment: “Who would have guessed @TeenVogue might be the future of political news. Unreal coverage of the election.” Others took a more negative less kind, and a lot less subtle approach: “Go back to acne treatments,” one man snapped.
2) How have newspapers and magazines generally categorised and targeted news by gender?
Newspapers and magazines have generally limited the news delivered to women to topics deemed feminine: cooking, fashion & beauty, parenting, maybe even a little celebrity news. This was the complete opposite to news deemed 'masculine'. These included: business, politics and Arts & Literature.
Newspapers and magazines have generally limited the news delivered to women to topics deemed feminine: cooking, fashion & beauty, parenting, maybe even a little celebrity news. This was the complete opposite to news deemed 'masculine'. These included: business, politics and Arts & Literature.
3) How is this gender bias still present in the modern media landscape?
On the most part, this gender bias has and still is slowly being eliminated from modern media. However, some traditional media products will still include these stereotypes. For example, Cosmopolitan rarely feature any news relating to business or politics because they focus more on 'female related topics'.
On the most part, this gender bias has and still is slowly being eliminated from modern media. However, some traditional media products will still include these stereotypes. For example, Cosmopolitan rarely feature any news relating to business or politics because they focus more on 'female related topics'.
4) What impact did the alternative women’s website Jezebel have on the women’s magazine market?
It created a new model for women's media that is still in use today- the idea that women can enjoy fashion and celebrity gossip while also being well educated on news and politics. After Jezebel, all other women's magazines followed this new concept.
It created a new model for women's media that is still in use today- the idea that women can enjoy fashion and celebrity gossip while also being well educated on news and politics. After Jezebel, all other women's magazines followed this new concept.
5) Do you agree with the writer that female audiences can enjoy celebrity news and beauty tips alongside hard-hitting political coverage? Does this explain the recent success of Teen Vogue?
Yes I agree with the writer. This is also the reason why Teen Vogue has become so successful- it contains both skincare tips and Native American history lessons. 'Unlike Time or Newsweek, Teen Vogue is drawing explicitly from a rich tradition of aggressive, opinionated, adversarial coverage of sexist white men.'
6) How does the writer suggest feminists used to be represented in the media?
The writer suggests that feminists used to be represented as being stupid. They 'struggled to overcome the perception that they were sexless, grim bra-burners, uninterested in pleasure or aesthetics.'
The writer suggests that feminists used to be represented as being stupid. They 'struggled to overcome the perception that they were sexless, grim bra-burners, uninterested in pleasure or aesthetics.'
7) What is the more modern representation of feminism? Do you agree that this makes feminism ‘stereotyped as fluffy’?
Since feminists now also talk about makeup and Beyonce, they get called 'fluffy'. I don't think that this stereotype is very common, feminists are usually desribed as being extreme and wanting woman dominance over men.
Since feminists now also talk about makeup and Beyonce, they get called 'fluffy'. I don't think that this stereotype is very common, feminists are usually desribed as being extreme and wanting woman dominance over men.
8) What contrasting audience pleasures for Teen Vogue are suggested by the writer in the article as a whole?
The fact that Teen Vogue can offer both female beauty & fashion tips as well as useful everyday news. These include politics, economics and university life. These pleasures can be surveillance and diversion.
The fact that Teen Vogue can offer both female beauty & fashion tips as well as useful everyday news. These include politics, economics and university life. These pleasures can be surveillance and diversion.
9) The writer suggests that this change in representation and audience pleasures for media products aimed at women has emerged from the feminist-blog movement. How can this be linked to Clay Shirky’s ‘end of audience’ theory?
Clay Shirky talks about how people are now longer passive vessels when consuming media. They now create their own content and share their own ideas. The fact that feminist blogs were responsible for the change in women's media proves Shirky's theory. Women were not happy with the way they were treated so they decided to change it themselves.
10) Is Teen Vogue simply a product of the Trump presidency or will websites and magazines aimed at women continue to become more hard-hitting and serious in their offering to audiences?
I believe that Trump's presidency sparked a change in Teen Vogue to some extent. Indeed, it was the article on Trump 'Gaslighting America' by Lauren Duca that gained massive publicity and led to Teen Vogue realising what their audience is interested in and what content they should make more of. However, I believe that more magazines aimed at women will soon become like this when they realise it's the only way to keep an active and interested readership.
I believe that Trump's presidency sparked a change in Teen Vogue to some extent. Indeed, it was the article on Trump 'Gaslighting America' by Lauren Duca that gained massive publicity and led to Teen Vogue realising what their audience is interested in and what content they should make more of. However, I believe that more magazines aimed at women will soon become like this when they realise it's the only way to keep an active and interested readership.
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