In this week’s issue: This week at The Objective, two new stories. Vogue’s merger with Teen Vogue led to the latter’s politics team being cut. And a letter from the Civic Media Magazine editors introducing the digital edition.
Plus, our media round-up features our upcoming event focused on making a safer media ecosystem for trans people, the quiet cuts at McClatchy, and commentary on legacy media’s inability to cover Zohran Mamdani.
—James Salanga
LABOR, GENDER & SEXUALITY
Vogue guts Teen Vogue Politics team
Image by James Salanga.
Teen Vogue’s Politics team had established itself as a legitimate outlet reporting on politics for a younger generation. Cuts by Vogue means the team is no more. Now, Condé has fired four Condé Union leaders for asking about the cuts.
“The very section that made Teen Vogue stand out amid the country’s major news sources for taking youth seriously and for its progressive coverage is gone,” I wrote.
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CIVIC MEDIA SERIES
A letter from the Civic Media Magazine editors
Illustration by Erik Rodriguez.
Introducing the digital version of the Civic Media Magazine: The stories here show what’s possible when we reimagine local news not just as something to consume, but as a tool for community action.
“A vibrant civic media movement has emerged, reimagining how local news can serve communities. These people and organizations — whether they’re training residents to cover public meetings, documenting immigration raids, or helping people track wildfires — demonstrate journalism can be more than a business. It can be a public good, helping communities solve problems.”
Have you ordered your civic media magazine yet?
In a new collaboration between The Objective and News Futures, 14 practitioners share their perspectives on building local, participatory, and durable information systems for the next decade.
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
A bit more media
🏳️⚧️ Trans journalists, media-makers, and allies — you’re invited: Register by Nov. 12 for The Objective’s free virtual convening (on Nov. 14) around developing a safer media ecosystem for trans people.
🏛️ McClatchy lays off real-time news staffers, exits WH press pool: The media company is also closing its DC bureau, reports Oliver Darcy of Status News.
📝 Legacy media doesn’t know how to cover Zohran Mamdani normally: Despite becoming the mayor-elect of New York City, legacy media covers Zohran Mamdani with contempt and hostility.
📰 The New York Daily News Union has a CBA: “When we formed this union five years ago, we aimed to safeguard against the wrath of Alden, a hedge fund notorious for scrapping newspapers for parts,” Clayton Guse posted on X.
🪐 Science News Guild is demanding a fair contract: “Workers at Science News and Science News Explores have been bargaining their first union contract for over a year now. Despite the entire staff's proven ability to work effectively from home, management maintains an unfair policy of forcing some staff to work on site. Moreover, despite tens of millions in revenue, employees receive paltry wage increases through an opaque pay structure,” the SN Guild’s petition page states.
💻 Google’s former news chief on the system he architected: Coda’s Natalia Antelava spoke to former Google news chief Richard Gringas and asked him about his time and impact with the tech giant, and the relationship between Google and journalism.
Have a story you think we should include in this section of next week’s newsletter? Let us know here or by responding to this email.
JOURNALISM IN A GRAF
Quote of the week
“And we’re told that the Bari Barrier costs $10,000 daily. The figure for the unprecedented detail would be eye-catching enough. But the leak comes as the struggling network lost 100 staffers in a bloodbath, which has affected those at every level of the storied news organization right up to Lisa Ling — the onetime ‘The View’ co-host who announced last week that she’s been let go as a contributor.”
Thanks for reading. We’ll have more for you next week.
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