The Daily Beast
Teen Vogue’s new lead editor after reaction against former racist tweets
Marion Curtis / StarPix for Magnolia Pictures / Shutterstock A few days before starting work, Teen Vogue’s new editor-in-chief came out in the post after internal uproar over her decade-old tweets about Asians. The Daily Beast that Alexi McCammond, a former Axios political reporter who was hired by Condé Nast earlier this month to lead Teen Vogue, will no longer participate in the fashion and lifestyle publication. Shortly after the publication of this story, McCammond posted a statement on Twitter: “My previous tweets obscured the work I did to highlight the people and issues I care about … and so Condé Nast and I decided to part ways,” he wrote. Is it over there. And in an email to Stan Duncan’s team, sent by Condé Nast to The Daily Beast, the company’s personnel director wrote that “After speaking with Alexi this morning, we agreed that it was best to separate, so as not to overshadow the important work going on at Teen Vogue. ” M Several people familiar with the situation told The Daily Beast that Condé’s management called a meeting with employees for Thursday afternoon to discuss the departure of the new editor. McCammond was announced as a rising political star among the DC press for her gimmick stories about the Trump White House and the 2020 presidential campaign, which earned her a National Association of Black Journalists award in 2019 and frequent appearances as a contributor to the MSNBC. But her appointment to Teen Vogue ran into trouble a few days after she was chosen to be the main editor. Shortly after the announcement of her appointment to the digital publication, critics of McCammond’s hiring resurfaced tweets that she posted in 2011 using racist stereotypes about Asians. researching how not to wake up with puffy Asian eyes … ”McCammond, who is black, wrote in one of the tweets, posted when she was in college. “Give me a 2/10 score on my chemistry problem, cross out all my work and don’t explain what I did wrong … thanks a lot TA stupid Asian, you’re great”, said another. McCammond had previously apologized for the tweets when they first resurfaced in 2019 and apologized again earlier this month, both in public statements and in internal memos to his new colleagues. People familiar with the situation told The Daily Beast that McCammond met with the team individually to apologize and discuss the future. The internal reaction was mixed: some employees who spoke to The Daily Beast remained apprehensive, while others felt that McCammond felt due remorse for the posts he made as a teenager. “You saw some stupid and offensive tweets from when I was a teenager that perpetuated harmful and racist stereotypes about Asian Americans. I apologized for them years ago, but I want to be clear today: I deeply apologize to all of you for the pain this has caused, ”she wrote in a note to the Teen Vogue team. Hello: I decided to split up ways with Condé Nast. Here is my statement on why – pic.twitter.com/YmnHVtZSce— Alexi McCammond (@alexi) March 18, 2021 “There is no excuse for language like this. I am determined to use the lessons I learned as a journalist to defend a more diverse and egalitarian world. These tweets are not who I am, but I understand that I have lost some of your confidence and I will work twice as hard to earn it back. I want you to know that I am committed to amplifying the voices of AAPI on our platforms and based on the innovative and inclusive work that this title is known around the world. High-profile media figures, including MSNBC presenter Chris Hayes and NBC Peacock’s Mehdi Hasan, jumped to his defense, arguing that McCammond should not be professionally punished for social media posts when he was a teenager. Despite the outcry, the magazine’s own editor initially supported McCammond. According to several people with knowledge of the situation, Condé Nast was aware of the tweets before McCammond was hired and questioned her about the old posts. The company initially defended McCammond in a series of statements to reporters, and published a public apology and statement on Teen Vogue’s Instagram account. But the public reaction to the resurgent tweets seemed to shake the Teen Vogue team. Many were still skeptical about how the publisher handled racial issues after the company’s entire internal settlement last year about claims that it promoted a toxic work environment for non-white employees. Several people familiar with the matter also told The Daily Beast that the magazine team felt that Condé Nast was taking too long to respond to criticisms of past social media posts, as many readers warned the publication and its team online in the middle of a conversation. national report on high-profile acts of racism and violence against Asians. After hiring McCammond, Teen Vogue employees sent a letter to Condé Nast’s content director, Anna Wintour, and CEO Roger Lynch, expressing their concerns about social media posts and the public outcry. In addition, they posted a public statement of solidarity with those concerned about McCammond’s old tweets. Beauty brand Ulta runs Vogue ads for teenagers about old racist tweets from the new editor-in-chief “We listen to our readers’ concerns and are with you. In a time of historically high anti-Asian violence and in the midst of the ongoing struggles of the LGBTQ community, we, as the Teen Vogue team, totally reject these feelings, ”wrote the officials in their public note. “We are hopeful that an internal conversation will be fruitful to maintain the integrity bestowed on us by our audience.” Wintour hastily called a virtual meeting with employees earlier this month as a result. And the uproar over McCammond’s tweets has shaken the confidence of at least one advertiser. Popular cosmetics and skin care retailer Ulta Beauty told The Daily Beast earlier this month that it suspended its seven-figure advertising campaign with the publication owned by Condé Nast. “Diversity and inclusion are fundamental values at Ulta Beauty – and always have been,” said a company spokesman. “Our current spending on Teen Vogue has been paused while we work with Condé Nast to assess the situation and determine the next steps in relation to our partnership.” Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Submit to The Daily Beast here. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Subscribe now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper into the stories that matter to you. To know more.