essence

Essence Magazine Cans White Republican Editor in Fun Teachable Moment

Hamilton Nolan · 04/24/12 09:26AM

Essence magazine is, like, Glamour for black people. It is a completely bland and inoffensive publication. Still, given the racial politics in America and the general dearth of big black media outlets, Essence's moves are scrutinized through a more sociopolitical lens than Glamour's would be. Which makes everyday office scandals all the more entertaining.

The Year's Best Media Scandals

Hamilton Nolan · 12/29/10 12:18PM

When the media becomes the news, everyone is entertained. Media scandals are the best scandals of all, for their enjoyable mix of forced professionalism and palpable discomfort. Come; let us look back at the year's ten best.

Glenn Beck Survives

Hamilton Nolan · 11/05/09 01:45PM

In your thumping Thursday media column: Glenn Beck does not die on the operating table, more rumor-details on the Essence layoffs, Fortune and SI get hacked, and a dying newspaper goes glossy, for unknown reasons.

Time Inc. Layoffs Hit People, Essence

Hamilton Nolan · 11/04/09 02:03PM

In your completely laid-off Wednesday media column: details on more Time Inc. layoffs and buyouts at People and Essence, Fortune Small Business folds, and various ways that magazine publishers are terrorists.

More Media Cuts

cityfile · 11/14/08 02:40PM

More layoffs today in the wonderful world of media: In addition to cuts at EW and Essence, 8-10 people were let go yesterday from InStyle. Blackbook canned its creative director. Jim Cramer's NYC-based finance site, TheStreet.com, closed its offices in San Francisco. Bauer Publishing laid off five editorial people from Life & Style. Forbes dismissed staffers assigned to ForbesAutos.com, scaled back ForbesTraveler.com, and closed its conference business. But despite rumors to the contrary, Nylon says it is not closing down, so it isn't all bad news today.

Time Inc.'s Painfully Slow Layoffs

Ryan Tate · 11/13/08 11:27PM

We asked earlier for tips about layoffs at Time Inc.'s Essence, and have since heard about 12 people were let go — around 10 from marketing and business and two from editorial. A shared services group on the same floor, which services several magazines, lost four more. It's been nearly a month now of watching Time Inc. layoffs unfurl, and we can't help but wonder if the magazine group might not have spared survivors some pain and the company some bad publicity by executing a little faster.

Time Inc. Layoffs: EW, Essence

Hamilton Nolan · 11/13/08 04:22PM

Entertainment Weekly took its turn in the Time Inc. layoff machine today with 15 editorial layoffs, according the the Observer [UPDATE: Another source tells us the number is 22, including the research chief, two librarians, and "a bunch of AEs"]. And they didn't even offer anyone a chance to volunteer for buyouts—they just got fired. We also hear that Essence may be having its layoffs today, too. If you have more details, email us.

Actually, The Dead-Mom-In-A-Bucket Story Got Him A Job At "O"

Nick Douglas · 02/12/08 04:42PM

Sometimes you can see the moment when a YouTuber graduates from a sloppy wannabe comedian to promising talent in one breakout video. Weirdly enough, Adrien Chen's mock video application to Essence Magazine hasn't even broken a thousand views on Vimeo or YouTube. Maybe everyone stopped halfway through and missed the racism (not racist!) joke that ties the whole thing together.