Teen Voices. Editor: Jessica Moore. Women Express, Inc. ISSN: 1074-7494Description:
Teen Voices is a magazine created for and written by teenage girls. It was launched in 1989 in Boston. The magazine sponsors journalism workshops for its contributors, but it also accepts submissions from any girl aged 13 through 19. The print version is published twice a year in April and November; the online version is published monthly. The magazine primarily focuses on social issues rather than the usual topics in teen girl magazines such as fashion and pop culture. The Fall 2010 issue includes articles about women in politics, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and female genital mutilation. Regular features include “College Prep,” “GLBT Youth,” “Art Beat,” and “Food Buzz,” among others. The magazine also features original stories and poetry.
Critical Evaluation:
The mission of Teen Voices is an admirable one. Rather than the traditional teenage girl magazine fare of fashion, makeup, and boys, this one focuses on social issues, responsible consumerism, and creativity. It’s refreshing to read a magazine that features articles on things like how American Apparel ads exploit young women rather than just how cute their clothes are, especially when those articles are written by young women who are considering these issues themselves rather than just listening to an adult tell them what to think. The teens who contribute to the magazine have written articles that are well researched and provide opinions that are intelligent. The message of social responsibility is excellent, especially coming from girls who are the same age as the readers.
The magazine isn’t as flashy as other magazines marketed to teen girls, but it has a young look, as if the girls themselves were the ones who put it together. Because of the message of responsible consumerism, the magazine isn’t overrun with ads. Very little of its revenue is due to advertising. The way the magazine is put together is interesting, as well. The publishers primarily work with inner city girls in Boston through workshops, giving them the opportunity to learn valuable journalism skills as well as life skills. Not all the submissions are from them, however, as the magazine will accept work from any girl under the age of 19, giving teen girls a wonderful opportunity to consider the world around them and share their opinions. This is truly an entertaining magazine with a wonderful message for girls.
Reader's Annotation:
Teen Voices is a magazine by teen girls for teen girls that focuses on social issues affect them.
Editor Information:
Jessica Moore has a B.A. in English Literature and French from Penn State University. She has worked in journalism for 12 years. She spent five years as the senior Web producer for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, where she covered major news events and developed the website’s arts coverage. She has also worked as the senior web editor for Media Matters for America and spent two years heading up the online portion of U.S. News and World Report’s college rankings list.
Before becoming editor of Teen Voices, she was managing editor of Digital Media at Sesame Workshop. After being laid off from that job, she was offered the position of editor. Despite the rather drastic pay cut, she took the job immediately.
Genre:
Young Women's Magazine
Curriculum Ties:
Journalism
Booktalking Ideas:
N/A
Reading Level/Interest Age:
13 and older
Challenge Issues:
Regular GLBT feature
Challenge Defense Ideas:
- Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
- If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
- Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
- Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.
Reasons for Selection:
As a magazine that is both for teens and written by teens, this is a great resource.
