Essence Denies Toxic Workplace Allegations After Anonymous Call for Resignations

As it marks its 50th anniversary this month amid a multi-weekend, virtual edition of its annual music and culture festival, Essence finds itself on the defensive, refuting allegations of a toxic work environment rife with corporate bullying, intimidation and pay inequity made in an anonymous letter released Sunday, which called for the resignations of several of the magazine's executives. Purportedly written by current and/or former staffers who said they withheld their identities for fear of retaliation, the letter, titled "The Truth About Essence," accused CEO and owner Richelieu Dennis and other senior executives of fostering an "extremely unhealthy work culture" at the publication, which they said upheld a "longstanding pattern of gross mistreatment and abuse of its Black female employees," which make up over 80% of Essence's workforce. "The testimonies on Twitter and Instagram by a mighty chorus of brave Black women uncovered the racial bias and discrimination in America’s white-owned mass media organizations. This led to resignations followed by recent corporate promises to do better," the letter stated. "But Black women at Essence have been forced to remain silent. We fear cannibalizing the public narrative for Black Lives Matter and civil rights 2.0. We also fear losing our jobs or being banished from Black cultural spaces." The letter detailed a litany of alleged transgressions by management, including "tactical bullying" and "malignant and histrionic... Continue reading at 'Folio Magazine'

[ Folio Magazine | 2020-06-30 17:51:48 UTC ]
News tagged with: #cancel culture #sexual misconduct

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IDW Debuts Spanish Graphic Novel Line with Takei's 'They Called Us Enemy'

IDW kicks off its Spanish-language graphic novel publishing initiative with George Takei's bestsellilng graphic memoir 'They Called Us Enemy,' to be released in a Spanish edition in June 2020. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-11-21 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #graphic novel #graphic memoir #publishing initiative #george takei


Authors call out John Lewis for 'similarities' between Christmas ad and children's books

John Lewis' Christmas advert has come under fire as author and former bookseller Jen Campbell highlighted the similarities between the advert and her children’s book Franklin’s Flying Bookshop (Thames & Hudson). Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-18 10:24:18 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #bookseller #children’s book #bookshop #christmas ad #john lewis #authors call #christmas advert


Profiles in Thinking About Courage: inside ‘A Warning’ by Anonymous

A WARNING By Anonymous. Twelve. 259 pp. $30 There is a good reason the anonymous Trump administration official who published an opinion essay in the New Y... Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2019-11-13 20:45:27 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #good reason


Anonymous book describes volatile, incompetent Trump

A forthcoming book by an anonymous author identified only as "a senior official in the Trump administration" describes U.S. President Donald Trump as volatile, incompetent and unfit to be commander in chief, according to excerpts published by The... Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2019-11-08 04:31:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #trump administration #senior official


Kohl’s calls on AI to help power through holiday season

Retailer is using AI to help with digital media bidding on Google as it strives to differentiate itself in the festive period; the brand is also running a new football-themed holiday spot from RGA. Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2019-11-06 20:31:35 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #digital media #festive period #holiday season


Florida men deny smalltown library access to the New York Times online, citing “fake news.”

The bullpen of the 1993 San Diego Padres Citrus County Commission (pictured above) has denied funding to county libraries for digital subscriptions to the New York Times. Led by left-handed middle-reliever area man Scott Carnahan, the commission (comprised of Scott, Jeff, Ron, Jimmie, and Brian)... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2019-11-05 16:08:55 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #libraries #digital subscriptions #denied funding


US Justice Department Gives Hachette ‘A Warning’ About Its Anonymous Author

The Justice Department has written to Hachette about 'A Warning,' asserting that its anonymous author may be in violation of nondisclosure agreements. The post US Justice Department Gives Hachette ‘A Warning’ About Its Anonymous Author appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-11-04 19:33:48 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #hachette #nondisclosure agreements #anonymous author #justice department


“In the Dream House,” Reviewed: Carmen Maria Machado’s Many Haunted Stories of a Toxic Relationship

Katy Waldman reviews Carmen Maria Machado’s ”In the Dream House,“ a formally inventive memoir that recounts the author’s experience with an abusive relationship. Continue reading at New Yorker

[ New Yorker | 2019-10-31 17:04:01 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #memoir #abusive relationship #toxic relationship #dream house


Huq joins call to scrap 'reading tax'

Konnie Huq has delivered a letter to 11 Downing Street which demanded that Sajid Javid scrap VAT for e-books.   Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-31 15:02:48 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #konnie huq #reading tax


Konnie Huq and 90 MPs call for end to 'reading tax' in UK

TV star joins delegation to the chancellor of the exchequer demanding an end to VAT on digital books, which traditional publications escapeChildren’s laureate Cressida Cowell and former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq have joined 90 MPs calling on the government to scrap the “reading tax” on... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-10-31 15:01:27 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #ebooks #letter signed #digital books #reading tax #konnie huq


In “Find Me,” André Aciman’s “Call Me by Your Name” sequel, returning home is bittersweet

The novel assumes a different structure to probe the difficulties of going back. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2019-10-29 16:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #returning home #andr aciman


LVMH bids for Tiffany and Disney media review causes controversy: Monday Wake-Up Call

Welcome to Ad Age’s Wake-Up Call, our daily roundup of advertising, marketing, media and digital news. If you're reading this online or in a forwarded email, here's the link to sign up for our Wake-Up Call newsletters. You can get an audio version of this briefing on your Alexa device; sign up... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2019-10-28 10:22:02 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #publishing world #i-hsien sherwood #revenue stream #e-commerce play #adrianne pasquarelli #happy holidays


What marketers need to know about the publishing revolution: Hear from Vox, WSJ, NYT, Hearst, Essence, Condé Nast and more

For publishers, this is a time of radical reinvention marked by a breakneck pace of innovation—and for the marketers that partner with them to connect with consumers, keeping up with the changing landscape is an endless challenge. To help make sense of everything that’s happening... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2019-10-25 16:35:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #traditional publishing #digital media #register heretoday #networking lunch #sessions start #mini-conference format #great thing #media company #revenue stream #e-commerce play #complex media #rich antoniello #commercial strategy #jarrod dicker #bloomberg media


WPP returns to growth and Facebook News offers publishers ‘free money’: Friday Wake-Up Call

Welcome to Ad Age’s Wake-Up Call, our daily roundup of advertising, marketing, media and digital news. If you're reading this online or in a forwarded email, here's the link to sign up for our Wake-Up Call newsletters. You can get an audio version of this briefing on your Alexa device; sign up... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2019-10-25 10:25:54 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #hearst #parting gift #final season #silicon valley #anthony crupi #profits fell


Zuckerberg faces Congress as Facebook prepares to debut news tab: Thursday Wake-Up Call

Welcome to Ad Age’s Wake-Up Call, our daily roundup of advertising, marketing, media and digital news. If you're reading this online or in a forwarded email, here's the link to sign up for our Wake-Up Call newsletters. You can get an audio version of this briefing on your Alexa device; sign up... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2019-10-24 10:29:51 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #publishing world #digital media #young boy #i-hsien sherwood #ann-christine diaz


Rosen calls for libraries in schools to be made compulsory

Children's novelist Michael Rosen has written an open letter calling for libraries to be made compulsory in schools, backed by ringfenced government money to support libraries and the training of librarians. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-22 10:47:59 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #libraries #support libraries


NYT's 'Anonymous' Trump Official to Publish with Twelve

The White House staffer who wrote an anonymous opinion piece for the 'New York Times' last year, in which he declared himself "part of the resistance," is publishing a book with Hachette's Twelve imprint. 'A Warning' is set to be released next month. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-10-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Francis Ford Coppola hates on Marvel, calling MCU movies ‘despicable’

The Oscar-winning filmmaker did not hold back when asked for his opinion on comic book movies. Here we go again.Read Full Story Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2019-10-21 12:25:56 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #comic book #hold back


MPs back PA campaign calling for end to VAT on e-books and audiobooks

Nearly 40 MPs have signed a letter calling for the Chancellor to remove VAT on e-books and audiobooks. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-21 10:27:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #letter calling #remove vat


Media experts on the future of publishing: Hear from Condé Nast, Essence, NYT, Vox, WSJ and more

For publishers, this is a time of radical reinvention marked by a breakneck pace of innovation. To make sense of the changing landscape for both digital-native and traditional publishers, Ad Age is convening a high-level gathering of some of the best minds in the business. At Ad Age Publishing:... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2019-10-18 16:17:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #digital media #register heretoday #networking lunch #sessions start #mini-conference format #great thing #media company #revenue stream #e-commerce play #complex media #rich antoniello #commercial strategy #jarrod dicker #bloomberg media