Teen Vogue publishes party-line indoctrination dressed up as election guide
October 14, 2022
Teen Vogue published a piece this week headlined, “How to Help Candidates in the Tightest Midterm Election Races—Even If They’re Outside Your District.” But the guide is presented as an educational public service rather than than party-line indoctrination.
Teen Vogue’s audience is made up mostly of teenage and preteen girls that are new voters or will be in the next few years. Of course their readers should be informed, and as Teen Vogue aims to “educate the influencers of tomorrow,” it makes sense the magazine would put out a voter guide. But the guide is presented as an educational resource, not a guide to which candidates Teen Vogue wants them to support.
There’s a list of people who might welcome that aid. Well, why not suggest a few? This is the complete list: Abrams (D), Warnock (D), Demings (D), Beasley (D), Cortez Masto (D), Hobbs (D), Kelly (D).
Sure, that’s a significantly woman-heavy list, and Teen Vogue is aimed at the female side of that teenage population. It’s also true that today’s youth runs rather more D than R – just as youth has done for several generations. But the only suggestions about politics are Democrats?
Not entirely. there are issues that Teen Vogue suggests as well: Abortion, gun control and climate change. Would it surprise immensely to find out that the suggestions (Emily’s List, Gun Sense Voter and League of Conservation Voters) are on the liberal side of each of these discussions?
Teen Vogue is presenting this piece as a public service — but rather than helping its readers make their own decisions, it is exclusively pushing its own politics.
Teen Vogue ranks No. 441 in the usual listing of U.S. news and media outlets. It gains some 5.1 million visits a month from that position. It also describes itself as “educating the influencers of tomorrow.” We agree that that’s not just a valid goal, it’s a noble one. After all, who would want society influenced by the un- or ill-educated?
But that’s what makes this glaring bias so objectionable. Vote, or support, the straight party ticket isn’t educating the voters of today, let alone the influencers of tomorrow, now is it?