In a statement Wednesday night, Teen Vogue editor Alexi McCammond indicated she isn’t going to step down, apologized again for her previous racist tweets, which came to light last week, and said she is “committed to sharing myself with all of you and to having difficult conversations so that I am always bettering myself…. now as a newsroom leader.”
Last weekend, social media posts from 2011 were resurfaced in which McCammond mocked Asian people and used racist language.
“I’m so sorry to have used such hurtful and inexcusable language,” McCammond said in a lengthy statement linked to her Twitter page. “At any point in my life, it’s totally unacceptable. I hear that you’re hurt, angry, confused, and skeptical of how we move on from here. I probably would be too if I were you,” McCammond continued, likely addressing the Teen Vogue staff.
Towards the end of her statement, McCammond addressed her plans for moving forward while staying on as Teen Vogue’s editor-in-chief. She promised to share a “more comprehensive plan about Teen Vogue’s editorial commitment to uplifting and reflecting the true complexities and beauties of the AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) community.”
On March 8, the editors and staff of Teen Vogue released an open letter social media that rebuked McCammond’s past remarks. “We are hopeful that an internal conversation will prove fruitful in maintaining the integrity granted to us by our audience,” the staff said. A copy of the statement was also sent to Conde Nast management. Teen Vogue’s staff added, “we fully reject those sentiments” McCammond expressed.
That same day McCammond apologized to staff in an internal memo, and said, “those tweets aren’t who I am.”
McCammond said she’d been “inspired by recent conversations with the Asian American Journalists Association and “other industry leaders who are willing to help me think through how I will be implementing lasting, longterm, critical changes to our coverage and who share my desire to ensure that we remain a safe and inclusive workplace.”
The comments McCammond made have already cost Teen Vogue more than its reputation — cosmetics chain Ulta Beauty suspended an advertising deal with the magazine this week because of her statements.
“I’m deeply sorry that our introduction has happened this way and I’m asking you to judge us based on the work that we do from here on out,” McCammond said. “I’m also asking you to hold me accountable as we embark on this journey together. This dialogue is only beginning and I feel eternally grateful to continue with all of you.”
https://twitter.com/alexi/status/1369835727094157318