Vogue’s Anna Wintour Promoted to Condé Nast First-Ever Global Chief Content Officer Despite Diversity Backlash
Anna Wintour, who is known for her portrayal in the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada, has been promoted to an even higher position at Condé Nast despite recent controversy over the lack of diversity in staff at the fashion magazine.
The British Journalist who has served as the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue since 1988 has just been given yet another promotion, and people have mixed feelings about it. As the former artistic director and global content advisor of the mass media company Condé Nast, Wintour has just been promoted to the first-ever global chief content officer and will oversee other magazines within the umbrella of the company, including The New Yorker, Wired, Glamour, Architectural Digest, and more. According to CNN, Wintour’s promotion was part of Condé Nast’s plan to “bring together its US and global operations as it seeks profitability. Wintour will stay especially close to Vogue, serving as the brand’s global editorial director.”
This promotion gives Wintour more power than ever before, and many in the public dislike this. Just this year, Condé Nast was in the headlines for staff agitation due to diversity issues. Rumors had it that Wintour had acted intolerant towards African-American creators and made it difficult for them to work at the company, specifically at Vogue. According to Page Six, in a staff memo in June, Wintour acknowledged her past actions and stated that she wanted “to say plainly that I know Vogue has not found enough ways to elevate and give space to Black editors, writers, photographers, designers, and other creators. We have made mistakes too, publishing images or stories that have been hurtful or intolerant. I take full responsibility for those mistakes.”
Condé Nast has named Anna Wintour its first-ever global chief content officer, giving the longtime Vogue editor oversight of all the media company’s brands after a year punctuated by layoffs and staff unrest over diversity issues https://t.co/z6RCRakpYU
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) December 15, 2020
This past summer, many had speculated that Wintour would be fired from her long-time job at Vogue; with this promotion, it seems that her career is surprisingly intact. Roger Lynch, the CEO of Condé Nast, gave a statement to the media about Wintour’s promotion. According to CNN, he stated, “Anna’s appointment represents a pivotal moment for Condé Nast as her ability to stay ahead in connecting with new audiences, while cultivating and mentoring some of today’s brightest talent in the industry, has made her one of media’s most distinguished executives.”
Just in: we unveiled our new global content strategy, leadership teams and structure. We will transform our creative operations to better serve audiences and advertising partners by appointing global leadership teams to our brands. https://t.co/30D9ZuoHWc pic.twitter.com/O3u1a7urQS
— Condé Nast (@CondeNast) December 15, 2020
On social media, fans have been voicing their displeasure about Wintour’s promotion despite her intolerant behavior towards people of color in the workplace. Many have stated that her promotion does not make sense in light of what she admitted to in her memo.
“Anna Wintour promoted to role of Vogue’s first-ever global chief content officer”
— Victor🧸🤸🏽♂️ (@just4victor) December 17, 2020
Me: pic.twitter.com/aChItbeGaf
We look forward to hearing more about Condé Nast’s plan to expand their outreach in the future and hope that Wintour and others will try to improve the workplace environment for Black creators going forward.
