View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
February 20, 2003updated 17 May 2007 11:30am

Women’s titles are ‘dumbing down’

By Press Gazette

Women’s magazines have been accused of dumbing down the quality of their editorial content and the images they use.

The criticisms were made this week by Bronwyn Cosgrave, who has just quit as features editor of Vogue to become editor of Harvey Nichols’ award-winning glossy, HN Magazine.

“I worked on Vogue for four years and when I look around women’s publications in England there has been a real dumbing down,” she said. “I would leave Vogue out of that because I think it has stayed consistently high quality, but when I look around and think what magazine would I like to edit, I can’t really find one.

“I just don’t think they are of the standard they should be at in terms of images – the quality of images that are being printed and in terms of the copy,” she told Press Gazette.

Cosgrave claimed the media landscape was changing and that standards in contract publishing had been raised significantly. “Look at HN Magazine. It’s a beautiful magazine, the dedication to detail is fastidious, the calibre of photographers we can attract is top,” she added.

Prior to Vogue, Cosgrave was editor-at-large of Frank magazine and beauty editor at Cosmopolitan. She has also contributed to The Sunday Times, the Evening Standard and the Daily Mail.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

By Ruth Addicott

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network