Something Novel

For teens, a print renaissance might be afoot.

It would seem a strange time to go all in on a print magazine, let alone one geared at digital-native Gen Z readers. Last April, Roger Lynch, the CEO of Condé Nast, announced the end of several publications, including Self, the health and wellness magazine, along with Glamour’s German, Spanish, and Mexican editions. Months earlier, Condé laid off 70 percent of the staff of Teen Vogue and folded it under the Vogue umbrella as part of a shift away from coverage of politics and activism and toward career development and cultural leadership. The moves at Condé came a year after the mass layoffs at Hearst Magazines, when close to two hundred people lost their jobs. And yet in the coming months, a spate of new magazines will emerge, targeting an unexpected audience: teenagers.