Editing Ms. (magazine)

{{Short description|American liberal feminist magazine}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox magazine
| title = Ms.
| logo = Ms. logo raspberry.svg
| image_file = Ms. magazine Cover - Fall 2007.jpg
| image_size = 
| image_alt = 
| image_caption = ''Ms.'' magazine cover, Fall 2007, 35th Anniversary issue featuring Wonder Woman
| editor = [[Katherine Spillar]]
| editor_title = Executive Editor
| frequency = Quarterly
| circulation = 110,000<ref>{{cite news|title=Truth in Advertising|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB120121678290915051|first=Jay|last=Lefkowitz|date=2008-01-25|newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|access-date=2009-10-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Ms. Magazine Names Editor|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/27/arts/27MS.html|date=2003-03-27|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=2009-10-06}}</ref>
| category = [[Feminism]]
| company = [[Feminist Majority Foundation]]
| publisher = Liberty Media for Women, LLC
| firstdate = {{start date and age|1971|12}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Ms. Magazine - HerStory|url=http://www.msmagazine.com/about.asp|access-date=2009-10-06|publisher=Ms. Magazine}}</ref>
| country = [[United States]]
| based = [[Arlington County, Virginia|Arlington County]], [[Virginia]], U.S.
| language = English
| website = {{URL|http://msmagazine.com}}
| issn = 0047-8318
}}
'''''Ms.''''' is an American [[feminist]] magazine co-founded in 1971 by journalist and social/political activist [[Gloria Steinem]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|title=An Oral History of 'Ms.' Magazine -- New York Magazine - Nymag|url=https://nymag.com/news/features/ms-magazine-2011-11/|access-date=2020-11-27|website=New York Magazine|date=October 28, 2011 |language=en-us}}</ref> It was the first national American feminist magazine.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EZ-yXBMtFysC&pg=PA167 |title=A topical history of the United States|last=Baydo|first=Gerald|via=Google Books|date=March 25, 1998 |access-date=January 7, 2014|page=423|publisher=Routledge |isbn=9780415164009}}</ref> The original editors were [[Letty Cottin Pogrebin]], [[Mary Thom]], [[Pat Carbine|Patricia Carbine]], [[Joanne Edgar]], [[Nina Finkelstein]], [[Mary Peacock]], [[Margaret Sloan-Hunter]], and Gloria Steinem.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Collection: Ms. Magazine records {{!}} Smith College Finding Aids|url=https://findingaids.smith.edu/repositories/2/resources/1084|access-date=2020-07-01|website=findingaids.smith.edu}}</ref> Beginning as a one-off insert in ''[[New York Magazine|New York]]'' magazine in 1971,<ref name="la times">{{cite news |first=Dennis |last=Mclellan |title=Clay Felker, 82; editor of New York magazine led New Journalism charge |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-jul-02-me-felker2-story.html |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=July 2, 2008 |access-date=2008-11-23}}</ref> the first stand-alone issue of ''Ms.'' appeared in January 1972, with funding from ''New York'' editor [[Clay Felker]].<ref name="la times"/> It was intended to appeal to a wide audience and featured articles about a variety of issues related to women and feminism. From July 1972 until 1987, it was published on a monthly basis. It now publishes quarterly.

At its peak in the 1970s, ''Ms.'' enjoyed great success but was not always able to reconcile its ideological concerns with commercial considerations. Since 2001, the magazine has been published by the [[Feminist Majority Foundation]], based in [[Los Angeles]] and [[Arlington, Virginia]].

==From 1971 to 1987==

=== The first cover of ''Ms.'' magazine ===
The preview issue of ''Ms.'' magazine was published in December 1971 by ''[[New York Magazine|New York]]'' magazine. The cover, illustrated by Miriam Wosk, depicts a pregnant version of the [[Hinduism|Hindu]] goddess [[Kali]] using eight arms to hold a clock, skillet, typewriter, rake, mirror, telephone, steering wheel, and an iron.<ref name="Pacific Standard">{{cite news |url=https://psmag.com/social-justice/ms-magazine-helped-make-wonder-woman-a-feminist-icon|title=How a Magazine Cover From the '70s Helped Wonder Woman Win Over Feminists|work=Pacific Standard|access-date=2018-04-22|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2010-12-22|title=Remembering Miriam Wosk, First Ms. Cover Artist - Ms. Magazine|url=https://msmagazine.com/2010/12/22/rip-miriam-wosk-first-ms-cover-artist/|access-date=2020-07-01|work=Ms.}}</ref> 300,000 test copies of the magazine sold out in three days, and generated 26,000 subscription orders within the next few weeks.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://gender.stanford.edu/msat40|title=Ms. at 40 and the Future of Feminism {{!}} The Clayman Institute for Gender Research|website=gender.stanford.edu|access-date=2018-04-22}}</ref> Steinem advocated for this cover as she liked the imagery of a woman juggling multiple facets of life, something that ''Ms.'' magazine would focus on.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Pogrebin|first=Abigail|date=2019-03-25|title=How Do You Spell Ms.?|url=https://www.thecut.com/2019/03/gloria-steinem-ms-magazine-history.html|access-date=2020-12-13|website=The Cut|language=en-us}}</ref> Additionally, the cover displays a Hindu goddess to convey messages of neutrality and female universality.<ref name=":1" />

=== Origins and creation ===
''Ms.'' was viewed as a voice for women by women, a voice that had been hidden from and left out of mainstream media. The magazine's first publication as an independent issue included articles about women who had experience with abortions, promoting the removal of sexist wording from the English language, and literature focused on helping women realize they could stand up for themselves against social norms.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thoughtco.com/ms-magazine-first-issue-3529076|title=Articles in the First Issue of Ms. Magazine|work=ThoughtCo|access-date=2017-12-07}}</ref>

Co-founder Gloria Steinem explained the motivation for starting ''Ms.'' magazine, stating: "I realized as a journalist that there really was nothing for women to read that was controlled by women, and this caused me along with a number of other women to start ''Ms.'' magazine."<ref name="Gloria 2011 documentary">Gloria: In Her Own Words (2011 documentary, directed by Peter Kunhardt)</ref> Steinem wanted a publication that would address issues that modern women cared about instead of just domestic topics such as fashion and housekeeping.<ref name="Pacific Standard"/> Steinem originally wanted ''Ms.'' to be a newsletter but was convinced to make it into a magazine by her peers. Patricia Carbine thought a magazine was better because of the money from advertisers and that it could reach their audience with its portable, visually pleasing, easy format.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Farrell|first=Amy Erdman|date=2011|title=From a Tarantula on a Banana Boat to a Canary in a Mine: "Ms. Magazine" as a Cautionary Tale in a Neoliberal Age|jstor=23349341|journal=Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature|volume=30|issue=2|pages=393–405|doi=10.1353/tsw.2011.a498335 }}</ref> The creators of ''Ms.'' expected there to be significant participation of the general public as well as readers.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|last=Bradley|first=Patricia|title=Mass Media and the Shaping of American Feminism, 1963-1975|publisher=University Press of Mississippi|year=2004|pages=172}}</ref> For example, the first issue published in 1972 included a feature titled "We have had abortions", a list of famous women acknowledging that they have gone through this particular medical operation. The feature had a coupon for readers to include their own names as part of this list. In addition, readers frequently interacted with the magazine through sending in letters to the editors about the personal importance of ''Ms.'' magazine.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=Foussianes|first=Chloe|date=2020-04-25|title=The True Story of Ms. Magazine, and What It Meant for Feminist Publishing|url=https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/a32131889/gloria-steinem-ms-magazine-true-story/|access-date=2020-12-13|website=Town & Country|language=en-US}}</ref>

As to the origin of the name chosen for the magazine, she has stated: "We were going to call it ''Sojourner'', after [[Sojourner Truth]], but that was perceived as a travel magazine. Then we were going to call it ''Sisters'', but that was seen as a religious magazine. We settled on ''Ms.'' because it was symbolic, and also, it was short, which is good for a logo."<ref name="Gloria 2011 documentary" />  "Lilith" and "Bimbo" were considered titles for the magazine as well.<ref name=":2" /> At this time, the honorific "[[Ms.]]", an alternative to "Miss" or "Mrs." that neutralizes a women's marital status, was being promoted by [[Sheila Michaels]] but not yet well known or defined by the media.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Arteaga|first=Meliss|date=2017-06-20|title=Today in Feminist History: The New York Times Says "Ms."|url=https://msmagazine.com/2017/06/20/today-feminist-history-new-york-times-says-ms/|access-date=2020-07-01|website=Ms. Magazine}}</ref> In particular, when Michaels suggested the use of "Ms." in 1969, in a lull during a [[WBAI]]-radio interview with ''The Feminists'' group, a friend of Steinem heard the interview and suggested it as a title for her new magazine.<ref>{{cite news |title=On Language: Ms. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/magazine/25FOB-onlanguage-t.html |last=Zimmer |first=Ben |author-link=Ben Zimmer |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2009-10-25 |access-date=2009-11-16}}</ref>

=== Wonder Woman cover ===
[[Gloria Steinem]] placed [[Wonder Woman]], in costume, on the cover of the first independently published issue of ''Ms.'' v1 #1, July 1972 ([[Time Warner|Warner Communications]], DC Comics' owner, was an investor), which also contained an appreciative essay about the character.<ref name="autogenerated2">{{cite book|title=DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle|publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]]|year=2010|isbn=978-0-7566-6742-9|editor1-last=McAvennie|editor1-first=Michael|page=154|chapter=1970s|quote="After nearly five years of Diana Prince's non-powered super-heroics, writer-editor Robert Kanigher and artist Don Heck restored Wonder Woman's... well, wonder."|editor2-last=Dolan|editor2-first=Hannah}}</ref> Steinem was offended that the world's most famous female superhero had had her powers removed in the most recently published comics. The progressive author {{awrap|[[Samuel R. Delany]]}} wrote two issues of the ''[[Wonder Woman]]'' comic book in 1972, during this controversial period in the publication's history when the lead character abandoned her superpowers and became a secret agent.<ref>{{Cite web|title=WONDERLAND • The Ultimate Wonder Woman Site|url=http://www.wonderland-site.com/html/comix/comics01-04.htm|access-date=2020-07-01|website=www.wonderland-site.com}}</ref> Delany was initially supposed to write a six-issue story arc that would culminate in a battle over an abortion clinic, but the story arc was canceled after Steinem led a lobbying effort protesting the removal of Wonder Woman's powers, a change predating Delany's involvement.<ref name=":7">{{Cite magazine|last=Desta|first=Yohana|title=How Gloria Steinem Saved Wonder Woman|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/10/gloria-steinem-wonder-woman|access-date=2020-07-01|magazine=Vanity Fair|date=10 October 2017|language=en-us}}</ref> Scholar Ann Matsuuchi concluded that Steinem's feedback was "conveniently used as an excuse" by DC management.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Matsuuchi|first=Ann|date=2012-01-01|title=Wonder Woman Wears Pants: Wonder Woman, Feminism and the 1972 'Women's Lib' Issue.|url=https://academicworks.cuny.edu/lg_pubs/3|journal=Colloquy|volume=24|pages=118–142}}</ref> Wonder Woman's powers and traditional costume were restored in issue #204 (January–February 1973).<ref name="autogenerated2" />

[[Joanne Edgar]] wrote the cover story for the 1972 issue with Wonder Woman. She described her personal relationship with comic books and applied issues women were facing such as power dynamics and gender discrimination at the work place to the character.<ref name="Pacific Standard" />

''Ms.'' featured Wonder Woman on the cover of their magazine in 1972 with the title "Wonder Woman For President".<ref name=":7" /> Steinem wanted to lobby DC comics to display Wonder Woman as a feminist hero because she felt that new images of Wonder Woman in the 1960s objectified her. By including Wonder Woman on the cover of ''Ms.'', Steinem was able to encourage [[Dick Giordano]] to reinstate Wonder Woman's truth lasso, bracelets, and her origin story.<ref name=":7" />

The ''Ms.'' cover wanted to embrace the traits of compassion that Wonder Woman had as well as her belief in justice. Tim Hanley, a comic historian, commented on how the ''Ms.'' cover, emphasized unity and "sisterhood".<ref name="Pacific Standard" /> While some women were in support of Wonder Woman being an icon of second-wave feminism, others critiqued ''Ms.'' for displaying a woman with "superhuman" or unachievable qualities. However, the ''Ms.'' editors were worried about featuring actual female public figures on their covers early on due to their worry of tokenizing them as the symbol of the feminist movement.<ref name="Pacific Standard" />

Jill Lepore reflected on ''Ms.'' magazine's cover with Wonder Woman by calling it the connection between first-wave feminism and second-wave feminism. Wonder Woman was inspired by the efforts of the women's suffrage movement and by the work of women in the Great Depression.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Pollitt|first=Katha|date=2014-10-14|title=Wonder Woman's Kinky Feminist Roots|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/11/wonder-womans-kinky-feminist-roots/380788/|access-date=2020-12-16|website=The Atlantic|language=en-US}}</ref>

===Editorial content===
[[File:Ms. magazine Cover - Spring 1972.jpg|thumb|''Ms.'' magazine cover, 1972]]
"The Housewife's Moment of Truth", the first cover story for ''Ms.'' magazine, was written by [[Jane O'Reilly]]. O'Reilly's article spoke for feminist strength and the opposition against the repression of wives in society and the home. The article also helped introduce the idea of "click!", or the realization a woman acquires when she realizes the demands being pushed upon her to act, work and behave in a certain way can be fought against.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2008/6/1/jane-oreilly-in-her-senior-year/|title=Jane O'Reilly {{!}} News {{!}} The Harvard Crimson|website=www.thecrimson.com|language=en|access-date=2017-12-06}}</ref>

In 1972, ''Ms.'' published the names of 53 women who admitted to having had [[abortion]]s when the procedure was illegal in most states of the country.<ref>{{cite book|last=Willis|first=Jim|title=100 media moments that changed America|url=https://archive.org/details/mediamomentsthat00will|url-access=limited|year=2010|publisher=Greenwood Press|location=Santa Barbara, Calif.|isbn=978-0-313-35517-2|pages=[https://archive.org/details/mediamomentsthat00will/page/n143 121]–122}}</ref> The ''Ms.'' petition included a tear-out section for women to remove, sign and send back to the magazine. The tear-out section stated:
{{Quote
|text=The attitudes and laws against abortion in this country are causing untold suffering. Approximately one million American women had "illegal" abortions in 1971 — many of them self-induced or performed by the unqualified, some of them fatal. I have had an abortion. I publicly join millions of other American women in demanding a repeal of all laws that restrict our reproductive freedom.}}
Signatories included [[Billie Jean King]], [[Judy Collins]], [[Anaïs Nin]], [[Gloria Steinem]], [[Susan Sontag]], and [[Nora Ephron]].<ref name="WeHaveHadAbortions" /> The petition drew on evidence that around 25% of American women had chosen to have an abortion, despite its variable legal status.<ref name="WeHaveHadAbortions" /> Called the American Women's Petition, the ''Ms.'' petition was inspired by the [[Manifesto of the 343]] that had been published the previous year in which 343 French women publicly declared that they had had an abortion, which was also illegal in France at the time.<ref name="WeHaveHadAbortions">{{Cite web |url=http://images.nymag.com/images/2/promotional/11/11/week1/mrs-abortionsb.pdf |title=We have had Abortions |date=1972}}</ref> In 1973,  the ''[[Roe v. Wade]]'' decision by the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] would legalize abortion throughout the country.

The petition was the inspiration for a similar campaign by ''Ms.'' in 2006, as well as an amicus brief signed by more than 100 American lawyers in support of overturning the abortion regulations at issue in [[Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://msmagazine.com/2016/01/13/wewontgoback-why-abortion-must-remain-safe-and-legal/ |title=#WeWontGoBack: Why Abortion Must Remain Safe and Legal |date=January 13, 2016}}</ref>

The January 1973 edition featured [[Shirley Chisholm]] and [[Frances Farenthold|Sissy Farenthold]] on the cover with the title: "The Ticket That Might Have Been."<ref>{{Cite news|date=January 1973|title=Ms. Magazine}}</ref>[[File:Ms. magazine Cover - Fall 2006.jpg|thumbnail|Fall 2006 issue of ''Ms. magazine'' for "We Had Abortions"]]From 1974 to 1977, ''Ms.'' collaborated with public broadcasting and, with the help of a grant from the Corporation for Public Funding, produced the television series ''[[Woman Alive!]]''.<ref name="Schlesinger">[https://id.lib.harvard.edu/ead/sch00977/catalog Woman Alive! Collection, 1974-1977: A Finding Aid.] MC 421. Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. Accessed May 18, 2020.</ref> The show was formatted to reflect the magazine, and consisted of short documentaries made by independent women filmmakers, interviews, and entertainment segments.<ref name="Schlesinger" />

A 1976 cover story on battered women made ''Ms.'' the first national magazine to address the issue of [[domestic violence]]. The cover photo featured a woman with a bruised face.

From 1972 until 1988, [[Suzanne Braun Levine]] served as editor of ''Ms.''<ref>{{cite web|title=Suzanne Braun Levine - The Clayman Institute for Gender Research|url=http://gender.stanford.edu/people/suzanne-braun-levine|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004220142/http://gender.stanford.edu/people/suzanne-braun-levine|archive-date=2013-10-04|access-date=2013-05-01}}</ref>

In conjunction with other efforts towards [[feminist language reform]], ''Ms.'' challenged the common holiday phrase "Peace on earth, good will to men" by changing the salutation to "Peace on earth, good will to people." In its earliest years, the magazine's December cover proclaimed this altered holiday message in bold, colorful designs by Brazilian designer [[Bea Feitler]], as well as in editorial addresses from Steinem.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.auswhn.org.au/blog/peace-earth-good-will-people/|title="Peace on earth good will to people": Holiday reflections on Ms. Magazine|last=Stevenson|first=Ana|date=2016-12-18|website=Australian Women's History Network|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-01}}</ref>

Over its long history, the magazine has featured articles written by and about many women and men at the forefront of business, politics, activism, and journalism. The magazine's investigative journalism broke several landmark stories on topics including overseas [[sweatshop]]s, [[Trafficking in human beings|sex trafficking]], the [[Gender pay gap|wage gap]], the [[glass ceiling]], [[date rape]], and [[domestic violence]].

The type of feminist that ''Ms.'' attracted is most often labeled as a "cultural" feminist, those interested in changing the deep rooted gender norms within American culture.<ref name=":3" /> ''Ms.'' magazine editors represented this background as they did not identify as women in politics or political feminists; rather, they were activists, writers, and graduates of all women's colleges.<ref name=":3" /> Though the editors represented a small fraction of feminists in the 1970s, ''Ms.'' strove to represent the term "female universality", a phrase that encompassed representation of all women no matter their socio-economic status, race, religion, or political beliefs.<ref name=":3" />

==Since 1987==
[[File:Feminist majority foundation - sarah stierch.jpg|thumbnail|''Ms.'' magazine offices in Los Angeles, California|218x218px]]In 1987, ''Ms.'' was bought by [[Fairfax Media|Fairfax]], an [[Australia]]n media company, which appointed the head of its US arm, Sandra Yates, to oversee the magazine's editorial and financial turnaround.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Deutsch|first1=Claudia H.|title=Sassy Publisher: Sandra Yates; The Ms. on the Masthead Wants the Magazine|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/04/03/business/sassy-publisher-sandra-yates-the-ms-on-the-masthead-wants-the-magazine.html|access-date=2014-09-08|work=The New York Times|date=1988-04-03}}</ref> In 1989, concerned about a perceived "Cher cover"-centered editorial direction under [[Anne Summers]], [[American Feminists]] bought it back and began publishing the magazine without ads.

[[Robin Morgan]] and [[Marcia Ann Gillespie]] served respective terms as Editors in Chief of the magazine. Gillespie was the first African-American woman to lead ''Ms.'' For a period, the magazine was published by [[MacDonald Communications Corp.]], which also published ''[[Working Woman (magazine)|Working Woman]]'' and ''[[Working Mother]]'' magazines. Known since its inception for unique feminist analysis of current events, ''Ms.'' magazine's 1991 change to an ad-free format also made it known for exposing the control that many advertisers assert over content in [[List of women's magazines|women's magazines]].

In 1998, Gloria Steinem, Marcia Ann Gillespie and a group of female investors created Liberty Media (not the cable/satellite conglomerate of the same name) and brought the magazine under independent ownership. It remained ad-free and won several awards, including an [[UTNE Independent Press Awards|Utne award]] for social commentary. With Liberty Media facing bankruptcy in November 2001, the [[Feminist Majority Foundation]] purchased the magazine, dismissed the staff, and moved the editorial headquarters from New York to Los Angeles. Formerly bimonthly, the magazine has since published quarterly.

In 2005, under editor-in-chief [[Elaine Lafferty]], ''Ms.'' was nominated for a [[National Magazine Award]] for Martha Mendoza's article "Between a Woman and Her Doctor". Despite this success, Lafferty left the magazine after only two years following various disagreements including the editorial direction on a cover story on ''[[Desperate Housewives]]'',<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/21748/ | title='Desperate Housewives' Causes Another Breakup | author=Sheelah Kolhatkar | date=April 14, 2005 | work=New York Observer | access-date=2007-04-12 }}</ref> and a perceived [[generation gap]] towards [[third-wave feminists]] and [[grunge]].

===Later editorial content===
Another "We Had Abortions" petition appeared in the October 2006 issue as part of the issue's cover story. This time, the petition contained signatures of more than 5,000 women declaring that they had had an [[abortion]] and were "unashamed of (the) decision", including actresses [[Amy Brenneman]] and [[Kathy Najimy]], comedian [[Carol Leifer]], and Steinem herself.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna15119353 |title=Ms. magazine names women who had abortions |website=[[NBC News]] |date=October 5, 2006}}</ref>

In 2017, ''Ms.'' celebrated its 45th anniversary of publication. In honor of this event, ''Ms.'' made a reference to their very first issue in 1972 that featured Wonder Woman on the cover. This choice was based on Wonder Woman's belief in "sisterhood and equality",<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://msmagazine.com/blog/2017/07/06/wonder-woman-back-cover-ms-see-name-issue/|title=Wonder Woman is Back on the Cover of Ms.—And You Could See Your Name in the Issue! - Ms. Magazine Blog|date=2017-07-06|work=Ms. Magazine Blog|access-date=2017-12-07|language=en-US}}</ref> something ''Ms.'' states is a "driving value" for feminist beliefs not only when the magazine first began, but in today's society.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://psmag.com/social-justice/ms-magazine-helped-make-wonder-woman-a-feminist-icon|title=How a Magazine Cover From the '70s Helped Wonder Woman Win Over Feminists|work=Pacific Standard|access-date=2017-12-07|language=en}}</ref>

== ''Ms.'' magazine and women of color ==

=== ''Ms.'' and black women ===
Steinem, herself, was inspired by many women of color throughout her career in activism. Most notably, Steinem worked with [[Florynce Kennedy|Flo Kennedy]] and [[Shirley Chisholm]] for advocating for women's rights.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|last=Carroll|first=Rebecca|date=2018-12-10|title=What I See: Gloria Steinem, Shoulder to Shoulder With Women of Color (Published 2018)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/10/style/gloria-steinem-intersectionality-photos-what-i-see.html|access-date=2020-12-16|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Steinem founded ''Ms.'' magazine with [[Dorothy Pitman Hughes]], who was involved in child-welfare activism as well as the [[Civil Rights Movement]].<ref name=":4" /> In 1973, ''Ms.'' featured a cover of [[Shirley Chisholm]] titled as "The Ticket That Might Have Been…". At the same time, ''Ms.'' magazine was also criticized for the lack of diversity displayed in its content, especially towards the end of their era of influence in the late 1980s.<ref name=":5" /> In 1986, author [[Alice Walker]], a contributor to ''Ms.'', resigned, citing the lack of diversity on the magazine's covers and its limited features of women of color.<ref name=":5" /> Walker had previously written an article in 1975 titled "In Search of [[Zora Neale Hurston]]", which was credited to have created new interests in Black female writers.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Still Searching Out Zora Neale Hurston - Ms. Magazine|url=https://msmagazine.com/2011/02/02/still-searching-out-zora-neale-hurston/|access-date=2020-12-16|website=msmagazine.com|date=2 February 2011 }}</ref> The editors of ''Ms.'' admit, as they reflect back on their influence in the 1970s, that their publications were perceived as "elitist" at times due to their staff but the content was always meant to be inclusive.<ref name=":3" /> In 1975, ''Ms.'' magazine had a cover of [[Pam Grier]] and in 1979 they had [[Michelle Wallace]] on the cover. Though ''Ms.'' did feature covers of Black women, magazines such as ''[[Essence (magazine)|Essence]]'' created during a similar time period focused more on Black female empowerment. There has been no association found between Black feminist media organizations such as the [[Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press|Kitchen Table Press]] and the [[Combahee River Collective]] with ''Ms.''

From 1993 to 2001, during Marcia Ann Gillespie's tenure, the voices and perspectives of women of color and inclusion of diverse feminists and opinions dramatically increased.    

As of 2020, ''Ms.'' magazine has features and columns that highlight the work of Black women. For example, Janell Hobson, a Ms. Scholar, works on the ''Black Feminist in Public'' series highlighting intersectionality in the media.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Black Feminist in Public Series Archives |url=https://msmagazine.com/tag/black-feminist-in-public-series/|access-date=2020-12-17|website=Ms.}}</ref>

=== ''Ms.'' and Indigenous women ===
Steinem was greatly influenced by the activism of [[Wilma Mankiller]], a member of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|last=Stogsdill|first=Sheila|title=Steinem recalls deep friendship with Mankiller|url=https://tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/steinem-recalls-deep-friendship-with-mankiller/article_7a72be4c-1d7b-5a3d-b933-41a85a1ec8fd.html|access-date=2020-12-16|website=Tulsa World|date=April 8, 2010 |language=en}}</ref> Mankiller joined the board of Ms. Foundation for Women in 1973 and was awarded the title of Woman of Year by ''Ms.'' in 1987.<ref name=":6" /> Steinem and Mankiller were friends, advisors, and colleagues. Mankiller focused on indigenous women's rights and collaborated with Steinem on this issue as well. The magazine's coverage of issues affecting the indigenous community has increased over the last couple of years. For example, ''Ms.'' covered the passage of legislation to protect indigenous women such as the Savannah Act and the Not Invisible Act.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Legislation to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Signed into Law - Ms. Magazine|url=https://msmagazine.com/2020/10/06/congress-finally-passes-legislation-to-address-missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women/|access-date=2020-12-16|website=msmagazine.com|date=6 October 2020 }}</ref>

== Advertising policy == <!--linked from [[Jewish feminism]]-->
[[File:Katherine Spillar.jpg|thumb|Katherine Spillar, current executive editor of ''Ms.'' magazine]]
On January 10, 2008, the [[American Jewish Congress]] released an official statement<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ajcongress.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=6709 | title=Ms. Magazine Blocks Ad on Israeli Women | author=American Jewish Congress | author-link=American Jewish Congress | date=January 10, 2008 | access-date=2008-01-18 | archive-date=2008-01-13 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080113124404/http://www.ajcongress.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=6709 | url-status=dead }}</ref> which was critical of ''Ms.'' magazine's refusal to accept from them a full-page advertisement<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ajcongress.org/site/DocServer/Ms.pdf?docID=1961 |title=This is Israel. (PDF document) |work=[[American Jewish Congress]] |date=January 10, 2008 |access-date=2008-01-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081023050736/http://www.ajcongress.org/site/DocServer/Ms.pdf?docID=1961 |archive-date=October 23, 2008 }}</ref> honoring three prominent [[Israel]]i women: [[Dorit Beinisch]] (president of the [[Supreme Court of Israel]]), [[Tzipi Livni]] ([[Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel]]), and [[Dalia Itzik]] (speaker of the [[Knesset]]).

The New York ''[[The Jewish Week|Jewish Week]]'' reported that a number of [[Jewish feminism|Jewish feminists]], including [[Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance]] founder [[Blu Greenberg]], were mostly disappointed with the decision by ''Ms.'' to reject the ad.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ain|first=Stewart|url=http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c36_a2011/News/New_York.html |title=Feminist Moment Of Truth Ms. magazine's refusal to print pro-Israel ad raises questions about the 'Palestinianization' of the women's movement|work=[[The Jewish Week]]|date=January 16, 2008 |access-date=2008-01-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080120135101/http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c36_a2011/News/New_York.html |archive-date=January 20, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.jewishpress.com/displayContent_new.cfm?contentid=28720&mode=a&sectionid=56&contentname=Ms%2E_Magazine%27s_Msogyny_Toward_Israel&recnum=0 | title=''Ms.'' Magazine's Msogyny Toward Israel |last=Chester|first=Phyllis|author-link=Phyllis Chesler|work=The [[Jewish Press]]| date=January 16, 2008 | access-date=2008-01-20}}</ref>

However, [[Katherine Spillar]], executive editor of ''Ms.'', responded to these criticisms on the magazine's website, rejecting claims of anti-Israel bias. She argued that the proposed advertisement was inconsistent with the magazine's policy to accept only "mission-driven advertisements from primarily non-profit, non-partisan organizations", suggesting that the advertisement could have been perceived "as favoring certain political parties within Israel over other parties, but also with its slogan 'This is Israel', the ad implied that women in Israel hold equal positions of power with men".<ref name="msmagazine1">{{cite web | url=http://www.msmagazine.com/AJCongress.asp | title=Statement of Katherine Spillar, executive editor Ms. magazine concerning the AJC ad | author=Katherine Spillar, Ms. magazine | date=January 14, 2008 | access-date=2008-01-18 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171108215212/http://www.msmagazine.com/AJCongress.asp | archive-date=November 8, 2017 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Spillar stated that the magazine had "covered the Israeli feminist movement and women leaders in Israel ... eleven times' in its last four years of issues".<ref name="msmagazine1"/>

==Writers==
Contributors have included:
* [[Angela Davis]]
* [[Barbara Ehrenreich]]
* [[Susan Faludi]]
* [[Alice Walker]]
*[[Marcia Gillespie]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=About Ms. - Ms. Magazine|url=https://msmagazine.com/about/|access-date=2020-11-27|website=msmagazine.com|date=14 December 2009 }}</ref>
*[[Jane O'Reilly]]<ref name=":5"/>
*[[Susan Braudy]]<ref name=":5"/>
*[[Letty Cottin Pogrebin]]<ref name=":5"/>

==See also==

* [[Joy Picus]], Los Angeles City Council member, 1977–93, a ''Ms.'' Woman of the Year in 1985
*[[Yolanda Serrano]], HIV/AIDS activist, a ''Ms.'' Woman of the Year in 1988
*[[Ashley Jaye Williams]], artist, illustrated the 50th anniversary edition cover of ''Ms.'' in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Szal |first=Roxy |date=2021-04-22 |title=Meet the Feminist Artists Recreating the Iconic First Ms. Cover—Five Decades Later |url=https://msmagazine.com/2021/04/22/feminist-artists-ms-magazine-covid-working-moms-brandi-phipps-ashley-jaye-williams/ |access-date=2023-09-15 |website=Ms. Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>

{{clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://msmagazine.com/ ''Ms.'' Magazine official website]
* [http://www.feminist.org Feminist Majority Foundation official website]
*[http://maudnewton.com/blog/?p=4949 Maud Newton blog discussing the disagreement over the editorial direction for the ''Desperate Housewives'' story]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20140715141323/http://www.msmagazine.com/jun99/monica-bright.asp Monica Lewinsky coverage on sexual misbehavior and feminism]
* [https://findingaids.smith.edu/repositories/2/resources/1084 ''Ms.'' Magazine records] at the [[Sophia Smith Collection]], Smith College Special Collections
* [http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:RAD.SCHL:sch00236 ''Ms.'' Magazine Letters.] [http://www.radcliffe.edu/schles Schlesinger Library] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120509153246/http://www.radcliffe.edu/schles |date=2012-05-09 }}, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University.
*[https://id.lib.harvard.edu/ead/sch00977/catalog Woman Alive! Collection, 1974-1977; Digital Material. Schlesinger Library], Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University.
*[https://archive.org/details/sim_boston-phoenix_1982-08-17_11_33/page/n34/mode/1up A description of ''Ms.'' magazine's August 1982 10th Anniversary issue] in ''[[The Phoenix (newspaper) | The Boston Phoenix]]'' column "Reads"

{{Feminism}}
{{Authority control}}

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