HIT: Magazines for high schools

[Vicki Sherouse <sherouse@MARSWEB.COM>]

I  think most people have replied.  Many people have or are planning to
cancel certain periodicals.  Several people suggested possible replacements.
Thanks for all the responses.


Nevertheless, I did come across a title for girls that did seem age
appropriate and a good magazine---it's call Blue Jean and is written by
teenage girls. The librarians at the local girls schools give it a good
recommendation. Interestedly, the periodicals collections in those girls
school do not include Glamour, Self, Seventeen, Sassy, etc.


I found a new "girls'" magazine for teens. It's called Jump. I have
surveyed 3 issues--articles on self-esteem, planning for the future,
fashion, self-acceptance, friendship, a bit on media personalities,
self-help column, etc. All the usual pieces. What I did NOT see was
anything overtly sexual--no articles on sex, no suggestions about how
to do "it". I've seen girls reading it, so it must be ok. BTW, I
dumped Glamour and Mademoiselle 3 years ago because of content.
Seventeen is pushing it now, too.


We changed to Vogue (almost all fashion and make-up and very little
commentary),
Allure, and Teen People for the same reason. I also dropped Rolling Stone,
hating to, but I felt there were things I couldn't defend to a parent that
had
nothing to do with school.


I think the topic you raise is an important one and one that many of us put
a lot of thought into. Perhaps getting input from the group will be of real
use to us. I too, am in the midst of ordering periodicals for next year. I
have decided to drop Mademoiselle because of the content of the articles and
the ads. It obviously is not a magazine for the high schooler, at least the
students at my school. The problem is that I find myself having to drop more
and more magazines as they become more and more explicit in both content and
advertisement. Maybe I am getting old. Maybe I am finally becoming a
conservative. No to both of those possibilities.
I am open to suggestions for magazines that should be on the shelves for
students that hit on topics and issues of importance to them. Like the
original poster, I am given a lot of freedom to choose, but without having a
real chance to see the magazines, I have to rely on the input of those who
have seen the magazines. What better group to appeal to than the members of
LM_NET? Let's share magazine titles that we find are popular with students
and ones that stay within the bounds of appropriateness for high schoolers.
Thanks for bringing this issue up on the list serv; I am not sure I would
have but now that it is there, perhaps there is enough interest to keep it
going for awhile.


That said I would like to comment on the selection of magazines available to
our
students. Many popular magazines, especially the ones for young women, have
changed the content of the articles. The hair, clothes, makeup, exercise and
career articles are the same but the advice and health articles have become
more
sensational in an effort to gain new readership. Subjects that were once
discussed only in the likes of Cosmopolitan are now turning up in every
magazine
that appeals to women under 60. The supermarket checkout magazines are a
prime
example. Just look at some of the covers. I would suggest that when we are
looking for new magazines to add to our collection we take a trip to the
local
Barnes & Nobles magazine section or even ask for a sample copy. This may be
time
consuming but it will give us a better idea of the content than a list from
the
jobber.

What we could also do is to send a letter or e-mail to the magazine letting
them
know of our displeasure. Canceling a magazine doesn't say as much as a
strongly
worded letter. The magazine publishers are all looking for wider readership.
Maybe if we tell that they have gone too far and we are not going to use
their
magazine in our high schools and middle schools they will realize that they
are
losing large numbers of readers in one location. Maybe they will reconsider
their content. Well maybe not but who knows.


Will you please post a hit? I am getting to reorder also and am deciding
about some of the same magazines you mentioned. I am dropping GQ for sure
and we dropped Rolling Stone and Redbook last year. Glamour is on my list
of questionables for next year.


Vicki, you're going to get a firestorm of opinion on this one! I have
decided that I am not going to be a panderer for these magazines. I get
Seventeen (though with occasional doubts) Rolling Stone (ditto) Teen, and
Teen People. I would like to get the kids version of Sports Illustrated
sometime but not this year. That's it for those kind of magazines. I
dropped Glamour after I found anillustrated article on sex toys in it.


Vicki, another magazine we've decided not to renew is Mademoi-
selle, which seems to have more and more sexually-oriented arti-
cles (eg., what a man's looking for in sex, multiple orgasms,
etc.). The girls seem to gravitate towards Seventeen, Teen,
and YM, anyway. I hope this helps you out some.


We have had trouble with content in Mademoiselle and Glamour. Every cover
shouts about sex etc. We have cancelled our subscriptions.


I dropped Glamour for those very reasons, and no one is complaining. It's
just not geared towards a young teen audience. I'm even a little skeptical
of Seventeen sometimes! But I subscribe to it, and Teen which is perhaps
more popular.


This is certainly a big dilemma at the HS level. :/ I tend to subscribe
for two reasons, like everyone else -- research and leisure reading. With
research being more electronic (online fulltext), I'm reducing the number of
research periodicals in hard copy and going to more leisure reading. I
agree that it would be impossible to defend these to the admin or school
board. You have to pick your battles, I've decided. I'd rather have a
challenge over a book I know I could justify than a magazine that is
marginal. Also take a look at GQ, if you get it. Most of my girls seem to
be okay with having only Teen, YM, and Seventeen here. If they read the
others, it's at home....



I think you make a great point. We like Sassy magazine as a replacement
for Glamour, and the other one for all HS kids is The Next Step
Magazine. they have a website at
http://www.neststepmagazine.com

I'm sure they'd send you a sample issue. Its very good, and they won't
print the type of articles you described.

I plan on dropping Glamour next year for the very reason that you cited. I
am replacing it with In Style, which is a cross between Vogue and People.
Last year I added Teen People. So far it seems to be "clean" and the kids
really like it. Please post a hit.


We will replace Glamour with Jump for the reasons you mentioned in your
email. I am considered a liberal where censorship is concerned. I ask
myself as you did, "Do I want to defend this to
parents/administrators/board members." If the answer is no, I don't
order it.



Vicki Sherouse, Librarian
Sentinel High School
Missoula, Montana
sherouse@marsweb.com

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