Monday, April 23, 2012

Essence Shifts White Male Managing Editor

Essence Shifts White Male Managing Editor: Essence magazine and its white male managing editor -- whom the leading magazine for black women has emphasized had a production, not an editorial role -- are parting ways, a spokeswoman told Journal-isms Friday, after right-wing material on his Facebook page was brought to the editors' attention.

The hiring of Michael Bullerdick last July created an uproar, partly because the title of "managing editor" implied to many a major role for a white man in the editorial process of a magazine for black women.

In his LinkedIn profile, Bullerdick lists "Edit stories for tone and style" among his duties, even though editor-in-chief Constance C.R. White insisted when he was hired, "Michael is responsible for production and operational workflow. He has no involvement in editorial content."