This came as a shock in the publishing world. After 20 years, the monthly print edition of O: The Oprah Magazine will cease after the December 2020 issue. The publication is a joint venture between Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Inc. and Hearst Magazines.
The announcement was a surprise because unlike many other print magazines, O remained successful. It has seen its circulation rise 5 percent since 2009, The Daily Mail reported.
The magazine has been in the spotlight lately over controversial staff changes. “The decision to rethink Winfrey’s relationship with Hearst predates the exit of the magazine’s division President Troy Young, who resigned on Thursday after a New York Times article described a history of inappropriate behavior. O: The Oprah Magazine’s publisher since 2014, Jayne Jamison, exited the publication in May,” the Business of Fashion reported.
Employees complained of a “toxic environment” in a recent article published by the New York Times that also detailed Young’s history of lewd and sexist remarks. He allegedly joked that he required a “bigger” sex toy, asked a pregnant staffer if the baby was his, and emailed pornography to a high-level Hearst editor, according to the Times.
Young, 52, joined the company in 2013 and became president in 2018.
The magazine will still be available digitally. Currently, OprahMag.com, which launched in 2018, has an online audience of 8 million. The print version of the magazine had a circulation of 2.3 million. O: The Oprah Magazine’s print and digital teams operate independently. No word on if the two staffs will merge.
“I’m proud of this team and what we have delivered to our readers over the past 20 years,” Winfrey said in a statement. “I look forward to the next step in our evolution.”
The Hearst Magazines division also publishes Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Women’s Health, and Good Housekeeping, among many others.
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O: The Oprah Magazine debuted in April 2000, and was the product of a joint venture partnership between Winfrey’s production company and Hearst Magazines.
“As we embark on this next chapter, we will lean into moments that are central to the brand’s DNA and deepen the connection with our loyal readers,” Editor-in-Chief Lucy Kaylin said in a statement
