Teen Vogue is standing by its decision to hire former Axios reporter Alexi McCammond despite outcry from staffers, the global company Conde Nast told the Daily Caller.
Conde Nast announced McCammond as Teen Vogue’s new editor-in-chief March 5. The move came after McCammond, who previously worked at Axios covering then-presidential candidate Joe Biden’s campaign, made headlines due to her relationship with former Biden aide TJ Ducklo. (RELATED: Biden’s Deputy Press Secretary Resigns After Drama Over Allegations That He Intimidated Politico Reporter)
Teen Vogue staffers countered the hiring with a letter to management Monday calling out McCammond’s “past racist and homophobic tweets.” Despite the backlash from employees, Conde Nast backed McCammond and praised her “values, inclusivity and depth” in a statement to the Caller.
“Alexi McCammond was appointed editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue because of the values, inclusivity and depth she has displayed through her journalism,” Ashlee Bobb, a senior communications manager for Conde Nast, said in a statement. “Throughout her career she has dedicated herself to being a champion for marginalized voices. Two years ago she took responsibility for her social media history and apologized.”
Conde Nast also noted that McCammond shared a statement of her own with team members Monday evening amid the office infighting. McCammond noted she “apologized for” the tweets in question “years ago” and promised to “work doubly hard to earn” trust back.
“I’m beyond sorry for what you have experienced over the last twenty-four hours because of me,” McCammond said. “You’ve seen some offensive, idiotic tweets from when I was a teenager that perpetuated harfmul and racist stereotypes about Asian Americans. I apologized for them years ago, but I want to be clear today: I apologize deeply to all of you for the pain this has caused.”
“There’s no excuse for language like that,” she continued. “I am determined to use the lessons I’ve learned as a journalist to advocate for a more diverse and equitable world. Those tweets aren’t who I am, but I understand that I have lost some of your trust, and will work doubly hard to earn it back. I want you to know I am committed to amplifying AAPI [Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders] voices across our platforms, and building upon the groundbreaking, inclusive work this title is known for the worldover.”
A note from teen vogue’s staff pic.twitter.com/oyfhN0mlk8
— Allegra Kirkland (@allegrakirkland) March 8, 2021
McCammond’s tweets were reported out in 2019 and the former Axios reporter deleted them and apologized at the time.
Various Teen Vogue staffers tweeted out the public revolt announcement, which noted that they hoped “an internal conversation will prove fruitful in maintaining the integrity granted to us by our audience.”