NEW YORK, NY — New York Magazine is facing backlash for its latest cover, which reportedly omitted Black individuals present at a TikTok-sponsored party on the eve of former President Donald Trump’s second inauguration. The cover, accompanying a story by Brock Colyar, focuses on what the magazine describes as the “culturally ascendant, new face of Republicanism.”
The image portrays a group of young, predominantly white, well-dressed socialites, which critics argue perpetuates a narrative of Trump supporters as exclusively wealthy, white, and elite. Social media users and commentators accused the publication of selectively framing the event to fit a specific portrayal of Trump-era conservatism, ignoring the diversity present at the gathering.
“Why crop out Black attendees from your cover to push this narrative? This is irresponsible journalism,” one user wrote on Twitter.
The article later quoted an attendee saying, “Have you noticed the entire room is white?”
The room was actually filled with people of color, including three black men in the original photo who appear to have been intentionally cut out of the magazine cover in order to promote the cover story of rich, entitled elites at the event. You can’t have three black men messing with that narrative, can you?
The article itself describes the emerging influence of “a newer type of conservative,” characterizing them as “young, imposingly well connected, urban, and very online.” It contrasts these individuals with the working-class image often associated with Trump’s base, presenting them as the vanguard of a cultural revival of conservatism.
Photographer Mark Peterson’s original image reportedly included Black individuals who attended the event, but their omission in the final cover sparked accusations of editorial bias. Neither New York Magazine nor Peterson has commented on the controversy.