What’s not talked about: a content analysis of health issues in Black-oriented magazines

Abstract

Black-oriented magazines have been a staple of Black communities for decades. Essence magazine, in particular, places a strong emphasis on targeting and empowering the Black woman. Essence often covers health issues in their publications alongside other popular issues being discussed in Black communities. Given the prevalence of health articles in Essence, I conducted a content analysis to assess how the magazine discusses the relationships between health, power, and race. The findings suggest that Essence magazine leverages its cultural and popular position to engage in discussions about health issues with its readers in culturally relevant ways that engage and empower Black women. At the same time, given Essence’s global platform, the magazine walks a tightrope between being an ‘easy-read’ popular magazine and an outlet that discusses pressing health-related issues.