Joanna Coles

Last updated
Joanna Coles
Joanna Coles (81774).jpg
Time's Up event at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival
Born (1962-04-20) 20 April 1962 (age 61)
Alma mater University of East Anglia
Occupation(s)Former chief content officer, Hearst Magazines
Notable workeditor-in-chief Marie Claire, editor-in-chief Cosmopolitan, executive producer The Bold Type, author of Love Rules
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2001;div. 2019)​

Joanna Louise Coles (born 20 April 1962) was chief content officer for Hearst Magazines from 2016 to 2018.

Contents

She has won awards for journalism, including, when she was editor-in-chief, Cosmopolitan’s a national magazine award, for a guide to contraception. She won a Matrix Award for Women in Communication in 2013 (where she was introduced by Florida Congresswoman Val Demings), and was named an Editor of the Year by Adweek. 

Born in the United Kingdom, Coles graduated from the University of East Anglia with a bachelor of arts in English and American literature before starting her career at The Spectator . She moved to the United States in 1997 to become bureau chief of The Guardian , and she later joined The Times .

In 2006, she joined Hearst as editor-in-chief of Marie Claire magazine, then Cosmopolitan (2012-2016), before becoming the company's chief content officer in 2016. [1]

Coles’ foray into television began with the Style network's Running in Heels, which she co-created and executive produced; she was a mentor on Project Runway: All-Stars and executive produced the E! reality series So Cosmo, in which she also appeared on camera. She is an executive producer for The Bold Type , a scripted series airing on Freeform (formerly known as ABC Family) and Hulu.

She is on the boards of Snap, the parent company of Snapchat; Sonos, Density Software and the clean beauty company Blue Mistral. She is the author of Love Rules [2] , published by HarperCollins; the book was optioned for TV by ABC Signature and FX. In 2019, she signed a first-look deal with ABC Studios. [3] She currently resides in New York City. She has two sons with Peter Godwin.

Early life

Joanna Coles was born in Otley, West Yorkshire in 1962. Her mother was a medical social worker and her father was a teacher. Much of her family still resides in Yorkshire.

In 1972 at the age of 10, Coles had her first article published in the children's section of the Yorkshire Post . [4]

She attended Prince Henry's Grammar School, Otley, the University of East Anglia and graduated with a degree in English and American Literature.

Journalism career

Joanna Coles began her career in 1984 on The Spectator. In 1987, she started work as a reporter for The Daily Telegraph, before moving to the staff at The Guardian in 1989. In 1993, so co-created, wrote and presented BBC Radio 4's "Mediumwave," a live weekly radio show about the media; and wrote and presented Late Media, the TV version on BBC2.

Move to New York

In June 1997, Coles moved to the United States to be The Guardian's New York bureau chief.

Editorships

Coles was the articles editor of New York Magazine from 2001 to 2004 before becoming executive editor of More.

Hearst

In 2006, Coles made the move to Hearst to become editor-in-chief of Marie Claire magazine. Under her leadership, the magazine produced its most successful issue in September 2012, while also launching two extensions (Marie Claire@Work, [5] and the Women on Top Awards [6] ). She was named Adweek's 2011 Editor of the Year for her work. During this time, Coles began her foray into television with a show called Running in Heels about Marie Claire interns, as well as appearing on Lifetime's Emmy-winning show Project Runway .

Coles was appointed as editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine in 2012. Though she only had oversight of the print platform, the digital team made Cosmo a leader in the media landscape by partnering with Snapchat to produce daily Cosmo content on the discover platform. She later joined the board of Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat. She also brought the brand to television, executive producing the E! reality series So Cosmo . In 2013 she ran a 20-page excerpt of Lean In . Coles turned the magazine away from its "pleasing your man" approach towards women's empowerment.

Coles hosts an annual holiday lunch for 120 top women in media.

In 2016, it was announced that Joanna Coles would become Hearst's first chief content officer. She described her responsibility as CCO as “thinking the way we produce content.” [7] In 2018, after 12 years at Hearst, she exited the company after being passed over for the title of president of the magazine division.

Television

Running In Heels

Coles' first TV project launched when she arrived at Hearst as editor-in-chief of Marie Claire, where she co-created and executive produced Running in Heels, a reality show that followed three interns working at the magazine.

So Cosmo

The series was announced in December 2016, with Coles as an executive producer as well as appearing on camera. So Cosmo followed the personal and professional lives of several staff members of Cosmopolitan.

The Bold Type

Continuing the trend of Cosmo-focused shows, in 2017, The Bold Type premiered on Freeform, of which she is an executive producer. [8]

The show has been nominated for three Teen Choice Awards, a Satellite Award, an Imagen Award, and a GLAAD Media Award.

Disney platforms

In April 2019, Joanna Coles signed a two-year first-look deal with ABC Studios. In the announcement, it was said that "under the pact, the former CCO will be developing and executive producing projects for multiple platforms with focus on streaming and cable." [9]

Other ventures

Women's empowerment

Joanna Coles is an advocate for women in media and the business world. She sits on the board of Women's Entrepreneurs New York City, [10] an initiative to expand female entrepreneurship with a focus on underserved women and communities.

Boards

Coles is on the boards of public companies Snap Inc. and Sonos, the non-profit Women's entrepreneurs NYC, and private companies such as Grover, Density and Blue Mistral.

Published works

Coles, Joanna. Love Rules: How To Find a Real Relationship in a Digital World. HarperCollins, 2018. https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062652584/love-rules/

Related Research Articles

<i>Cosmopolitan</i> (magazine) American fashion and culture magazine

Cosmopolitan is an American quarterly fashion and entertainment magazine for women, first published based in New York City in March 1886 as a family magazine; it was later transformed into a literary magazine and, since 1965, has become a women's magazine. Cosmopolitan is one of the best-selling magazines and is directed mainly towards a female audience. Jessica Giles is the magazine's editor-in-chief since 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helen Gurley Brown</span> American author, publisher, and businesswoman

Helen Gurley Brown was an American author, publisher, and businesswoman. She was the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine for 32 years.

<i>Seventeen</i> (American magazine) American magazine for teenagers

Seventeen is an American bimonthly teen magazine headquartered in New York City. The publication targets a demographic of 13-to-19-year-old females and is owned by Hearst Magazines. Established in 1944, the magazine originally aimed to inspire teen girls to become model workers and citizens. However, it soon shifted its focus to a more fashion- and romance-oriented approach while still emphasizing the importance of self-confidence in young women. Alongside its primary themes, Seventeen also reports the latest news about celebrities.

<i>Marie Claire</i> Monthly womens magazine

Marie Claire is a French international monthly magazine first published in France in 1937, followed by the United Kingdom in 1941. Since then various editions are published in many countries and languages. The feature editions focus on women around the world and global issues. Marie Claire magazine also covers health, beauty, fashion, politics, finance, and career topics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ita Buttrose</span> Australian public TV network chairperson, former editor & journalist

Ita Clare Buttrose is an Australian television and radio personality, author and former magazine editor, publishing executive, newspaper journalist and television network executive chairperson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate White</span> American journalist

Kate White is an American author, former magazine editor, and speaker. From 1998 to 2012, she served as the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan and left to concentrate full time on writing suspense fiction. She is the author of seventeen novels: eight books in the Bailey Weggins mystery series, including Such a Perfect Wife, which was nominated for an International Thriller Writer’s Award, and nine stand-alone psychological thrillers, including, most recently, The Second Husband and the upcoming Between Two Strangers. White has also written five non-fiction books with business advice for women, including The Gutsy Girl Handbook: Your Manifesto for Success, based on her groundbreaking bestseller Why Good Girls Don’t Get Ahead but Gutsy Girls Do, and I Shouldn't Be Telling You This: How to Ask for the Money, Snag the Promotion, and Create the Career You Deserve. Her books have appeared on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today best seller lists and have been published in thirteen countries. She is also the editor of The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook. In June 2022 White was awarded an honorary doctorate of letters by Union College.

Atoosa Rubenstein is an Iranian-American former magazine editor. She was the editor-in-chief of Seventeen magazine and the founding editor of CosmoGirl. She went on to found Big Momma Productions, Inc. and Atoosa.com before becoming a stay at home mother.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonnie Fuller</span> Canadian media executive (born 1956)

Bonnie Fuller is a Canadian media executive who is the owner and editor-in-chief of Hollywood Life. Fuller previously worked as editor-in-chief for publications such as YM, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, and Us Weekly.

<i>CosmoGirl</i> American magazine (1999–2008)

CosmoGirl, also stylized as CosmoGIRL!, was an American magazine based in New York City, published from 1999 until 2008. The teenage spin-off of Cosmopolitan magazine, it targeted teenage girls and featured fashion and celebrities. It was published ten times a year and reached approximately eight million readers before folding. The last issue was released in December 2008; thereafter, subscribers received issues of fellow Hearst publication Seventeen.

Susan Schulz, who also goes by Susan Schulz Wuornos, is an American editor and communications consultant best known for being the editor-in-chief of CosmoGirl magazine, the teenage spin-off of Cosmopolitan magazine, from 2003 to 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenda Bailey</span>

Dame Glenda Adrianne Bailey DBE is a former editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar, a monthly fashion magazine published by the Hearst Corporation. She was in this position from May 2001 to 2020.

<i>So Cosmo</i> American TV series or program

So Cosmo is an American reality television series that premiered on February 8, 2017, on the E! cable network. The show follows the personal and professional lives of several young people working for Cosmopolitan, an American magazine for women.

Anna Jones is a British business woman and entrepreneur who lives in London, UK. Jones is the Co-Founder of AllBright, a Members Club and community that celebrates and connects women at work. She served as CEO of Hearst Magazines, UK between 2014 and 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holly Whidden</span>


Holly Whidden is the co-creator and executive producer of The Bold Type, a scripted show based loosely on her life and time at Cosmopolitan. Whidden also serves as executive producer of A+E Networks American Beauty Star alongside Ashley Graham (model). She served as an executive producer on E! Network's docu-series So Cosmo. She is the daughter of Tom Whidden.

Aya Kanai is the current Head of Editorial and Creative at Google Shopping. She is also an American fashion editor who formerly served as the Editor in Chief of Marie Claire and the Chief Fashion Director for Hearst Publications, and supervised the magazines Cosmopolitan,Seventeen, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, and Woman's Day. She also serves as one of the judges on the Lifetime reality TV series Project Runway: Junior. Kanai is a former Head of Content and Creator Partnerships at Pinterest.

Farrah Storr is a British journalist, and the editor of the UK edition of Elle. She previously worked on several UK magazines, winning a PPA Award and a BSME Award in 2018 as editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan. Storr wrote The Discomfort Zone in 2018.

Lesley Jane Nonkin Seymour is an American editor, author and entrepreneur. She was previously a senior editor of Vogue and editor-in-chief of many women's magazines, including YM, Marie Claire, Redbook and More. After More ceased publication in 2016, she returned to school, and later founded CoveyClub, an online community for professional women. She has spoken at conferences for women entrepreneurs, and has contributed to LinkedIn and HuffPost.

Jessica Giles is the current editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine. She served as digital director for marieclaire.com from 2014 until 2018, when she became digital director and later that year the chief editor of Cosmopolitan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anne Fulenwider</span> American journalist

Anne Fulenwider was the editor-in-chief of Marie Claire magazine. She was the editor-in-chief from 2012 to 2020. Prior to that she was the editor-in-chief for Brides. At Marie Claire, Fulenwider was responsible for introducing the Image Makers Awards, Fresh Faces, and The Power Trip.

Jane Raphaely is a British-born South African journalist, editor and a women's magazine publisher. She is best known for editing Fair Lady and was at one time the co-founder of Associated Media Publishing, publisher of Cosmopolitan, Femina and O in the South African market.

References

  1. ↑ "Joanna Coles Named Chief Content Officer of Hearst Magazines - Joanna Coles Named Chief Content Officer of Hearst Magazines | Hearst". www.hearst.com. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  2. ↑ "'You can't microwave love,' says former Cosmo editor Joanna Coles". SFChronicle.com. 19 April 2018. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  3. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (4 April 2019). "Joanna Coles Inks First-Look Deal With ABC Studios/ABC Signature". Deadline. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  4. ↑ Day, Elizabeth (13 October 2012). "Joanna Coles, US Cosmopolitan: 'I love working with smart young women'". The Observer. ISSN   0029-7712 . Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  5. ↑ "Marie Claire @Work: A Hit with Readers and Advertisers Alike - Marie Claire @Work: A Hit with Readers and Advertisers Alike | Hearst". www.hearst.com. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  6. ↑ Moura, Sophie (20 October 2011). "Women on Top". Marie Claire. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  7. ↑ Erlich, Jessica Prince (3 July 2018). "How I Get It Done: Joanna Coles, Chief Content Officer at Hearst Magazine". The Cut. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  8. ↑ "Joanna Coles Says 'The Bold Type' Is "Loosely Inspired" By Her Friends & Career". Bustle. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  9. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (4 April 2019). "Joanna Coles Inks First-Look Deal With ABC Studios/ABC Signature". Deadline. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  10. ↑ "About WE NYC | WE NYC". we.nyc. Retrieved 30 March 2020.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.