Lauren Duca | |
|---|---|
 Duca in 2024 | |
| Born | February 24, 1991 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Fordham University New York University |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Years active | 2016–2020 |
Lauren Duca (born February 24, 1991) [1] is an American former journalist and political columnist. [2] [3] She formerly worked at Teen Vogue, where she had a column from 2017 to 2018 called "Thigh High Politics". Her book How to Start a Revolution (2019) is on young people and the future of American politics. [4]
Duca was born in New York City and grew up in an affluent New Jersey suburb. Her parents live in New Jersey, [3] and she has a younger brother. [5]
In 2013, Duca graduated from Fordham University with a bachelor's degree in English and philosophy. [6] During this time, she was editor in chief of the alternative newspaper, the paper. [7] In 2015, Duca received her master's degree in journalism and critical theory from New York University. [8]
In 2013, Duca got her start working as an online editorial intern for New York Magazine . From 2013 to 2015, Duca worked as a reporter at The Huffington Post . In 2015, she began working as a freelance reporter, often writing for Teen Vogue.
In December 2016, Duca drew attention for an op-ed in Teen Vogue titled "Donald Trump is Gaslighting America," [9] [10] which argued that then President-elect Donald Trump relied on deceit to undermine the truth so his critics would question their own judgment. [2] As of December 23, 2016, the essay had been viewed 1.2 million times, becoming the magazine's most-viewed post. [11] Katie Mettler of The Washington Post said, "[T]he Internet lit up with praise for [Duca's] 'scorched-earth' op-ed." [12] The essay was widely cited as a turning point in the fashion magazine's reputation, with a newly recognized political dimension. [11] [13] [14]
Duca appeared on Tucker Carlson Tonight on December 23, 2016, [15] and in the heated exchange over her commentary on Ivanka Trump, [16] Duca criticized host Tucker Carlson for not allowing her to speak and called Carlson a "partisan hack." In response, he told her that instead of political commentary, she "should stick to the thigh-high boots," referring to her earlier articles on pop star Ariana Grande. [17] Online harassment of Duca followed, including threats of sexual assault. [18]
In response, Duca named her new column at Teen Vogue, begun in February 2017, [2] "Thigh-High Politics." [19] According to the magazine, "Thigh High Politics" "[broke] down the news, provides resources for the resistance, and just generally refuses to accept toxic nonsense." [20] She also designed a t-shirt in July 2017 with the phrase "I like my politics thigh-high," and donated all of the proceeds from each $32 shirt to Planned Parenthood in Carlson's name. [21] As of December 2017, over $10,000 were raised. [22] In the face of backlash against Teen Vogue, Duca has defended the political commentary featured on the website, citing the disconnect between critics who find young women's interests as too silly for intellectual conversation and the reprimand young women face for not participating in political process. [5]
In 2017, former pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli attempted to contact Duca a number of times and referenced her routinely in social media. In early January 2017, Shkreli direct-messaged Duca, tweeted her directly, edited a collage of Duca for his Twitter banner, and superimposed his face on top of an image of Duca and her then-husband to use as his profile photo. [23] Duca made her discomfort in Shkreli's advances known on her Twitter, posting a screenshot of a direct message from Shkreli inviting her to Donald Trump's inauguration with the caption, “I would rather eat my own organs.” [24] Duca also posted screenshots of Shkreli's Twitter profile using her appearance, asking the platform's founder and CEO Jack Dorsey how Shkreli's actions were allowed. [25] Shkreli's Twitter account was then suspended for violating the website's rules prohibiting targeted harassment. [26] On July 28, 2017, Duca released a Twitter statement on her thoughts regarding Shkreli's securities-fraud trial and his sexual comments on a Facebook livestream. [27] Duca tweeted, "I would (still) rather eat my own organs. So much as touch me, and I'll gladly chop off one of yours." [28]
On 21 February 2018, Duca responded to Billy Graham's death by tweeting: "The big news today is that Billy Graham was still alive this whole time. Anyway, have fun in hell, bitch." [29] Her post drew some backlash on the internet. [30] In response to Fox News' coverage of her tweet, Duca noted: "The Fox article and segment on my stupid tweet are really miraculous in their bad-faith consternation. Billy Graham called being gay 'a sinister form of perversion,' and floated the idea that 'AIDS is a punishment from God.' If hell is real, that's exactly where he's headed." [31]
In May 2018, it was announced that Duca would be a visiting scholar at New York University's journalism department. [32] [33] In the summer of 2019, Duca taught a six-week course there entitled "The Feminist Journalist." The class was taught under the NYU Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and focused on intersections of feminist ideology and the practice of journalism, and was made up of high-school and college students. [34] Four weeks after the course, students sent a collective formal complaint to school's journalism department regarding Duca's conduct during the class, writing, "We are disappointed at the department and NYU for hiring a professor with more interest in promoting her book than teaching a group of students eager to learn." [35] Students allege that Duca targeted an exchange student, writing that she "consistently targeted this student on the basis of a communication difficulty the student cannot change." [35] [36]
In September 2019, Duca released her first book, which was called How to Start a Revolution: Young People and the Future of American Politics. [4]
In September 2020, Duca announced her indefinite hiatus from journalism. [37]
In a Substack post following Tucker Carlson's departure from Fox News, Duca briefly reflected on her spirituality, theraputic use of ayahuasca, and departure from social media. She also announced she was making progress on a second book. [38]
Duca lives in Tucson, Arizona. [38] Duca was married to Kris Fleming, [8] [39] but announced on Twitter on January 13, 2019, that she was getting divorced from her husband. Since her divorce, Duca has identified as queer, [40] and announced her second marriage on September 5, 2020. [41]
Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson is an American conservative political commentator and writer who hosted the nightly political talk show Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News from 2016 to 2023. Since his contract with Fox News was terminated, he has hosted Tucker on X. An advocate of the former U.S. president Donald Trump, Carlson has been described as "perhaps the highest-profile proponent of Trumpism", "the most influential voice in right-wing media, without a close second," and a leading voice of white grievance politics.
William Bret Baier is an American journalist and the host of Special Report with Bret Baier on the Fox News Channel and the chief political anchor for Fox. He previously worked as the network's Chief White House Correspondent and Pentagon correspondent.
Mika Emilie Leonia Brzezinski Scarborough is an American talk show host who co-hosts MSNBC's weekday morning broadcast show Morning Joe alongside her husband Joe Scarborough. She was formerly a CBS News correspondent, and was their principal "Ground Zero" reporter during the morning of the September 11 attacks. In 2007, she joined MSNBC as an occasional anchor, and was subsequently chosen as co-host of Morning Joe.
Teen Vogue is an American online publication, formerly in print, launched in January 2003, as a sister publication to Vogue, targeted at teenage girls and young women. Like Vogue, it included stories about fashion and celebrities. Since 2015, following a steep decline in sales, the magazine cut back on its print distribution in favor of online content, which has grown significantly. The magazine had also expanded its focus from fashion and beauty to include politics and current affairs. In November 2017, it was announced Teen Vogue would cease in print and continue online-only as part of a new round of cost cuts. Other publications would also follow and go digital, such as InStyle. The final print issue featured Hillary Clinton on the cover, and was on newsstands on December 5, 2017.
Ainsley Earhardt is an American conservative television host and author. She is a co-host of Fox & Friends.
Caitlin "Caite"Upton is an American actress, model, real estate agent, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2007 and represented South Carolina at Miss Teen USA 2007 where she placed third runner-up.
Amanda Carpenter is an American author, political advisor, and speechwriter. She is a former senior staffer to Senators Jim DeMint and Ted Cruz. She was a columnist for The Washington Times from 2009 to 2010 and regularly appears as a political contributor on CNN.
The Daily Caller is a right-wing news and opinion website based in Washington, D.C. It was founded by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson and political pundit Neil Patel in 2010. Launched as a "conservative answer to The Huffington Post", The Daily Caller quadrupled its audience and became profitable by 2012, surpassing several rival websites by 2013. In 2020, the site was described by The New York Times as having been "a pioneer in online conservative journalism". The Daily Caller is a member of the White House press pool.
Charles Williams Cain is an American columnist, political analyst, and sports commentator. He is currently the co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend on Fox News. Previously, Cain had been a contributor for ESPN, joining the network in March 2015, working with the features unit and E:60 and appearing on First Take. He was the host of The Will Cain Show on ESPN Radio, which ran from January 2018 to June 2020. He has also been a contributor for Blaze Media and CNN, appearing frequently on Soledad O'Brien's morning program Starting Point.
Jesse Bailey Watters is an American conservative political commentator and television host on Fox News. He frequently appeared on the political talk show The O'Reilly Factor and was known for his man-on-the-street interviews, featured in his segment "Watters' World", which became its own show in 2015. In January 2017, Watters' World became weekly, and in April 2017, he became a co-host of the roundtable series The Five. In 2021, he published his first book, How I Saved the World. In January 2022, Watters became host of Jesse Watters Primetime. HarperCollins' Broadside Books published his second book, Get It Together: Troubling Tales from the Liberal Fringe, in March 2024.
Elaine Marie Welteroth is an American journalist, editor, author, and television host. In April 2016, Welteroth was named editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue, making her the second person of African-American heritage in Condé Nast's 107-year history to hold such a title. Her promotion to editor at age 29 makes her the second youngest editor in Condé Nast history, behind former Teen Vogue EIC Lindsay Peoples Wagner who was 28 when she started in the role in Condé Nast. When she became beauty director of Teen Vogue in 2012, Welteroth was the first person of African-American heritage to serve in the role. She is credited for the notable increase of Teen Vogue coverage of politics and social justice, encouraging readers to become civically engaged, specifically during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Under Welteroth's leadership of Teen Vogue's shifting format, the magazine developed its first YouTube channel, featuring content on diverse subjects from campus style to cultural appropriation. The final print edition of Teen Vogue was December 2017.
Tucker Carlson Tonight is an American conservative talk show and current affairs program hosted by political commentator Tucker Carlson. The show aired on Fox News from November 14, 2016, to April 21, 2023, replacing On the Record hosted by Greta Van Susteren. Tucker Carlson Tonight included political commentary, monologues, interviews, and analysis, sharing some similarities with On the Record. Guest hosts for the program included Will Cain, Sean Duffy, Tulsi Gabbard and Brian Kilmeade.
Abraham Jacob Terkeltaub is an American journalist and humorist who writes under the pen name Turx. The senior White House correspondent and chief political correspondent for Ami magazine, he is currently a political contributor at Newsmax.
Lucian Baxter Wintrich IV is an American artist, photographer, writer, and media personality. He received widespread attention in 2017 as the White House correspondent for the conservative news and opinion site The Gateway Pundit. At age 28, he was one of the youngest members of the White House Press Corps, and among the first to be openly gay. During this time, Wintrich attracted significant controversy for his outspoken views on politics and culture. Many of his public appearances and art pieces have been met with protests ranging from civil disobedience to violent demonstrations.
Phillip Picardi is an American journalist and editor. He is the former editor-in-chief of Out.
Blair Imani is an American author, historian, and activist. She identifies as queer, Black, bisexual and Muslim. She is a member of the Black Lives Matter movement, and is known for protesting the shooting of Alton Sterling and Executive Order 13769.
X, formerly Twitter, may suspend accounts, temporarily or permanently, from their social networking service. Suspensions of high-profile accounts often attract media attention, and X's use of suspensions has been controversial.
Ashley Feinberg is an American journalist, covering politics, media, and technology. She is known for her internet sleuthing, through which she has uncovered information about the online activity of public figures.
Michael Tracey is an American journalist and political commentator.
Brandy Zadrozny is an American investigative journalist and reporter with NBC News who specialises in political radicalization, extremism and disinformation on the Internet.
