Last week, I brought attention to a new magazine which targets teens as their audience. The magazine is called The Conservative Teen, and the first release comes out this winter.
As a contributor, I received an early release copy for review. As I said in my last entry, when I was invited to contribute, I was thrilled; when I received my copy and saw the others who contributed, my first thought was, “How did I get into the room?”
That notwithstanding, I want to return to my previous endorsement, and heartily promote the magazine. I have now read the publication cover to cover. Impressions? It is solid, and stands in a league of its own for educating and encouraging today’s teens who feel isolated and accosted by an agenda in the media, entertainment, education, government, and even some churches which undermines the founding principles of our country and Judeo/Christian values.
There are 17 articles on 50 pages, and advertising is almost non-existent. The images and visual finish of the magazine is of the highest quality. Each and every article is analytical, maintains high expectations of literacy while helping the reader to understand vocabulary part and parcel to advanced communication - especially words bandied about but rarely explained (e.g. bureaucrat). Topics include: bias in the media, global warming questions, the future debt paying generation, protection of the unborn, abstinence education, educational reform, America as a unique country, the importance of family, ideals of our founding, the Declaration of Independence and its meaning, how government actually creates and sustains poverty, suggested readings, a spotlight on a selected college, and more. Truly, the magazine is exceptionally well-written, instructional, and a most refreshing addition to what’s out there now.
By the way, after having read the magazine, I offer this: Don’t be fooled into thinking that this is some “dummied down” milktoast explanation which teens will find patronizing. Readers will have to stay focused and willing to think as they are reading. The articles are engaging but require engagement. It’s similar to sitting in a college level class listening to a professor who really knows his or her topic, wants to help the students learn, and is a very good communicator to boot. And here’s the nugget: Most adults I know would learn much, and intelllectually profit, from reading this magazine. While the target audience is for conservative teens, I enjoyed, and learned, from every single article.
“Crikey, Brigleb,” you say. “You sound like the Fuller Brush man doing door to door sales!” (Those too young to know about Fuller Brush salesmen, I’m sure Wikipedia has an entry.) Further, you’re suspicious I’m on commission. Nope. I wasn’t paid for my article, nor will I recieve a penny from the subscription sales, nor was I encouraged to “Get the word out.” I’m just generally excited to see this type of publication addressing this audience and being produced at such a high standard.
Is it perfect? No. For starters, it’s being presented as a quarterly rather than a monthly. I’d love to see it go 12 issues per year, but there are specific reasons for not doing so. Like other quarterlies, by not racing the monthly deadline demon, they can maintain a higher level of quality; too, the publishers anticipate the magazine being used as an educational resource and desire to NOT overburden students by inundating their existing and demanding schedule.
Many of the columnists - while nationally acclaimed writers - may be writing to this target audience for the first time. In some cases, they assume too much background knowledge on the part of the teens. (I know this from having spent so many years with this age group in a school setting.) I’m glad the writers did not dummy down their content and end up presenting some patronizing or shallow offering. As I said, readers will be forced to think and stay actively engaged - which is a good thing. The concepts and terms will become more comfortable and then secondary to the reader’s base of knowledge as they move from one article to the next. Finally, some might criticize the magazine for not presenting a balance between positions. In other words, this is not a “point - counterpoint” publication. The Conservative Teen is decidely, well, conservative. There is no pretense of being neutral. it is a decidely conservative offering. The goal in publishing this magazine is to provide education, understanding, analysis, information, support, assurance, hope and strategies for today’s teens who are constantly exposed to a liberal perspective on their computers, on television, in print, at their school, and generally, within society at large.
In conclusion, if this sounds like something you’d be interested in providing for a teen you know, or a teacher who needs a conservative resource, or for yourself (I promise, at 57 years of age, I found the entire magazine interesting, encouraging, and informative), click on the image of the magazine, and you’ll be re-directed to their website. For less than $20/year, you’ll get 4 issues of great reading that just may end up impacting the future of our country.
