Condé Nast Faces Anti-Semitism Allegations from Jewish Employees Against Former DEI Chief

Edited by: TJVNews.com

The former Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Condé Nast, Yashica Olden, has come under fire following accusations of anti-Semitism by Jewish employees at the publishing giant, as reported by The New York Post. These employees raised concerns over the company’s handling of coverage and internal discourse surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict, particularly in the wake of the October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attacks that claimed 1,400 Israeli lives. Tensions within the company escalated as Jewish staffers accused Condé Nast of allowing pro-Palestinian sentiment to permeate its editorial content, particularly in magazines like Teen Vogue.

According to Semafor and relayed by The New York Post, Jewish employees submitted an official complaint to Condé Nast’s human resources department, accusing Olden of failing to adequately address their concerns. The employees alleged that the company did not take disciplinary action against journalists who participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, despite growing worries about anti-Semitic sentiment. These employees also called for the establishment of a Jewish employee resource group, similar to those set up for other ethnic minorities at Condé Nast. Olden reportedly expressed support for the idea but stated that such a group should also accommodate other religious groups, including Muslims.

The New York Post reported that many Jewish employees perceived Olden’s response as insufficient, leading them to file a formal complaint accusing her of anti-Semitism. The situation highlights deep internal divisions within Condé Nast over the company’s approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict, with some staffers feeling alienated by what they see as a pro-Palestinian bias in the editorial coverage.

In particular,  the publishing giant is grappling with internal and external criticism over the editorial direction of Teen Vogue in its coverage of the Israel-Gaza conflict. As reported by The New York Post, Teen Vogue’s decision to give prominent attention to anti-Israel demonstrations on college campuses, as well as to pro-Palestinian celebrities, has caused significant discomfort within the company. This has been further complicated by complaints from public relations executives in Hollywood, who represent high-profile celebrity clients, and are reportedly dissatisfied with the magazine’s stance.

According to Semafor, Teen Vogue has also been the subject of scrutiny within Condé Nast’s own booking department, which manages relationships with celebrities. The editorial line of Teen Vogue has not only risked alienating Hollywood but has also triggered internal concerns over the publication’s perceived anti-Israel bias. As highlighted by The New York Post, public relations executives have voiced displeasure, worried that aligning with the magazine’s content could damage their clients’ reputations in the current politically charged climate.

Internally, Condé Nast’s own Content Integrity Group, which oversees fact-checking and upholds editorial standards across non-New Yorker publications, flagged several Teen Vogue articles on Gaza for anti-Israel bias. These stories, according to Semafor and echoed by The New York Post, contained terms such as “apartheid” and “genocide” in reference to Israel, which led to delays in their publication. The Content Integrity Group’s actions reflect the broader challenge within Condé Nast of balancing editorial freedom with factual integrity, especially on highly polarizing issues like the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The friction has extended beyond the pages of Teen Vogue. Employees within Condé Nast who are sympathetic to Israel have expressed frustration over the company’s overall response to the October 7 Hamas attacks, which left 1,200 Israelis dead. The company’s official statement on the attacks was widely criticized as vague, with many employees and outside observers feeling that it did not go far enough in explicitly condemning Hamas, a designated terrorist organization. As reported by The New York Post, this tepid response has deepened the divide within the company between those who support Israel and those who align with the pro-Palestinian stance taken by some of its publications.

In addition, The New York Post reported that Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, a Vogue contributing editor-at-large, found herself at the center of controversy after posting inflammatory messages on social media in the days following the Hamas attacks. In her posts, Karefa-Johnson referred to Israel as an “apartheid state” engaged in “genocide,” and even likened the Israeli military to a “terrorist organization.” The backlash led her to quietly remove her job title from her Instagram account a week later, according to The New York Post, signaling the potential fallout of such public comments in a highly divided environment.

The fallout from Condé Nast’s coverage of the Israel-Gaza conflict is not isolated to Teen Vogue or Vogue. The New York Post has also reported that other major media outlets, such as CBS, are grappling with similar issues. Recently, CBS management reprimanded co-anchor Tony Dokoupil of CBS Mornings following an interview he conducted with author Ta-Nehisi Coates. The interview, which focused on Coates’ new book about the Israel-Palestine conflict, touched off concerns over biased coverage and added to the ongoing tensions within media organizations over how to handle the fraught topic.

The internal conflict underscores broader challenges in media organizations as they navigate sensitive geopolitical issues, particularly those involving Israel and Hamas. As The New York Post report pointed out, these tensions are not unique to Condé Nast, but the specific allegations of anti-Semitism and perceived bias have brought the company’s internal dynamics into sharp focus. Jewish staffers’ concerns about the lack of a dedicated resource group and Olden’s response have only added fuel to the debate about diversity, inclusion, and representation at one of the world’s leading magazine publishers.

Olden stepped down from her position in June, though the exact reasons for her departure remain unclear. As of now, neither Olden nor Condé Nast has publicly commented on the allegations. However, The New York Post continues to seek clarification from both parties.

The fallout from Condé Nast’s coverage of the Israel-Gaza conflict is not isolated to Teen Vogue or Vogue. The New York Post has also reported that other major media outlets, such as CBS, are grappling with similar issues. Recently, CBS management reprimanded co-anchor Tony Dokoupil of CBS Mornings following an interview he conducted with author Ta-Nehisi Coates. The interview, which focused on Coates’ new book about the Israel-Palestine conflict, touched off concerns over biased coverage and added to the ongoing tensions within media organizations over how to handle the fraught topic.

The Hamas attacks of October 7 and the subsequent Israeli military response have left the editorial stance of several Condé Nast properties, including Vogue, Vanity Fair, and The New Yorker, under intense scrutiny. Jewish employees have voiced frustration that the company has not been more forceful in addressing what they perceive as one-sided coverage that highlights Palestinian suffering without fully contextualizing the violence committed by Hamas. According to The New York Post, the failure to balance these narratives has deepened the divide within the company.