Northwestern’s family of student publications has a new sister. Her Campus, a national online magazine dedicated to college-age women, is launching its NU branch today.
The website provides a place for women to find and give advice on issues such as love, sex, career development and confidence, said Stephanie Kaplan, the CEO and editor in chief of HerCampus.com.
“College women are in an important point in their lives,” Kaplan said. “They are figuring out who they are (and) becoming independent. There are some things they need to know, and they need a media property that responds to these needs.”
HerCampus.com was founded by three Harvard College undergraduate students: Kaplan, Windsor Hanger and Annie Wang. After winning Harvard’s 2009 business plan competition, the I3 Innovation Challenge, HerCampus.com was featured on several media outlets, including Fox News and ABC.
Medill sophomores Hannah Miller and Monica Park started the NU branch of the site, acting as “campus correspondents.” Miller hopes the website gains widespread recognition on campus.
“It’s something the campus was missing,” she said. “This magazine will serve as a best friend for girls if they need advice.”
Although some NU students are excited about the launch of the magazine, others question its content.
“I’m a girl, and I want to read about love, drama and girl issues,” Weinberg freshman Kuan-Yu Shen said. “(But) I don’t want to see just love and all that cliched stuff. I want to see how women can influence society.”
Weinberg sophomore Kalina Kassadjikova said she is not sure if she would read the new website.
“I’m not into that whole culture,” she said. “If it’s something Cosmo-like, I don’t think (the writers of HerCampus.com) are authorized to give advice. You can’t summarize a situation in one paragraph, and they don’t know you. If it’s oriented around campus, some parts of it could be gossip-like.”
One of the obstacles HerCampus.com might face is achieving the balance between mass appeal and quality content, said Patti Wolter, a Medill assistant professor and a former Self magazine editor.
“The challenge is if students can manage the marketing aspect and the journalism,” she said. “If it’s a one-stop for fun, bubblegum content and serious issues, that would be great.”
