A Theme of Diversification: Within the Web Design of the Online Atlanta Magazine

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derived from best fashion section of Atlanta Magazine website

The Atlanta Magazine is an online magazine that has been issuing daily articles and coverage about the metropolitan Atlanta area since 1961. It features each aspect of Atlanta, Georgia from best restaurants to best things to do. Mostly everything there is to know is tackled on this online site and had caused it to gain the great title of” the father of city magazines” given by TIME magazine. It is said that the “city’s only general-interest magazine, Atlanta is recognized regionally and nationally for journalism and design excellence.(Proquest 1)”  However, there is a problem when various headlines and articles are streamed on the site, yet only one type of race is displayed. Racial diversity on this site is not present, only racial domination of Caucasian men and women.

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best hidden places discovered on Atlanta Magazine
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Atlanta Magazine article on best secret style

As I began to scroll down and click on various articles, the images and pictures all held similarity. According to Atlanta magazine, white culture is the predominate culture in Atlanta, Georgia of 2016. White women and men of various ages occupy a majority of the website’s headlines. Out of all of the articles I read, I could only point out two people of minority. Now how does that affect the culture of a city? It makes minorities feel as if they are insignificant to others and unable to achieve such success. If the design changed for the better and expressed a theme of diversity. Self betterment within each race would cause a break of the social standards.

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example of “African American reads” of 1932

We see the Atlanta magazine website and aren’t bothered by it. As a society, we have accepted the racial inequality among us and felt as if some things will never change. In 2003, a new Atlanta magazine called “Living Space Magazine” was published to influence the “spirit, culture, and style of our(African American’s) homes.(Trayce, pg 7)”. African Americans felt that they had to create their own magazine because of unequal representation, but in return did exactly what Atlanta magazine did with just representing themselves. Both magazines still lacked variety of culture and our problem of division still lingers. However, I feel as though simple changes such as exchanging a few images in a website that represent a city will give people the confidence to stand and become one. All it takes is a theme of diversification.

 

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