February Editor’s Letter: We Need To Talk

The whole Influencer drama really got me thinking. Actually there’s been a lot that’s got me thinking lately. I think it’s because I’m becoming more aware of what’s going on around me, along with everything that’s suddenly being discussed in terms of #metoo and the scandals in the media. It’s also embracing my role as Editor of Missy.

I feel such a responsibility to you all. To keep you informed, to help you grow, to discover, and be whatever you want. Missy is ever evolving and that’s to keep up with you. I guess this and recent developments in the media has pushed me to really look at where I want Missy to stand. Yes, we love beauty and fashion, but I think it’s so important to discuss all these issues going on around us all like feminism, equality, the upcoming referendum and issues that we all share. I also feel such a responsibility to be honest with you at all times.

Why Missy?

I started Missy because I thought it was genuinely sad that Irish girls didn’t have a magazine. There is no teen magazine in Ireland anymore. I lived for teen magazines when I was younger. I was very shy and it was also in the days of very limited internet. So I learned everything from teen magazines. From sex, to relationships, to contraception that’s where I got all my info from because it sure as hell wasn’t from school. There’s a big responsiblity that goes along with Missy though.

I remember when I was a teen a big deal was made about photoshopping in magazines. That was really the only place to see images like that. I can only imagine what it’s like to grow up now when you are bombarded with these images left, right and centre thanks to social media. It’s estimated that 400 new cases of eating disorders emerge each year, representing 80 deaths annually. That’s a scary statistic. Not everyone is perfect the whole time. But instead of seeing real people you have Influencers flogging foundation promising perfect skin when they are Facetuning themselves into oblivion in the photos. This really annoys me on so many levels. But as I said it really got me thinking about what I want Missy to be.

My Promise For Missy

My promise to you is that we do have your best interest at heart. That for me means 100% no photoshopping of images featured on Missy.ie or our social media channels. We are working to have all pictures completely our own. And although there might be some brightening, filtering etc we will never alter the appearance of anyone in our pictures. Eating Disorders are on the rise big time in Ireland and it’s no wonder with our use of social media. But what really upsets me is the idea of people idolising something that will never be achievable. I also want to see a full representation of all body shapes, ethnicities on Missy.

We also strive to give you honest and informed articles. We’ve had some requests do to deal with some more difficult topics, which are on the way. But at all times we want to ensure that we are speaking to the correct people to help inform you on the correct facts. It is our job as writers, but I feel like those lines have been blurred by blogging over the past few years.

I know there is also a lot of talk about sponsored content. We have started to work with some really great brands to bring you great content. We’ve also turned down some brands because it just doesn’t fit with our ethos at Missy. Just know that anything that you see on Missy is because we genuinely feel like you will enjoy it.

We also want to open up Missy to include more voices. If you’re interested in contributing to Missy or voicing an opinion we’d love to hear from you. You don’t need to have an abundance of experience or even a blog, but we do like our writers to be passionate about writing and have original content. Even if you’re looking for experience to add to your CV or wish to work freelance for us, we’ll happily consider you – just drop me an email.

February on Missy.ie

We’re also trying a little change here at Missy. We’re no longer going to set out what’s coming up in the month like we used to without content pages. The only reason for this is that we feel things rapidly change and there might be suddenly a need for an article that we didn’t anticipate earlier in the month. But I feel like we’ll bring this back in a different way later in the year. We also updated the site and are still working to make a few changes here and there to make your reading experience the best. Let us know what you think hello@missy.ie.

As always I love hearing from you. You can email me anytime (danielle@missy.ie) or send a message on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Also don’t forget to sign up to our monthly newsletter – the first send-out will be this month!

I hope that you have a fabulous February and best of luck to all of you doing Mocks and assessments.

Love,

Dani

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