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Oprah Winfrey’s magazine’s print edition to fold after 20 years


Oprah Winfrey’s monthly magazine O, will stop printing at the end of the year after being in circulation for two decades, according to reports.

The publication, which was founded by the 66-year-old TV icon and Hearst Communications in 2000, will become “more digitally centric” at the end of the year.

In a statement to People Magazine, a representative for Hearst Magazines said: “As the brand celebrates twenty years of O, The Oprah Magazine, we’re thinking about what’s next, but again the partnership and the brand are not going away.”

They said it was a natural next step for the brand, which has grown to an online audience of 8 million, extending its voice and vision with video and social content.

“We will continue to invest in this platform as the brand grows and evolves into one that is more digitally-centric.”

O Magazine says it plans to publish some form of print media beyond its December 2020 issue, but the brand has not yet decided what exactly that will entail.

The announcement follows sexual harassment allegations against Hearst CEO Troy Young, who was accused of making “lewd, sexist remarks at work,” according to a report by the New York Times last week.

TV TALK SHOW

Young resigned on Thursday after calling the allegations “either untrue, greatly exaggerated or taken out of context.”

Hearst Magazines, publishes major magazines including Elle, Esquire, Cosmopolitan and Good Housekeeping.

Hearst’s other businesses include local TV stations, newspapers and ratings agency Fitch.

Reflecting on the success of her women’s magazine, Winfrey said in a statement provided by Hearst: “I’m proud of this team and what we have delivered to our readers over the past 20 years. I look forward to the next step in our evolution.”

Famous for her long-running TV talk show that ended in 2011, Winfrey has a new talk show debuting Thursday on Apple’s service called “The Oprah Conversation.”

She also has two other series on Apple TV Plus, “Oprah Talks Covid-19” and “Oprah’s Book Club.”