11/12/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/12/2024 14:37
Unprecedented access to the landmark publication enriches research and learning about the evolution of feminist thought and social change
ProQuest™, part of Clarivate™, has teamed with the Feminist Majority Foundation to digitize the archive of the pioneering feminist publication Ms., providing unprecedented digital access to every issue from its launch in 1972 to the present. The Ms. Magazine Archive will launch in 2025, making more than fifty years of influential content accessible in a high-resolution, fully searchable format. This initiative promises to revolutionize how students and scholars engage with feminist history, literature, advocacy and thought.
Ms. magazine launched at a time when a woman couldn't get a credit card without a man; when she had few legal rights, especially regarding divorce and reproduction; and when she was expected to prioritize marriage and motherhood. The magazine's founders - Gloria Steinem, Joanne Edgar, Letty Cottin Pogrebin, Mary Peacock, and Nina Finkelstein, soon joined by Suzanne Braun Levine as executive editor and Pat Carbine as publisher - recognized that as the feminist movement was gaining momentum, there was a need for a publication where women could read about and debate the obstacles to their freedom. "The idea of a full-fledged national magazine came up; a publication created by and controlled by women that could be as serious, outrageous, satisfying, sad, funky, intimate, global, compassionate, and full of change as women's lives really are" (Ms., July 1972).
By bringing attention to and reporting on issues impacting women through a feminist lens, Ms. spurred change - shaping the events and movements that have remade our society and our world.
The upcoming Ms. Magazine Archive will be revolutionary for researchers, educators and activists. With its high-resolution, color digitization and fully searchable text, this archive will offer the ability to better access and analyze the magazine's rich content. Each issue will be preserved in its original format, allowing users to explore the magazine's visual and editorial evolution over the decades.
For scholars committed to studying gender issues, social justice and feminist thought, the archive will be an invaluable primary source. It will provide detailed insights into how Ms. was able to bring national attention to and spur change on a wide range of women's issues, offering a comprehensive view of feminist discourse and its impact on public policy and societal attitudes.
Educators will find the archive an essential tool for bringing feminist history into the classroom and it can easily be added to curricula. It will provide students with direct access to primary source materials, fostering a deeper understanding of feminist activism and media. The archive's rich content will also support research projects and discussions on gender equality, social justice and media studies.
For activists and advocates, the archive will serve as a powerful resource for learning from past strategies, successes and setbacks. By studying the magazine's coverage of historical movements and contemporary issues, current advocates can gain valuable insights into effective advocacy and policy change.
Katherine Spillar, Executive Editor, Ms. Magazine said: "The digitization of Ms. represents more than just preserving past issues - this project will amplify the pioneering voices of Ms. so that they continue to resonate, inspire, and inform future generations taking up the cause of women's equality."
Susan Bokern, Vice President, Product Development, Academia and Government at Clarivate said: "As we look forward to the launch of The Ms. Magazine Archive in 2025, we are excited about the new possibilities this resource will open for research, teaching and learning. Stay tuned for more updates as we prepare to celebrate and share this significant addition to feminist history and scholarship."