The Controversial Kamala Cover

The February Vogue covers of Vice President Kamala Harris have stirred up a heated debate on social media. While many debate which cover is more appropriate, the issue also raises the question of, "what is the responsibility of a publication to their subject?"Both covers were shot with the collaboration of Vice President-elect Harris, who chose and wore her own clothes, however, the Vice President's team has said they felt blindsided; the cover on the left in the blue suit is the one that they mutually agreed upon. Contractually, Vogue had the final choice. Harris' team feels they acted in bad faith.Vogue has said their choice speaks to the approachable nature of the Biden-Harris team and that the more informal image represents this. Editor-in-chief Anna Wintour has defended the choice and has gone on the record saying that their intention was not to diminish the importance of Harris' victory. Vogue responded to the controversy by releasing the more formal image as the digital cover.Critics feel the print cover image is disrespectful and does not represent her game-changing position, as the first female vice president, the first Black female vice president and the first female vice president of South Asian descent. Vogue has also been accused of lightening her skin tone.While Vogue makes a point with their argument and legally it looks like they are covered, the question remains, did they act responsibly toward their subject? They were given an opportunity to convey the essence of this pivotal moment in history, perhaps they should have done so with no explanation needed.Sources:https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/11/style/kamala-harris-vogue.html?auth=login-email&login=emailhttps://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/12/opinion/sway-kara-swisher-anna-wintour.htmlhttps://www.today.com/style/anna-wintour-speaks-out-kamala-harris-vogue-cover-t205582https://www.dnaindia.com/world/report-us-vice-president-elect-social-media-outraged-over-lightening-of-kamala-harris-skin-tone-on-magazine-cover-2867608