Jet magazine's first female editor-in-chief, Mira Lowe (pictured), resigned Tuesday, after helming the 60-year-old African American lifestyle publication for a little more than a year.
Lowe joined Johnson Publishing Company in 2007, managing the copy editing process at both Jet and Ebony magazines. Before joining the Chicago-based company, Lowe worked at Newsday as an associate editor.
When Lowe was selected to be the editor-in-chief of Jet in April of last year, she was the first major appointment to be announced since the financially troubled, privately held company made it known that it was undergoing a major reorganization that required staffers to reapply for new jobs.
The digest-size magazine, which is known for documenting celebrity, political and economic news of the African American community, as well as featuring its famed "Beauty of the Week" page, first published in 1951. The publication has nearly 1 million subscribers. Like many print publications, ad pages have been at a low, and the magazine has even had to double its issues to save money.
Since Johnson's current CEO, Desiree Rogers, was hired only last summer to reposition the struggling publishing company, sources speculate that Lowe's decision to vacate the premises might have been forced.
According to Min Online, which covers the business of consumer magazine media, Lowe was quoted as saying Rogers is committed to "installing new voices and presiding over a new Website." Back in June, Rogers "installed" Amy DuBois Barnett as Ebony new editor-in-chief.
Meanwhile, Lowe told the Maynard Institute, an African American think tank for journalists, that "it's a great time to pursue some personal and professional goals."