History

FOR TEENS. BY TEENS.

In VOX’s first print edition, the first VOX teens wrote a letter addressed to the “General Public of Atlanta, Georgia.” This letter’s purpose was to introduce VOX to their community, to clearly state their purpose and debunk the “fallacy” of the word teenager carrying a negative context in society. On the second page of that first issue, laid out behind this letter in purple lettering, sat dozens of words that the “creators of VOX” wanted Atlanta to unlearn as negative synonyms for teen.

Lazy. Cranky. Self-Centered. Horny. Immature. Frivolous. Ungrateful.

“We come from all different backgrounds, races and creeds, creating a diverse mixture of cultures, yet we remain as one vast, conflicting stereotype,” they wrote. “The teenagers of Atlanta realize that rather than attempting to abolish this stereotype, we must dispel its influence.” So, the creators of VOX sought to address each of Atlanta’s community issues in “the sea of social issues” with an “open mind and a unifying spirit” through their coverage of their peers and their city. They pledged to “confront the negative aspects” of their world, while acknowledging the positive aspects in order to “create a positive image” of themselves.

They ended their letter with this:

“VOX is ready and willing to redefine our reputation and face the issues that concern us. After all, we are teens – and we are proud of it!”

Sneak peek of VOX's first print edition.