Ms. Magazine

Starting as a simple column in New York magazine when it was first released in 1971, Ms. Magazine has now become one of the most influential publications in the fight for women's rights that has occurred over the decades. As you could probably guess, when it was first released, Ms. faced a lot of criticism. It was completely revolutionary in its portrayal of women; previously, all women's magazines had been full of advice for how to find a husband, raise a baby, buy and apply make-up, things that conformed with the idea that a woman's purpose was to be a wife and mother, and nothing more.

Ms. changed all that. Within the first 8 days of publication, all 300,000 copies had sold. It galvanized a generation of women through its featuring of "prominent American women demanding the repeal of laws that criminalized abortion, the first to explain and advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment, to rate presidential candidates on women’s issues, to put domestic violence and sexual harassment on its cover, to commission and feature a national study on date rape, and to blow the whistle on the undue influence of advertising on magazine journalism." It made the feminist voice audible to the public, and allowed women a space in which to fight for their rights.

What makes Ms. so unique is its willingness to approach traditionally taboo subjects. With a group of influential women such as Gloria Steinem and Marcia Gillespie having run the magazine, Ms. has broken many barriers in terms of investigative journalism. It has allowed women to voice their opinions on issues important to them, in a space in which they won't be criticized for having an idea that does not conform to the typical belief that a woman has no place in the political or social revolutionary sphere.

In 2001, the foundation running Ms. was bought by the Feminist Majority Foundation, and to this day remains one of the most influential publications for women all over the world. The Ms. Classroom program has extended its audience onto college campuses. Its connections within grassroots activist groups and appeal to women throughout the generations has allowed Ms. to transform into more than just a simple magazine; it has become a foundation for the feminist movement, and for the fight for equality that so many women are still fighting for today.

Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ms._(magazine)#Liberty_Media_for_Women
https://msmagazine.com/about/
http://nymag.com/news/features/ms-magazine-2011-11/