{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/69702993675fd45d3a8c9d87/69ab38bac2eb2fc3ab4859f2?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Navigating A New Era of Virality, Rage Bait, and Gen Z Content with Cosmopolitan's Editor-in-Chief ","description":"<p>Before she was even 30 years old, Willa Bennett took over not one, but two of the most iconic magazines in media: Cosmopolitan and Seventeen.</p><p><br></p><p>In this episode, I sit down with Willa to talk about what it actually takes to run a legacy magazine in 2026 — in a culture driven by viral discourse, instant backlash, and internet-speed opinions.</p><p><br></p><p>In this conversation, we get into:</p><ul><li>What it felt like to take over Cosmopolitan at 29</li><li>What an Editor-in-Chief actually does day-to-day</li><li>How she decides who and what gets visibility</li><li>Why story matters more than star power</li><li>The Sydney Sweeney cover and how she thinks about controversy</li><li>Whether editorial “rage bait” is real</li><li>How viral culture and engagement metrics shape modern media</li><li>What Gen Z readers are actually curious about</li><li>And why “taste” might be the most important skill in journalism right now</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Timestamps</p><p>01:30 Growing up with magazines &amp; coming full circle</p><p>04:30 Getting the Cosmopolitan job — the emotional moment</p><p>07:30 Running a legacy brand in a digital-first industry</p><p>10:30 What an Editor-in-Chief actually does in 2026</p><p>15:30 Instinct vs analytics — how editorial decisions are made</p><p>20:00 AI, dating culture &amp; what young readers want</p><p>23:30 Story over star power &amp; viral visibility</p><p>27:30 The Sydney Sweeney cover &amp; navigating backlash</p><p>32:00 Is editorial rage bait real?</p><p>35:00 Celebrity culture, controversy &amp; documenting the moment</p><p>37:30 Are we still in the Gen Z era?</p><p>40:00 The future of media &amp; why taste matters</p><p><br></p><p>Follow Willa on Instagram&nbsp;<a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/willahbennett/?hl=en\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.instagram.com/willahbennett/?hl=en</a></p><p><br></p><p><em>Thanks to Banana Republic for my favorite pieces from the spring collection. Shop their new arrivals at&nbsp;</em><a href=\"http://www.ba/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><em>www.ba</em></a><a href=\"http://nanarepublic.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><em>nanarepublic.com</em></a><em>&nbsp;#BananaRepublicPartner</em></p>","author_name":"Liv Perez"}