Ellen Levine (born Ellen Rose Jacobson) (February 19, 1943 – November 6, 2022) was an American media executive. From 2006 to 2016, she served as the Editorial Director of

Hearst Magazines Hearst Communications, Inc., often referred to simply as Hearst, is an American multinational mass media and business information conglomerate based in Hearst Tower in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Hearst owns newspapers, magazines, televis ...

, and served as a consultant to Hearst from January 2017. She was responsible for the launches of numerous successful magazines, including '' O: The Oprah Magazine'' and '' Food Network Magazine''.

Education

Levine was a graduate of Wellesley College. At Wellesley, Levine studied political science and was heavily involved with ''The Wellesley News,'' the college's student-produced newspaper. In 2005, Wellesley honored Levine with the Alumnae Achievement Award, the highest distinction possible for an alumna.

Career

After graduating from Wellesley, Levine began her career in journalism at the Record in Hackensack, New Jersey. In 1994, Levine was named the first female editor-in-chief of ''

Good Housekeeping ''Good Housekeeping'' is an American women's magazine featuring articles about women's interests, product testing by The Good Housekeeping Institute, recipes, diet, and health, as well as literary articles. It is well known for the "Good Hous ...

'' magazine. In 2003, she was awarded the inaugural Media Award by the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) for her thoughtful inclusion of mental illness discussions in ''Good Housekeeping''. While at ''Good Housekeeping'', Levine also helped launch additional magazines under the Hearst banner, such as ''

O, The Oprah Magazine ''O, The Oprah Magazine'', also known simply as ''O'', is an American monthly magazine founded by talk show host Oprah Winfrey and Hearst Communications. Overview It was first published on April 19, 2000. , its average paid circulation was ...

'' and '' Food Network Magazine''. From 1976 to 1982, she was a senior editor at '' Cosmopolitan''. Levine served as editor-in-chief of ''

Woman's Day ''Woman's Day'' is an American women's monthly magazine that covers such topics as homemaking, food, nutrition, physical fitness, physical attractiveness, and fashion. The print edition is one of the Seven Sisters magazines. The magazine was f ...

'' from 1982 to 1990, and as editor-in-chief of '' Redbook'' from 1990 to 1994. Levine was President of the

American Society of Magazine Editors The American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) is an industry trade group for magazine journalists and editors of magazines published in the United States. ASME includes the editorial leaders of most major consumer magazine in print and digital ...

from 1994 to 1996 and a member of the U.S. Attorney General's Commission on Pornography. For her work on the Commission, the Atlantic Coast Independent Distributors honored Levine for outstanding defense of the First Amendment.

Personal life

Levine and her husband Richard had two sons and resided in New York.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Levine, Ellen 1943 births 2022 deaths American magazine editors American women journalists Wellesley College people Wellesley College alumni Hearst Communications people American magazine publishers (people) Women magazine editors Presidents of the American Society of Magazine Editors