The 15 most controversial magazine covers of 2016

Race, Photoshop and Donald Trump were factors in some of the most controversial magazine covers of 2016.

Sports Illustrated, Swimsuit 2016

Sports Illustrated featured plus-size model Ashley Graham as one of the cover models for its annual spring swimsuit issue. Some people didn’t like that.
Former supermodel Cheryl Tiegs disagreed with the decision to use Graham in the issue.
“I don’t like that we’re talking about full-figured women because it’s glamorizing them because your waist should be smaller than 35 (inches). That’s what Dr. Oz said, and I’m sticking to it,” she told E! News. “I don’t think it’s healthy.”

Adweek, April 4, 2016

For the second year in a row, a magazine cover featuring Kerry Washington came under fire for Photoshopping the actress.
Washington said her picture on the April 4, 2016, cover of Adweek was Photoshopped so much that she didn’t recognize herself. Fans also complained on social media about the cover shot, according to the Daily Mail.
In 2015, InStyle magazine was criticized for lightening the skin tone of the African American actress.

Vogue, September 2016

When reality-TV star Kendall Jenner landed the prestigious September cover of Vogue, some fans of the fashion bible were irate.
Lots of people took to social media to write “RIP Vogue” for the move.
(See article by the Daily Mail.)

The Economist, April 2-8, 2016

Chinese authorities blocked access to the Economist website and app after the magazine printed a satirical cover depicting Chinese President Xi Jinping as a Mao-era communist.
(See article by Quartz.)

Discovery Girls, April-May 2016

A cover article about swimsuits for young girls in an issue of Discovery Girls, for ages 8 to 13, got a lot of people upset.
The magazine was accused of body-shaming for the article titled “What Swimsuit Best Suits You?”
(See articles by US magazine, Health, Today and Cosmopolitan.)

Girl’s Life, July 2016

A graphic designer fed up with the content of magazines for girls made her own cover of Girl’s Life. Using the July 2016 issue as a template, she replaced cover lines about fashion and beauty with motivational ones about life and careers.
(See articles by the Daily Mail, Women You Should Know and the Huffington Post.)

Variety, May 2016

Variety raised eyebrows with its cover depicting Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer as a Christ-like figure carrying a cross.
(See article by Business Insider.)

Maxim India, June-July 2016

Maxim India was criticized for Photoshopping the armpit of actress Priyanka Chopra to look unrealistically smooth.
(See articles by the Daily Mail, MSN and another by the Daily Mail.)

Conde Nast Traveller, Oct.-Nov. 2016

Priyanka Chopra was again the subject of controversy with an Indian edition of Conde Nast Traveller.
She was criticized for wearing an insensitive “refugee” tank top on the cover.
(See articles by the Hollywood Reporter and the Daily Mail.)

Time, Oct. 3, 2016

Time magazine stirred up controversy by featuring NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick on its cover, showing him kneeling for the national anthem in protest.
(See articles by the Daily Mail and SB Nation.)

BlackHair, December 2016

U.K.'s BlackHair magazine issued an apology to readers for featuring a white model, Emily Bador, on the cover of its December/January issue.
(See articles by Chron and People.)

New York, Oct. 31, 2016

Just days before the 2016 presidential election, New York magazine featured an unflattering image of candidate Donald Trump that branded him “LOSER.” Wrong. He won the race.
(See article by Adweek.)

Newsweek, Special Commemorative Edition

Newsweek erred the other way. It accidentally released a special commemorative edition that featured Hillary Clinton as the winner of the 2016 presidential election. It quickly recalled the “Madam President” issue.
(See articles by US magazine, the Guardian, the New York Post and a follow-up article, MSN and Express.)

People, Nov. 21, 2016

People magazine took heat from some corners for its positive coverage of Donald Trump in its cover story on the election.
(See articles by the Daily Mail, the Huffington Post, Mashable and the New York Post.)

Time, Dec. 19, 2016

Time pissed off some people with its pick of Donald Trump as its “Person of the Year.”
(See articles by Forward and the Hollywood Reporter.)