Deborah Needleman is an American writer and editor. She has been editor in chief of T: The New York Times Style Magazine since September 2021 until December last year when she became associate publisher. She has also worked as a staff writer for GQ magazine and Men’s Health. Her experience spans writing careers, magazine features on beauty and fashion as well as contributing articles to various internet sites.
It is clear that as an editor at large companies such as GQ, she enjoys speaking about beauty, relationships and being tall. However, her articles often appear to be about the height or anorexia nervosa, things that directly detract from helping young women with their self-confidence issues. In fact, one of the recent articles published under her by the Times Magazine, she spoke about the need to allow more young girls to feel like they can be beautiful as they are. It is hard to argue with Ms. Needleman’s passion to help young people realize their potential even if that potential is sitting right within their reach. What is debatable is whether or not her methods do that.
In her bio for T: The New York Times, Ms. Needleman does talk about how she feels a bit overwhelmed about the age of modern medicine. However, that same piece indicates that her father did not support her attempts to become a writer or editor and instead encouraged her to pursue a position with the Food and Drug Administration, relating the experience to working as a pharmaceutical rep. While working in the government, she also learned the importance of treating patients with kindness, compassion and empathy rather than focusing upon height and physical appearance. One can draw the conclusion that Ms. Needleman may be a bit soft spoken, but she certainly knows how to put her thoughts and words in writing. Her platform and writing background lend itself to interesting discussions regarding public health and nutrition. Her experiences as a writer and editor for major publications should prove to be valuable to those seeking to empower the American public with healthy eating advice.