“The work has to be real”: Elleyne Aldine on why diversity still matters in global media
Culturs Magazine founder Elleyne Aldine urges publishers to see cultural identity as the key to innovation and connection
After hosting the FIPP World Media Congress in Madrid, which brought together delegates from more than 40 countries, Elleyne Aldine, founder of Culturs Magazine, says the conversations sparked there must continue – particularly around belonging and cultural identity.
“I was so thrilled to see that FIPP is doing real work – not just performative work – and that it’s starting to make a difference,” she said ahead of the event. “But there’s still so much more we can do.”
For Elleyne, who has spent over a decade championing what she calls “the cultural identity of the future”, that breadth of participation at Congress was encouraging – and the next step, she says, is ensuring diversity goes deeper than geography.
“I looked forward to bringing together the multiplicity of ideas – all the things we think about in magazines these days that never used to be priorities before,” she says.
She adds that representation isn’t simply a box to tick. It’s an engine for innovation.
“When you think of the Apples, the Microsofts, the Googles of the world, they lean into the diversity of their teams, and that makes what they do better,” she says. “Can we get magazines to think that way?”
From outliers to originals
Elleyne founded Culturs to celebrate ‘culturally fluid’ people – those who live between identities, languages, and borders. “if someone grew up in different countries or having meaningfully experienced different cultures, they find home in Culturs,” she says. “Our manifesto reads: ‘Culturs isn’t a brand. It’s an awakening for those who navigate cultures, languages, and borders but never quite belong. You don’t have to choose a side – you’re the bridge’.”
That mission is an editorial stance, but it’s also a call to redefine audiences. “As of 2018, there were 238 million people who fit this identity – that would have been the fifth largest country in the world. And it’s growing,” Elleyne says. “Our goal is to transform our audience from outliers to originals.”
For Elleyne, the magazine’s success proves there’s demand for a new kind of global storytelling. Culturs now reaches readers in more than 200 countries and features A-list actor and activist Yara Shahidi as its Global Cultural Ambassador. “Independent publishers often put a cap on what they can do,” she says. “We refuse to.”
The case for cultural fluidity
Elleyne avoids using traditional DEI terminology. “People’s brains go to a certain place when they hear those words – and that’s not where we’re going,” she says. “Culturs is about being culturally fluid. It’s about honouring and uplifting those who cross cultures – which, honestly, is most of us.”
Her message for publishers is simple but urgent: inclusion isn’t just social responsibility – it’s a business imperative.
“Don’t make your audience fit into the little niche you have for them. Expand the vessel so more of your audience comes to you. That’s where your future revenue sits – right in front of you.”
Elleyne believes that embracing cultural complexity isn’t just morally right – it’s strategically smart. “When people see themselves reflected, they lean in,” she says. “Then they can work together to make a difference in this business.”
Beyond performative change
In an era when attention, trust, and audience loyalty are hard-won, Elleyne argues that authenticity is the missing ingredient, and is what turns audiences into communities, and communities into loyal supporters.
“I wish publishers would come to the source – to people who’ve lived this, studied this, taught this,” she says. “I’ve spoken to hundreds, thousands of people around the world to bring their stories to life. They’re always shocked, and some cry.”
Elleyne admits the journey hasn’t always been easy. “A couple of months ago, I was exhausted – spiritually, mentally, I didn’t know if I could continue doing this work,” she says. “But I found my way back.”
Her renewed energy comes from the reactions she sees when people discover Culturs. “People say, ‘Oh my God, I didn’t think anyone cared.’ That’s what keeps me going – making a difference not only in people’s lives, but in the world.”
A call to lead with intention
As she reflects on the discussions in Madrid, Elleyne hopes the industry will carry the conversation forward. “Publishers say they want change, yet they’re still doing it in the same old way but saying it’s different,” she says. “Then it doesn’t work, and they say people don’t want it. Well, they do want it, and it will work if you do it well.”
For Elleyne, leading with intention means creating genuine representation – which she believes is what will ultimately separate the next generation of successful media brands.
“Culture is for everyone. It’s about understanding how we work well together,” she says. “The people who don’t want change are trying to stop it – but that train is already moving forward. Why not be at the forefront rather than look back and say, ‘Dang, I wish I saw that’?”
Her closing message echoes the spirit of the Congress itself: progress depends on shared effort. “There’s still much work to be done,” she says. “When we lean into each other, we make new things, we make happiness, we create joy.”
