Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print

Launching its first trailblazing issue in 1972 and still publishing today, Ms. magazine revolutionized the feminist movement, igniting provocative conversations about issues that impact women, from politics to harassment, race, sex, and abortion. In the documentary, three filmmakers select iconic cover stories to explore the complexities of creating a magazine that was unafraid to wrestle with challenging, and often polarizing, issues. Ms. was an outlet to tackle taboo topics facing women and challenging the male-dominated media landscape by breaking barriers and amplifying female voices. DEAR MS.: A REVOLUTION IN PRINT chronicles the groundbreaking articles that helped define and further the discourse, showcasing the bold cover stories that dared to put abortion, home life, workplace issues, and sexual politics front and center, bringing about new language in their dissection of the gender battleground. More than 50 years since its genesis, the magazine’s editors and contributors, including co-founders Gloria Steinem, Letty Cottin Pogrebin, Pat Carbine, and first editor Suzanne Braun Levine, reveal the origin story of this trailblazing publication — how it defied the odds, transformed its readers, and continually fought to uphold its ideals in the face of resistance. The editors tirelessly wrestled with complex issues of sexuality, identity, and representation inside and outside the Ms. office and on the pages of the magazine, bravely grappling with backlash and learning and growing along the way. The film captures a time of revolution, resilience, and the fight for equality that still resonates. HBO Documentary Films presents DEAR MS.: A REVOLUTION IN PRINT, a McGee Media Production. Directed by Salima Koroma, Alice Gu, and Cecilia Aldarondo; produced by William Ventura; executive produced by Dyllan McGee, Amy Richards, Cindi Leive, and Regina K. Scully; co-produced by Maya Tanaka, Katherine Montgomery, and Ines Hofmann Kanna; supervising producer Sara Wolitzky. For HBO: executive producers Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, and Sara Rodriguez; supervising producer Anna Klein.