South Middlesex Times

Rutgers alumna Charlotte Triggs has been appointed as both the general manager and editor-in-chief at PEOPLE, marking an unprecedented dual role in the publication's history. Triggs, who started her 20-year career with PEOPLE through a college internship, is committed to overseeing the brand's content across various platforms.

"It's incredible to have seen PEOPLE's long history and now play a role in its exciting evolution," Triggs stated, expressing her enthusiasm for leading the brand through a time of change. "We're thrilled to pioneer a new era of content consumption and engagement, giving our audience a powerful voice in shaping the brand's next iteration."

Triggs embarked on her career with PEOPLE the summer before her senior year at Rutgers College, where she studied English and German and minored in Spanish and political science. Initially assigned through the American Society of Magazine Editors, she was relieved to intern at PEOPLE instead of other publications. Reflecting on her first experiences, Triggs recalled feeling excited and motivated: "I gave it my all. They ran it in print, and I felt like, ‘Wow, look at this! It’s so much fun."

Her position at PEOPLE took her from style coverage to the plastic surgery beat, where she interviewed notable personalities such as Michael Jackson’s plastic surgeon – a milestone she considered significant. "You’d be amazed how many plastic surgery stories you could write," Triggs shared, discussing her diverse reporting journey.

Initially joining the magazine without a formal journalism education, Triggs advanced by adapting to opportunities, a mindset she credits to her time at Rutgers. "It was so humungous, I felt like I could do anything I wanted," she said regarding her college experience.

As her career progressed, Triggs took on leadership roles, eventually directing the TV team and later assuming responsibility for PEOPLE's digital editorial and TV departments, earning her the executive editorial director position in 2022.

Her advice to graduates entering the competitive media industry is to be open about aspirations when value has been proven. "Not everyone wants to be a leader," she explained. "So, if you have someone willing to take on the risk and responsibility and corral it and align it to the business strategy, most people are very happy to have a clear direction and clear vision they can follow."

Despite the challenges of transitioning the digital side, a move she described as risky due to the magazine's dominant role at the time, Triggs's persistence paid off. "The magazine paid all the bills back then. That’s where the most powerful editors were," she noted.

Triggs acknowledges the varied demographics of PEOPLE’s audience, stating, "Subscribers are different from newsstand buyers. People who read off Facebook are different from people who consume PEOPLE on TikTok and from those clicking on the home page. My approach is the more the merrier. You’ve got to serve everybody."

She emphasized the brand's enduring appeal, attributing its success to a blend of diverse content, "The thing that is special about PEOPLE is that we’re mixing up all kinds of stuff and somehow capturing the zeitgeist of what America is all about. The brand is such a fun representation of people’s curiosities and culture."