Swing magazine creates 'Power List'

What do actor Will Smith and environmental activist Danny Seo have in common? No, they don't kill aliens together and they don't advocate the Clear Air Act together but they are both part of Swing magazine's annual 30 Under 30 Power List.

Yes, the twenty-something population is experiencing a wave of success, and Swing magazine is celebrating this trend with its annual double issue of the most powerful people in their 20's. This issue is the magazine's fourth "30 Under 30 Power List," the first of which comprised the theme of the first issue of Swing.

Some of the powerful Swing-ers featured are household names, while others are unknown outside of their field. The list is diverse and tries to focus on people who are successful by any standards, not just successful for their age, a market that is sometimes overlooked in favor of fleetingly successful novelties.

Actor Will Smith, shown here in a scene from 1996's "Independence Day," makes Swing magazine's fourth annual 30 Under 30 Power List.

The list is divided into seven categories: technology, politics, business, arts/fashion, music, Hollywood and sports. The idea was to thoroughly represent the interests of the generation now in their 20's. People profiled range from singer/songwriter and Lilith Fair mastermind Sarah McLachlan to stock car driver Jeff Gordon.

The inspiration for the issue, as well as the entire magazine, is the bad reputation the 20-29 age group has been given - as whining, master slackers.

"This generation tends to get a very bad rap," said Swing's executive editor Megan Liberman. "[The generation is often seen as] lazy and undirected," she said. "Swing magazine is trying to change that perception."

By creating such a diverse list, Swing shows the accomplishments while destroying the negative stereotypes. There is not a mold that the people have to fit into to get on the list. The main criteria is whether or not the person has made a "major breakthrough" in his or her field in the last 12 months.

The list-making process lasts all year and has many different stages. According to Liberman, the reporters and editors get names through people they know and stories they write, developing a master list of Generation Xers and then cut it down.

Liberman said that the generation is sometimes not given credit for overcoming all that it has.

"This generation may have more opportunity while their parents' generation had more stability. For people trying to start their careers and families now, the job market and stability and the economy have changed drastically. There is also more divorce," Liberman said. "People now have the added responsibility of questioning if a relationship will last forever."

When 25-year-old editor-in-chief, David Lauren started the magazine several years ago, he did so because he couldn't find anything in the media that was speaking to his concerns.

Lauren originally started the magazine while he was a sophomore at Duke University in 1990. After graduating, he decided to go to private investors to get funding for his idea of a general interest magazine. This allowed him to launch the magazine in North Carolina.

The magazine is now distributed nationally and targets the 18-34 age range. Liberman credited Swing's success to its ability to "strik[ing] a chord" with the age group by appealing to their sense of identity. It is also giving them hope by showing "success stories." The people profiled could be seen as inspirational.

The list is not necessarily of role-models but the people have considerable accomplishments for any age. Liberman is happy with the "diversity" and "energy" of the people on the list. "This particular group is a pretty ambitious and directed group," she said.

Liberman said that she is proud of the fact that the people on the power list range from poets to politicians to violinists. They all reflect their generation positively through their accomplishments.

Through this reflection, Swing is succeeding is reversing the negative stereotype of the generation as slackers.

Like many people her age, Liberman doesn't like the phrase "Generation X." She sees it as a media catch-phrase that has nothing to do with who it is trying to classify. "We don't all do one or two things," Liberman said

The diversity of the group and their talents shows that Swing is speaking to a talented generation. The issue of the 30 most powerful people under 30 is hopefully going to make that message clear.

12-05-97