The Cover of Time Magazine Symbol Analysis

The cover of Time magazine represents journalism’s power to change public opinion and policy, as well as Jose Antonio Vargas’s success as a reporter. Specifically, it suggests that he succeeded because he gained a public platform and used it to inspire others, just as others had inspired him.

As a teenager, Vargas saw Ellen DeGeneres on the cover of Time with the headline “Yep, I’m Gay.” He found this profoundly inspirational—not only did she put a face on the queer community, but she also showed Vargas that he could succeed and accept himself despite being gay.

Years later, Time magazine ran Vargas’s article about undocumented immigration and put 35 young undocumented people on its cover. Vargas’s face was front and center. By featuring on the cover of Time, Vargas wasn’t just reaching an audience of millions—he was also filling the shoes of the people who inspired him as a young, insecure man. Thus, just as Ellen inspired him to accept queer people like Vargas to accept themselves and overcome prejudice, Vargas hoped to inspire other young undocumented people across the U.S. to do the same. Meanwhile, Ellen’s Time cover taught Vargas how people’s stories (and the journalists who cover them) can inspire social change, while Vargas’s Time cover represents his decision to dedicate his life to changing the politics around immigration through journalism and storytelling.