The New Republic

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The New Republic is a United States politics magazine. The magazine was founded in 1914 and appeared weekly until March 2007 (44 issues a year), then around twice a month (20 issues a year). In 2014 the frequency was halved again, so that only 10 issues appear for the year. This change in the appearance rhythm, which took place together with a redesign of the layout and format, was preceded by a change of ownership. Win McCormack has been the editor since 2016; The editor-in-chief is JJ Gould (since 2017).

Chris Hughes is the magazine's editor and editor-in-chief.

History before 1974

The first issue of the New Republic , founded by Herbert Croly and Walter Lippmann , appeared on November 7, 1914. In 1917 the magazine supported both the USA's entry into the First World War and the Russian Revolution . The initial socialist position (including support for the Soviet Union) changed in the following years, and in the 1950s the change in position even led to support for the actions of the McCarthy era . In the 1960s the positions changed again to the left and the Vietnam War was rejected in the comments.

Recent developments and content positions

In 1974 the magazine was bought by Harvard professor Martin Peretz and a new positioning was implemented. Above all, Peretz criticized and changed the previous benevolent reporting on independence movements in the Third World. On questions of tax legislation and public finances, the magazine takes the position of the political center, in the social area it takes a moderate left-wing position. In foreign and military policy, however, the stance is much more conservative. Under his aegis - untypical for the American left - it supported foreign policy interventions, such as that under Ronald Reagan, for example in Grenada . That is why the magazine is and has been attacked by other leftists for years. The magazine initially unreservedly endorsed the Iraq war , which began in 2003, on the basis of the justification given by the US government of the threat from weapons of mass destruction as well as on humanitarian considerations. After this stance was curtailed after the official fighting had ended, the magazine announced in November 2006 its regret that it had supported the war.

Especially since George W. Bush took office , some have called the magazine a “ Neocon ” sheet. The line she takes is known in the US as the " Liberal Hawk ": Liberals who advocate certain wars but are not pro-Republican. The editor Lawrence Kaplan published a book on Iraq with William Kristol , editor-in-chief of the Neocon magazine " Weekly Standard " . Other well-known Liberal Hawks such as Paul Berman and Andrew Sullivan are ex-employees of TNR. Peretz himself, his close friend Al Gore had in 2000 still unconditional support of Bush, criticized after the 2004 election, the conservative " Wall Street Journal " John Kerry and mocked him. The magazine also sees the former left party leader of the Democrats Howard Dean very critically.

In 1998 it became known that editor Stephen Glass had falsified or invented several articles. Because of such escapades and political positions that are controversial among leftists, the magazine has had to accept a decline in subscription numbers from approx. 95,000 to under 65,000 in recent years. At the same time the circulation of the left-wing competition " The Nation " increased.

In February 2007, the magazine was bought by the Canadian media group CanWest Global Communications. Just two years later, however, Peretz bought back the shares in The New Republic . In March 2012, Internet entrepreneur Chris Hughes became the magazine's majority owner; he has since served as editor-in-chief and publisher of The New Republic .

In December 2014 there was a falling out between the new owner and editor-in-chief Chris Hughes and his team. Essentially, differences over the realignment as an online medium were cited as a point of contention. As a result, Leon Wieseltier and Franklin Foer left the editorial team. Out of solidarity, he was followed by prominent employees such as Julia Joffe, Jonathan Cohn, Alec MacGillis, Amanda Silverman, Hillary Kelly, John Judis, Greg Veis, Noam Scheiber, Rachel Morris, Isaac Chotiner, Jason Zengerle and also freelancers such as Anne Applebaum and many others . Shortly after celebrating its centenary, The New Republic fell into one of the worst crises in its history.

In February 2016, Hughes sold the magazine to Win McCormack , one of the founders of Mother Jones , one of the most successful national left-liberal magazines in the United States. Journalist JJ Gould has been editor-in-chief since September 2017.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The New Republic in the nndb (English)
  2. ↑ http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2014/12/05/tnr_resignations_after_top_editors_franklin_foer_and_leon_wieseltier_quit.html
  3. ^ Masthead The New Republic . In: The New Republic Online . 

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