I was only in journalism for a year or so before attending law school, but I have always retained a strong loyalty to that profession. So, despite not having blogged much lately, I’m moved to write by the news that one of my favorite magazines, The New Republic, has died–and on its hundredth anniversary, no less.
Although the news is sad, it should have been foreseeable. The magazine had gone through plenty of cycles of changes in owners and editors and weathered most of them. But, like most longtime fans of the magazine, I found it apparent that the magazine had been getting increasingly bad since its purchase in 2012 by Chris Hughes. The content got ever shorter and ever dumber, as one would expect of a property owned by a former Facebook executive. And, as one would expect of a property owned by the former “coordinator of online organizing” for a presidential campaign, the magazine also went from being liberal-centrist in politics but contrarian in spirit, to engaging in pure political hackery without any governing philosophy–or ideas–at all. The print magazine was thin and jumbled, and the online site was an insult to itself and its readers alike. It was tragic to watch–like watching a patient get sicker and sicker every day. And now it is finally dead, alas.
Well, not technically dead. But the last decent, responsible people have left the building. I can’t help but think today of our friend Dan, who was also a longtime friend and fan of the magazine. When I lamented what was happening to the magazine, he would remind me that the magazine at least had its “back of the book” section, run by Leon Wieseltier. The back section was always an excellent source of essays and book reviews, including pieces by legal academic luminaries such as Richard Posner, Cass Sunstein, Justin Driver, and many others. Now, apparently, Wieseltier is gone. With him goes Franklin Foer, the magazine’s editor, who certainly contributed to the magazine’s decline but at least provided a link to adult journalism. What remains is Hughes, who has said of his property, “I don’t call it a magazine at all. I think we’re a digital media company,” and Brian Beutler, a Salon veteran whose online work first made me realize just how bad TNR was getting, and whose work has only gotten worse since then.
If Dan were still with us, I think he would now agree with me that the last reasons to look at the magazine have vanished and that it is effectively dead. I am so sorry to see it go. I can’t but help but wonder if there are any good magazines of its sort left.
Posted by Paul Horwitz on December 4, 2014 at 04:19 PM
Comments
“the magazine also went from being liberal-centrist in politics but contrarian in spirit, to engaging in pure political hackery without any governing philosophy–or ideas–at all. “
When Andrew Sullivan became editor, that was the end of seriousness. At that point he commited TNR hackery and contrarianism. That word has come to mean ‘a prefernce for being snarky rather than right.
Michael Kinsley continued that tradition, and peverted Slate in the womb.
TNR has been crap since the early 90’s.
Posted by: Barry | Dec 5, 2014 7:36:37 AM
This too: http://www.lawfareblog.com/2014/12/on-the-sad-collapse-of-the-new-republic/
Posted by: Orin Kerr | Dec 4, 2014 7:34:24 PM
https://twitter.com/jonathanchait/status/540625120881283072
Posted by: Ted | Dec 4, 2014 5:07:50 PM