Sweet Victory: MM at 25

Sweet Victory: MM at 25

Copy Link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
Bluesky
Pocket
Email

In an age in which corporate malfeasance abounds, too much of the mainstream media has been unaccountably lax in covering the abuses of big business. Luckily for us–and unluckily for would-be white-collar criminals–one indispensable journal has kept a watchful eye on corporations for the last quarter century.

In 1980, Multinational Monitor was founded by Ralph Nader and a rag-tag band of socially conscious reporters who felt that corporate power was “undergoing a transformation, mutating into something more fundamentally global in scope and profoundly more dangerous.” Published nine times a year, the Monitor is not glamorous or immediately recognizable outside of activist and political media circles. But its hard-hitting stories on corporate environmental abuse, health and safety violations, and exploitation of developing nations have long held the feet of executives to the fire.

The Monitor‘s most widely publicized feature in recent years has been its annual list of the “Top Ten Worst Corporations,” compiled by Robert Weissman (who also serves as editor) and Russell Mokhiber of Corporate Crime Reporter. This past year, Coca-Cola, Merck, and–you guessed it–Wal-Mart all made the list, which spread through the blogosphere like wildfire and caused migraines for corporate PR firms.

We’re also big fans of the Monitor‘s bi-monthly Lawrence Summers Memorial Award–named after the loose-lipped Harvard president and former Treasury Secretary, who once suggested that polluting developing nations was a fiscally responsible strategy (among other ridiculous things). A recent recipient was SeaCode: a company, according to the Monitor, “which plans on locating a cruise ship in international waters, just off of the California coast, and out of reach of US labor, employment and immigration law, to house a software development company.”

It’s no wonder that hundreds of advocacy groups rely on the Monitor‘s consistently bold investigative reporting. “I think they are the only reliable source of information on global corporations,” says John Cavanaugh, director of the Institute for Policy Studies. “It’s amazing to me that they’re the only magazine that is explicitly devoted to the issue of the excess of corporate power–which is probably the greatest challenge to democracy in the world.”

Happy 25th Multinational Monitor. Keep giving ‘em hell.

We also want to hear from you. Please let us know if you have a sweet victory you think we should cover by e-mailing [email protected].

Co-written by Sam Graham-Felsen, a freelance journalist, documentary filmmaker and blogger (www.boldprint.net) living in Brooklyn.

Support independent journalism that exposes oligarchs and profiteers


Donald Trump’s cruel and chaotic second term is just getting started. In his first month back in office, Trump and his lackey Elon Musk (or is it the other way around?) have proven that nothing is safe from sacrifice at the altar of unchecked power and riches.

Only robust independent journalism can cut through the noise and offer clear-eyed reporting and analysis based on principle and conscience. That’s what The Nation has done for 160 years and that’s what we’re doing now.

Our independent journalism doesn’t allow injustice to go unnoticed or unchallenged—nor will we abandon hope for a better world. Our writers, editors, and fact-checkers are working relentlessly to keep you informed and empowered when so much of the media fails to do so out of credulity, fear, or fealty.

The Nation has seen unprecedented times before. We draw strength and guidance from our history of principled progressive journalism in times of crisis, and we are committed to continuing this legacy today.

We’re aiming to raise $25,000 during our Spring Fundraising Campaign to ensure that we have the resources to expose the oligarchs and profiteers attempting to loot our republic. Stand for bold independent journalism and donate to support The Nation today.

Onward,

Katrina vanden Heuvel

Editorial Director and Publisher, The Nation

Ad Policy
x