December 11, 2023

Reimagining The Nation in Print

Reimagining “The Nation” in Print

Each new monthly issue will be much longer—with more room for hard-hitting investigative pieces and reporting that challenges corporate power and conventional wisdom.

D.D. Guttenplan
Ludwig Hurtado

As the last few weeks have made brutally clear, the gap between what is actually happening in the world and the terms allowed for discussion in the corporate media has never been wider. It’s no accident that Edward Said first became visible outside the academy in our pages, or that James Baldwin’s “Report From Occupied Territory,” Toni Morrison’s reminder that in moments of crisis “there is no time for despair…no room for fear,” and Tony Kushner’s “Socialism of the Skin” first appeared in The Nation. Or that we’re the first—and sadly, so far the only—US magazine to have a Palestine correspondent, Mohammed El-Kurd. The need for a publication dedicated to the radical possibility of “what might happen if you tell people the truth” has never been more urgent.

But as this special issue underlines, the current moment holds unprecedented peril for independent media. With newsstand space relentlessly shrinking and the casualty list of extinct titles growing with every passing month, The Nation faces the same imperatives as anyone else in this business.

As a magazine in continuous existence since 1865, from the invention of the telegraph to the arrival of TikTok, we have a proud legacy of evolution and reinvention. Now is no different. That’s why, both to survive in this industry and to give the subscribers and donors who support us more of what they say they want, we are reimagining our print edition.

Each new issue will be much longer—with more room for hard-hitting investigative pieces, reporting that challenges corporate power and conventional wisdom, and reviews and commentary on culture that aim to provoke active thought rather than solicit passive agreement. Space for open, civil debate on the left. Delivered at a monthly frequency that allows readers more time to enjoy what we publish in print, while at TheNation.com we continue to post the same nimble, responsive, authoritative reporting and analysis we already provide to millions of readers each month.

This shift will allow us to be more journalistically ambitious, creating space for both longer reads and a wider range of voices. We’re excited about the changes—which will start with our January issue. We hope you are, too, and we’d love to hear from you! Please direct any questions or suggestions to [email protected].

D.D. Guttenplan

D.D. Guttenplan is editor of The Nation.

More from The Nation

In this photo illustration, the TikTok logo is displayed on an iPhone screen.

TikTok’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day in Court TikTok’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day in Court

Most of the justices seemed unpersuaded by TikTok's arguments against the ban on the company—but that doesn’t meant TikTok is gone forever (cue Donald Trump…)

Elie Mystal

The body of the late former United States president James Earl Carter Jr. is taken from the United States Capitol after lying in state in the Capitol Rotunda on January 9, 2025, in Washington, DC.

How John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Imagine” Became the Refrain of Jimmy Carter’s Funeral How John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Imagine” Became the Refrain of Jimmy Carter’s Funeral

The late president celebrated the impact and influence of the song, which decries war, nationalism, and the excesses of capitalism.

John Nichols

Disability advocates rally at the New York State Capitol in Albany, New York, on February 14. 2024.

The Labor Crisis Putting People With Disabilities at Risk The Labor Crisis Putting People With Disabilities at Risk

The workers who care for people with disabilities are underpaid, overwhelmed, and increasingly leaving the field. Advocates say action is desperately needed to stem the tide.

Isabel Ruehl

Houston activists participate in a demonstration calling for a clear path to citizenship for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients outside of the US District Courthouse on July 19, 2021, in Houston, Texas.

We Must Defend DACAmented Community Members We Must Defend DACAmented Community Members

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program will likely end under President-elect Donald Trump’s next term. What comes next is up to all of us.

Bruna Sollod

Linda McMahon introduces Donald Trump at the America First Policy Institute's agenda summit in 2022

The MAGA Think Tank Behind Linda McMahon’s Education Agenda The MAGA Think Tank Behind Linda McMahon’s Education Agenda

The WWE executive has no real background in education, but she proved a loyal administrator of Trumpworld’s pet think tank, the America First Policy Institute

Christopher Lewis and Jacob Plaza

A luxury real-estate sign outside a Santa Fe property

How Santa Fe’s Housing Squeeze Nearly Left Me Homeless How Santa Fe’s Housing Squeeze Nearly Left Me Homeless

Thanks to poor administrative decisions at a local housing complex for artists, the city's poet laureate fell into nerve-wracking precarity

Darryl Lorenzo Wellington