The New Republic facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The New Republic

The New Republic cover of February 11, 2013
Editor-in-chief	Win McCormack
Editor	Michael Tomasky
Categories	Editorial magazine
Frequency	10 per year
Publisher	Michael Caruso
First issue	November 7, 1914; 110 years ago (1914-11-07)
Country	United States
Based in	Washington, D.C. (editorial), New York City (operations)
Language	English
ISSN	0028-6583 (print) 2169-2416 (web)

The New Republic is an American magazine and website. It focuses on politics, news, culture, and the arts. The magazine publishes ten times a year, and its website updates daily. The New York Times once said the magazine was partly started in Theodore Roosevelt's living room. It is known for its smart ideas and generally left-leaning political views.

Exploring The New Republic Magazine

The New Republic has a long history of discussing important issues. It has changed over time but always aims to share thoughtful opinions.

How It Started: 1914 to 1974

The magazine began in 1914. It was founded by leaders of the progressive movement like Herbert Croly, Walter Lippmann, and Walter Weyl. They wanted to mix caring about people with using scientific thinking to solve problems. Rich supporters, Dorothy Payne Whitney and Willard Straight, helped fund it. The first issue came out on November 7, 1914.

The New Republic supported progressive and liberal ideas. It focused on how America was changing, especially with its economy and society. The magazine helped shape the idea that the government should get more involved in solving problems, both at home and abroad. For example, in 1917, TNR encouraged the U.S. to join World War I.

After World War II, the magazine became more critical of the Soviet Union. Its editor, Henry A. Wallace, left in 1948. After him, the magazine became more like mainstream American liberalism. In the 1950s, it criticized both Soviet foreign policy and the anti-communist movement in the U.S., known as McCarthyism. In the 1960s, it opposed the Vietnam War but also criticized the New Left movement.

The magazine was very respected. President Kennedy was even photographed with a copy of The New Republic on Air Force One.

New Owners and Editors: 1974–1991

In 1974, Martin Peretz, a Harvard lecturer, bought the magazine. He became the editor in 1975. Many of the old staff left, and new, younger writers joined. Peretz stayed as editor-in-chief until 2012.

From 1979 to 1991, Michael Kinsley and Hendrik Hertzberg took turns as editor. Kinsley was only 28 when he first became editor. Many important writers contributed during this time, including Charles Krauthammer and Sidney Blumenthal.

In the 1980s, the magazine generally supported President Ronald Reagan's foreign policy against communism. It also supported the Gulf War and the Iraq War. Many people considered it a "must-read" magazine. Vanity Fair called it "the smartest, most impudent weekly in the country." Even conservative leaders respected it.

The magazine's cultural and arts sections were also very popular. Leon Wieseltier led this section, making it a place for longer, thoughtful essays.

Changes in the 1990s: Andrew Sullivan's Time

In 1991, Andrew Sullivan became editor. He moved the magazine in a slightly more conservative direction, though most writers remained liberal.

A controversial article was published in 1994, taken from a book called The Bell Curve. It discussed differences in test scores between racial groups, which caused a lot of debate. The magazine also published a critical article about the Clinton administration's health care plan, which was later found to have inaccuracies.

During this time, a young writer named Ruth Shalit was criticized for copying others' work. After this, the magazine started using fact-checkers. One of these fact-checkers, Stephen Glass, later made up quotes and facts in his own articles.

Editors from 1996 to 2012

After Sullivan, Michael Kelly became editor for a year. He was very critical of President Bill Clinton. The Stephen Glass scandal happened under the next editor, Charles Lane. Glass was found to have made up many stories. This event was even made into a movie called Shattered Glass.

Peter Beinart became editor in 1999, also at 28 years old. He served until 2006. The magazine started adding more online content, like blogs.

The New Republic was sometimes mentioned in popular culture. For example, Lisa Simpson from The Simpsons was shown as a subscriber to "The New Republic for Kids."

Franklin Foer took over in 2006. Under him, the magazine became more liberal again, encouraging Democrats to think big about the environment and economy.

Political Views Under Martin Peretz

Over time, The New Republic became less left-wing under Martin Peretz, especially when Andrew Sullivan was editor. The magazine supported "New Democrats" like Bill Clinton.

The magazine's strong support for Israel was a key part of its foreign policy views under Peretz. One professor, Eric Alterman, said that Peretz's beliefs were often tied to what he thought was best for Israel.

Before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the magazine strongly supported military action, citing concerns about weapons of mass destruction. Later, the editors expressed regret for their early support of the war, saying they had learned about the limits of American power.

Changes in Format and Ownership: 2007-2016

In 2007, The New Republic made big changes. It started publishing less often (twice a month instead of 44 times a year). It also got a new design with more pictures, more pages, and better paper. The website was also redesigned.

In 2012, Chris Hughes, a co-founder of Facebook, became the new majority owner and editor-in-chief. Under Hughes, the magazine focused less on Washington D.C. politics and more on culture and visuals.

In December 2014, there was a big crisis. The magazine announced it would publish less often and move its offices. This led to many staff members resigning, including the literary editor Leon Wieseltier and most of the senior writers. This forced the magazine to cancel its December 2014 issue.

Hughes initially said he was committed to the magazine for the long term. However, in January 2016, he put The New Republic up for sale, saying he had invested a lot of time and money but it was time for new leadership.

Win McCormack's Ownership: 2016–Present

In February 2016, Win McCormack bought the magazine. He named Eric Bates as editor, who was later demoted. J.J. Gould then served as editor for a year.

In 2019, Chris Lehmann became editor. He faced criticism for a controversial opinion piece, which was later removed. In March 2021, Michael Tomasky became the new editor.

Magazine Circulation

The New Republic has seen changes in how many copies it sells.

Print Copies in the 2000s

In 2009, the magazine sold about 53,485 copies per issue. The table below shows how the average number of paid print copies changed over the years:

Online Visitors

The TNR website had about 120,000 visitors in April 2008. By April 2012, this number grew to 962,000 visitors. However, by June 2012, the number of monthly page visits dropped to 421,000 in the U.S. and 521,000 globally.

Visitors to the website are often well-educated, with many having college or graduate degrees. Most are white and more likely to be male. About 82% of visitors are at least 35 years old.

Editors of The New Republic

Here is a list of the main editors who have led The New Republic over the years:

• Herbert Croly (1914–1930)
• Bruce Bliven (1930–1946)
• Henry A. Wallace (1946–1948)
• Michael Straight (1948–1956)
• Gilbert A. Harrison (1956–1975)
• Martin Peretz (1975–1979)
• Michael Kinsley (1979–1981; 1985–1989)
• Hendrik Hertzberg (1981–1985; 1989–1991)
• Andrew Sullivan (1991–1996)
• Michael Kelly (1996–1997)
• Charles Lane (1997–1999)
• Peter Beinart (1999–2006)
• Franklin Foer (2006–2010; 2012–2014)
• Richard Just (2010–2012)
• Gabriel Snyder (2014–2016)
• Eric Bates (2016–2017)
• J.J. Gould (2017–2018)
• Chris Lehmann (2019–2021)
• Michael Tomasky (2021–Present)

Before 1946, the magazine did not list a single editor. Instead, it had an editorial board with several members. The names above are the main editor listed for each period.

Notable Writers and Contributors

Many famous and important writers have contributed to The New Republic over its history.

Early Years: 1910s–1940s

Mid-Century: 1943–1983

• Stanley Kauffmann, film critic
• Reinhold Niebuhr, theologian
• Philip Roth, author

Later Years: 1980s–Present