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U.S. News & World Report facts for kids
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| Founded | 1948 (merger of United States News [1933] and World Report [1946]) |
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Key people
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Dafna Linzner |
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| Owner | U.S. News & World Report, L.P. (Mortimer Zuckerman) |
U.S. News & World Report (often called US NEWS) is an American company. It shares news, helpful advice, and important rankings. It also provides analysis on many topics. The company started in 1948. It was formed by combining two magazines: U.S. News (which focused on American news) and World Report (which covered international news).
In 1995, the company launched its website, usnews.com. By 2010, it stopped printing its weekly magazine. Now, it mostly publishes its famous rankings online. While some schools might not like their rankings, the company's lists of American colleges and universities are very popular. These rankings can even influence where students decide to apply for college.
Contents
History of U.S. News
Early Years: 20th Century
Mortimer Zuckerman, who bought U.S. News & World Report in 1984.
A publisher named David Lawrence (1888–1973) started the newspaper United States News in 1933. This newspaper later became a magazine in 1940. In 1946, Lawrence also created another magazine called World Report. These two magazines covered news from America and around the world separately.
In 1948, David Lawrence decided to combine them. This created U.S. News & World Report. He then sold the magazine to his employees. The magazine was usually a bit more traditional than its rivals, Time and Newsweek. It focused on topics like money, health, and education. It did not cover sports, entertainment, or celebrity news.
Some important parts of the magazine's early history include the "Washington Whispers" column (started in 1934). Also, the "News You Can Use" column began in 1952. By 1958, over one million copies of the weekly magazine were sold. This number grew to two million by 1973.
Since 1983, U.S. News & World Report has been famous for its important rankings. These include annual reports on colleges and graduate schools. They cover many subjects like business, law, medicine, and engineering. U.S. News & World Report is the oldest and most well-known company for ranking schools in America. Its printed guides often became bestsellers. The company also ranks hospitals, medical specialties, and cars.
In 1984, Mortimer Zuckerman, a publisher from New York City, bought U.S. News & World Report. He also owned the New York Daily News. In 1993, U.S. News & World Report started sharing its content online. By 1995, its own website, usnews.com, was launched.
Modern Era: 21st Century
In 2001, the U.S. News website won a major award for being excellent online. In 2007, U.S. News & World Report published its first list of the best high schools in the country. Their ranking method looked at state test scores. It also checked how well students from different backgrounds did on exams. It also looked at how schools performed in Advanced Placement exams.
In 2008, the magazine started printing less often. This was because fewer people were buying magazines and advertising was down. It first became a biweekly (every two weeks) magazine. Then, it became a monthly magazine. In November 2010, the company announced it would stop printing its regular magazine. It would focus on its website instead. However, special issues like the college guides and hospital guides would still be printed.
Before stopping regular print in 2010, U.S. News was usually the third most popular news magazine in the U.S. (after Time and Newsweek). A digital weekly magazine, U.S. News Weekly, was available from 2009 until 2015.
Who Owns U.S. News?
The company is owned by U.S. News & World Report, L.P. This is a private company. Its main editorial office is in Washington, D.C.. Its advertising and sales offices are in New York City and New Jersey. Moving to the internet allowed U.S. News & World Report to offer more helpful services. This included many consumer rankings.
By the early 2010s, the company became profitable again. This was mainly due to its ranking lists. These lists were easy to publish online. The current leaders include Eric Gertler (executive chairman) and William Holiber (president and CEO). Dafna Linzner is the editorial director. The company is owned by media owner Mortimer Zuckerman.
Popular Rankings
Who Runs America? Surveys
The first rankings by U.S. News & World Report were called "Who Runs America?". These surveys were published every spring from 1974 to 1986. The magazine cover for each issue showed the ten most powerful people in the United States. The president of the United States was always listed as the most powerful. But the second spot included people like Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (1974). Also, Federal Reserve Chairmen Paul Volcker and Arthur Burns were often listed. U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy was listed in 1979.
Most of the top ten people each year were government officials. Sometimes, others were included. These included TV news anchors Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather. Also, Chase Manhattan Bank Chairman David Rockefeller and labor leader George Meany were on the list. Consumer advocate Ralph Nader was also included. The only woman to make the top ten list was First Lady Rosalynn Carter in 1980.
Besides the overall top ten, the publication also listed top people in different fields. These included education, business, money, and journalism. This survey was stopped after its 1986 edition.
Best Colleges Rankings
Best Global Universities
In October 2014, U.S. News & World Report started its "Best Global Universities" rankings. This meant U.S. News was joining the international university ranking field. This area was already popular with three other big global rankings. These were the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, the Academic Ranking of World Universities, and the QS World University Rankings. Robert Morse, a data expert for U.S. News, said it was natural for them to enter this area. He also noted that U.S. News would be the first American company to do global rankings.
Best Hospitals Rankings
Since 1990, U.S. News & World Report has created Best Hospitals rankings. These rankings use a special method. They look at how well hospitals handle difficult cases in 16 different medical areas. These areas include cancer, diabetes, ear, nose, and throat, and gastroenterology. Other areas are geriatrics, gynecology, heart and heart surgery, and kidney disorders. Also, neurology and neurosurgery, ophthalmology, orthopedics, psychiatry, pulmonology, rehabilitation, rheumatology, and urology are included. Hospitals that do very well in many of these areas are placed on an "Honor Roll."
Best Cars Rankings
Since 2007, U.S. News has used a new way to rank new and used automobiles. The rankings cover over 30 types of cars, trucks, SUVs, minivans, wagons, and sports cars. Each vehicle gets an overall score. It also gets scores for performance, interior, and how much it is recommended. These scores are based on what many trusted car experts think. They also use information on how reliable and safe the cars are.
U.S. News also gives out annual awards like "Best Cars for the Money" and "Best Cars for Families." These awards cover about 20 types of vehicles. "Money" award winners are chosen by looking at the car's price and how much it costs to own for five years. They also consider what car experts say. "Family" awards combine expert opinions with how many family-friendly features a car has. They also look at interior space, safety, and reliability. These awards are announced in February and March each year.
Best States Rankings
In 2017, U.S. News published its first ranking of all 50 U.S. states. This ranking used information from seven areas. These were health care, education, crime and corrections, and infrastructure. Also included were opportunity, economy, and government. The importance of each area in the overall ranking was based on surveys. These surveys asked what matters most to people living in those states. Massachusetts was ranked first, and Louisiana was ranked last.
In 2018, there were eight areas: health care, education, economy, opportunity, infrastructure, crime and corrections, financial stability, and quality of life. Iowa was ranked first, and Louisiana was last. In 2019, "natural environment" replaced "quality of life." Washington was ranked first, and Louisiana was still last.
No ranking was published in 2020. In 2021, Washington, Minnesota, and Utah were at the top of the list. New Mexico, Mississippi, and Louisiana were ranked as the worst.
See also
In Spanish: U.S. News & World Report para niños