How a century-old magazine became the intellectual heartbeat of American political power
In short: Founded in 1914 to bridge moral passion with scientific analysis, The New Republic evolved from a progressive beacon into a controversial, must-read powerhouse. From influencing Reagan-era elites to surviving scandals and massive editorial walkouts, the magazine has spent a century defining the terms of American political debate.
Established by Herbert Croly, Walter Lippmann, and Walter Weyl, The New Republic was conceived as a progressive voice for a changing America. Its early mission sought to balance humanitarian idealism with governmental interventionism, a stance that eventually pushed the publication to support U.S. entry into World War I. By the mid-20th century, the magazine had shifted toward mainstream liberalism, though it remained a complex entity that criticized both Soviet foreign policy and domestic McCarthyism.
The magazine’s most transformative era began in 1974 when Martin Peretz purchased it for $380,000. Under his long tenure, the publication moved toward neoliberalism and became a fixture for Washington insiders, with twenty copies delivered to the Reagan White House weekly. Peretz’s influence was marked by a staunch, unwavering support for Israel and a willingness to publish provocative, often controversial, intellectual voices. This period also saw the rise of the magazine’s legendary 'back of the book' literary section, reinvented by Leon Wieseltier to feature deep, erudite essays.
The publication's history is also defined by internal volatility and high-profile crises. The 1990s saw the Stephen Glass scandal, where a writer fabricated numerous stories, leading to a reckoning over editorial standards. In 2012, Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes acquired the magazine, initiating a shift toward a digital-first model. This transition culminated in a 2014 editorial crisis that saw two-thirds of the masthead resign in protest, including long-time literary editor Leon Wieseltier, marking a dramatic end to a specific chapter of the magazine's storied influence.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: The New Republic
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