The New Republic

There’s a lot of happy talk about how this World Cup will aid the cause of Africa soccer. I hope that’s the case. In the meantime, I highly recommend Spiegel’s excellent piece on how the European soccer economy has sunk its tentacles into the continent. A sample of the piece's ugly findings: READ MORE >>

I suppose I should justify the existence of this blog on our site. If I were to make an insincere effort to do so, I would argue this: Writing about culture is a very sizable portion of our ambit and this is the single greatest cultural spectacle of them all—a window, therefore, into nationalism, global capitalism, our notions of leisure, and other very worthy topics. And since it consumes so much of the world’s mental energies for a month, it would be simply irresponsible if it didn’t consume ours. READ MORE >>

Does content want to be free? That question about the basic economic model of Internet publishing has tormented journalism for years now. And if you read the media about media, we’re due for another turn in this great debate. The New York Times will soon start charging for online access. Conde Nast hopes the seductive powers of the iPad will revivify the circulation of its glossies, gifting them a new platform for charging readers. READ MORE >>

Today is a momentous day in the history of The New Republic, and in the American literary world. We are proud to announce the appearance of The Book: An Online Review. READ MORE >>

Along with Jason Zengerle and Michael Crowley, I was one of the three original contributors to The Plank. None of us considered ourselves natural bloggers. All of us would have probably preferred to be spending our time reporting a 5,000-word feature story. But the world had changed—and, for all our trepidations, it looked like a good time, and it was, especially during the long 2008 election season. Eventually, the rest of the TNR staff joined us on the blog. And then, many of these writers acquired their own blogs. READ MORE >>

TNR senior editor Jonathan Chait discusses his last “TRB From Washington” column with editor Franklin Foer: What made Republicans decide to hop on the crazy train--ignorance, panic, or ideology? Check out the latest on TNRtv: READ MORE >>

TNR senior editor Jonathan Chait discusses his last "TRB From Washington" column with editor Franklin Foer: What made Republicans decide to hop on the crazy train--ignorance, panic, or ideology? Check out the latest on TNRtv: READ MORE >>

Welcome, dear readers, to the revamped TNR.com. We understand that reinvention is part of the very fabric of the internet, and so an overhaul like this is not usually regarded as an event of the same magnitude as, say, an old-fashioned print magazine relaunch. But this new site is a very big deal for us.  READ MORE >>

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When Bill Buckley died last week, the assistant to a famous New York editor phoned. ”I’m so sorry,” she said softly. ”I know it must be very sad and chaotic over there.” I was a bit befuddled by her description of the office, which didn’t seem any less ebullient than usual. ”Yes, it’s quite chaotic,” I fumbled. Apparently misinterpreting my confusion for sorrow, she asked, ”Can you help my boss get into the memorial service?” READ MORE >>