Conversations with History: Institute
of International Studies, UC Berkeley
This interview is part of the Institute's "Conversations
with History" series, and uses Internet technology to share with the
public Berkeley's distinction as a global forum for ideas.
Welcome to a Conversation with History. I'm Harry
Kreisler of the Institute of International Studies. Our guest today
is Victor Navasky, who is publisher and editorial director of The Nation.
For
sixteen years he was Editor of The Nation. He's the author of several
books, including Kennedy Justice; Naming Names, which won the National
Book Award; and most recently, A Matter of Opinion. He is the Delacorte
Professor of Journalism at Columbia, and here is his new book.
- Background ... Rudolph Steiner School ... other early schooling ... Yale
Law School ... influencial professors
- On Satire ... the Monocle ...
discovering the business aspect of magazine publication ... humor vs. satire
- Research ... scholars vs. reporters
... Kennedy Justice ... Naming Names ... informed by political
theory ... Robert Kennedy and J. Edgar Hoover
- Being an Editor ... sensitivity
to a writer's concerns ... comparing New York Times Magazine and The
Nation ... captive to The Nation's tradition ... special responsibility
... learning the ropes at the Times ... breaking new ground
- Opinion Journals ... role in democratic
society ... reasoned argumentation ... setting the agenda ... permanent minority
... dialogue ... provoking outrage ... collaborating with foreign leftist
journals
- The Business of Publishing ...
inherent tension between publisher and editor ... unsatisfactory solutions
... The
Nation's
solution ... mainstream media conglomerates ... unique position of The
Nation ... building up the subscription base ... advice for students
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