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Election Impact on Liberal Media

The New York Times reports liberal magazines like the Nation could see an increase in readers as a result of the recent elections.

Liberal magazines do well when the other side is in power:

The Bush years were good — very good — to The Nation. After operating in the red almost every year since it was founded by abolitionists in 1865, the magazine turned a profit in 2003. From 2001 to 2003, the magazine’s circulation leapt from 107,000 to 149,000 and kept growing. By 2006, it had reached its peak at 187,000.

I suspect (and hope) the same is true for blogs. [More...]

There is no doubt about The Nation’s credibility as a leading institution on the left. But liberal Web sites like The Huffington Post now have vast followings of young people and a certain cool factor — something many advertisers value over intellectual prestige.

...“The importance of being hot is very important to advertisers,” said Bill Falk, editor in chief of The Week, a magazine that aggregates news articles and opinion columns. ...The Nation, which Mr. Falk regularly excerpts, “sort of reads and feels like it is written by people on the left from the ’60s and the ’70s, whereas sites like the Daily Kos and Huffington Post skew much younger.”

I hope there's room for all to survive and thrive. "People on the left from the '60's and '70's" are not only still alive, they are part of a huge demographic of baby boomers to whom issues like health insurance, social security and taxes are very important. They also have children and grandchildren and are concerned enough about their futures to keep themselves current. Advertisers may not care about them, but perhaps like the Nation, donations, subscriptions, mobile device publishing and other financial models can keep them afloat.

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  • Display: Sort:
    whats so great (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by Capt Howdy on Mon Nov 08, 2010 at 12:51:22 PM EST
    about being younger anyway

    "sort of reads and feels like it is written by people on the left from the '60s and the '70s, whereas sites like the Daily Kos and Huffington Post skew much younger."

    those of us from the 60s and 70s not only know there are bodies we remember where they are buried.

    funny comment about HuffPo.  most of the posters there seem closer to my demographic. or maybe thats just the ones I read.


    I second (none / 0) (#2)
    by Zorba on Mon Nov 08, 2010 at 01:13:59 PM EST
    your comment, Cap.

    Parent
    How's their "delete" action? (none / 0) (#12)
    by NYShooter on Mon Nov 08, 2010 at 11:12:24 PM EST
    I haven't been there since the Primaries and no matter how benign my comments were (I supported Hillary) over 50% of my posts were deleted (or  never posted)

    Parent
    How about old folks from (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by the capstan on Mon Nov 08, 2010 at 04:05:46 PM EST
    the 50's, 60's, and 70's who supplied the foot-power, the hand-power, the money-power, and the moral determination to achieve civil rights and health care?

    "I hope there's room for all to survive and thrive."  So do I:  We were the bleeding-heart liberals who laid the foundation that's been eroded lately, and we raised those liberal baby boomers, too.  Sometimes it does seem as if we don't count for much anymore in the run-up to elections, but we helped produce some of the greatest Democratic victories.  Give us the opportunity to vote for real progressives if you want to bury the other party.

    Too bad, though, (5.00 / 2) (#8)
    by shoephone on Mon Nov 08, 2010 at 05:32:11 PM EST
    that the liberal media only shows its guts when there's a formidable opposition, and not when our side is in power. Apparently, keeping Dems accountable is off-limits for the longtime, entrenched liberal voices. I used to read The Nation, but Katrina Vanden Heuvel lost my respect during the 2008 campaign, and I no longer trust her abilities in questioning authority. If you have integrity, it doesn't matter which party and which charismatic politicos hold that authority -- you fight like hell for accountability, regardless of whose feathers may get ruffled.

    The Nation magazine is considered... (none / 0) (#3)
    by Yes2Truth on Mon Nov 08, 2010 at 02:04:51 PM EST

    by many as a left gatekeeper.  You won't find any articles there on the JFK assassination conspiracy,
    the strong evidence that 9/11 was a false flag  operation etc.

    When the NY Times (none / 0) (#9)
    by MKS on Mon Nov 08, 2010 at 06:37:08 PM EST
    opined in the 1950s against the Guatemalan Democracy, The Nation opposed Ike's CIA coup.

    Parent
    Yes, but I'm not sure TN (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by brodie on Mon Nov 08, 2010 at 06:54:16 PM EST
    spoke out very forcefully and when it mattered against, say, Joe McCarthy back in that period.  Perhaps they were an early and vocal opponent of Lyndon's sudden escalation into VN in 1965, or were they kinda late?  On that one, I don't know.  

    My sense is it's probably not unfair to consider how TN might have served for a long while as a sort of left gatekeeper on key, crucial issues -- it is historically a lot more establishment left and therefore disinclined to seriously challenge the major malign power centers like the FBI (under Hoover) and CIA -- though I can't speak about the most recent controversy alleged against the Bush admin.

    TN was definitely "disappointing" during MonicaMadness time.    

    Parent

    Probably still are (none / 0) (#11)
    by Yes2Truth on Mon Nov 08, 2010 at 08:33:26 PM EST

    "TN might have served for a long while as a sort of left gatekeeper on key, crucial issues..."

    Does TN receive some of its funding from certain
    organizations for its gate keeping role?  Like
    DNow supposedly does?  Dunno but wouldn't be at all surprised.

    Parent

    Heh (none / 0) (#4)
    by DancingOpossum on Mon Nov 08, 2010 at 02:53:26 PM EST
    There is no doubt about The Nation's credibility as a leading institution on the left.

    Oh rly?

    Not in my leftwing house.

    not in your left wing house.. (none / 0) (#6)
    by jondee on Mon Nov 08, 2010 at 04:08:42 PM EST
    I can see why, when you agree with Ann that no one of consequence compared Clinton to the Republicans in the nineties..

    Parent
    The Nation (none / 0) (#7)
    by Kitt on Mon Nov 08, 2010 at 04:51:32 PM EST
    is a staple in my leftist household; has been since the 80s.  


    Parent