The Nation

I just finished reading Into the Buzzsaw, and I'm struck not so much by its overall theme of censorship, but the underlying conservatism of the media and the journalism profession. Media outlets, through consolidation and the pursuit of profit, have grown extremely cautious and wary of upsetting the powers-that-be in government and business. Journalists have largely become stenographers, dutifully passing along corporate press releases and pronouncements of government officials, never asking the difficult questions or challenging the party line.

Which makes it even more remarkable that The Nation has been able to survive for nearly 140 years as a prominent voice of establishment-challenging dissent. Not tied to any corporate interests and supported solely by donors and subscribers, it has earned its hard-fought position as one of America's great independent voices. But considering that most well-heeled potential donors are conservative and thus diametrically opposed to The Nation's views, just how has it managed to survive for so long? Perserverance, resourcefulness and single-minded devotion to its cause all play a part, but the biggest reason is probably its refusal to be beholden to any of its financial backers.

I'm thinking specifically of Fox News Channel, which ran prominent back-cover ads in two recent issues, even though its right-wing, reactionary politics are anathema to anyone associated with The Nation, and its influence being a direct threat to everything the magazine stands for. But while The Nation presumably needed the money, and might have been tempted to curry Fox's continued favor, the magazine took uninhibited delight at bashing Fox, even as the advertiser's bold logo and disingenuous motto ("Fair and Balanced") blared from the back cover. It was a delicious bit of subversion on The Nation's part, one which was unlikely to gain Fox's future patronage, but emblematic of the magazine's devotion to its beliefs.

The Nation is our country's unrelenting conscience.