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John Nichols | The Nation

John Nichols

Author Bios

John Nichols

John Nichols

Washington Correspondent

John Nichols, a pioneering political blogger, has written the Beat since 1999. His posts have been circulated internationally, quoted in numerous books and mentioned in debates on the floor of Congress.

Nichols writes about politics for The Nation magazine as its Washington correspondent. He is a contributing writer for The Progressive and In These Times and the associate editor of the Capital Times, the daily newspaper in Madison, Wisconsin. His articles have appeared in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune and dozens of other newspapers.

Nichols is a frequent guest on radio and television programs as a commentator on politics and media issues. He was featured in Robert Greenwald's documentary, "Outfoxed," and in the documentaries Joan Sekler's "Unprecedented," Matt Kohn's "Call It Democracy" and Robert Pappas's "Orwell Rolls in his Grave." The keynote speaker at the 2004 Congress of the International Federation of Journalists in Athens, Nichols has been a featured presenter at conventions, conferences and public forums on media issues sponsored by the Federal Communications Commission, the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Consumers International, the Future of Music Coalition, the AFL-CIO, the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, the Newspaper Guild [CWA] and dozens of other organizations.

Nichols is the author of The Genius of Impeachment (The New Press); a critically acclaimed analysis of the Florida recount fight of 2000, Jews for Buchanan (The New Press); and a best-selling biography of Vice President Dick Cheney, Dick: The Man Who is President (The New Press), which has recently been published in French and Arabic. He edited Against the Beast: A Documentary History of American Opposition to Empire (Nation Books), of which historian Howard Zinn said: "At exactly the time when we need it most, John Nichols gives us a special gift--a collection of writings, speeches, poems, and songs from throughout American history--that reminds us that our revulsion to war and empire has a long and noble tradition in this country."

With Robert W. McChesney, Nichols has co-authored the books It's the Media, Stupid! (Seven Stories), Our Media, Not Theirs (Seven Stories), Tragedy and Farce: How the American Media Sell Wars, Spin Elections, and Destroy Democracy (The New Press), The Death and Life of American Journalism (Nation Books) and, most recently, Uprising: How Wisconsin Renewed the Politics of Protest, from Madison to Wall Street (Nation Books). McChesney and Nichols are the co-founders of Free Press, the nation's media-reform network, which organized the 2003 and 2005 National Conferences on Media Reform.

Of Nichols, author Gore Vidal says: "Of all the giant slayers now afoot in the great American desert, John Nichols’s sword is the sharpest."

Articles

News and Features

For half a century, Bob walked with the movements for economic and social justice, for peace, and above all for democracy.

His next appointee for FCC chair could determine whether robber barons consolidate their domination of the public discourse.

How many dysfunctional election cycles are we going to endure before we accept the necessity of this reform?

Candidates who ran on slashing Medicare and Social Security lost big in November. But that doesn’t stop Pete Peterson from pushing the fantasy that voters’ biggest concern is the deficit.

The good news is that things have gotten so bad, almost everyone agrees we need to make big changes.

From Bernie Sanders to Boots Riley, from Marcia Moody to Jane McAlevey, we celebrate nineteen activists, movements and politicians.

From Senate races to state and city referendums, Americans made clear they wanted to limit the corrupting power of corporate money.

No TV ads, no fancy consultants. The staunchly progressive Vermont senator is coasting toward re-election by talking about real issues, listening to voters and organizing.

Disguised by its billionaire backers as campaign finance reform, California’s Proposition 32 would destroy the political power of unions.

Even if Obama wins, he won’t be able to accomplish much if progressives don’t do well in legislative races. Here are ten worthy contenders.

Blogs

Thirty Republican legislators join Democrats and independents to demand a constitutional amendment.
A new study highlights the vital role high African-American turnout played in 2012. Activists say voters were “outraged and energized...
Industry lobbyists outspent activists 38-1, but a grassroots coalition and dissenting members of Congress appear to have rendered CISPA...
Cheney and Rove are “essentially invisible” at Bush’s museum. But they sure weren’t during his presidency.
The Senate Finance Committee chair who often clashed with party progressives and populists is quitting. A very different Democrat might...
The paper’s site was packed with coverage that was “Tireless. Dogged. Spirited.” And it was something else: Free.
The House Budget Committee chairman cites a study that says high debt stalls growth—but the economists responsible for the paper...
Congressman Keith Ellison renews his call for a financial transactions tax—this time, with a grassroots movement behind him.