The Nation did not take home a National Magazine Award this week. We were nominated in two categories: Naomi Klein for Columns & Commentary, and William Deresciewicz for Reviews & Criticism. The night was bittersweet, with smaller turnout than years past and real concern for the state of the industry, but also a diverse range of winners, including some “little magazines that could,” demonstrating the continued value of investigative reporting and public interest journalism. We congratulate Bill; Naomi and all of the winners and nominees.
We are proud to announce, however, that our June 30, 2008 special issue, “The New Inequality,” has been awarded the 2009 Sidney Hillman Foundation Prize in Magazine Journalism. A collaboration with the Institute for Policy Studies, “The New Inequality” was our effort to call attention to the stunning wage and income equality gap in America today, and to propose alternatives to the emerging plutocracy. “The New Inequality” was prescient, on newsstands three months before the worst of the financial crisis hit home, but foretelling the systemic instability of this decades economic boom. The Hillman prize honors journalism that “fosters social and economic justice.” We’re grateful to the Hillman Foundation, and hopeful that the award will spark continued debate about economic equality and poverty.
Two other housekeeping notes and recommendations today:
* If you couldn’t be at our event in Washington, DC last week, Obama @ 100, we have two different features online to bring you into the discussion. You can listen to a full audiocast of the event here; you can also watch video of the forums provocative final question – the best and worst moments of the first 100 days. Here is the video, with opinions from me, The Nation‘s Christopher Hayes, Ari Melber and William Greider; Deepak Bhargava of the Center for Community Change; and Representatives Donna Edwards (D-MD) and Steve Cohen (D-TN):
* We’re making a switchover in our blogs today at TheNation.com. We’re retiring State of Change, the descendent of our campaign ’08 blog, and folding much of our politics and policy coverage into The Notion, The Nation‘s group blog that offers unfiltered takes on politics, culture and ideas. By expanding The Notion we’re creating a more provocative conversation online, debating the issues of the day from differing perspectives. Please bookmark The Notion; subscribe to the feed; and as always leave us your comments. Currently in The Notion you can read some debate from Melissa Harris-Lacewell and others about the next appointee to the Supreme Court.
