Contact: Caitlin Graf, The Nation, press [at] thenation.com, 212-209-5400
New York, NY—January 15, 2020—The Nation, America’s leading source of progressive politics and culture, marks the new year with the appointment of Elie Mystal (@ElieNYC) as justice correspondent and Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) as DC correspondent.
“Elie’s talent for making legal and political issues accessible to non-lawyers, without losing the nuance of core legal concepts, has made him an indispensable resource to Nation readers and the larger public,” says Nation editor D.D. Guttenplan. “He navigates political waters with an eloquence and ferocity unique in this moment, and I’m delighted he’s signed on to our masthead. I’m also particularly pleased to welcome Ken, who on his resume describes himself as ‘a bloodhound who enjoys sniffing out scoops’—a fitting successor to a job once held by I.F. Stone.”
“The Nation has always been at the heart of the debate on the left about how to best advance the cause of social progress and justice,” says Mystal. “In late republic America, that progress now calls for nothing less than the defeat of authoritarianism. The Nation stands against America’s state-sponsored propaganda, and I am honored to add my voice and be counted among those who will never be cowed by the bullying, disinformation, and lies that Republicans think counts as an agenda.”
“It’s both exciting and a little surreal, in our age of ephemeral web media clickbait farms, to join an outlet that is older than many of the federal agencies about which I’ll be reporting; and in all that time has maintained a firm commitment to progressive values,” adds Klippenstein.
The Nation’s robust political coverage during the Trump administration has won awards and accolades, exposed widespread injustices, and spoken truth to power to champion progressive ideals. While mainstream media analysis focuses on the polls and candidates’ “likability,” The Nation’s team continues to offer insight into the ideas and issues—from racial justice and health care reform to the climate crisis and corporate corruption to moving away from endless war and reimagining our foreign policy—that Americans care about most.
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In his new role, Elie Mystal, a prolific writer on politics, culture, law, and racial justice, who in 2019 published two Nation cover stories tackling the Trump courts head-on, will increase his output exclusively for The Nation. In addition to writing regular commentary for TheNation.com and occasional features for the print edition of the magazine, he will bring his keen legal mind and pointed pen to debut a new monthly column, “Objection!”—providing incisive, unparalleled analysis on a whole range of issues related to justice. In addition to courts, the law, and the judiciary, his mandate will also cover the institutions of law enforcement and our political system more broadly. Mystal’s first article for The Nation in his new capacity is “Why Was Pete Buttigieg Still on the Debate Stage—and Kamala Harris Wasn’t?”
The outgoing executive editor of Above the Law, a legal website offering news, insights, and opinions on law firms, lawyers, law schools, and lawsuits, Mystal is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, a former associate at Debevoise & Plimpton, and a Knobler Fellow at Type Media Center. He is a frequent guest on MSNBC and SiriusXM.
Ken Klippenstein’s reporting focuses on the machinations of the American national security state. Through aggressive use of the Freedom of Information Act and a robust network of government sources, he will provide readers with a warts-and-all look at how our government’s most secretive agencies, from the FBI to the Pentagon, operate. At The Nation, Klippenstein will also use his investigative know-how to document under-the-radar politics and policies enacted by the Trump administration.
Klippenstein was previously senior investigative reporter for The Young Turks, and a frequent contributor to The Daily Beast. His reporting has been referenced by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic, and cited by Congress—including, in one instance, to grill FBI Director Christopher Wray.
Mystal and Klippenstein join a world class lineup of political writers and thinkers poised to deliver landmark coverage of the 2020 election, the Trump impeachment scandal, and the more lasting impacts of policy decision-making that go beyond the omnipresent distractions of this president’s administration and Twitter takes. They will be part of the growing and diverse chorus of Nation writers, columnists, and editors providing in-depth reporting and commentary for 2020 and beyond, unpacking and analyzing every twist and turn of political theater. These include national affairs correspondents Jeet Heer, John Nichols, and Joan Walsh; longtime columnists Eric Alterman, Laila Lalami, and Katha Pollitt; and correspondents Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, Zoë Carpenter, Stephen F. Cohen, Bryce Covert, Ben Ehrenreich, Greg Grandin, Mark Hertsgaard, Jane McAlevey, Dani McClain, Dave Zirin, and more.
For interview requests or further information, please see contact information above.
ABOUT: Founded by abolitionists in 1865, The Nation has chronicled the breadth and depth of political and cultural life, from the debut of the telegraph to the rise of Twitter, serving as a critical, independent, and progressive voice in American journalism.
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