Top Political Opinion Magazines (Mostly American)

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For the educated reader, but not necessarily the scholar. Offers opinions or viewpoints on cultural or political affairs, usually with a particular leaning or bias. Very good sources for comparing different points of view as they usually have a narrow focus. Your assignment is to look at a current political topic of your choice and find a story or piece on that topic that has been printed across three, a liberal, a moderate, and a conservative or libertarian slanted magazine that I have listed below.

Let’s say you choose The Nation, the Atlantic and the National Review and you find vast differences of opinion across the three articles. First tell us what opinion magazines are, then tell us what the issue/matter you have chosen is and how it is covered similarly or differently across the three publication organs citing specific examples.

When looking for magazine sources, you may look in the library, on-line or at a good bookstore where they sell a wide assortment of magazines. You may find some titles in the University Bookstore, but the best collection in town is probably at Books a Million, a bookstore behind the Holiday Inn on the South end of Terre Haute (just south of I-70). There are some good bookstores in Bloomington and Indianapolis. I personally like to work with hard copies of magazine finding them easier to read whenever I wish as well as being able to go back and read again if I wish.

When you look online, you may find what you want, but some sources require a fee or subscription. A trial subscription is then likely best for this assignment. However, as a graduate student you should get into the habit of reading at least one or two of these titles every month as well as a good daily newspaper. I personally get two newspapers, the New York Times by hard copy and the Washington Post online. I also get four opinion magazines in hard copy. When I was in college, I subscribed to one opinion magazine and I read the NYT in the library. It’s just good intellectual practice and helps make you a better informed citizen. As you are studying in the field of Communication you really need to know this literature and follow it regularly.

Your essay should be a minimum of three pages, typed, with references for the three articles you choose. In Communication we use APA style. Also, make copies of the three articles to hand in with your paper. Papers will be presented, discussed and then handed in on Tuesday, Sept. 11th. Good luck

  • Atlantic. The Atlantic is a magazine that features high-quality news articles on a wide variety of relevant international topics. Moderate
  • Cato Journal. Libertarian
  • Christian Century. Moderate-Liberal. During WWII, helped provide a venue for those who opposed Japanese-American internment. In recent years, the magazine has argued for an Israel-Palestine two-state solution to the conflict.
  • Christianity Today. Conservative. Founded by Billy Graham, an evangelical Christian publication.
  • Dissent, Democratic Socialist (very liberal)
  • Foreign Affairs. Moderate
  • Nation, The, Liberal.
  • National Review. Conservative
  • New African, Moderate, British
  • New Republic, The. Somewhat Liberal
  • The American, Conserevative/Libertarian
  • The American Conservative, Paleoconservative
  • The American Interest, Moderatei)
  • The American Prospect, Social Libertarian (Conservative)
  • The American Spectator, Conservative
  • The Baffler, Left, Liberal
  • Weekly Standard. Neoconservative
  • World Affairs. Conservative
  • Foreign Policy. Liberal
  • Harper’s, Liberal
  • Harvard Political Review. Moderate
  • Mother Jones. Liberal
  • The Economist. Conservative/Classic Liberal, based in Britain but international in scope
  • The Middle East, Moderate, British
  • The New Statesman. Social Democrat
  • The New Yorker. Liberal
  • The Progressive. Liberal
  • The Spectator. British Conservative
  • The Week. Moderate, British