The Nation

U.S. left / progressive

Background

The Nation was founded on July 6, 1865, making it one of the oldest surviving political magazines in the U.S. It was originally conceived as a journal of opinion focused on Reconstruction-era politics and civil rights. Ownership passed through several hands over the decades, including railroad magnate Henry Villard and his son Oswald Garrison Villard, who edited it through the early 20th century and gave it a strong civil liberties focus. In 1935 it was sold to banker Maurice Wertheim's nonprofit; editor Freda Kirchwey purchased it outright in 1937, cementing its role as a flagship of the American left. In 1977 a group of investors led by Hamilton Fish V. acquired it, and in 1995 Victor Navasky and Katrina vanden Heuvel's group took ownership — the lineage that continues today. Bhaskar Sunkara, founder of the socialist magazine Jacobin, was named president in 2022, signaling a continued leftward identity. Vanden Heuvel stepped back as editor in 2019 and returned to the role in April 2025. The magazine has operated at a loss in nearly all years of its existence and relies heavily on reader donations. It has a long record of progressive advocacy — opposing U.S. military interventions, supporting labor rights, and criticizing Republican administrations — and is rated as strongly left-leaning by multiple independent media bias organizations.

Sources

1. The Nation – Wikipedia
2. The Nation – InfluenceWatch
3. The Nation – Media Bias/Fact Check
4. The Nation – AllSides Media Bias
5. The Nation – Ad Fontes Media
6. Bhaskar Sunkara Named President of The Nation
7. Katrina vanden Heuvel Resumes Editorship of The Nation

Profile compiled 2026-06-26; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

← Back to track record