Victor S. Navasky: A Legacy of Principled Journalism

On January 24th, 2023, Victor S. Navasky, a witty and contrarian journalist, passed away in Manhattan due to pneumonia.^[0] He was 90 years old.^[0] During his nearly three decades with The Nation, the left-leaning magazine that is America’s oldest weekly, Navasky served as both editor and publisher.^[1] He also wrote the book “Naming Names”, a chronicle of the Hollywood blacklisting era.^[0]

Navasky had a unique perspective on the magazine’s purpose, which was to provide an outlet for people who felt they were not represented at the highest levels of power. In 2009, he told NPR that The Nation’s unofficial joke was “if it’s bad for the country, it’s good for The Nation”.^[1] This was due to the magazine’s pointed criticism of the George W. Bush administration, which resulted in soaring subscriptions.^[1]

Navasky was committed to honesty and integrity in journalism, and believed it was a credibility issue if a publication was accused of distorting or omitting information. His legacy of principled journalism lives on in The Nation, and in the works he left behind.

0. “News Highlights: JNU administration cuts power before screening of BBC documentary” Moneycontrol, 24 Jan. 2023, https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/latest-news-today-live-24-january-2023-headlines-9923781.html

1. “Journalist Victor S. Navasky has died. For years, he led The Nation.” Delaware First Media, 24 Jan. 2023, https://www.delawarepublic.org/npr-headlines/npr-headlines/2023-01-24/journalist-victor-s-navasky-has-died-for-years-he-led-the-nation