We believe that thoughtful, long-form journalism is especially needed in this age of Twitter.
Bill Buckley founded National Review Institute in 1991 to create a nonprofit journalistic think tank that could support the magazine in substantial ways while cultivating the community of readers and supporters from across the country. We take Bill’s mission seriously and regularly reflect on ways that we can continue to support the NR mission and strengthen our institution.
In that spirit, NRI launched a new fund last year to support long-form journalism in National Review and increase the portfolio of notable, outside talent who write for the magazine. The fund, which comes out of NRI’s general operating budget, covers the writers’ fees to produce in-depth essays on a broad range of important topics. To maximize the impact of each piece, NRI arranges media promotion and special virtual events with the author.
So far, six such essays have been published as part of this collaborative project, beginning with a thought-provoking piece entitled “American Foreign and Defense Policy: Between Scylla and Charybdis,” by the esteemed author and essayist Mark Helprin. Soon after, famed playwright David Mamet penned a brilliant analysis for NR, “The Code and the Key,” a 4,000-word tour de force covering everything from lockdowns to writing to the threat of the illiberal Left, and historian Andrew Roberts authored a compelling cover story, “Why We Must Teach Western Civilization,” discussing the immense legacy of our culture.
Professor Joel Kotkin, author of the NR cover essay “Blue Today, Bluer Tomorrow,” said of the project, “There are very few places left where you can do [long-form journalism]. It was a great opportunity for me to put a lot of disparate thoughts together, so I am very appreciative.”
We believe that thoughtful, long-form journalism is especially needed in this age of Twitter. If you agree, please support our efforts by contributing to our End-of-Year Fund Appeal: Donate here.
Your support today will help us continue these important journalistic initiatives that advance the NR mission.