Newsweek

About

Newsweek's story began in 1933, launched by Thomas J.C. Martyn, a former foreign-news editor at Time magazine. Initially named 'News-Week', it adopted the general format of its contemporary, Time, offering a weekly survey of news complemented by signed columns of analysis. A significant merger occurred in 1937 with Raymond Moley's 'Today' magazine, at which point the hyphen was dropped, and the publication became 'Newsweek'. This early iteration quickly established itself, bringing current events to life for an American audience through compelling photography and insightful commentary. Over the decades, Newsweek grew in stature and influence, eventually becoming recognized as one of the 'big three' American newsweeklies alongside Time and U.S. News & World Report. A pivotal moment in Newsweek's journey was its acquisition in 1961 by The Washington Post Company under publisher Philip L. Graham. This ownership period saw Newsweek adopt a more politically liberal viewpoint and broaden its scope to include more extensive coverage of popular culture, employing a narrative style that resonated with a wide readership. The magazine flourished, achieving an international circulation of over four million at its peak and publishing multiple English-language international editions as well as local-language versions in countries like Japan, Korea, and Spain. However, the changing media landscape of the 21st century brought financial challenges. In 2010, The Washington Post Company sold Newsweek to American businessman Sidney Harman. Shortly thereafter, in early 2011, Newsweek merged with The Daily Beast, a news and commentary website, forming The Newsweek/Daily Beast Company. Despite these efforts, financial difficulties persisted, leading to the temporary cessation of its print edition at the end of 2012 as the focus shifted to an all-digital format. In 2013, IBT Media acquired Newsweek, and the print edition was relaunched in March 2014. The company underwent further restructuring, and in 2018, Newsweek became an independent entity, Newsweek Publishing LLC, co-owned by Dev Pragad, who also serves as President and CEO, and Johnathan Davis. Under Pragad's leadership, Newsweek has experienced a significant digital transformation and resurgence, now reaching 100 million readers per month.