The Atlantic

Group members: Lauren Karbula, Morgan Bierbaum,

and Hannah Armfeild

General Information

• The Atlantic was founded in 1857 in Boston.

• It started out as a purely literary magazine, but has since changed formats to a general editorial publication.

• Original sponsors and contributors included Ralph Waldo Emerson, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

• 20 National Magazine Awards• 10 publications/year (used to be

monthly)• Covers business, tech, travel, food

& drink, and long-form journalism• #1 magazine for influential people• #4 magazine for tech enthusiasts• #1 for readers with a college or

graduate degree• #1 for print subscribers (477,000)• Sister media productions: Citylab

and theatlantic.com• Departments for theatlantic.com

include politics, business, tech, entertainment, health, education, sexes, national and global

• ~100 pages an issue, $7.99/issue

• “Entertainment” section is the only one that focuses purely on arts and humanities– Includes film, books, television,

music and design– Focuses mainly on pop culture

and doesn’t tend to deviate into the “highbrow” arts and literature

• Articles in every other section, however, often look at things through the lens of humanities

• Criticism is difficult to find on the website and there is not much criticism in the print version

• Articles are accessible and easy to read – not very complex and give a lot of background info

Purpose• “The Atlantic is America’s leading

destination for brave thinking and bold ideas that matter. The Atlantic engages its print, online, and live audiences with breakthrough insights into the worlds of politics, business, technology, and culture. With exceptional talent deployed against the world’s most important and intriguing topics, The Atlantic is the source of opinion, commentary, and analysis for America’s most influential individuals who wish to be challenged, informed, and entertained.”– 2014 Media Kit

• “[Working for The Atlantic is] a chance to help, encourage and preserve the practice of serious, long-form journalism." – James Bennett, editor-in-chief and co-

president of The Atlantic

How does The Atlantic meet the needs of arts/humanities enthusiasts?

• Most of the articles in The Atlantic have an American political background, and therefore, offer a politicized perspective in articles on the arts and humanities.

--For example, television is a prominent topic in the publication and the majority of those

articles relate to politics in some way. (Ex. Article

on how “Television Loves Female Presidents, as Long as They're Republican.”

• The articles are diverse in content and appeal to a wide range of tastes within the arts and humanities.

--Politics, history, literature, television,

pop culture, and music are all discussed

throughout the magazine.

• The articles in The Atlantic offer deliberate and topical news.

--In the most recent publication of The Atlantic, most articles offer serious information, rather than appealing to humor or emotion.

--In this sense, The Atlantic provides entertainment comparable to an episode of 60 Minutes, rather than The Daily Show.

• The articles are written with clear and accessible language, often about complex political subjects.

--Offers anyone who is interested in learning about current events the chance to obtain and understand important and global information.• The magazine includes a

balance of lengthier, in-depth articles and shorter, concise articles to suit different reading styles.

--this allows enthusiasts to read according to their preferences and leisure.

• Relating the arts and humanities, The Atlantic is a publication that heavily discusses books, television, and popular culture.--Enthusiasts would look for these subjects

when reading this publication rather than searching for articles on fine art, dance, or theater. • Includes excerpts from published texts for

enthusiasts interested in contemporary literature.

--These excerpts may serve as samples to introduce enthusiasts to writers or works they’ve potentially never heard of before. • Features reviews, critiques, and

advertisements on new literary publications or television shows, offering information about what is popular or topical in the world of contemporary literature and TV.

• Contains articles on famous writers, appealing to enthusiasts who may or may not have heard of their contribution to literature.

Criticism• Subjects include politics, popular

culture, books, movies, television, poetry, essays, and current events

The Culture File: “Endless Love” by James Parker

• Parker’s article on Ted Gioia’s Love Songs: The Hidden History is both a critique on this book and on the universality and influence of love songs.

• This exemplifies arts and humanities criticism in its analysis of modern and historical music ,and how the love song genre provides a specific form of joy for enthusiasts.

• Parker includes criticism of Love Songs when he discusses how “a joke in Chapter 1 nearly derailed [him] . . . But [he] pressed on, and [he] was rewarded.”

• Provides historical information as well as concrete discussion of Gioia’s work, inviting enthusiasts of music and contemporary literature into reading his book.

“Wu-Tang Clan and Hip-Hop's Obsession With the Art World

A $5 million auction is the wrong way to prove rap is worthy of respect

• Spencer Kornhaber argues that Wu Tang Clan’s decision to wait 88 years to release the sole extant recording of their newest album promotes the elitism of Modernism in a Postmodern world.

• He claims that hip-hop was an art form based on the premise that art is for the people and should be accessible to the people. Wu Tang Clan’s attempt to elevate the status of hip-hop instead alienates the very people who the music was made for.

Kornhaber discusses Wu Tang Clan’s stunt in terms of Modernism, elitism and the history of rap, making this article much more intellectual than an average album review. He puts the recording into a social and historical context that asks what the appropriate way is to earn respect in the high-art world for rap music.

Finally I Hear a Politician Explain My Country Just the Way I Understand It

• James Fallows’ article critiquing President Obama’s Selma speech is a great article for political enthusiasts because it references many earlier political events both in the life of Obama and of the United States as a whole.

• He also references many direct quotes from the speech, but assumes most “enthusiasts” have watched the speech already and so they know what Fallows is talking about

Works CitedFallows, James. "Finally I Hear a Politician Explain My Country Just the Way I

Understand It.” The Atlantic. Ed. J. J. Gould. N.p., 8 Mar. 2015. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.<http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/03/finally-i-hear-a-politician-explain-my-country-the-way-i-understand-it/387178/?utm_source=btn-facebook-ppr>.

Kornhaber, Spencer. "Wu-Tang Clan and Hip-Hop's Obsession With the Art World." The Atlantic. Ed. J. J. Gould. N.p., 5 Mar. 2015. Web. 12 Mar. 2015. <http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/03/wu-tang-clan-method-man-and-hip-hops-misguided-obsession-with-the-art-world/386842/>.

Parker, James. "Endless Love." The Atlantic Mar. 2015: 40-42. Print.

• http://advertising.theatlantic.com/static/img/upload/pdfs/The_Atlantic_Media_Kit_-_2014_-_Marketing_Site.pdf

• http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/03/wu-tang-clan-method-man-and-hip-hops-misguided-obsession-with-the-art-world/386842/