America (magazine)

America (magazine)
Title	America
Editor	Fr. James Martin, SJ
Category	Catholic newsmagazine
Frequency	Biweekly
Circulation	40,000 (approx.)
Publisher	America Media
Firstdate	1909
Country	United States
Language	English
Issn	0002-7049

America (magazine) is a national Catholic weekly print and online magazine published in the United States by the Jesuits of the Province of the Society of Jesus. Founded in 1909, the magazine covers Roman Catholic news, commentary, and cultural analysis, engaging questions about faith, Pope Francis, Pope Benedict XVI, Pope John Paul II, and American public life. It situates reporting amid debates involving figures and institutions such as United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Supreme Court, United States Congress, and prominent universities including Georgetown University.

History

America was established in 1909 by the American province of the Society of Jesus to provide a Catholic perspective on public affairs and theology during the presidency of William Howard Taft. Early editors navigated tensions shaped by events like World War I, the Spanish flu pandemic, the Roosevelt era, and the Great Depression. Throughout the twentieth century the magazine commented on international crises including World War II, the Cold War, the Second Vatican Council, and the civil-rights struggles involving leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr.. In the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, America covered papal transitions among Pope John Paul I, Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis, while responding to cultural shifts tied to institutions like Harvard University, Notre Dame, and the Catholic University of America. Digital expansion paralleled changes in media exemplified by outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and National Catholic Reporter.

Editorial mission and content

The magazine's editorial mission emphasizes a Jesuit-informed commitment to discernment and engagement with public life, tracing intellectual lineages back to figures like Ignatius of Loyola and institutions such as the Society of Jesus. Coverage spans reporting on papal documents like Evangelii Gaudium and Laudato si', theological debates influenced by scholars at Boston College and Fordham University, ethical questions invoked by rulings of the Supreme Court and legislation from United States Congress, and cultural criticism addressing authors and artists like Flannery O'Connor, T. S. Eliot, and Gustave Doré. Regular features include book reviews engaging works published by houses such as HarperCollins and Oxford University Press, interviews with figures from Vatican City to Washington, D.C., and essays on pastoral practice drawing on examples from dioceses such as Archdiocese of New York and Archdiocese of Chicago.

Contributors and notable articles

America has published contributions from theologians, journalists, and public intellectuals including Karl Rahner, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Thomas Merton, G. K. Chesterton, Flannery O'Connor (noted Catholic writers), and contemporary voices like Fr. James Martin, SJ and scholars affiliated with Notre Dame and Georgetown University. Journalists and commentators who have written for the magazine include figures associated with outlets such as The New Yorker, Time, The Atlantic, and National Review. Notable articles have examined landmark events such as responses to clerical sexual-abuse scandals that involved institutions like the Archdiocese of Boston and investigations paralleling reporting by outlets including The Boston Globe (and its Spotlight team), analyses of papal visits to countries like Brazil and Philippines, and essays on reconciliation tied to movements like the Civil Rights Movement and policy debates before the United States Congress.

Circulation and readership

Historically distributed in print to clergy, religious, and lay subscribers, America shifted toward a hybrid print-and-digital model amid trends affecting periodicals such as Time and Newsweek. The readership includes clergy affiliated with the Society of Jesus, parish leaders, academics from institutions such as Boston College and Fordham University, students at universities like Georgetown University, and lay Catholics engaged with public debates in cities including New York City and Chicago. Circulation figures have fluctuated in the context of broader media shifts affecting publications such as Commonweal (magazine) and National Catholic Reporter, with a substantial online audience interacting through social platforms and podcasts comparable to productions from NPR and Vatican Radio.

Controversies and criticism

America has at times been the site of controversy and critique from bishops, lay advocates, and other Catholic media over positions on liturgy, social issues, and church governance. Debates have arisen over commentary on papal reforms under Pope Francis, pastoral approaches related to same-sex unions discussed in forums influenced by decisions in civil jurisdictions like the Supreme Court, and coverage of clerical abuse that intersected with inquiries similar to those undertaken by the United States Department of Justice. Critics have compared editorial stances with those of conservative outlets associated with bishops or institutions such as EWTN and progressive outlets like National Catholic Reporter, prompting public exchanges involving figures from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and academic theologians at universities including Notre Dame.

Awards and recognition

America and its journalists have received recognition for religious reporting and commentary from organizations awarding prizes similar to those granted by the Pew Research Center for religion journalism, journalistic honors akin to the Pulitzer Prize in broader media contexts, and awards from Catholic organizations and academic institutions such as Georgetown University and Boston College. Individual contributors have been cited in bibliographies and honored in lecture series alongside scholars affiliated with Harvard Divinity School and Yale Divinity School.

Category:Catholic magazines published in the United States