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Ask HN: What are some of your favorite journals or magazines?

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Re: Ask HN: What are some of your favorite journals or magazines?

#51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I for one find your criticism to be enlightening and valuable. If I may ask you to continue, what qualities do you think are signs of good experiences in print and digital literature?

Good question. I’m wondering if my online experiences have changed my expectations and readiness for print. 30 years ago, I’d luxuriate in a copy of Foreign Affairs, The Economist, New Yorker, Interview, NME. Each of those publications gave me subject depth I couldn’t get anywhere else, and the long form articles would provide background and context. They were another world. All I had to do was pay the cover price an…

It's interesting that you use the word "curation" to describe designing for literature. Lately I have been looking into how museums put together exhibits and how to integrate some of their approaches into web or print publishing.

It feels like so much of what you described is lost today ie., skill and decorum in displaying words meaningfully. If I may ask, what are some personal design principles that you look for when critiquing a publication (be it print or on the Web)?

For the record I am not employed by any company or agency, I am only an individual who is trying to get a better understanding of what I should be looking for as a consumer and creator myself. To boot, I appreciate your insight and the thought processes behind it. Thank you!

Re: Ask HN: What are some of your favorite journals or magazines?

#52

N+1 and The Baffler both seem to be constitutionally incapable of releasing a bad issue. Highly recommended. Jacobin is uneven, but if you read Reason et al you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy now and then to keep up with ideological writing in the land of the living. The Economist is an incredibly well written magazine that unfortunately - editorials aside - can't escape the compulsion of not even being wrong.…

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Re: Ask HN: What are some of your favorite journals or magazines?

#53

N+1 and The Baffler both seem to be constitutionally incapable of releasing a bad issue. Highly recommended. Jacobin is uneven, but if you read Reason et al you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy now and then to keep up with ideological writing in the land of the living. The Economist is an incredibly well written magazine that unfortunately - editorials aside - can't escape the compulsion of not even being wrong.…

> can't escape the compulsion of not even being wrong.

What does this phrase mean? Is the economist not wrong? Why is that then unfortunate?

Re: Ask HN: What are some of your favorite journals or magazines?

#54

I've been reading the Economist for about 10 years. It provides great coverage on big issues, and recently, some fun ones (billie eilish comes to mind). It's unique in that it feels "slower", more deliberate, and thoughtful than most newspaper/tv channels. It gives context and covers multiple viewpoints before giving an opinion. Its daily espresso newsletter and quarterly tech issues are always interesting too. I've…

The Economist is great, but it definitely wears its biases on its sleeve; it hasn’t quite found a problem the free market can’t solve.

I don't know about that, they definitely encourage government intervention in certain situations; they aren't market-is-lord types.

Re: Ask HN: What are some of your favorite journals or magazines?

#55
It is a French magazine about video-games with a satirical tone. It is called "Canard PC", which is a play on a well-known toilet brand ("Canard WC"). It brings interesting takes to video-game coverage, and it makes me laugh.

There is one free article per week. This is the current one and it is very typical: https://www.canardpc.com/413/jouer-among-us-comme-un-enquete...

This is the one which will be free 11 hours from now: https://www.canardpc.com/413/xbox-ps5-choix-de-la-nouvelle-g...

Re: Ask HN: What are some of your favorite journals or magazines?

#56

I've been reading the Economist for about 10 years. It provides great coverage on big issues, and recently, some fun ones (billie eilish comes to mind). It's unique in that it feels "slower", more deliberate, and thoughtful than most newspaper/tv channels. It gives context and covers multiple viewpoints before giving an opinion. Its daily espresso newsletter and quarterly tech issues are always interesting too. I've…

The Economist is great, but it definitely wears its biases on its sleeve; it hasn’t quite found a problem the free market can’t solve.

It is biased, but I wouldn't agree with that (just for example, they oppose ACA repeal).

What I like most about it is how many of the articles are structured sort-of dialectically: "Here is a problem, here is what we think should be done, here are one or more alternative proposals and arguments against what we suggested, here's why we think that despite that this is the best of the options." It gives you the impression that the writer has considered opposing ideas, weighed up the trade-offs, and nominated the least bad course of action. Of course it's easy to find places they were wrong (supporting the Vietnam and Iraq II wars didn't age well), but it's so much better than most periodicals and op-eds where the writer only argues their own view as the only wise and moral option.

Re: Ask HN: What are some of your favorite journals or magazines?

#57

N+1 and The Baffler both seem to be constitutionally incapable of releasing a bad issue. Highly recommended. Jacobin is uneven, but if you read Reason et al you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy now and then to keep up with ideological writing in the land of the living. The Economist is an incredibly well written magazine that unfortunately - editorials aside - can't escape the compulsion of not even being wrong.…

> can't escape the compulsion of not even being wrong. What does this phrase mean? Is the economist not wrong? Why is that then unfortunate?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Not_even_wrong

Re: Ask HN: What are some of your favorite journals or magazines?

#58

I've been reading the Economist for about 10 years. It provides great coverage on big issues, and recently, some fun ones (billie eilish comes to mind). It's unique in that it feels "slower", more deliberate, and thoughtful than most newspaper/tv channels. It gives context and covers multiple viewpoints before giving an opinion. Its daily espresso newsletter and quarterly tech issues are always interesting too. I've…

The obituaries in the Economist (at the back) are often poignant and insightful, and sometimes cover individuals who deserve to be better known.

I remember a joint obit in 2008 of Jack Scott (weather forecaster) and Reg Varney (who starred in British sitcom On The Buses). Not an expected pairing.

https://www.economist.com/obituary/2008/12/04/jack-scott-and...

Re: Ask HN: What are some of your favorite journals or magazines?

#60

I've been reading the Economist for about 10 years. It provides great coverage on big issues, and recently, some fun ones (billie eilish comes to mind). It's unique in that it feels "slower", more deliberate, and thoughtful than most newspaper/tv channels. It gives context and covers multiple viewpoints before giving an opinion. Its daily espresso newsletter and quarterly tech issues are always interesting too. I've…

The Economist is great, but it definitely wears its biases on its sleeve; it hasn’t quite found a problem the free market can’t solve.

Free-market propaganda is quite literally The Economist's design intent:

And now we beg to submit the following detail of the plans which we have thoroughly organised to carry into effect these objects of our ardent desires, in the following PROSPECTUS of a weekly paper, to be published every Saturday, and to be called THE ECONOMIST, which will contain— First.—ORIGINAL LEADING ARTICLES, in which free-trade principles will be most rigidly applied to all the important questions of the day—political events—and parliamentary discussions; and particularly to all such as relate immediately to revenue, commerce, and agriculture; or otherwise affect the material interests of the country.

https://www.economist.com/unknown/1843/08/05/prospectus

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