New York, NY—(April 16, 2019)— The New Republic today announced its expanded editorial team under the direction of recently-named Editor Chris Lehmann. Gregg Levine joins as a senior editor, with Alex Pareene coming on board as a full-time staff writer and Walter Shapiro joining as a part-time staff writer, effective immediately. All three hires bring a varied background and years of in-depth reporting experience to The New Republic, which are integral to continuing its diverse coverage and tradition of journalistic excellence.
Shapiro, a legendary political journalist, will focus on the 2020 presidential campaign, with Pareene joining him on 2020 election coverage. Pareene will also handle long-running ideological and policy debate analyses, and profiles of major players on the American political scene. Levine will focus on political analysis and opinion, as well as climate and inequality reporting.
Shapiro, who will divide his time between New York and The New Republic’s Washington, D.C. office, has been a frequent contributor to the magazine since 1980. He is the author of two books; a veteran of such publications as USA Today (where he was a long-time political columnist), Time, and Newsweek; and a White House speechwriter for Jimmy Carter. In addition to his new staff position, Shapiro will continue as a lecturer in political science at Yale (since 2013) and as a fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University (since 2014). He will also maintain his weekly column for Roll Call.
“I am thrilled to be joining The New Republic to cover what probably is the most important election of my lifetime and definitely the most unpredictable,” Shapiro said. “As a reporter who has been on the Iowa-New Hampshire circuit since 1979, I am delighted to be covering 2020 for a reinvigorated magazine and website that values carefully wrought writing, sharp analysis, and a sense of humor about the foibles of politicians dreaming of the Oval Office.”
Levine comes to the magazine with more than 13 years of experience as an investigative journalist covering U.S. politics, energy, the environment, and infrastructure. Previously, he held senior editorial positions at The Nation Magazine and Al Jazeera America digital, and was managing editor of the award-winning news blog Firedoglake. Levine’s reporting has also appeared in The New Yorker, the Guardian, and Truthout. Levine will be based in The New Republic’s New York office.
Pareene has been writing about politics and media since dropping out of college to work for Gawker in 2005, with several residencies – including one as editor in chief – at the media company before its closure. His experience spans digital and traditional print publications including Columbia Journalism Review, Salon, The Washington Post’s Outlook section, and The Baffler.
“Walter, Gregg, and Alex are tremendous additions to our magazine,” Win McCormack, The New Republic’s owner, chairman, and editor in chief said. “They bring the dogged reporting backgrounds and journalistic clout we pride ourselves on, and we’re looking forward to the expanded breadth of coverage their experiences will provide.”
The New Republic published its April 2019 issue with Pareene’s cover story package, outlining the power and influence of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. The May 2019 issue of the magazine hits newsstands on April 18.
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