Entrepreneurship in a 161 Year Old Organization: The Atlantic

Note: My wife works for The Atlantic, but I have not discussed this blog post with her or shared information from her experience, only those ideas which I’ve personally turned over in my head. The informed reader should not compare it to Atlantic content, lest they think I wrote this in crayon when compared to the work on www.TheAtlantic.com.

The Atlantic was founded in 1857 as a monthly magazine, two facts which would have the average observer discount its capacity for entrepreneurial spirit in 2018 — but from what I’ve seen as an outsider looking in, it delivers the spirit of Entrepreneurship as credibly as any other current business venture. The Atlantic, founded just prior to the U.S. Civil War, faced a nation dealing with tremendous strife and addressed such difficult conversations, and others of the American experience. The Atlantic was the crucible evaluating America’s ideas and America’s citizenry against the tests of the day. Its founders included Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, James Russell Lowell, Oliver Wendell Holmes and several others of equal stature. These founders’ names are notable to most Americans because of their own highly regarded status in literature of various forms — be they for public consumption or public good. Today, The Atlantic continues this powerful endeavor, propelled on by the entrepreneurial attitude inculcated in its editorial and publishing staff (i.e., the writers and the “business” side of the Magazine) whose approach is consistent with the tenets upon which the Magazine was founded — to address grand ideas with force and rigor accessibly to all who sought to pursue America’s diverse ideas.

The editorial content seeks to evaluate the ideas contemporaneous or salient for America’s populace and, as America has ascended — The World. The editorial staff continually demonstrates its responsibility to the evolving American Idea, confronting those topics which lack easy answers and forgoing false one-sided choices in response to multi-faceted issues. The history of the Atlantic demonstrates a consistent willingness to not shy away from burdensome topics or seek to appease its readers at the expense of truth. The Atlantic did not simply address the Succession of Southern States from the North and the abolition of slavery — it labored over the challenges such a decision would present and the second and third order effects which would ripple through the nation. The periodical claims some of the most notable American citizens as authors among its pages over the years, addressing topics at the fore of America and the world. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter From Birmingham Jail — pressing the ‘white moderate’ into action to support the cause of equal rights, Theodore Roosevelt’s call on those Americans more fortunate to contribute to the public good through service, and a Philadelphia mayor authoring an article titled, “ Wanted: Better Politicians ” which demonstrates to me that many of the challenges in American life are persistent and unconquerable — merely addressable. These are challenging ideas which do not simply resolve themselves — they demand exploration and enterprising spirits to produce them — even if the thoughts at times are self evident. Like many ideas which permeate the public consciousness, those who take action to define and propose solutions gain followers and critics — it is no different than any other entrepreneurial endeavor imagining a better way that what currently exists.

Alongside the evolving ideas and salient topics within the American experience, the Atlantic has sustained itself by not mindlessly adhering to one business model. The Atlantic continues to offer print subscriptions to its magazine which are distributed ten times a year, a form of sales which has remained effectively the same since the foundation of the magazine. True to its public examination of difficult topics, the enterprise now offers all of its content online, to access freely; rather than maintain a sustaining print subscription base. The Atlantic holds to its mission to support the generation and publication of ideas which the Republic wrestles with through its citizens’ consciousness. To support the costs of such distribution The Atlantic has formulated entirely new ways to partner with sponsors who believe it is essential to America’s culture and continued success to confront ideas through content which serves the public interest and to support broad access. The Atlantic has been nearly singular in its success entering the next generation of publishing as whirlwind changes have transformed the industry around it. The Atlantic has eschewed a degradation of content for consistent delivery of its own brand of thought leadership. The publication delivers a scope of thoughtful analysis and commentary on topics with depth few others match, and generating its value through its evaluation of such ideas. There is no bait and switch; those individuals who consider The Atlantic an essential source of news comprise the leaders of government, business and social enterprise, allows for the publishing staff to demonstrate incomparable status of its readership when competitors have simply fallen upon measures which are, at nearest, comparable to those which Google would quote for its search results.

The Atlantic is a singular magazine in the American experience, propelled by its editorial and business staff inspired to challenge the status quo. It is this attitude which is so consistent with the entrepreneur’s endeavor — to pursue better ends through thoughtful analysis and personal exertion; acting a leader when others shy away. A dissatisfaction with that which exists today because of the promise of tomorrow. This magazine’s mindset is so wholly imbued with the features of entrepreneurship and enterprise which has equally propelled America’s success. I believe that consistent action towards better ends can produce tremendous results and The Atlantic demonstrates just such an example through its 161 year history.

Note: If you’re more interested in the details of the founding of The Atlantic, I found this article by Cullen Murphy on The Atlantic to be useful and engaging: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1994/11/the-atlantic-a-history/308366/