William Shawn
William Shawn was an American editor who led The New Yorker from 1952 to 1987, shaping its literary voice and publishing standards.
Harold Ross: Harold Ross was an American journalist who founded The New Yorker and edited it until 1951. Ross founded the magazine Shawn inherited as editor in 1952.
The New Yorker: The New Yorker is an American magazine covering journalism, fiction, criticism, humor, and culture. Its editorial identity was the central object of Shawn’s four-decade editorship.
Hiroshima (essay): “Hiroshima” is John Hersey’s 1946 New Yorker report following six survivors of the atomic bombing. Shawn’s decision to devote an entire issue to Hersey’s report demonstrated the magazine’s capacity for serious journalism.
Tina Brown's editorship of The New Yorker: Tina Brown’s editorship of The New Yorker lasted from 1992 to 1998 and brought prominent changes to its design and coverage. Her energetic redesign and public profile contrasted with Shawn’s understated continuity.
John Hersey: John Hersey was an American journalist and novelist known for reporting on the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Shawn published Hersey’s influential 1946 account of Hiroshima in The New Yorker.
Fact-checking: Fact-checking is the verification of claims, quotations, names, and details before publication. Shawn maintained the magazine’s demanding verification standards.
New Journalism: New Journalism is a nonfiction movement that adopted literary techniques such as scene, dialogue, and close point of view. Shawn’s magazine helped establish long-form narrative nonfiction, even as he resisted the movement’s label.
Magazine editor: A magazine editor selects, develops, and oversees material published in a periodical. Shawn exemplified an editor whose influence was exerted through close attention to individual writing.
J. D. Salinger: J. D. Salinger was an American writer best known for the novel The Catcher in the Rye and short stories about the Glass family. Shawn cultivated Salinger’s work and helped bring his stories to the magazine.
Literary journalism: Literary journalism uses narrative techniques associated with fiction to report nonfiction accurately. Shawn’s magazine made extended narrative reporting a defining editorial form.