Chicago-based magazine wins national independent press award

In These Times magazine is pleased to announce that it has won the 18th annual Utne Reader Independent Press Award for Best Political Coverage in 2006.This honor comes on the heels of In These Times’ 30th anniversary, and one year after transitioning from a bi-weekly to monthly magazine.

In its January/February issue, theUtne Reader writes:

…Since going monthly in 2006, [In These Times] has a palpable, politically unpredictable energy—a little less worry and a lot more fight. Turns out it’s all about the staff, which is younger, more diverse, and less likely to tolerate doctrinaire bromides.

Click here to read Utne’s full review.

And In These Times’ publisher Tracy Van Slyke agrees. “We are so pleased that the Utne Reader has recognized In These Times for its coverage during such a politically charged year. While In These Times has always stuck to its progressive political and journalistic principles, we made a special effort in 2006 to publish articles that got back to the basics of movement politics—all the while supporting fresh perspectives from up-and-coming young writers.”

“Our strategy was simple: We reported on and critiqued new strategies at the forefront of progressive politics, reinvented our cultural coverage to include a diversified perspective on new cultural trends in art, media and lifestyles and gave a voice to stories that the mainstream media wouldn’t touch,” Van Slyke says.

Some of In These Times’ top articles in 2006 include:
• Why Exiting Iraq Won’t Be Easy by Chris Toensing
• Can Blogs Revolutionize Progressive Politics? by Lakshmi Chaudhry
• This is Hip Hop by Glen Ford
• In Politics, Comedy is Central by Jessica Clark

For 30 years, national news magazine In These Times has featured award-winning investigative reporting about corporate malfeasance and government wrongdoing, insightful analysis of national and international affairs, and sharp cultural criticism about events and ideas that matter. In These Times 30th anniversary issue will be on newsstands February 9th.