America is a national weekly magazine published by the Jesuits of the United States and headquartered in midtown Manhattan. It contains news and opinion about Catholicism and how it relates to American politics and cultural life. It has been published continuously since 1909, and is also available online. With its Jesuit affiliation, America has been considered a liberal-leaning publication, and has been described by The Washington Post as "a favorite of Catholic liberal intellectuals".
History
The publication was founded in 1909 in New York City by the Jesuits of the United States, who, as of 2018, still maintain and publish the weekly magazine. Francis X. Talbot was its editor-in-chief from 1936 to 1944. Under the leadership of its former editor in chief Thomas J. Reese from 1998 to 2005, the magazine became known for publishing articles and opinion pieces taking positions contrary to official Catholic teaching on matters such as homosexuality, priestly celibacy, birth control, and the abortion debate. The magazine came under the scrutiny of the Holy See, and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith had allegedly proposed a committee of censors to review the magazine’s content. Reese resigned in May 2005. The National Catholic Reporter claimed that Reese's resignation was forced by the Vatican, although America and the Society of Jesus in Rome denied this. In 2009, under the leadership of Drew Christiansen, the editorial board gave support to an invitation for US President Barack Obama to receive an honorary degree at the University of Notre Dame, which had become controversial after directives from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops discouraged Catholic Universities from honoring pro-choice politicians and activists. On October 1, 2012, Matt Malone became the 14th editor-in-chief. He was the youngest editor-in-chief in the magazine's history. In September 2013, the magazine published an interview with Pope Francis, conducted by fellow Jesuit Antonio Spadaro. In the spring of 2014, Malone announced that America would open its first Rome bureau and that Gerard O'Connell would be its Vatican correspondent. In 2015, America Media began operating The Jesuit Post, a website published by Jesuits in formation. On February 28, 2017, America launched a podcast, Jesuitical, targeted at young Catholics.
