The Story Behind the Story
Much of the news you see on TV is the work of political hit men—not journalists. And it’s only getting worse.
October 2009
In This Issue
Andrew Sullivan asks George W. Bush to apologize for authorizing torture; Mark Bowden says TV journalism is the work of political hitmen—not journalists; Robert D. Kaplan praises Al-Jazeera; Christopher Hitchens decries the smug satire of liberal humorists; Megan McArdle on why Goldman always wins; and much more.
Features
Why I Love Al Jazeera
The Arab TV channel is visually stunning, exudes hustle, and covers the globe like no one else. Just beware of its insidious despotism.
The Moguls’ New Clothes
Don’t blame the Internet for the dismal performance of big media companies. Blame inept executives.
The California Experiment
The state may be a budgetary disaster, but its energy policies are a blueprint for national innovation.
Dear President Bush,
An open letter to the one man who can repair the moral damage caused by torture
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Subscribers can access PDF versions of every issue in The Atlantic archive. When you subscribe, you’ll not only enjoy all of The Atlantic’s writing, past and present; you’ll also be supporting a bright future for our journalism.Dispatches
Veronique de Viguerie The Doctor’s War
Civilians face harsh choices at Army field hospitals.
Josh Cochran Sing to the Lord a New Song
Among the young believers at the new Christian-rock hot spot.
Village Dreamers
Two Americans try to save a Chinese town from kitsch.
Beth Rodney Mourning in Chicago
A funeral home’s business is growing, for all the wrong reasons.
Michael Byers/Levy Creative Go North, Young Man!
Becoming a Canadian has its advantages.
Iwan Bagus Sugar and Spice
Reinventing old-fashioned candy, naturally
A Hundred Miles on the Erie Canal
Cruising across upstate New York, at five miles per hour
The Green Case for Cities
Forget the solar panels and the rain barrels—if you want to save energy, leave the suburbs.
Books
Gordon J. Moore Life In (and After) Our Great Recession
What histories of the Depression era tell us about middle-class families in crisis, then and now
Andy Friedman Cheap Laughs
The smug satire of liberal humorists debases our comedy—and our national conversation.
Cover to Cover
A. S. Byatt's latest; fear and loathing of the future; God is still dead; and more
Columns
Peter Arkle Why Goldman Always Wins
What do investment bankers, wedding planners, funeral directors, and movie-trailer voice-over artists have in common? High fees for high-stakes, once-in-a-lifetime deals.
Brit Wit
The comic invasion of Ricky Gervais and Russell Brand
Also in this issue
Mai/Time & Life/Getty Images 
What’s Your Problem?
Don’t smoke pot in the living room, and other advice
