New America (newspaper)

New America was the weekly newspaper of the Socialist Party of America (officially, the Socialist Party-Social Democratic Federation).

New America

Founded	September 5, 1960 (1960-09-05)
Ceased publication	1985; 39 years ago (1985)

The initial "prepublication issue" was dated Labor Day 5 September 1960 (64 years ago) (1960-09-05). New America remained the official journal of the Socialist Party after it changed its name to Social Democrats, USA (SDUSA) in December 1972. New America ceased publication in 1985 (39 years ago) (1985).

Publication history

Establishment

New America was established in the fall of 1960 with a "prepublication issue" dated on September 5, Labor Day. The "special introductory rate" for the weekly publication was $3.00 per year.^[1] The official first issue of the publication, "Volume 1, Number 1," was dated October 18, 1960. Based in New York City, it touted itself as the "official publication of the Socialist Party-Social Democratic Federation.^[2]

The initial editor of New America was Michael Harrington, a frequent contributor to Dissent, Commentary, and other political publications.^[3] Contributors to the publication during its first year included Civil Rights activist Bayard Rustin, Socialist Party leader and frequent Presidential hopeful Norman Thomas, SP-SDF National Secretary Irwin Suall, anti-war activist David McReynolds, political scientist Seymour Martin Lipset, essayist James Baldwin, political historian Robert J. Alexander, AFL–CIO officer Tom Kahn, and novelist Upton Sinclair, among others. The paper also regularly reprinted cartoons by Jules Feiffer by special permission, material first published in the Village Voice.^[4]

Typical issues of the early publication consisted of 8 tabloid-sized pages. The paper was copiously illustrated.

In its early years, New America gave significant coverage to the struggle of African Americans for civil rights and urged an end to nuclear weapons testing.

1960s

It published an extensive extract of the November 8, 1962 political trial of Nelson Mandela, the 44-year-old high ranking official of the African National Congress who was sentenced in a political trial to 5 years in prison — 3 years for "inciting people to strike" and 2 years for "leaving the Republic of South Africa without permission."^[5]

The publication opposed Marxist–Leninism, particularly the Soviet Union.

Footnotes

1. Introductory subscription form, filmed as part of New America reel 1 by the University of Wisconsin.
2. New America, October 18, 1960, pg. 4.
3. Footer to Michael Harrington, "Democratic Socialism in the Sixties," New America, vol. 1, no. 3 (November 15, 1960), pg. 3.
4. New America, passim.
5. "Mandela's Challenge," New America, vol. 3, no. 2 (December 24, 1962), pg. 3.

Official circulation

"Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation" figures published annually in conjunction with the Acts of October 23, 1962 and August 12, 1970.

Report Year	Editor	Average Net Print Run	Ave. Mail Subscriptions	Ave. Total Paid Circulation	Source
1960	Michael Harrington	N/A	N/A	N/A	NA, v. 1, no. 3 (Nov. 15, 1960), pg. 4.
1961	Michael Harrington	N/A	N/A	3,141	NA, v. 1, no. 24 (Oct. 27, 1961), pg. 8.
1962	Michael Harrington				NA, v. 2, no. 21 (Oct. 15, 1962), pg. 2.
1963	Paul Feldman	7,000	4,250	4,250	NA, v. 3, no. 19 (Nov. 15, 1963), pg. 7.
1964	Paul Feldman	7,500	4,500	6,200	NA, v. 4, no. 15 (Nov. 16, 1964), pg. 2.
1965	Paul Feldman	8,000	4,600	6,350	NA, v. 5, no. 14 (Dec. 18, 1965), pg. 11.
1966	Paul Feldman	8,950	4,600	6,450	NA, v. 6, no. 4 (Nov. 18, 1966), pg. 2.
1967	Carl Dahlgren	5,000	3,200	4,000	NA, v. 7, no. 1 (Oct. 16, 1967), pg. 2.
1968	Paul Feldman	6,500	4,910	5,610	NA, v. 7, no. 20 (Oct. 18, 1968), pg. 2.
1969	Paul Feldman	7,500	5,000	5,900	NA, v. 8, no. 20-21 (Dec. 30, 1969), pg. 6.
1970	Paul Feldman	7,500	5,100	6,000	NA, v. 9, no. 17 (Nov. 30, 1970), pg. 2.
1971	Paul Feldman	7,800	5,300	6,300	NA, v. 10, no. 9 (Nov. 30, 1971), pg. 2.
1972	Paul Feldman	7,500	5,000	6,000	NA, v. 10, no. 22 (Nov. 15, 1972), pg. 2.
1973	Paul Feldman	7,500	5,200	6,225	NA, v. 11, no. 19 (Jan. 30, 1974), pg. 4.
1974	Paul Feldman	8,800	6,000	7,500	NA, v. 12, no. 12 (Feb. 28, 1975), pg. 3.
1975	Paul Feldman & Arch Puddington (co-eds.)				NA, v. 13, no. 6 (Nov. 1975), pg. 2.
1976	Arch Puddington	6,000	4,500	5,000	NA, v. 14, no. 1 (Jan.-Feb. 1977), pg. 11.
1977	Arch Puddington	5,500	4,000	4,500	NA, v. 14, no. 10 (Dec. 1977), pg. 11.
1978	Arch Puddington	4,800	2,900	4,100	NA, v. 15, no. 11 (Dec. 1978), pg. 11.
1979	Arch Puddington	4,650	2,800	4,000	NA, v. 16, no. 11 (Nov. 1979), pg. 2.
1980	Arch Puddington	4,350	2,600	3,700	NA, v. 17, no. 11 (Dec. 1980), pg. 2.
1981	Joel Freedman	4,400	2,300	3,600	NA, v. 18, no. 6 (Nov.-Dec. 1981), pg. 2.
1982	Lesley Chenoweth	4,000	2,150	3,050	NA, v. 19, no. 4 (Nov.-Dec. 1982), pg. 2.
1983	Lesley Chenoweth	3,500	400	400	NA, v. 21, no. 1 (Jan.-Feb. 1984), pg. 2.
1984
1985	Dennis King				NA, v. 22, no. 1 (Jan.-Feb. 1985), pg. 2.