David Remnick : «Let’s not to be romantic about the uniformed brilliant quality of all journalism in the pre-internet age. There was a lot of crap»

(Versión en español)

The New Yorker is a temple of good journalism that manages to endure in the middle the economic and talent crisis that ravages the sector. The New Yorker, even in tough economic times, is a profitable magazine, and Remnick’s strategy is to thrive in the internet age by investing both in the new means of distribution —the web, iPads, etc— and by continuing to invest heavily in the things that are most important: the writing, the editing, the fact-checking. Just as it has always done. Its celebrated facts checker, the department that verifies the veracity and rigor of the writings, even of the interviewees’ quotes, is as effective as always and has expanded to the internet. David Remnick has been its editor in chief for 15 years. Although he is closer to 55 than 54 he looks young, has barely any white hair, and does not wear a tie. He worked as a journalist for the Washington Post and as foreign correspondent in Moscow. He witnessed the dismantlement of communism. As I was walking into the editorial department, located at 4 Times Square, I run into Nobel Prize winner Wole Soyinka, who had just delivered an article or agreed on the following. These are extraodinary occassions. Remnick’s office stands among skyscrapers, full of light, without ostentation

It all began a few weeks ago, with an email and a request for an interview. There were several conversations before anything was settled. One morning at the beginning of July, when I was already in New York, I made a last and desperate attempt to contact him. He replied right away: “Can we meet up today at 2.30 pm?” . The meeting did not start well. It bothered him not having been told there would be a photographer, but he was already acquainted with my biography and with Jot Down’s website. He likes to have all situations under control. After a few quick pictures, sitting alone at the table and before some bottles of water, Remnick finally relaxed. No one interrupted for almost 50 minutes. His cell phone rang, but he did not answer.

Everyone is talking about the end of Journalism; what do you think about? Do you think it is true? Are we approaching to its end or, on the contrary, only some of these companies that are now doing journalism are going to disappear?

Well, it is almost indecent to talk with somebody who has gone through what you’ve gone through and then saying “no, it is not going to end”. But I think that’s the truth. Of course it’s not going to end. Journalism is a very old and essential human activity. Without it we’re screwed, really, screwed. And maybe The New York Times is imperfect and The New Yorker is imperfect; the very best institutions are radically imperfect, but without them we’re screwed. Why? Because without Journalism there is no pressure on power, except for the occasional elections and in that case, without Journalism, elections would be even more… Uninformed than they already are.