Reason's Katherine Mangu-Ward on the Future of the Magazine

The new new editor in chief talks new content, defending the plastic bag, and why she is a manic optimist.

1x 1.1x 1.25x 1.5x 2x 3x

:15 :15

Download

Reason's Katherine Mangu-Ward on the Future of the Magazine

HD Video Download

Reason's new editor in chief Katherine Mangu-Ward sat down with former Reason editor and author Virginia Postrel (now a columnist at Bloomberg View) at Reason's Los Angeles headquarters to talk about the future of the magazine as it nears its 50th anniversary.

"Nick Gillespie—and to some extent Matt Welch—their version of Reason was sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll. Mine is more like sex, drugs, and robots," says Mangu-Ward.

You may know Mangu-Ward's work already as Reason's managing editor or from her insightful cover stories covering everything from defending plastic bags to why your vote doesn't count.

Approximately 48 minutes.

Edited by Paul Detrick. Camera by Zach Weissmuller, Alexis Garcia and Alex Manning.

Comments

[nicmart]

God forbid Reason heads back to the tech fetish of the Postrel reign. Reason was as dull as Apple became Jobs was fired.

[ant1sthenes]

Wouldn't mind it, tech is about the only ray of sunlight for a lot of the non-minority/non-libertine libertarians out there. Not to knock the victories that others are experiencing in the "libertarian moment", but while I can cheer them on, I don't materially share in them.

[nicmart]

Then read tech magazines. Freedom and technology are not synonyms and one can name myriad examples of technology used in opposition to peace and freedom.

[Fist of Etiquette]

This video never would have happened when Welch was in charge.

[GILMORE?]

This comment would never have been make when Nick was in charge

[GILMORE?]

"made". sigh. we'd have an edit button by now if....

[Zeb]

Am I being a wet blanket and ruining the joke if I point out that Nick remains in charge of Reason's online stuff?

[UnCivilServant]

Yes.

[Guy Behind the Guy, Jr.]

THAT'S TONIO'S SHTICK, GODDAMMIT.

[Zeb]

Hey! I've been doing it for a long time too.

[You Sound Like a Prog (MJG)]

Goddammit, people.

[UnCivilServant]

I don't come to news sites to watch videos.

Especially at work, where videos don't always work. (It depends on what the latest proxy ruleset says)

[Free Society]

"And there will be cake! So much cake..."

[UnCivilServant]

Forcibly baked or free-exchange cake?

[Free Society]

Gay Nazi abortion cakes made in the unisex bathroom.

[ant1sthenes]

That's a lie.

[Free Society]

Are you some kind of cake hating bigot?

[Joe M]

No no, the bigots are the ones who want the cakes.

[Crusty Juggler]

Remark about hair. Poorly constructed innuendo.

[You Sound Like a Prog (MJG)]

You know what else is purple?

[UnCivilServant]

Bruises.

[sarcasmic]

Eggplant?

[The Hyperbole ((Very Tall))]

Nurples?

[Citizen X]

Rain?

[Citizen X]

Drank?

[Citizen X]

The People Eater?

[UnCivilServant]

I thought it was only called a Purple People Eater because it ate Purple People, not because it was itself, purple in color.

[SugarFree]

In the cinematic version, he was, in fact, purple himself.

[UnCivilServant]

You can't trust the movie versions.

[SugarFree]

The original single cover depicts the creature as purple in color, but the lyrics mention him eating purple people... so it appears that he is both purple and eats purple people.

I said Mr. Purple People Eater, what's your line
He said it's eatin' purple people and it sure is fine
But that's not the reason that I came to land

And that eating purple people is also his job.

[The Fusionist]

Maybe eating purple people is his job, but when he's not on the clock, he eats all colors, he's not racist.

[Azathoth!!]

He eats purple people to maintain his hue, much as flamingos eat brine shrimp to maintain their delightful pink color.

[Citizen X]

You're the expert, man.

[Crusty Juggler]

Grimace?

[Hamster of Doom]

There's something creepy about being invited to watch a disembodied head tell me what will happen soon. I've seen sci-fi, I know how this works out.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Will the print rag return to quoting online commenters? For a time readers could find yours truly's words quoted liberally in the pages of the magazine, but recently the rampant uncouthness of my fellow commenters has seemed to spur a moratorium on the practice. I think circulation numbers can only benefit from, for instance, more of my popular and award winning Dons Sunglasses Zingers series in the pages.

[GILMORE?]

*and Lobster Girl Sideboob

[UnCivilServant]

Fuck off, Fisty. We don't want to be in print.

[Crusty Juggler]

the rampant uncouthness of my fellow commenters has seemed to spur a moratorium on the practice.

I second the banning of Hugh Akston so that Reason commenters can rise once again.

[Guy Behind the Guy, Jr.]

What's all this about a print edition, subscribing, circulation, and articles? My understanding is that the sum total of Reason is:

1) H&R posts something
2) None of us RTFA
3) Butt sex, weed, and Mexicans
4) Something something you're Tulpa

Am I wrong?

[sarcasmic]

5) John likes fatties

[UnCivilServant]

They have delusions of print being something other than dead.

[You Sound Like a Prog (MJG)]

I just want to see one "Fuck off Tulpa" in the print edition. Is that too much to ask?

[SugarFree]

They'll be fundraising soon, especially after Katherine blows all their money on purses and free-range organic tampons for the genderless squat toilets.

[The Hyperbole ((Very Tall))]

Shut up, Tulpa.

[GILMORE?]

I see nothing in there about "abusing Robby Soave"

[Guy Behind the Guy, Jr.]

I want to believe this is a euphemism.

[SugarFree]

Katherine Mangu-Ward's obsession with drugged-up sex robots is ruining Reason!

[UnCivilServant]

They let you keep commenting long before she took over the post... so I'm not sure drugged up sexbots are going to have much of an impact on the discussion here.

[SugarFree]

They will be once they start to eat the living to serve the perversions of the dead.

[sarcasmic]

I think I saw that movie.

[SugarFree]

I think you're right. I can't recall the title, but I swear it was shelved near City of the Living Dead.

[sarcasmic]

Was Bruce Campbell in it?

[SugarFree]

It had an illustrated cover with a skeletonized zombie holding a naked girl's boob. Or maybe a naked girl with a face skinned to the bone.

[SugarFree]

And it's not Cemetary Man, it has to be older than that.

[UnCivilServant]

Isn't that Florida Man?

[Je suis Woodchipper]

said no one ever.

[SugarFree]

Look, if there's one thing you can always count on, there's always someone bitching about something on every article. Some of these assholes on here could fuck up a wet dream.

[UnCivilServant]

Article?

This site has articles?

[Crusty Juggler]

There's also bitching about bitching. And then bitching about bitching about bitching. And bitching about bitching about bitching about bitching.

[UnCivilServant]

Quit yer bitching

[Citizen X]

And then there's Winston's mom, which is a whole nother kind of bitch.

[paranoid android]

Love this suggestion from the other thread:

KB Check Release|8.31.16 @ 1:45PM|#

Sometimes I wonder why they don't hire someone who comes to libertarianism from the right wing or alt right side of things to help balance out everyone else who are clearly social progressives.

I mean, what would really class this place up is some Breitbart reject giving us well-reasoned think pieces about why Gary Johnson is a cuck and Trump's indisputable alpha-ness will win the election in an unprecedented landslide, right?

[SugarFree]

And don't we get enough of that in the comments?

[ant1sthenes]

Yeah, they're basically proposing to pay Hit n' Runners, and why would a libertarian pay for the cow when the milk is free?

[The Fusionist]

So it's social progressives on one side, and on the other side an undifferentiated mass of Trump supporters and "race realists"?

If you put it that way, obviously social progressivism is the way to go!

[You Sound Like a Prog (MJG)]

We really need Gary North writing for Hit'n'Run.

(though for reals, it wouldn't hurt if one of the more reasonable folks from the Mises or the federalist or whatever started working here)

[John Titor]

I'd like a more...well thought out approach to foreign policy work as well. When Richman was writing here I suggested a realist to balance him out, but no dice.

[ant1sthenes]

Will Grigg would be nice, though his handle might be confusing.

[Nativist, Racist & Xenophobe]

Why do you hate Milo?

[Azathoth!!]

comes to libertarianism from the right wing

Comes to? Libertarianism is a right wing philosophy. It is to the right of conservatism, far to the right of the GOP and to the left of rational anarchy.

Anyone who holds collectivist political stances is not now nor have they ever been, libertarian. They are leftists.

And now, I'll get down off this dead horse.....

[Je suis Woodchipper]

the pervy grin and over-exuberant clapping by that guy front and center stole the show.

[You Sound Like a Prog (MJG)]

I wasn't that exuberant.

[Anti-SJW]

"Reason Magazine's Katherine Mangu-Ward on the Future of the Magazine"

Or

"Ridiculous equality hire bloviates about coming SJW turn"

[GILMORE?]

You're not really helping your cause by being ostentatiously retarded.

There's a 48min video there, and 'social justice' wasn't even so much as mentioned in passing.

[KDN]

It doesn't need to be. That dye job is enough of a dog whistle.

[Crusty Juggler]

HIRE MILO!

[Anti-SJW]

You did not watch that entire video, you lying sack of shit.

And the fact that you'd lie and say otherwise? Just to score cheap points?

God you're a fucking loser.

[Crusty Juggler]

Fucking Gilmore.

[SugarFree]

Assuming that even is GILMORE, and not someone who hijacked his handle after Dennis mysteriously disappeared.

[DOOMco]

*passes tin foil roll*

[SugarFree]

The foolish often dismiss concern as conspiracy.

Do you have any proof that the entity posting currently as GILMORE is the same as the one before "GILMORE" decided to transition to "Dennis?"

[DOOMco]

I don't. Hmm.

[Free Society]

You have what the Spaniards call La Passione.

[Zeb]

Huh. I was almost certain that Anti-SJW's initial post was a joke. Live and learn.

KMW doesn't write as much as most of the editors, but I can't recall ever seeing anything at all from her that would suggest "SJW" tendencies.

[John Titor]

I jumped over to the youtube comments, it's filled with this shit and unironic use of the word 'cuck', might have migrated over from that wretched hive of scum and villainy.

[SugarFree]

Todd Gakk is one of the many online handles of Kizone Krapow, the obsessed stalker that makes the anti-Hit and Run videos.

[You Sound Like a Prog (MJG)]

Kizone has sullied a great Seinfeld name? How dare it!

[Mr. Flanders]

The YouTube comments have me seriously discouraged that the anti-SJW crowd is any different from SJWs themselves. I've long had suspicions, but this may have really put a spotlight on it. KMW seems fine, what's with all the hate? As far as I could tell, it was simply because she is a girl with dyed hair. Isn't that just as bad as hating on someone for being a "cis-gendered male?"

[Crusty Juggler]

Yes.

[paranoid android]

I've noticed that most people who consider themselves part of the "alt right" view everyone who does not also identify as such as a progressive or SJW, no matter their actual professed political leanings. It's typically no good to point out the self-evident hypocrisy at play here.

[SugarFree]

They have cartoonish, Manichean views on everything, so why not this? It's like John became a political movement.

[John Titor]

I think it's less "John" become a political movement, and more "the planet is covered in Johns." In fighting games there's a slang term for getting ridiculously upset over losing and accusing your opponent of everything and making excuses. Its name? "No Johns", named after a guy who apparently did this regularly during tournaments.

[SugarFree]

Interesting.

I wonder if that John was also a mind-reader.

[John Titor]

"Durr, someone who's been working at Reason for sixteen years and is a hell of a lot more qualified than anyone else is a ridiculous equality hire."

[UnCivilServant]

Sixteen years and can't get a job better than this rag?

Pfft. What a loser.

[John Titor]

We may have to accept the possibility that she doesn't do this for the money and may actually be a true believer.

[Rasilio]

Impossible, there are no libertarian women

[The Fusionist]

She'd *have* to be a true believer - there's no way she's paid enough to endure the comment section, I mean, have you seen those people? (Present company excepted, of course)

[John Titor]

Go to hell, you Papist degenerate half-Pagan flimshaw.

[The Fusionist]

Your mother was much nicer to me.

[The Fusionist]

...and this is exactly the sort of thing I'm talking about.

[Citizen X]

"Ridiculous Drive-By Commenter Says Fix Him A Sammich, Woman"

[Anti-SJW]

"Stupid asshole who cries literally every time Longtorso posts anything, and harangues him endlessly, finds someone else to harangue and cry about"

[Citizen X]

You're right. It might not accomplish anything, but i do have a weakness for poking fun at angry idiots. I'm trying to be a better person, though!

[Anti-SJW]

You failed.

[Citizen X]

Ooh, burn! You sure told me!

[Anti-SJW]

I know.

[Guy Behind the Guy, Jr.]

"Clue of new commenter's identity left behind in thread."

[KDN]

So I'm not the only one who caught that.

[SugarFree]

I wonder if it's a fellow PUA.

[Anti-SJW]

I kind of hope I did implicate Longtorso effectively in this.

I'd chuckle a lot about that.

[Anti-SJW]

Yep. I'm totally Longtorso.

You two are god damned genii.

It couldn't possibly be that I pay attention.

Nope.

[Guy Behind the Guy, Jr.]

If you're that gifted at paying attention, no one but you dropped the name Longtorso. Your comment about him reminded me Tulpa outing himself while posting as Rollo, so I posted my comment after you mentioned him. But keep thinking you're the only smart one.

[Anti-SJW]

"no one but you dropped the name Longtorso"

Because Citizen X can't stay away from him. He makes a fool of himself stridently attacking the clown. He admitted as much.

I PAY ATTENTION.

YOU ARE A RETARD.

[KDN]

"The promotion of a long time staffer is proof that Reason is just another arm of the SJW illuminati! WAKE UP SHEEPLE!"

I often wonder when reading these troll threads what has happened to these people to make them so, so desperate for attention. Whatever the reason, it must be exhausting.

[Citizen X]

I spend a lot more energy abusing Tony, american socialist, Mike M., and so on than i do on Longtorso's once-a-week MRA dumps, which you'd know if you actually paid attention. So it's weird and a little suspicious that you single out Longtorso to defend.

Also, i think your caps lock key is stuck.

[Anti-SJW]

"I spend a lot more energy abusing Tony, american socialist, Mike M., and so on than i do on Longtorso's once-a-week MRA dumps,"

Because, as you say, they only happen once a week.

But you go way out of your way to make it clear, with one stupid over the top counter stereotype after the other, that the best "abuse" you can muster is to be the sad reflection of Longtorso.

AND MY CAPS LOCK WORKS JUST FINE. I CAN EXPLAIN THEM TO YOU IF YOU LIKE.

[Guy Behind the Guy, Jr.]

Last post, because if I'm going to be wasting time on HnR instead of doing my job - I realize you have no such concerns - I'm not going to waste it going back and forth with an Alt-Right Bop Bag.

You: "You two are god damned genii"

(this after my post and KDN's; SugarFree's post didn't allow for the Longtorso possibility)

What the fuck does anything KDN or I said have to do with Citizen X?

[Anti-SJW]

Citizen X replied to me, you ignorant, unobservant twat.

I was replying to him. Blame threading and you making a stupid fucking assumption.

What does he have to do with it besides involving himslef in the converstion you mean?

YOU. RETARD.

[Guy Behind the Guy, Jr.]

I was replying to him. Blame threading and you making a stupid fucking assumption.

You two are god damned genii

So...Citizen X is two people?

Fuck off, mouth-breather.

[ant1sthenes]

JLT has never struck me as the sort of person who gives a shit what people say about him here, though, or he would have stopped dropping links a long time ago.

[Anti-SJW]

"Durr, someone who just got promoted to a new position because she has a vag isn't a ridiculous equality hire, derp"

Seriously, your lame ass defense is that she was hired in the past?

Are you actually so fucking stupid that you don't understand what a fucking promotion entails you god damned retard? Because you're making a very convincing case that you don't.

[John Titor]

"Durr, I know nothing about Reason's corporate culture or KMW's qualifications or long term experience here, but I'll make some jackass comment about her getting a promotion because SJW! IF I SCREAM SJW IT DELEGITIMIZES HER RIGHT?"

Sure, I'm the god damned retard.

[Anti-SJW]

"Sure, I'm the god damned retard."

Finally.

[Free Society]

It's not like they grabbed her out of a battered women's shelter last week. She's worked at reason for well over a decade, makes television appearances very regularly and has a large body of work under belt.

[Anti-SJW]

All of it crap.

She has a vag, and Reason is diversifying.

[Free Society]

Vaginal disqualification. Got it.

[Agammamon]

Yeah man. Reason just has a history of picking random chicks and putting them in positions of authority to appease the SJW's.

And that Postrel - what a diversity hire she was.

[Anti-SJW]

Who said anything about history fuckwit?

Do you just make up the shit you reply to in your head?

[Agammamon]

You're the one saying KMW is a diversity hire. I'm just agreeing with you and pointing out all the other unqualified vag's they put in charge of the mag.

[Anti-SJW]

"I'm just agreeing with you "

great.

"and pointing out all the other unqualified vag's they put in charge of the mag."

That's all you guy.

[Agammamon]

I'm hurt. Here I am supporting your assertion that KMW is a diversity hire and even giving you more ammunition by pointing out Reason's history of doing such a thing to promote SJW 'virtues' and you come back 'round to shit on me.

Its kind of like you're not actually here to make a cogent argument but are just the drunk guy at the bar looking for a fight - don't care who with or what about.

[Anti-SJW]

Hey, you're the one who thinks Reason has a "history" of unqualified diversity hires.

[Agammamon]

So you're saying only KMW is a diversity hire? That you're not having a kneejerk reaction to Reason promoting a *woman*?

[Mr. Flanders]

Stop feeding the trolls

[DOOMco]

You're not anti SJW. You're far past that.

[Anti-SJW]

Your disapproval is like nectar, motherfucker.

Let it flow.

[Citizen X]

Watch out, everybody, we got ourselves a real Internet Badass here! Let's get out of this thread before he starts talking about his sword collection.

[Anti-SJW]

Don't you have a Longtorso post to uselessly tilt at?

[Anti-SJW]

Excuse me "cry like a bitch aboiut"?

[Citizen X]

Wait a minute. Do i simply make fun of Longtorso's posts, or do i genuinely get upset about them? Make up your mind.

[Anti-SJW]

Yes.

[Citizen X]

Well, thanks for making an effort, but you've become boring. Sorry about the utter loneliness at the core of your being. I suggest taking lots of drugs.

[Anti-SJW]

That would explain what's wrong with you.

[Crusty Juggler]

Who am I going to have to blow so that Kmele Foster is given a weekly feature?

[You Sound Like a Prog (MJG)]

I can't guarantee anything, but it wouldn't hurt.

[The Fusionist]

That guy in the alleyway isn't actually on the Reason Foundation board...

Now look, you've got me doing it.

[Agammamon]

At least the confessional should be more interesting this week.

[John Titor]

*Reason Meeting*

Matt Welch: You're all pathetic, you haven't come up with one idea in like three months! Everything's either been Trump, a half-hearted vaguely libertarian criticism of some culture war issue, or a navel-gazing Gillespie article! I'll keep running the Gillespie articles, because it's the only thing that keeps him busy in the nursing home, but the rest of you need to up your game!

*ENB and Suderman look at their feet, Robby is busy stuffing his face with fruit sushi*

KMW: How about instead of you sitting on your ass, boozing it up a political convention and making date rapist poses on Kennedy you actually chip in and help?

Matt Welch: Well Katherine, you can just go to your office, and clean out your desk, because you're moving up to the top floor, you're Editor in Chief now."

[Zeb]

Have you seen their new Netflix show? It's quite good.

[DOOMco]

?

[Zeb]

w/ Bob and David is the title. Basically more Mr. Show.

[DOOMco]

Ahhh yes. I have peeked in on that one.

[John Titor]

Wasn't aware, I'll get around to checking it out.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

How do Walsh and The Jacket feel about this new direction, that being the supplanting of Rock and Roll with Robots.

[OldMexican sine qua non]

"Nick Gillespie and to some extent Matt Welch; Their version of Reason was sex, drugs and rock-and-roll. Mine is more like sex, drugs and robots," says Mangu-Ward.

Ha! I know that that's code for "I'm creating the new Cosmo!", Kath. You can't fool me!

[KDN]

I prefer my cosmos with raspberry vodka. The local bar calls it a Metropolitan.

[DOOMco]

Can we change "free minds and free markets" to "fuck off, slaver!" ?

[sarcasmic]

Seconded!

[$park? is totally a Swifty]

Does the carpet match the drapes? Then again, is there a carpet?

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

Somehow the most classless of all the comments on this thread lol. Considering this thred is extra toxic, it's almost something to be proud of.

[Crusty Juggler]

Is Sheldon Richman's absence indicative of Reason becoming staunchly pro-Israel, or did his IBM Selectric finally kick the bucket?

[Citizen X]

Maybe he finally moved on from this whole "Internet" fad.

[DOOMco]

I just choked on my pizza.

[John Titor]

He realized he couldn't continue writing for Reason in good conscience while they continued to use Israeli microchips, data storage methods, antivirus software and firewalls.

[Troy muy grande boner]

I might subscribe if there was a Katherine swimsuit calander.

[Troy muy grande boner]

She is just sooooo dreamy.

[Agile Cyborg]

Pulchritudinous locks, Katherine.

[Mongo]

Virginia Postrel -- Have you ever read the online comments of other political/social magazines and organizations?

Reason is the only forum where the commentators are intelligent and DON'T TAKE SHIT.

[ant1sthenes]

Other internet commentariats are network dreck, we're an HBO special.

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

Yeah but without the laugh track I don't know when to be amused...

[mtrueman]

Congrats on the promotion.

[pilezut]

as Leslie implied I'm in shock that you able to earn $7211 in four weeks on the computer . go to this web-site
?????->> +http://www.businessbay4.com/

[pilezut]

as Leslie implied I'm in shock that you able to earn $7211 in four weeks on the computer . go to this web-site
?????->> http://www.businessbay4.com/

[ygz90320]

Alexa . you think Kathleen `s posting is impossible... last wednesday I got a great volvo after having made $5563 this-last/5 weeks and-over, 10 grand this past-munth . with-out a doubt this is the most financialy rewarding Ive ever done . I began this 7-months ago and straight away started making a nice over $70, p/h . pop over to this site

????????> http://www.factoryofincome.com

[Meletaeus]

While I don't think she's necessarily the cause, I do remember liking this site a lot more before she took over. Most of the links now come across as troll-bait and the readership seems more and more at odds with what gets published. At least they gotten back to occasionally criticizing Clinton again.

[Zeb]

She isn't in charge of the website. You can put that all on Gillespie.

[jackrose]

thanks admin good post

[Vashikaran]

Its such a really Nice Post... Really Awesome...

I like it..

MARRIAGE PROBLEMS SOLUTION
YOGA TEACHER TRAINING