What Fr. Matt Malone, SJ, Has Learned in a Decade Leading America Magazine

Here’s an understatement: The last decade has been a challenging time for legacy print media. Heck, it’s been a challenging time for online media. How many of your favorite local newspapers or blogs or news websites have called it quits? You have to adapt or die, and the best ways to adapt aren’t always clear. Few people have as sharp a perspective on today’s media landscape as Fr. Matt Malone, SJ, who has been the editor in chief of America Magazine since 2012. America is the U.S. Jesuits’ more than century-old flagship publication. Under his leadership, America has transformed from “a magazine with a website” to a full-fledged multimedia company, boasting a top-notch online presence, strong video production, and a whole collection of original podcasts. Fr. Malone’s position at America also gives him a unique birds-eye view of the Catholic Church, which might be facing even bigger challenges than legacy media is facing. As he prepares for the end of his tenure at America in December, it was fascinating to hear his takes on the last decade and what roles a Catholic media company like America can play in our polarized culture. As we share this interview with America Magazine’s current editor-in-chief, we remember one of Fr. Malone’s predecessors, Fr. Drew Christiansen, SJ, who died last week at the age of 77. Fr. Christiansen was an eminent global politics scholar and led the magazine from 2005 until Fr. Malone took the reigns in 2012. In a lovely remembrance posted on America’s website, Fr. Jim Martin remembered his old editor as someone who was “smart, thoughtful, consultative, wise and kind. “That last trait was the most important. Drew was an exceedingly kind person, always asking after you, after your family, wondering how your writing was going, recommending books or articles he thought you would like, offering you help whenever he could. Kind, mild, friendly, peaceable, self-effacing, generous.” May he rest in peace. AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.