The Weekly, and the Monthly

Last month, I told you we'd be launching a new, weekly U.S. News product free to current subscribers. Our new digital magazine, U.S. News Weekly, is off to a great start. All you need to do is follow a few easy steps, and it will arrive in your in-box every Friday with our freshest analysis on the world of politics and policy.

Please give it a look. I think you'll find it a breakthrough in journalism that combines the magazine-reading experience with the timeliness and flexibility of the Internet. One of my great frustrations in the magazine business has long been that our writers and editors work hard to get stories ready to go, then we send the magazine to a printer...so you can finally get it days later. That may have been the best delivery system for timely journalism 20 years ago, but it isn't anymore.

The first thing you'll notice is that the weekly is not a website. It's designed horizontally, to be read easily on a computer screen. It's different than the typical Web page filled with blinking images and endless headlines. The weekly is for people looking to read more deeply (although we're also able to provide video, audio, and extensive photography in stories). But if you miss paper, U.S. News Weekly also prints out very nicely. I keep my copy with me over the weekend.

What's not so different is the journalism. We're still doing what a news weekly does best: stopping a frantic world for a moment to take stock of events and sift out the meaning from the meaningless. You'll find familiar work: the same knowing look at the White House from Ken Walsh, columns by Mike Barone, Bernie Healy, Mort Zuckerman, and others, Paul Bedard's peek behind the scenes in Washington Whispers. And there's much more, including periodic special reports on subjects like the economy, national security, health, and education policy.

The March print issue of U.S.News & World Re port is a deep dive into a critically important issue: your money and how to keep it. Jim Pethokoukis and his money and business team have assembled a package that looks for ways you can navigate a treacherous economy. They offer history and context about how we got into this mess and profile gurus like Warren Buffet and Bill Gross who may help us get out. Our reporters delve into the crucial housing market and offer advice to buyers and sellers. And what about retirement? Anyone contemplating that stage of life has some particularly hard decisions to make, and we help walk you through the options.

I'll admit we don't have all the answers on this economy. We can't tell you exactly what to do, nor should we. I've long thought that when dealing with intelligent readers, the best role for journalists is not to tell them what to think but what to think about. I hope this package gives you valuable material to chew over and helps you think through some tough problems.