About this issue

Seven years ago, under the leadership of editor Eleanor Lerman, the Carnegie Reporter debuted. We mentioned at the time that launching a magazine of ideas in the cluttered—and I must say now changing—world of communication was risky. But risks are what foundations take, and how else can an almost 100-year-old institution—that is about the advancement and diffusion of knowledge—communicate if it doesn’t believe that ideas and words are as important today as when Guttenberg created the first information revolution?

A recent independent review of the Carnegie Reporter convinces us that the concept behind the magazine—offering a hub for ideas that the Corporation and other foundations support—is a valid one. We’ll be making some tweaks in marketing and design to respond to readers’ suggestions, including that we lead our readers through the informative articles we produce twice a year so they can more easily sort through what they must read from what they want to read. We’ll begin by doing that here: this edition reflects our newly reorganized program work, which, as discussed in the opening letter by president Vartan Gregorian, tracks Andrew Carnegie’s two preoccupations: international peace and education. Veteran foreign correspondent Charles Sennott focuses on Afghanistan, a country he’s covered for many years and explores why the Corporation has made states at risk a top priority in our International Program. Reforming urban school districts has been a Corporation preoccupation since Gregorian became president in 1997, and although real reform is difficult and not for the faint-hearted, the story by Karen Thereoux explores how New York City got results at the high-school level and how lives have been changed. After the heated debate on immigration, many Americans may wonder how the 12 million immigrants living in the U.S. can move toward citizenship; Joyce Baldwin tells us how Illinois is dealing with the question. Timed to coincide with the 2007 Carnegie Medals of Philanthropy, we offer a story on how the great American philanthropic idea is spreading globally. Former New York Times senior editor Judith H. Dobrzynski tracks the movement to Europe, India, South America and Africa.

We also want you to see some of what happens here at the Corporation since convening scholars, practitioners and thinkers is a critical undertaking for the foundation. You’ll find that information in Recent Events, as well as Recent Books, which highlights authors we have supported. In Foundation Roundup we spotlight the work of our sister institutions around the country. And finally, as part of a special initiative in New Orleans to help rebuild the intellectual infrastructure of that devastated city, we made grants to three institutions of higher learning. Freshman from the three schools tell why they chose to take a risk and make New Orleans the city where they will make their mark.

Ideas. Words. In an era of blogs, YouTube, social networks and changing media, it’s still ideas and words that change the world. Our audience is wide: it’s those who are committed, as Mr. Carnegie put it, to doing real and permanent good in the world. Good reading!

Susan King, Vice President, External Affairs
Director, Journalism Initiative, Special Initiatives and Strategy.

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