The buzzer rang on Friday 17 August 2018 and a palette of cardboard boxes appeared on our doorstep. Nervous excitement spread through the office, as everyone stopped typing and peered out the window. Inside was issue NI515 – the most radical revamp in New Internationalist’s 45-year history.

After flicking through the finished product for a few minutes – relieved everything had turned out as expected – we opened a bottle to celebrate. This – our relaunch issue – is something we had discussed and worked on for an entire year.

Innovation

The *new* New Internationalist is much bigger – it now has 84 pages – and a more impactful design. With more space for our content to breathe, one of the first things we committed to was commissioning more long-form, ‘deep dive’ journalism. So, look out for the Long Read, featuring reportage, essays and investigations. In NI515, New Internationalist co-founder Peter Adamson provides an in-depth critique of meritocracy – that ideology of self-improvement and individual merit that is as much myth as reality.

‘In the last few years, we have been focusing more than ever on the kind of coverage that our readers hold dear,’ says co-editor Dinyar Godrej. ‘Out-of-the-box thinking, providing a platform for vital but often marginalized voices and grappling with the issues that matter rather than what’s currently “trending”.’

And to emphasize this aspect of our work, we introduced What if – a section that allows us to step outside the torrent of social media and look ahead. In the September-October issue, co-editor Vanessa Baird imagines a global society in which everyone can migrate freely.

There will also be a Cartoon History section, telling stories of post-colonial drama and revolt across the twentieth century; in this issue: the rise and fall of the (now) DRC’s first prime minister, Patrice Lumumba; and a snappy Debate section, starting with Novara Media’s Dalia Gebrial and Cambridge University’s Thomas Jeffrey Milley going head-to-head on whether nationalism can ever be a force for good.

It’s still us

The sections our readers love the most have remained – including Country Profile, Agenda (now Currents) and Mixed Media. In fact, we have given them more space to breathe.

And New Internationalist will still have a Big Story – a main theme that goes in-depth into a single question, phenomenon or problem.

Unchanged too is our commitment to the Global South. Not only do we want to keep writing about and exposing injustices: we want to include the uncovered angles, marginalized voices and international perspectives.

Going with the times

‘This is a great time to relaunch New Internationalist,’ says co-editor Hazel Healy. ‘People want a progressive, trusted publication to help make sense of the world.'

‘People also want a publication that looks beyond borders, just like the issues that determine our world today – climate change, the loopholes of a transnational economy, inequality and war.’

This relaunched, revamped magazine is our latest attempt to be that publication. We are absolutely delighted with it, and hope you are too.

NI515 focuses on how to make peace in a world at war. If you like what you see, subscribe to New Internationalist and receive our magazine six times a year.

We also want to hear from you! Please share your pictures on social media of your favourite aspects of the revamped New Internationalist along with the hashtag #NI515.