John Thomason joins The Argument as senior editor

The best opinion journalism doesn’t just sling takes. It requires editors who know how to turn a promising argument into an unavoidable one, who can build the kind of writing culture that produces those arguments week after week. That’s why I’m delighted to announce that we’re bringing John Thomason on as senior editor.

John comes to us from Grist, the leading independent climate and environmental magazine, where he spent more than five years as the features editor on a team that won a 2023 National Magazine Award for general excellence. There, he commissioned long-form enterprise stories and argument-driven analysis, led much of the publication’s news coverage, and edited features recognized by a Sidney Award, a Murrow Award, and inclusion in The Best American Science and Nature Writing anthology, among other honors. Before joining Grist, he ran the fact-checking desk at The Intercept.

At The Argument, John will commission and edit essays, reported features, and cultural commentary; guide writers in sharpening their arguments; and write a column of his own. He will help set our editorial priorities, expand our contributor network, and mentor our junior staff and fellows, carrying forward the standard that defines us: sharp, rigorous arguments that confront the illiberal drift in our politics.

A graduate of Pomona College, where he studied English literature, John joins us in Washington, D.C., from North Carolina. Please join me in welcoming him to The Argument.Subscribe now

Read John’s first piece for The Argument: