NCR at 60 years

Seymour Hersh, one of the most famous U.S. investigative reporters, wrote for the National Catholic Reporter in the 1960s. In a 1967 article, he attacked the integrity and credibility of Defense Secretary Robert McNamara.

In April 1967, National Catholic Reporter published the secret recommendations of the papal birth control commission. The story was emblematic of how NCR revolutionized journalistic coverage of the Catholic Church.

In this NCR news report originally published Nov. 24, 1989, readers learn about the shocking massacre of Jesuit priests at the Central American University in San Salvador, which had occurred eight days earlier. 

The following staff editorial was published four days before the general election of 1972, when Richard Nixon won his second term in a landslide. You'll notice continuity between the paper then and now.

Courage is deeply embedded in the DNA of National Catholic Reporter. So, you might be asking, if we are so fearless, why don't we endorse a candidate? This year, endorsements have become more than an academic question.

Today, Oct. 28, 2024, is National Catholic Reporter's 60th birthday. To celebrate six decades as the independent voice for and about Catholics, we are launching a new feature republishing articles from our past.