Edwin Lawrence Godkin (1831-1902) was a journalist and editor, who wasn't afraid to take on vested interests and fight for a better kind of journalism. Born in Ireland, most of his life was spent in America.
Caricuture of EL Godkin from 1898. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Today, Godkin is perhaps best know as the founding editor of The Nation, a liberal, weekly US magazine. He was editor of The Nation from its launch in 1865 until his retirement in 1899. In that time, he took on vested interests and several forms of political corruption, such as Tammany Hall and Boss Tweed. He also opposed US territorial expansion and advocated for US currency reform and civil service reform.
Read about his life in my Irishman's Diary in the Irish Times newspaper.
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