North American Newspaper Alliance
Encyclopedia
The North American Newspaper Alliance (NANA) was a large newspaper syndicate that flourished between 1922 and 1980.
Founded by John Neville Wheeler
, NANA employed some of the most noted writing talents of its time, including Grantland Rice
, Joseph Alsop
, Michael Stern
, Lothrop Stoddard
, Dorothy Thompson
, George Schuyler
, Pauline Frederick
, Sheilah Graham Westbrook
, Edna Ferber
, F. Scott Fitzgerald
. and Ernest Hemingway
(who famously covered the Spanish Civil War for NANA).
One of its most famous correspondents was Ernest Hemingway who was sent to Spain in 1937 Hemingway to report on the Spanish Civil War
, He based one of his best-known novels, For Whom the Bell Tolls on his experiences there.
Among its other notable stories was the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition
, which in 1947 and 1948 researched the area surrounding the head of the Weddell Sea in Antarctica. Edith Ronne
, wife of the expedition leader, was a correspondent for the syndicate, posting dispatches from Antarctica for the duration of the expedition.
In the 1930s and 1940s, NANA was known for its selections for the College Football All-America Team
, using four well-known coaches each year.
In 1943, Ira Wolfert
won an international Pulitzer Prize Pulitzer Prize for Telegraphic Reporting for his field reports for NANA during the Battle of the Eastern Solomons
.
, formerly associated with British Security Coordination
and the OSS
, and Ivar Bryce. They gave the job of European Vice President to the writer and their mutual friend Ian Fleming
. Cuneo acquired full control over NANA in the mid-1950s and served as president until 1963 when he sold it. However, he remained with NANA as a columnist and military analyst from 1963 to 1980.
Because of Cuneo's association with former members of American and British intelligence, including Fleming and Bryce, and because some writers in the Cuneo era had alleged links to the CIA, critics have suggested that NANA under his tenure was a front for espionage.
A notable event late in the syndicate’s history occurred when a freelance correspondent, Lucianne Goldberg
joined the press corps covering candidate George McGovern
during the 1972 presidential campaign
, claiming to be a reporter for the Women's News Service, an affiliate of NANA. In reality, she was being paid $1000 a week by Richard Nixon
operative Murray Chotiner
for regular reports about happenings on the campaign trail. She said "They were looking for really dirty stuff...Who was sleeping with who, what the Secret Service
men were doing with the stewardesses, who was smoking pot on the plane — that sort of thing."
The news service discontinued operations in 1980.
Founded by John Neville Wheeler
John Neville Wheeler
John Neville "Jack" Wheeler was an American newspaperman, publishing executive, magazine editor, and author. He was born in Yonkers, New York, graduated Columbia University , was a veteran of World War I serving in France as a field artillery lieutenant, began his newspaper career at the New York...
, NANA employed some of the most noted writing talents of its time, including Grantland Rice
Grantland Rice
Grantland Rice was an early 20th century American sportswriter known for his elegant prose. His writing was published in newspapers around the country and broadcast on the radio.-Biography:...
, Joseph Alsop
Joseph Alsop
Joseph Wright Alsop V was an American journalist and syndicated newspaper columnist from the 1930s through the 1970s.-Early years:...
, Michael Stern
Michael Stern (journalist)
Michael Stern was an American reporter, author and philanthropist. As a reporter during World War II he issued some of the first accounts from a liberated Rome, Italy in June 1944...
, Lothrop Stoddard
Lothrop Stoddard
Theodore Lothrop Stoddard was an American historian, journalist, racial anthropologist, eugenicist, political theorist and anti-immigration advocate who wrote a number of books which are cited by historians as prominent examples of early 20th-century scientific racism.- Biography :Stoddard was...
, Dorothy Thompson
Dorothy Thompson
Dorothy Thompson was an American journalist and radio broadcaster, who in 1939 was recognized by Time magazine as the second most influential women in America next to Eleanor Roosevelt...
, George Schuyler
George Schuyler
George Samuel Schuyler , was an African American author, journalist and social commentator known for his conservative views.-Early life:George Samuel Schuyler was born in Providence, Rhode Island to George Francis and Eliza Jane Schuyler...
, Pauline Frederick
Pauline Frederick
Pauline Frederick was a leading Broadway actress who later became known for her motion picture work.-Early years:...
, Sheilah Graham Westbrook
Sheilah Graham Westbrook
Sheilah Graham Westbrook was an English-born American nationally syndicated gossip columnist during Hollywood's "Golden Age," who with Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper wielded power to make or break careers prompting her to describe herself as "the Last of the unholy trio."Graham was also known...
, Edna Ferber
Edna Ferber
Edna Ferber was an American novelist, short story writer and playwright. Her novels were especially popular and included the Pulitzer Prize-winning So Big , Show Boat , and Giant .-Early years:Ferber was born August 15, 1885, in Kalamazoo, Michigan,...
, F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigm writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost...
. and Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
(who famously covered the Spanish Civil War for NANA).
Wheeler era
Wheeler established the North American Newspaper Alliance in 1922 as a union of 50 major newspapers in the United States and Canada. It absorbed the Bell Syndicate, a similar organization he had founded around 1916, although both continued to operate individually under joint ownership. NANA continued to acquire other syndicates over time. Wheeler became general manager in 1930.One of its most famous correspondents was Ernest Hemingway who was sent to Spain in 1937 Hemingway to report on the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, He based one of his best-known novels, For Whom the Bell Tolls on his experiences there.
Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition
The Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition was an expedition from 1947-1948 which researched the area surrounding the head of the Weddell Sea in Antarctica.-Background:...
, which in 1947 and 1948 researched the area surrounding the head of the Weddell Sea in Antarctica. Edith Ronne
Edith Ronne
Edith "Jackie" Ronne was an American explorer of Antarctica and the first woman in the world to be a working member of an Antarctic expedition. She is also the namesake of the Ronne Ice Shelf.-Biography:...
, wife of the expedition leader, was a correspondent for the syndicate, posting dispatches from Antarctica for the duration of the expedition.
In the 1930s and 1940s, NANA was known for its selections for the College Football All-America Team
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
, using four well-known coaches each year.
In 1943, Ira Wolfert
Ira Wolfert
Ira Wolfert was an American Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent and writer.He was born and grew up in New York City. In 1930, he graduated from the Columbia University School of Journalism with a bachelors degree....
won an international Pulitzer Prize Pulitzer Prize for Telegraphic Reporting for his field reports for NANA during the Battle of the Eastern Solomons
Battle of the Eastern Solomons
The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons (also known as the Battle of the Stewart Islands and, in Japanese sources, as the , took place on 24–25 August 1942, and was the third carrier battle of the Pacific campaign...
.
Cuneo era
By the early 1950’s the syndicate was being overshadowed by more powered news syndicates, and it was purchased by a small group of investors led by Ernest CuneoErnest Cuneo
Ernest L. Cuneo was a lawyer, newspaperman, author, and intelligence liaison. He was also a professional football player in the National Football League.-Athletics:...
, formerly associated with British Security Coordination
British Security Coordination
British Security Coordination was a covert organization set up in New York City by the British Secret Intelligence Service in May 1940 upon the authorization of Winston Churchill.-Operation:...
and the OSS
OSS
-Science and technology:* Open-source software* Open Sound System, a standard interface for making and capturing sound in Unix operating systems* Open Search Server, search engine software...
, and Ivar Bryce. They gave the job of European Vice President to the writer and their mutual friend Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
. Cuneo acquired full control over NANA in the mid-1950s and served as president until 1963 when he sold it. However, he remained with NANA as a columnist and military analyst from 1963 to 1980.
Because of Cuneo's association with former members of American and British intelligence, including Fleming and Bryce, and because some writers in the Cuneo era had alleged links to the CIA, critics have suggested that NANA under his tenure was a front for espionage.
A notable event late in the syndicate’s history occurred when a freelance correspondent, Lucianne Goldberg
Lucianne Goldberg
Lucianne S. Goldberg née Lucianne Steinberger, also known as Lucianne Cummings is an American literary agent, author and the publisher of the website Lucianne.com. An avowed critic of U.S...
joined the press corps covering candidate George McGovern
George McGovern
George Stanley McGovern is an historian, author, and former U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the Democratic Party nominee in the 1972 presidential election....
during the 1972 presidential campaign
United States presidential election, 1972
The United States presidential election of 1972 was the 47th quadrennial United States presidential election. It was held on November 7, 1972. The Democratic Party's nomination was eventually won by Senator George McGovern, who ran an anti-war campaign against incumbent Republican President Richard...
, claiming to be a reporter for the Women's News Service, an affiliate of NANA. In reality, she was being paid $1000 a week by Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
operative Murray Chotiner
Murray Chotiner
Murray M Chotiner was an American political strategist, attorney, government official, and close associate and friend of President Richard Nixon during much of the 37th President's political career...
for regular reports about happenings on the campaign trail. She said "They were looking for really dirty stuff...Who was sleeping with who, what the Secret Service
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
men were doing with the stewardesses, who was smoking pot on the plane — that sort of thing."
The news service discontinued operations in 1980.
Further reading
- John Neville Wheeler, I’ve Got News for You: Fifty Years in The Newspaper Syndication Business, 1961.