Richard Stengel

Stengel is the former Editor of TIME and an MSNBC analyst.

A right-wing group gathers at Jefferson Square, the site of the Breonna Taylor memorial Louisville, Ky., on Sept. 5, 2020.

Armed Right-Wing Groups Aren’t ‘Militias’—We Need to Stop Calling Them That

Over the last month, ever since the indictment of 13 men for plotting to ki...

Over the last month, ever since the indictment of 13 men for plotting to kidnap the governor of Michigan, the word “militia” has appeared in thousands of newspaper headlines and TV news reports. The Detroit...

Anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela arriving to address a mass rally, a few days after his release from jail, on Feb. 25 1990, in Bloemfontein, South Africa.

“Let Freedom Ring Wherever the People's Rights Are Trampled Upon": What We Can Learn From Nelson Mandela Today

When Nelson Mandela became the first democratically elected president in So...

When Nelson Mandela became the first democratically elected president in South African history in 1994, the world looked like a very different place. His election was a symbol of a new birth of freedom around...

A misinformation news stand is seen in Manhattan, New York on October 30, 2018.

Domestic Disinformation Is a Greater Menace Than Foreign Disinformation

We’ve become so familiar with the idea that during the 2016 election thousa...

We’ve become so familiar with the idea that during the 2016 election thousands of Russian trolls—with very poor grammar—pretended to be Republican voters in Tennessee, Black activists in Michigan, and Trump supporters in Palm Beach...

A man bikes through the deserted Times Square on April 10, 2020 in New York City.

The Coronavirus Pandemic Can Lead Us to a Smarter Future. Let's Make Sure It Does.

In the days and weeks after 9/11, walking around midtown Manhattan felt lik...

In the days and weeks after 9/11, walking around midtown Manhattan felt like a small act of resilience. You didn’t know if more attacks were coming. Every car and truck was a possible bomb. You...

We're In the Middle of a Global Information War. Here's What We Need to Do to Win

How Russia's information war started and how to stop it

What Nelson Mandela Would Have Seen in President Trump

His highest praise for a leader was “measured"

Democrats' Lectern
“I won’t pretend the path I’m offering is quick or easy. I never have ... But know this, America: Our problems can be solved. Our challenges can be met. The path we offer may be harder, but it leads to a better place, and I’m asking you to choose that future.”
—Barack Obama, Democratic National Convention, Charlotte, N.C., Sept. 6, 2012

Republicans' Lectern
“What is needed in our country today is not complicated or profound. It doesn’t take a special government commission to tell us what America needs. What America needs is jobs. Lots of jobs.”
—Mitt Romney, Republican National Convention, Tampa, Aug. 30, 2012

A History of the Campaign in 100 Objects

From Herman Cain’s cowboy hat and Stephen Colbert’s super-PAC fun pack to b...

From Herman Cain’s cowboy hat and Stephen Colbert’s super-PAC fun pack to binders, Big Bird and bayonets, objects became the visual sound bites of the 2012 election. TIME presents 100 objects that made their debut during this election.