David Remnick on Notebooks, Reporting, and the Stories That Shape Our Time

Travel serves as a profound catalyst for curiosity, yet its value depends on moving beyond superficial tourism toward deep, immersive engagement. David Remnick, editor-in-chief of *The New Yorker*, emphasizes that while travel is a privilege, the most meaningful insights emerge from sustained, on-the-ground reporting rather than fleeting visits. By dispatching writers to global conflict zones and cultural hubs, the magazine functions as a vessel for world-building, allowing readers to experience complex realities through the eyes of those who have lived them. This editorial approach prioritizes the humility required to understand foreign cultures, contrasting the superficiality of modern, image-driven travel with the rigorous, often dangerous work of foreign correspondence. Ultimately, the act of traveling—whether physically or through the pages of a publication—demands an openness to being fundamentally changed by the places and people encountered along the way.