Richard Pollak: Media Critic, Magazine Founder, and Biographer

Richard Pollak helped found More, a journalism review that began in 1971 and challenged large news organizations. He was its founding editor and he led the magazine through the early 1970s, a time when public trust in institutions was low. More highlighted mistakes in major newspapers, urged clearer corrections, and published investigations that questioned official narratives. Although the magazine struggled financially and changed owners, its role in pushing for transparency has been remembered.

Pollak later became a writer and editor at The Nation and he published The Creation of Dr. B in 1997. The book assembled interviews and archival documents and it challenged the reputation of Bruno Bettelheim, alleging fabricated credentials and abusive treatment of children. While reviewers criticized Pollak’s tone, many agreed that his reporting raised serious questions. Pollak died on December 27, 2025, at age 91 in Stockholm, where his wife Diane Walsh confirmed his death. Since its publication, scholars and journalists have re-examined Bettelheim’s methods and claims. Pollak's career included work as a literary editor and as a contributor to magazines on politics and culture.