Nova revija Journal was first published in 1982, whereupon it became a persistent voice of intellectual scepticism and freedom. The idea for the journal emerged two years prior to that, when a group of like-minded intellectuals wrote a manifesto criticising contemporary journals and publications. The legendary 57th issue of Nova revija Journal, published in 1987, is today regarded a symbol of the Slovene fight for independence. Entitled Contributions toward the Slovene National Programme, the special issue addressed questions pertaining to the political situation in Slovenia, calling for greater sovereignty and condemning the rising centralist policy in Yugoslavia.
Nova revija Journal featured articles in the fields of literature and culture, such as contemporary Slovene literature, translations, discussions, and interviews. The journal supplement Forum focused on current local and international issues.
The publication of the journal stopped in 2010.