''Liberty'' is an
American libertarian journal founded in 1987 by
R. W. Bradford (who was the magazine's publisher and editor until he died from cancer in 2005) in
Port Townsend, Washington
Port Townsend is a city on the Quimper Peninsula in Jefferson County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,148 at the 2020 United States Census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County.
In addition ...
, and then edited from San Diego by
Stephen Cox. Unlike ''
Reason
Reason is the capacity of consciously applying logic by drawing valid conclusions from new or existing information, with the aim of seeking the truth. It is associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, religion, scien ...
'', which is printed on glossy paper and has full-color photographs, ''Liberty'' was printed on uncoated paper stock and had line drawing cartoons by S. H. "Scott" Chambers and Rex F. "Baloo" May, no photographs except for advertisements, and only one extra color (blue), which was limited to the cover and occasionally a few ads. Beginning in November 2010, the magazine transitioned to an online-only format.
History
Bradford had planned the launch of ''Liberty'' for several years during the 1980s, waiting in part for the development of
desktop publishing
Desktop publishing (DTP) is the creation of documents using dedicated software on a personal ("desktop") computer. It was first used almost exclusively for print publications, but now it also assists in the creation of various forms of online co ...
software to make the endeavor cost-effective for a short-run periodical. The magazine achieved Bradford's target circulation by the end of the first year of publication. Starting it as an arm of his private publishing business, he turned the magazine over to a
501(c)(3)
A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...
non-profit corporation (under his control) in 1993. Until late 1998, ''Liberty'' published bimonthly. In 1999, it moved from a