Loose Lips is a politics column published in the ''

Washington City Paper The ''Washington City Paper'' is a U.S. alternative weekly newspaper serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area since 1981. The ''City Paper'' is distributed on Thursdays; its average circulation in 2006 was 85,588. The paper's editorial ...

,'' an alternative weekly newspaper serving the

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, metropolitan area. It is billed as "The definitive guide to hometown politics in the nation's capital."

History

In 1983, when Ken Cummins started writing it, "Loose Lips" began as a political gossip column, encompassing both local and national politics. Over the next decade, the format eventually became entirely devoted to

, local politics, focusing on intrigue in the mayor's office, the D.C. Council, and the city bureaucracy. In January 1999, Cummins retired; contributing editor

Erik Wemple Erik Wemple is an American journalist who works as a columnist and media critic at ''The Washington Post''. He was formerly the editor of the alternative weekly ''Washington City Paper''. Since 2017, Wemple has been known for feuding with former ...

replaced him. In November 2000, Wemple left the post to become senior editor and was replaced by Jonetta Rose Barras, a longtime contributor to the paper. Barras resigned from the paper on August 13, 2001, and Elissa Silverman held the position from January 2002 until December 2004, when her employment with the newspaper was terminated."Taking Note ... : Quieted Lips"
''The Common Denominator'', January 24, 2005, accessed August 29, 2007. Former WAMU-FM reporter James Jones wrote the column from March 2005 through June 21, 2007, when he posted his "last column" as "Loose Lips" and stated that a successor to him would be appointed soon.Jones, Jones.
"LL Goes Astray: Recounting a Column's Greatest Misses"
''

'', June 20, 2007, accessed August 29, 2007. Mike DeBonis, formerly ''City Papers senior editor, was named the sixth Loose Lips columnist in July 2007. His first column appeared that September.Austermuhle, Martin.
"City Paper Chooses New Loose Lips Columnist"
, ''

DCist American news websites Mass media in Washington, D.C. DCist began as a volunteer-run blog focused on Washington, D.C., in the same family of "-ist" websites as Gothamist, LAist, and Chicagoist. A professional editor began steering the publi ...

'', July 16, 2007, accessed August 31, 2007. Mike DeBonis left the position to join ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

''.

2010-present

In 2010, Alan Suderman became the seventh Loose Lips, after leaving a position as a ''Washington Examiner'' reporter. In 2013, Suderman left to work for the Center for Public Integrity. The next Loose Lips, Will Sommer, was previously a City Desk writer for the Washington City Paper. Veteran journalist and former

Washington Times ''The Washington Times'' is an American conservative daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It covers general interest topics with an emphasis on national politics. Its broadsheet daily edition is distributed throughout Washington, D. ...

reporter Jeffrey Anderson wrote the column starting in 2016. Andrew Giambrone took over the column in 2018 for a brief period. A former reporter for the Pacific Northwest Inlander, Mitch Ryals, started writing for Loose Lips in October 2018.

Conventions

"Loose Lips" is typically 1,200 to 2,000 words long. The column is written in the third person; the columnist refers to himself or herself as "LL." From its inception until Barras wrote the column, then again until October 2003, the column was unsigned, lending the a column a gossipy, "hush-hush" feel. Since then, the writer of "Loose Lips" provides a

byline The byline (or by-line in British English) on a newspaper or magazine article gives the name of the writer of the article. Bylines are commonly placed between the headline and the text of the article, although some magazines (notably '' Reader's ...

. Cummins coined the

sobriquet A sobriquet ( ) is a descriptive nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another. A sobriquet is distinct from a pseudonym in that it is typically a familiar name used in place of a real name without the need for explanation; it may beco ...

"Mayor-for-Life" for former D.C. mayor

Marion Barry Marion Shepilov Barry (born Marion Barry Jr.; March 6, 1936 – November 23, 2014) was an American politician who served as mayor of the District of Columbia from 1979 to 1991 and 1995 to 1999. A Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, Barr ...

. Until Barry returned to the D.C. Council in 2005, "LL" columns have almost always referred to him as "Mayor-for-Life Marion S. Barry Jr." Barry's third wife, Cora Masters Barry, received a similar treatment: "Cora Masters Lady MacBarry." The first occurrence of the name of each person mentioned in the column appears in bold face.

Notes

{{Reflist, 2

External links

"Loose Lips"
Index page. Includes hyperlinks to previous columns in "Recent Loose Lips" and features last column posted by James Jones. June 20, 2007. Accessed August 29, 2007. Columns (periodical)