''The Washington Spectator'' is a left-leaning independent political
periodical
A periodical literature (also called a periodical publication or simply a periodical) is a published work that appears in a new edition on a regular schedule. The most familiar example is a newspaper, but a magazine or a journal are also exampl ...
with a circulation of 60,000, published monthly by The Public Concern Foundation. It was founded by Tristram Coffin (AKA Tris Coffin) in 1971 as ''Washington Watch'', and became ''The Washington Spectator'' in 1974. Coffin remained editor until 1993.
[
] Generally, every issue covers a single topic—most often, one that its editors believe is not receiving sufficient coverage in the mainstream media outlets.
Circulation
In 1997, the ''Washington Spectator'' had a circulation of some 65,000.
[
]
Staff
The current editor-in-chief is Lou Dubose, who assumed the editorship in 2007. Dubose is the author of ''Vice: Dick Cheney and the Hijacking of the American Presidency'' and co-author, with Molly Ivins
Mary Tyler "Molly" Ivins (August 30, 1944 – January 31, 2007) was an American newspaper columnist, author, political commentator, and humorist.
Born in California and raised in Texas, Ivins attended Smith College and the Columbia Univers ...
, of the books ''Bushwhacked: Life in George Bush's America'', ''Shrub: The Short but Happy Political Life of George W. Bush'', and ''Bill of Wrongs: The Executive Branch's Assault on America's Fundamental Rights''.
The current publisher is Hamilton Fish V.
Founder Tris Coffin
Tristram Coffin (1912–1997), born in Hood River, Oregon
The city of Hood River is the seat of Hood River County, Oregon, United States. It is a port on the Columbia River, and is named for the nearby Hood River. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 8,313. It is the only city in Oregon whe ...
, grew up in Indianapolis and graduated from Depauw University
DePauw University is a private liberal arts university in Greencastle, Indiana. It has an enrollment of 1,972 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the ...
. He worked for the '' Indianapolis Times'', for whom he covered gangster John Dillinger
John Herbert Dillinger (June 22, 1903 – July 22, 1934) was an American gangster during the Great Depression. He led the Dillinger Gang, which was accused of robbing 24 banks and four police stations. Dillinger was imprisoned several times and ...
, before becoming press secretary to Governor Clifford Townsend
Maurice Clifford Townsend (August 11, 1884 – November 11, 1954) was an American politician and the 35th governor of the U.S. state of Indiana from 1937 to 1941. During his term, he led relief efforts during and after the Great Flood of 1937. ...
and then staffer when Townsend became an assistant secretary at the United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...
. During World War II, Coffin returned to journalism as a radio reporter, covering the White House for CBS Radio
CBS Radio was a radio broadcasting company and radio network operator owned by CBS Corporation and founded in 1928, with consolidated radio station groups owned by CBS and Westinghouse Broadcasting/Group W since the 1920s, and Infinity Broa ...
and Capitol Hill for ABC Radio. Coffin then joined Drew Pearson's ''Washington Merry-Go-Round''. In 1947, he published a critical book on US President Harry S. Truman, entitled ''Missouri Compromise'', after which he established a syndicated column, "Tris Coffin's Daybook," while working for ABC. (Coffin wrote half a dozen other books.) In 1968, Coffin raised funds to start the ''Washington Watch'' newsletter, which became the ''Washington Spectator'' in 1975. After writing and editing the newsletter for more than two decades, Coffin retired; he died in 1997.
Others
Besides founder and former editor Coffin, former editors include Ben A. Franklin, who helmed the periodical from 1993 to 2005. In the early 1990s, the ''Spectator'' distinguished itself with reporting on the sexual assault scandals of Oregon Senator Robert Packwood, who resigned his office in 1995.
Recent staffers include David Weigel, a reporter for ''The Washington Post''. Former publisher Kevin Walter now serves as associate publisher of '' Mother Jones'' magazine.[Kevin Walte]
biography
on motherjones.com (Retrieved October 17, 2011). Phillip Frazer also served as publisher of the ''Spectator''.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Washington Spectator
Monthly magazines published in the United States
Magazines established in 1974
Magazines published in New York City
Political magazines published in the United States