The Texas Observer Explained

The Texas Observer
Category:Politics
Frequency:Bimonthly
Founder:Frankie Randolph and Ronnie Dugger
Founded:1954
Company:Texas Democracy Foundation
Country:United States
Based:Austin, Texas
Language:English
Issn:0040-4519

The Texas Observer (also known as the Observer) is an American magazine with a liberal political outlook.[1] The Observer is published bimonthly by a 501(c)(3)[2] nonprofit organization, the Texas Democracy Foundation. It is based in Austin, Texas.[3]

On March27, 2023, it announced that it was ceasing publication. However, on March 29, it was announced that publication will continue following a successful crowdfunding campaign by staff.[4]

History

The Observer was founded by Frankie Randolph and Ronnie Dugger in Austin in 1954 to address topics often ignored by daily newspapers in the state, such as those affecting working people and concerning class and racism.[5] [6]

According to Texas Public Radio (TPR), the early Observer "represented the liberal wing of the once-conservative Democratic Party" that was dominant in Texas. During this period, the Observer was critical of conservative or moderate Texas Democrats, including Lyndon B. Johnson during his Senate tenure and Governors Allan Shivers and John Connally.[7] In the 1970s, Molly Ivins served as the Observer's co-editor and a political reporter.[8]

In 2010, the Observer published an exposé on then-Governor Rick Perry's "Enterprise Fund". The report found that 20 recipients of the 55 grants available through the fund were given to Perry campaign contributors or contributors to the Republican Governors Association (RGA) after he became chairman.[9] [10]

In March 2023, the board of the Observer's parent organization, the nonprofit Texas Democracy Foundation, voted to close the publication and lay off its 17 employees, including 13 journalists.[11] A crowdfunding campaign to save the publication raised over $300,000 in two days, spread mostly through word of mouth via Mastodon.[12] The campaign was successful.[13]

Notable staff and contributors

Notable Observer staff and contributors, past and present:

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. News: Patoski . Joe Nick . Liberalism Lives! . 14 July 2021 . Texas Monthly . 1 July 2001 . en.
  2. "The Texas Democracy Foundation". Exempt Organization Search. Internal Revenue Service. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  3. "Contact" . The Texas Observer. Retrieved on May 6, 2010.
  4. Web site: Chan . Sewell . 2023-03-29 . Texas Observer will continue publishing after staff crowdfunds more than $300,000 . 2023-03-29 . The Texas Tribune . en.
  5. Web site: About Us. The Texas Observer. 2006-04-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060415014900/http://www.texasobserver.org/aboutus.asp . 2006-04-15.
  6. Web site: The Texas Observer at 50. Moyers. Bill. 2005-11-21. Huffington Post. en-US. 2017-10-03.
  7. Web site: Chan . Sewell . 2023-03-27 . Texas Observer, legendary crusading liberal magazine, is closing and laying off its staff . 2023-03-29 . TPR . en.
  8. Book: Minutaglio . Bill . Molly Ivins : a rebel life . Smith . W. Michael . 2009 . New York : PublicAffairs . Internet Archive . 978-1-58648-717-1.
  9. Web site: MacGillis . Alec . 2017-01-03 . Rick Perry's Texas Giveaways . 2023-03-29 . ProPublica . en . "In 2010, the Texas Observer reported that 20 of the 55 Enterprise Fund grant recipients up to that point had contributed directly to Perry’s campaign or the Republican Governor’s Association, of which he became chairman in 2010.".
  10. Web site: Liebelson . Dana . 2013-03-20 . Rick Perry's $487 Million Corporate Slush Fund Doesn't Need Your Stinkin' Audit . 2023-03-29 . Mother Jones . en-US.
  11. News: Chan . Sewell . Formby . Brandon . Texas Observer, legendary crusading liberal magazine, is closing and laying off its staff . 27 March 2023 . . 27 March 2023 . en.
  12. Web site: Texas Observer journalists raise $270,000 in bid to save publication . en-GB . 2023-03-29 . 2023-03-29 . Wong . Julia Carrie . Julia Carrie Wong . .
  13. The Texas Observer . 2023-03-29 . 2023-03-30 . en-US . We Did It, Y'all! Texas Observer Will Remain Open! .
  14. Web site: Jake Bernstein . 2022-07-20 . The Texas Observer . en-US.
  15. Web site: Molly Ivins . 2022-07-20 . The Texas Observer . 26 August 2019 . en-US.
  16. Web site: Aug 12, 1960 Issue Texas Observer Print Archives . 2022-07-20 . issues.texasobserver.org.

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