I Just Read About That…

I have been getting The Washington Spectator for years and years.  I was delighted with it in the beginning when the editor had the wonderful name of Ben Franklin.  I am delighted now that publisher’s name is Hamilton Fish.  But aside from these two fascinating details, I have always enjoyed the content.  It was thoroughly researched and detailed.  And the little 4 page leaflet always looked like a newspaper in design and style, and it gave it a kind of gravitas–no flashy colors or pictures.

Well, here it is, Vol 37, Issue No 21 and they have finally changed the format.  And not only that, they have created a website and have a Facebook presence!  Welcome to the 20th century!

I say that jokingly because despite these changes (which look great by the way), The Spectator has not abandoned its old school journalism practice.  21st century news is pretty much all flash and brash–style over substance–quick reporting with no concern for accuracy and very little attention brought to retractions (can anyone say “climategate” (I wish they wouldn’t call it that)).  But The Spectator is exactly the opposite, and I am delighted to say that although they are now a lot more accessible, they have not lost any of their tenacity or thoroughness.

The redesign is quite nice.  There’s an image on the front page and now there are pull quotes in red, which stand out nicely on the pale paper.  Although I always liked the pull quote box in the middle off the front page, this new format allows for a couple of different pull quotes as well as an opportunity to mix things up a bit. 

I usually don’t like to comment on a magazine without having read at least two issues, but I thought I’d jump on the redesign while it’s hot.  So what the new design affords is a major story at the top.  It also allows for a related story to begin on the front page.  This particular issue’s main article (about Occupy New York) was very long with quite a lot of coverage–naturally that’s what I like about The Spectator–in depth investigations.  And the new format allows the article to fill the pages as needed.   While the second main article is one reporter’s personal presence at Occupy New York). 

The back cover, usually a source for small, short articles of note now features a book review.  Which is something very new for the The Spectator.  I don’t know if  that’s going to be  regular feature–I rather hope not, as I like the news briefings on the back page–but it’s nice for them to be able to mix it up a little more. 

So three cheers for The Washington Spectator.  You look nice and you’re easy to find online now!

See my previous review which tells you a little more about the periodical in general (and which includes a comment from someone saying he couldn’t find them online anywhere) here.