Mother Jones (abbreviated
MoJo) is an
independentSmall press is a term often used to describe publishers with annual sales below a certain level. Commonly, in the United States, this is set at $50 million, after returns and discounts...
, nonprofit
magazineMagazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles, generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
rooted in
liberalLiberalism is the belief in the importance of individual freedom. This belief is widely accepted today throughout the world, and was recognized as an important value by many philosophers throughout history...
and
progressiveProgressivism is a political and social term for ideologies and movements favoring or advocating changes or reform, usually in a statist or egalitarian direction for economic policies and liberal direction for social policies...
political values. It is widely known for its investigative reporting.
Mother Jones has been nominated for 17 National Magazine Awards and has won five times, including for General Excellence in 2001 and 2008.
With a paid circulation of 230,000 (the average for the second half of 2008),
Mother Jones magazine is the most widely read liberal publication in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Monika BauerleinMonika Bauerlein is the co-Editor of Mother Jones magazine. Bauerlein was promoted to the position in August 2006, following the departure of Russ Rymer; previously she was the magazine's Investigative Editor...
and
Clara JefferyClara Jeffery is the co-editor of Mother Jones magazine . Jeffery was promoted to that position in August 2006, following the departure of Russ Rymer; previously she was the magazine's Deputy Editor, a position she had held for four years...
serve as co-editors. Jay Harris has served as publisher since 1991.
The magazine was named after Mary Harris Jones, called Mother Jones, an Irish-American
trade unionA trade union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas, such as working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labor contracts with employers...
activist, opponent of
child laborChild labour refers to the employment of children at regular and sustained labour. This practice is considered exploitative by many international organizations and is illegal in many countries...
, and self-described "hellraiser." The stated mission of
Mother Jones is to produce revelatory journalism that in its power and reach informs and inspires a more just and democratic world.
Mother Jones is published by the Foundation for National Progress, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.
Mother Jones and the FNP are based in
San FranciscoSan Francisco is the fourth most populous city in California and the 12th most populous city in the United States, with a 2008 estimated population of 808,976. It is the eighth most densely populated city in the U.S. and is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the larger San...
.
Key editors
For the first five years after its inception in 1976,
Mother Jones operated with an editorial board, and members of the board took turns serving as managing editor for one-year terms. People who served on the editorial team during those years included
Adam Hochschild-Biography:Hochschild was born in New York City. As a college student, he spent a summer working on an anti-government newspaper in South Africa and subsequently worked briefly as a civil rights worker in Mississippi in 1964...
, Paul Jacobs, Deborah Johnson,
Jeffrey Bruce KleinJeffrey Bruce Klein is an investigative journalist who co-founded Mother Jones in 1976 .For its first issue he found a piece that won a National Magazine Award. He forced the resignation of Ronald Reagan’s chief foreign policy advisor, Richard V. Allen, at the 1980 Republican National Convention...
, Mark Dowie, Amanda Spake, Zina Klapper, and
Deirdre EnglishDeirdre English is the former editor of Mother Jones and author of numerous articles for national publications and television documentaries. Currently, she teaches at the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley, and is a faculty mentor at the Center for the Study of...
.
In 1981,
Deirdre EnglishDeirdre English is the former editor of Mother Jones and author of numerous articles for national publications and television documentaries. Currently, she teaches at the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley, and is a faculty mentor at the Center for the Study of...
was named the magazine’s first editor-in-chief, a position she held until 1986. A strong feminist, she brought women’s voices to the fore in the magazine and oversaw considerable coverage of
Central AmericaManagua
Guatemala City
San Salvador
San Pedro Sula
Panama City
San José, Costa Rica
Santa Ana, El Salvador
León
San Miguel|-|}...
, the Sandinistas, and the Contras. She also brought in
Barbara EhrenreichBarbara Ehrenreich is an American feminist, democratic socialist, pop sociologist and political activist, a prominent figure in the Democratic Socialists of America. She is a widely read columnist and essayist, and the author of nearly 20 books.-Biography:Ehrenreich was born Barbara Alexander to...
as a regular columnist.
Michael MooreMichael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author and liberal political commentator. He is the director and producer of Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11, Sicko, and Capitalism: A Love Story four of the top six highest-grossing documentaries of all time...
, who had owned and published the Flint-based "Michigan Voice" for ten years, followed English and edited
Mother Jones for several months. After being fired in the fall of 1986, Moore sued
Mother Jones for US$2 million for wrongful termination, but settled with the magazine’s insurance company for US$58,000 – only US$8,000 over the initial offering. Moore felt that he did not have a chance to shape the magazine. Many of the articles that were printed during his time as editor were articles that had already been commissioned by Deirdre English. An article by
Paul BermanPaul Berman is an American author and journalist who writes on politics and literature. His articles have been published in The New Republic, The New York Times Book Review and Slate...
about
NicaraguaNicaragua officially the Republic of Nicaragua , is a representative democratic republic. It is the largest country in Central America with an area of 130,373 km
2. The country is bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The Pacific Ocean lies to the west of...
, which was slightly critical of the
SandinistasThe Sandinista National Liberation Front is a socialist political party in Nicaragua. Its members are called Sandinistas in both English and Spanish...
, (
Mother Jones generally supported the Sandinistas) was one of those articles commissioned by English. Moore did not want to print it, but the magazine had made a commitment to Berman.
The NationThe Nation is a weekly United States periodical devoted to politics and culture, self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865 at the start of Reconstruction as a supporter of the victorious North in the American Civil War, it is the oldest continuously published weekly...
columnist
Alexander CockburnAlexander Claud Cockburn , born 6 June 1941, is an Irish-American political journalist. Cockburn was brought up in Ireland but has lived and worked in the United States since 1972. Together with Jeffrey St. Clair, he edits the political newsletter CounterPunch...
believed the disagreement over the Berman article was the sole reason of the firing, but Hochschild and others at the magazine denied this.
For his part, Moore claimed in his 1989 documentary film
Roger & MeRoger & Me is a 1989 American documentary film directed by independent filmmaker/author Michael Moore. With sarcasm and irony, Moore illustrates the negative economic impact of the late General Motors CEO Roger Smith's summary action of closing several auto plants in Flint, Michigan, costing 30,000...
that he was terminated because he put the face of
Ben HamperBernard Egan "Ben" Hamper is a Michigan-based writer. He was born in Flint, Michigan from a Catholic family that had many former employees of General Motors amongst its members. Hamper also worked for General Motors in Michigan for several years and wrote for Michael Moore's Flint Voice...
on the cover of an issue, an act of defiance after being refused an opportunity to write about the GM plant closings in his hometown of
Flint, MichiganFlint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, 66 miles northwest of Detroit. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 124,943, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the Flint/Tri-Cities...
.
Books about Moore by Jesse Larner (
Forgive Us Our Spins: Michael Moore and the Future of the Left) and Roger Rapoport (
Citizen Moore: The Life and Times of an American Iconoclast) extensively cover Moore's difficult relationships with people during his brief editorship.
Douglas Foster, an Emmy-winning TV producer and a writer who had covered labor issues for
Mother Jones in the 1970s, followed Moore. Foster’s magazine featured regular columns from
Molly IvinsMary Tyler "Molly" Ivins was a populist American newspaper columnist, political commentator, humorist and bestselling author from Austin, Texas.-Early life and education:...
, Roger Wilkins, and
Ralph NaderRalph Nader is an American attorney, author, lecturer, political activist, and former candidate for President of the United States. He ran as an independent candidate in 2004 and 2008, and a Green Party candidate in 1996 and 2000. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection,...
. During his tenure, the magazine excerpted
Randy ShiltsRandy Shilts was a pioneering gay American journalist and author. He worked as a freelance reporter for both The Advocate and the San Francisco Chronicle, as well as for San Francisco Bay Area television stations....
' groundbreaking book, "
And the Band Played OnAnd the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic is a nonfiction book written by San Francisco Chronicle journalist Randy Shilts, published in 1987...
: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic."
In the fall of 1992,
Jeffrey Bruce KleinJeffrey Bruce Klein is an investigative journalist who co-founded Mother Jones in 1976 .For its first issue he found a piece that won a National Magazine Award. He forced the resignation of Ronald Reagan’s chief foreign policy advisor, Richard V. Allen, at the 1980 Republican National Convention...
, one of the original editorial team, returned as editor-in-chief, bringing an intense focus on Washington politics, including extensive coverage of
Newt GingrichNewton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is an American politician who served as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. In 1995, Time magazine selected him as the Person of the Year for his role in leading the Republican Revolution in the House, ending 40 years of the...
, campaign finance, and the tobacco industry. He was a frequent guest on radio and television shows, spearheaded many collaborations between the magazine and website, and brought comedian
Paula PoundstonePaula Poundstone is an American stand-up comedian, well-known for her self-deprecating style and masculine dress sense.- Life :...
on as a regular columnist.
Roger Cohn succeeded Klein as editor-in-chief in 1999. Cohn brought to the fore environmental and social justice stories from around the country. It was during his tenure that the 25-year-old
Mother Jones won a 2001 National Magazine Award for General Excellence.
Russ RymerRuss Rymer is an author and freelance journalist with articles in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The New Yorker, and others. His first book, Genie, a Scientific Tragedy, was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and awarded with the Whiting Writers' Award...
was named editor-in-chief in early 2005, and under his tenure the magazine published more essays and extensive packages of articles on domestic violence (July/August 2005), and the role of religion in politics (December 2005).
In August 2006,
Monika BauerleinMonika Bauerlein is the co-Editor of Mother Jones magazine. Bauerlein was promoted to the position in August 2006, following the departure of Russ Rymer; previously she was the magazine's Investigative Editor...
and
Clara JefferyClara Jeffery is the co-editor of Mother Jones magazine . Jeffery was promoted to that position in August 2006, following the departure of Russ Rymer; previously she was the magazine's Deputy Editor, a position she had held for four years...
were promoted from within to become co-editors of the magazine. Bauerlein and Jeffery, who had served as interim editors between Cohn and Rymer, were also chiefly responsible for some of the biggest successes of the magazine in the past several years, including a package on
ExxonMobilThe Exxon Mobil Corporation, or ExxonMobil, is an American oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil....
's funding of
climate change "deniers" (May/June 2005) that was nominated for a National Magazine Award for Public Interest reporting; a package on the rapid decline in the health of the ocean (March/April 2006), and the magazine's massive Iraq War Timeline interactive database.
The first post-baby boomer editors in the history of
Mother Jones, Bauerlein and Jeffery have used a new investigative team of senior and young reporters to increase original reporting, web-based database tools, and blog commentary on MotherJones.com. The cover of their first issue (November 2006) asked: "Evolve or Die: Can humans get past denial and deal with global warming?"
David CornDavid Corn is an American political journalist and author, and is chief of the Washington bureau for Mother Jones. He has worked as the Washington editor for The Nation and has also appeared regularly on FOX News, MSNBC and National Public Radio...
, a political journalist and former Washington editor for
The NationThe Nation is a weekly United States periodical devoted to politics and culture, self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865 at the start of Reconstruction as a supporter of the victorious North in the American Civil War, it is the oldest continuously published weekly...
, is bureau chief of the magazine's newly established D.C. bureau. Other D.C. staff include
Washington Monthly contributing editor Stephanie Mencimer, former
Atlantic staff editor Bruce Falconer, former
Village Voice correspondent
James RidgewayJames Ridgeway is a prominent American investigative journalist.-Career history:Ridgeway began his career as a contributor to The New Republic, Ramparts, and the Wall Street Journal....
and Laura Rozen from the
American Prospect.
MotherJones.com
In addition to stories from the print magazine, MotherJones.com offers original reported content five days a week. During the race In the 2008 election campaign, MotherJones.com was the first to exploit John McCain's "100 years in Iraq" comments. Also in 2008, MotherJones.com was the first outlet to report on Beckett Brown International, a security firm that spied on environmental groups for corporations.
Winner of the 2005 and 2006 "People’s Choice"
WebbyWebby may refer to:*Webby Awards*Webby Vanderquack*Mariama Elaiza Webby...
Award for politics, MotherJones.com has provided extensive coverage of both Gulf wars, presidential election campaigns, and other key events of the last decade.
Mother Jones began posting its magazine content on the Internet in November 1993, the first general interest magazine in the country to do so. A number of innovative uses of this new medium would follow. In the March/April 1996 issue, the magazine published the first
Mother Jones 400, a listing of the largest individual donors to federal political campaigns. In the print magazine, the 400 donors were listed in order with thumbnail profiles and the amount they contributed. On MotherJones.com (then known as the MoJo Wire) the donors were listed in a searchable database.
In the 2006 election, MotherJones.com was the first to break stories on the use of robocalling, a story that was then picked up by
TPM Muckraker and
The New York Times. The Iraq War Timeline interactive database, a continually-updated interactive online project, was nominated for a National Magazine Award in 2006. The site has also produced extensive special reports on the U.S. prison system and the state of the planet’s coral reefs.
Mother Jones Radio
Launched on June 19, 2005, Mother Jones Radio was heard on
Air America RadioAir America Media is an American radio network specializing in politically liberal talk programming. The network started programming on March 31, 2004 and features discussion and information programs with hosts reflecting progressive points of view...
Sundays at 1:00 p.m. EST. The one-hour show was hosted by Angie Coiro and featured interviews and commentaries inspired by stories from
Mother Jones. Mother Jones Radio ended its production in early 2007.
External links