The Washington Examiner

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The Washington Examiner
The Washington Examiner (front page).jpg
Type Daily newspaper
Format Compact
Owner Clarity Media Group
Publisher Michael Phelps
Editor Stephen G. Smith
Founded 2005
Circulation 100,000-300,000[1]
Official website www.WashingtonExaminer.com

The Washington Examiner is a free daily newspaper published in Springfield, Virginia, and distributed in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. The newspaper was formerly distributed only in the suburbs of Washington, under the titles of Montgomery Journal, Prince George's Journal, and Northern Virginia Journal. The Examiner is owned by Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz,[2] who purchased their parent company, Journal Newspapers Inc., in October 2004. On February 1, 2005, the paper's name changed to the Washington Examiner, and it adopted a logo and format similar to that of another newspaper then owned by Anschutz, the San Francisco Examiner.[3] Politico described the paper as "a megaphone for [Anschutz's] right-wing views on taxes, national security and President Barack Obama."[4] The Examiner's parent company, Clarity Media Group, also owns the conservative opinion magazine The Weekly Standard.[5] The Examiner co-sponsored the Republican presidential debate in Ames, Iowa on August 11, 2011.[6]

It was announced in March 2013 that the paper will stop its daily print edition in June 2013 and be replaced by a weekly print magazine.[7]

Contents

Distribution[edit]

The newspaper is supported entirely by advertisements[citation needed] and is distributed in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The paper is available at most Washington Metro subway stations. It is delivered to 300,000 houses on Thursdays and 250,000 on Sundays. It is printed in a compact format. The Examiner covers world, national, and local news and sports. The Examiner's executive editor is Stephen G. Smith. The newspaper employs staff writers, news services, syndicated writers, and freelance writers.

An Examiner dispenser in February 2009.

In the past, some people complained of difficulty unsubscribing from the paper, despite in many cases never having subscribed.[8] In response to more than 100 citizens' complaints, Alexandria, Virginia initially proposed a "Do Not Deliver" list in 2006,[9] but that measure was deemed unworkable or possibly in violation of the First Amendment. In March 2009, the Alexandria City Council, at the urging of the city manager's office, passed Alexandria City Code §9-14,[10] as a Model Newspaper Delivery Ordinance.[11]

Format[edit]

Generally, the format of the Examiner starts with a cover page with local headlines, as opposed to national headlines. The next 8-10 pages are devoted to local news. National/political news follows, with pieces about things such as entertainment, real estate, etc. mixed in. There are typically four pages of op-eds with both syndicated and exclusive articles. Several pages of legal advertisements follow, and the last pages are for sports news.

Political views[edit]

When Anschutz started the Examiner in its current format, he envisioned creating a conservative competitor to The Washington Post. According to Politico, "When it came to the editorial page, Anschutz’s instructions were explicit — he 'wanted nothing but conservative columns and conservative op-ed writers,' said one former employee." The Examiner's conservative writers include Byron York (National Review), Michael Barone (American Enterprise Institute, Fox News Channel), and David Freddoso (National Review, author of The Case Against Barack Obama).[4]

The paper endorsed John McCain in the 2008 presidential election[12] and Adrian Fenty in the Democratic primary for mayor in 2010.[13] On December 14, 2011, it endorsed Mitt Romney for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, saying he was the only Republican who could beat Barack Obama in the general election,[14] releasing a series of critical articles of Obama.[15]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Calderone, Michael (October 16, 2009). "Phil Anschutz's conservative agenda". Politico. Retrieved 2012-05-25. 
  2. ^ "Forbes profile on Philip Anschutz". forbes.com. Retrieved 2012-05-25. 
  3. ^ Armstrong, David (February 11, 2005). "Examiner tests the waters in Washington, D.C.". San Francisco Chronicle. 
  4. ^ a b Calderone, Michael (October 16, 2009). "Phil Anschutz's Conservative Agenda". Politico. 
  5. ^ Weekly Standard acquired by Washington Examiner parent company, Washington Examiner, June 17, 2009.
  6. ^ Jacobs, Jennifer. "Eight GOP candidates on final lineup for Thursday’s debate in Iowa". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 12 August 2011. 
  7. ^ "Examiner to cease daily print publication; weekly magazine planned". Washington Post. Retrieved 19 March 2013. 
  8. ^ Corrigan, G. M. (January 25, 2008). "Delegate seeks end to unwanted paper deliveries". The Washington Examiner. Retrieved June 22, 2010. 
  9. ^ "Ordinance to Prohibit the Delivery of Free Newspapers to Private Property Owners who have Declined the Service". City of Alexandria, Virginia. June 7, 2006. 
  10. ^ CHAPTER 14 Delivery of Unsolicited Publications
  11. ^ "Alexandria's Model Newspaper Delivery Law". Scn.org. Retrieved 2012-05-25. 
  12. ^ "The Examiner endorses McCain-Palin". The Washington Examiner. September 24, 2008. Retrieved 2009-11-24. 
  13. ^ "Why Fenty deserves -- and D.C. needs -- four more years" (editorial). The Washington Examiner. September 7, 2010. 
  14. ^ "Influential Conservative Newspaper Backs Romney for GOP Nomination". Foxnews.com. December 14, 2011. Retrieved 2012-05-25. 
  15. ^ "The Obama You Don't Know". Washington Examiner. Retrieved 31 March 2013. 

External links[edit]


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