The Brown Spectator

{{Short description|Rhode Island student newspaper}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox newspaper

| caption = A Journal of Conservative and Libertarian Thought

| type = Newspaper

| chiefeditor = Benjamin Marcus

| maneditor = Gray Bittker

| publisher = Alex Shieh

| circulation = 2,000{{cite web|url=http://thebrownspectator.com/the-staff/|title=About Us|publisher=The Foundation of Intellectual Diversity|accessdate=18 October 2009|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091020163023/http://thebrownspectator.com/the-staff/|archivedate=20 October 2009}}

| website = {{URL|https://www.brownspectator.com|brownspectator.com}}

| foundation = 1984

| headquarters = Providence, Rhode Island

}}

The Brown Spectator is a newspaper of conservative and libertarian political writing published by students at Brown University. It was originally the product of a student independent project and first published in 1984 "as a two-page offering of student writing on brightly colored paper".{{cite web|url=https://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/Databases/Encyclopedia/search.php?serial=B0510|title=Encyclopedia Brunoniana - Brown Spectator|author=|date=|website=www.brown.edu}}

It was revived in 1986 as a Brown University, student-run opinion journal that published articles of both national and campus concern that other publications ignored. It was produced by Jennifer Polli ('87) and Karen Engel ('87), and described itself as "alternative journal" of conservative thought.

After disappearing for some time, The Brown Spectator was re-revived by Stephen Beale{{cite web |url=http://brown-spectator.com/ |title=Brown Spectator |accessdate=2011-10-28 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111106031620/http://brown-spectator.com/ |archivedate=2011-11-06 }} during the 2002–2003 school year and functioned as Brown University's only journal of conservative and libertarian thought. The Brown Spectator ran with a wide array of political and non-political topics ranging from campus issues to national issues, as well as music reviews and political cartoons. The Brown Spectator ceased publishing in July 2014, but resumed in April 2025.

In March 2025, a Brown Spectator reporter, Alex Shieh, emailed over three thousand university administrators asking them to describe their job functions for an article about administrative costs, the rising cost of tuition, and DEI programs the Trump Administration alleged were illegal.{{Cite web |date=2025-03-24 |title=Channeling DOGE, a Brown U. Student Asked Administrators: What Do You Do All Day? |url=https://www.chronicle.com/article/channeling-doge-a-brown-u-student-asked-administrators-what-do-you-do-all-day |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=The Chronicle of Higher Education |language=en}} Many noted similarities between Shieh's email and a similar email sent to federal employees by Elon Musk, the de facto head of the Department of Government Efficiency.{{Cite web |first=Gabrielle |last=Caraccioli |date=2025-04-02 |title=Brown University student faces potential discipline amid creation of AI admin database |url=https://turnto10.com/news/local/brown-university-student-potential-discipline-creation-ai-admininstration-professors-staff-members-database-ivy-league-education-public-funding-april-2-2025 |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=WJAR 10 |language=en}} In response, Brown University launched disciplinary proceedings against Shieh, which some criticized as violations of the freedom of the press. Brown stated that the issue was not related to free speech, while Shieh said the charges were retaliatory.{{Cite web |last=Buttacavoli |first=Abbey |date=2025-04-24 |title=Brown University student who sent DOGE-style emails to administrators faces discipline |url=https://turnto10.com/news/local/brown-university-student-who-sent-dode-style-emails-to-administrators-faces-discipline-disciplinary-charges-april-24-2025 |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=WJAR 10 |language=en}} The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression called the disciplinary charges "nonsensical" and Musk called them "unreal".{{Cite web |title=With $500 million at risk, Brown University escalates probe of student journalist for mini-DOGE {{!}} Just The News |url=https://justthenews.com/accountability/waste-fraud-and-abuse/500-million-risk-brown-university-escalates-probe-student |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=justthenews.com |language=en}} Congressman Troy Nehls wrote an open letter to university president Christina Paxson condemning the charges against Shieh.{{Cite web |last=Elkind |first=Elizabeth |date=2025-05-02 |title=Brown University in GOP crosshairs after student's DOGE-like email kicks off frenzy |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/brown-university-gop-crosshairs-after-students-doge-like-email-kicks-off-frenzy |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=Fox News |language=en-US}}

In May 2025, Fox News reported that Kirsten Wolfe, a university administrator, had launched disciplinary charges against the entire board of directors of The Brown Spectator for allegedly violating Brown's trademark policy, for including the word "Brown" in the paper's name. The Spectator's editors argued they were protected by the doctrine of descriptive fair use, and questioned why Wolfe hadn't also charged The Brown Daily Herald. In response to the charge, Shieh ran a 30-second commercial in the Providence market criticizing Wolfe by name and accusing her of retaliation.{{Cite web |last=Guidice |first=Rachel del |date=2025-05-07 |title=Brown University charges board of The Brown Spectator for name, use, trademark violations, holds hearing |url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/brown-university-charges-board-of-the-brown-spectator-name-trademark-violations-holds-hearing |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=Fox News |language=en-US}} Shieh won his disciplinary hearing, was found not responsible for the charges against him, and faced no punishment.{{Cite web |author= |date=2025-05-14 |title=Brown University student who sent DOGE-style email says he won disciplinary hearing |url=https://turnto10.com/news/local/brown-university-doge-student-wins-disciplinary-hearing-rhode-island-colleges-higher-education-elon-musk-tesla-department-of-government-efficiency-may-14-2025 |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=WJAR 10 |language=en}}