The Texas Observer

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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.{{cite web|url=http://www.texasobserver.org/aboutus.asp|title=About Us|work=The Texas Observer|access-date=2006-04-20 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060415014900/http://www.texasobserver.org/aboutus.asp |archive-date = 2006-04-15}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-moyers/the-texas-observer-at-50_b_10990.html|title=The Texas Observer at 50|last=Moyers|first=Bill|date=2005-11-21|website=Huffington Post|language=en-US|access-date=2017-10-03}}

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.{{Cite web |last=Chan |first=Sewell |date=2023-03-27 |title=Texas Observer, legendary crusading liberal magazine, is closing and laying off its staff |url=https://www.tpr.org/business/2023-03-27/texas-observer-legendary-crusading-liberal-magazine-is-closing-and-laying-off-its-staff |access-date=2023-03-29 |website=TPR |language=en}} In the 1970s, Molly Ivins served as the Observer's co-editor and a political reporter.{{Cite book |last1=Minutaglio |first1=Bill |url=http://archive.org/details/isbn_9781586487171 |title=Molly Ivins : a rebel life |last2=Smith |first2=W. Michael |date=2009 |publisher=New York : PublicAffairs |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-1-58648-717-1}}

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.{{Cite web |last=MacGillis |first=Alec |date=2017-01-03 |title=Rick Perry's Texas Giveaways |url=https://www.propublica.org/article/rick-perrys-energy-grants-in-texas |access-date=2023-03-29 |website=ProPublica |language=en |quote="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."}}{{Cite web |last=Liebelson |first=Dana |date=2013-03-20 |title=Rick Perry's $487 Million Corporate Slush Fund Doesn't Need Your Stinkin' Audit |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/03/rick-perry-texas-enterprise-fund-audit/ |access-date=2023-03-29 |website=Mother Jones |language=en-US}}

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.{{cite news |last1=Chan |first1=Sewell |last2=Formby |first2=Brandon |title=Texas Observer, legendary crusading liberal magazine, is closing and laying off its staff |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2023/03/26/texas-observer-shutting-down/ |access-date=27 March 2023 |newspaper=The Texas Tribune |date=27 March 2023 |language=en}} A crowdfunding campaign to save the publication raised over $300,000 in two days, spread mostly through word of mouth via Mastodon.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/mar/29/texas-observer-closing-gofundme |title=Texas Observer journalists raise $270,000 in bid to save publication |language=en-GB |date=2023-03-29 |accessdate=2023-03-29 |last=Wong |first=Julia Carrie |author-link=Julia Carrie Wong |work=The Guardian }} The campaign was successful.{{Cite magazine |magazine=The Texas Observer |date=2023-03-29 |accessdate=2023-03-30 |language=en-US |title=We Did It, Y'all! Texas Observer Will Remain Open! |url=https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-observer-no-layoffs-remains-open-board-vote/}}

Notable Observer staff and contributors, past and present:

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• Jake Bernstein{{Cite web |title=Jake Bernstein |url=https://www.texasobserver.org/author/jake-bernstein/ |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=The Texas Observer |language=en-US}}
• Billy Lee Brammer
• Minnie Fisher Cunningham
• J. Frank Dobie
• Ronnie Dugger
• John Henry Faulk
• James K. Galbraith
• Dagoberto Gilb
• Lawrence Goodwyn
• Jim Hightower
• Molly Ivins{{Cite web |title=Molly Ivins |url=https://www.texasobserver.org/author/molly-ivins/ |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=The Texas Observer |date=26 August 2019 |language=en-US}}
• Larry L. King
• Maury Maverick Jr.
• Larry McMurtry
• Willie Morris
• Americo Paredes{{Cite web |title=Aug 12, 1960 Issue {{!}} Texas Observer Print Archives |url=https://issues.texasobserver.org/pdf/%22 |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=issues.texasobserver.org}}
• Alan Pogue
• Eileen Welsome

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• {{Cite web |first=Chris |last=O'Connell |date=28 March 2023 |title=Fighting for Life, Texas Observer Close to $200K Goal After One Day |url=https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/texas-observer-gofundme-17864464.php |work=San Antonio Express-News |access-date=29 March 2023}}

• {{Official website}}

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Category:501(c)(3) organizations

Category:1954 establishments in Texas

Category:Bimonthly magazines published in the United States

Category:Magazines established in 1954

Category:Magazines published in Austin, Texas

Category:News magazines published in the United States

Category:Political magazines published in the United States

Category:Politics of Texas