The Four Questions with David Schimke of Utne Reader
Minneapolis-based bimonthly Utne Reader was launched in 1984 as a newsletter. Later renamed Utne, the title had in recent years become more lifestyle-oriented with the tagline "a different read on life." When acquired in fall 2006 by Ogden Publications, the publication reverted to its original Utne Reader title. "The rationale was to go back to its roots, featuring 'the best of the alternative press,' as our new tagline says," David Schimke, its Editor-in-Chief, pointed out. "We had sort of drifted away from our original mission and toward being a progressive lifestyle magazine." Utne Reader culls articles from nearly 1,300 alternative journals, newsletters, weeklies and other sources. The bimonthly's circulation is now 150,000. Schimke, who became its Editor-in-Chief after the Ogden acquisition, first joined the magazine in 2004 as Senior Editor; in between, he served as Executive Editor. Schimke comes from the world of alternative newsweeklies, where he worked as an editor and writer for 10 years. Q. What story in Utne Reader has sparked the greatest reaction lately? A. The story most valued by readers was about the perils of soy ("The Dark Side of Soy"). A lot of magazines covering progressive issues and whole health were wary of writing about that—that soy is bad for you and that Americans consume too much of it. A lot of our readers felt that was a harsh critique, but others thanked us. Our most controversial story was about our nation's obsession with obesity ("The Food Police"), saying that was more dangerous than the fat itself. The article suggested there's a lot of psychological damage being wrought, that definitions were being misused, and that standards on what's overweight have changed over the years. Q. Is Utne Reader covering the presidential Campaign 2008 politicking, or excerpting articles about it? A. The campaign has been really fertile ground for our website, which we update daily. We had someone blog from the Iowa caucus on the site, for instance. But we publish just six times a year, so we can't cover the horse race aspects in the magazine, which has a long lead time. But we can and do cover related issues, like health care, the corporate spin on nuclear energy—an issue in the Nevada campaign—as well as the shrinking middle class and the changing face of America. Q. What's been the best idea you've gotten from a reader over the last year? A. Probably the idea that baby boomers, as they near retirement, have something to offer younger generations through their long experience in activism and change. [Founder] Eric Utne was involved in that editorial package. But the idea didn't occur to us until a reader suggested it. Besides focusing on the rising costs in health care, etc., due to boomers aging, this reader suggested there's an upside nobody was talking about—namely that they have experience to offer and that they can give back by becoming mentors, for example. Q. Your bio says you love jazz, old films and cheering for the Green Bay Packers. So when the Giants kept Green Bay out of the Super Bowl in the January 20 playoff, was that a heartbreaker for you? A. I was at that game! It was painful...and freezing cold (laughing)! I grew up in Wisconsin, so it was bred into us to be football fans. We'll be back next year!
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