New York Observer
Encyclopedia
The New York Observer is a weekly newspaper first published in New York City
on September 22, 1987, by Arthur L. Carter
, a very successful former investment banker with publishing interests. The Observer focuses on the city's culture, real estate, the media, politics and the entertainment and publishing industries. Since July 2006 the paper has been owned and published by the American real-estate mogul Jared Kushner
.
Published every Wednesday, the newspaper's editorial team is led by Elizabeth Spiers
with other writers and editors including Christopher S. Stewart
, Rex Reed
, Una LaMarche, Brian Gallagher, Tom Acitelli, Alexandra Peers, Lee Siegel, Aaron Gell, Matt Chaban, Daniel D’Addario, Dan Duray, David Freedlander, Adrianne Jeffries, Nate Freeman, Michael Miller, Reid Pillifant, Ben Popper, Kat Stoeffel, Nitasha Tiku and Emily Witt.
Previous writers include Joe Conason
, Alexandra Jacobs, Tom McGeveran, Peter M. Stevenson, Doree Shafrir
, Hilton Kramer
, Andrew Sarris
, Richard Brookhiser
, Michael Thomas, Michael Tomasky
, John Heilpern
, Robert Gottlieb
, Nicholas von Hoffman
and Steve Kornacki.
The paper is perhaps best known for publishing Candace Bushnell
's column on Manhattan's social life on which the hit television series Sex and the City
was based. It is visually distinctive because of its salmon-colored pages and sketch illustrations, in the style of La Gazzetta dello Sport
. Henry Rollins
once described it as "the curiously pink newspaper."
The fourth and longest serving editor for the newspaper, Peter Kaplan
left the newspaper on July 1, 2009. Interim editor Tom McGeveran announced on October 28, 2009 that he plans to leave the newspaper by the end of 2009.
The New York Observer asserts to advertisers that it delivers Manhattan’s most affluent, educated and influential consumers, with the average net worth of its readership exceeding $1.7 million and 96% of readers being college graduates. It has a paid circulation of 51,000. The Observer operates several blogs: Betabeat.com, The Politicker, the Daily Transom, the Media Mob, and the Real Estate.
. Carter received a B.A. in French literature from Brown University
and an M.B.A. in Finance from the Tuck School of Business
at Dartmouth College
. He spent twenty-five years in investment banking until 1981, when he founded the Litchfield County Times in New Milford, Connecticut
. He owned it for twenty years until selling to Journal Register Company
, later also selling his 50-percent interest in The East Hampton Star in 2003. He has been an adjunct professor of philosophy and journalism at New York University
and is currently a trustee. He is also a sculptor. Despite his "registered opportunist" political beliefs, from 1985 to 1995 he owned The Nation
.
In July 2006, Jared Kushner
, a 25-year-old law student and son of a wealthy New Jersey developer, Charles Kushner
, purchased the paper for just under $10 million. In April 2007 Bob Sommer became president.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on September 22, 1987, by Arthur L. Carter
Arthur L. Carter
Arthur L. Carter is an investment banker, publisher, and artist.He graduated from Brown University in 1953 with a degree in French literature....
, a very successful former investment banker with publishing interests. The Observer focuses on the city's culture, real estate, the media, politics and the entertainment and publishing industries. Since July 2006 the paper has been owned and published by the American real-estate mogul Jared Kushner
Jared Kushner
Jared Corey Kushner is an American real estate entrepreneur and newspaper publisher. He is the principal owner of Kushner Properties, his family’s holding company, and the publisher of The New York Observer. He is the son of American real estate developer Charles Kushner.-Early life:Kushner is the...
.
Published every Wednesday, the newspaper's editorial team is led by Elizabeth Spiers
Elizabeth Spiers
Elizabeth Spiers , a native of Wetumpka, Alabama, is the founder of Dead Horse Media, which publishes Dealbreaker, a gossip site about Wall Street, AbovetheLaw, a gossip site about law, Fashionista, a gossip site about fashion, and Supermogul, a now defunct business management site...
with other writers and editors including Christopher S. Stewart
Christopher S. Stewart
Christopher S. Stewart is an American author and newspaper editor. He was formerly a contributing editor at Conde Nast Portfolio. Stewart has written for various magazines, including The New York Times Magazine, GQ, The Paris Review, Harper's and Wired, among others. He is also the author of...
, Rex Reed
Rex Reed
Rex Taylor Reed is an American film critic and former co-host of the syndicated television show At the Movies. He currently writes the column "On the Town with Rex Reed" for The New York Observer.-Life and career:...
, Una LaMarche, Brian Gallagher, Tom Acitelli, Alexandra Peers, Lee Siegel, Aaron Gell, Matt Chaban, Daniel D’Addario, Dan Duray, David Freedlander, Adrianne Jeffries, Nate Freeman, Michael Miller, Reid Pillifant, Ben Popper, Kat Stoeffel, Nitasha Tiku and Emily Witt.
Previous writers include Joe Conason
Joe Conason
Joe Conason is an American journalist, author and political commentator. He writes a column for the weekly New York Observer newspaper, for Salon.com and has written a number of books, including Big Lies , which addresses what he says are myths spread about liberals by conservatives.-Life and...
, Alexandra Jacobs, Tom McGeveran, Peter M. Stevenson, Doree Shafrir
Doree shafrir
Doree Shafrir is an American author and editor at Rolling Stone. She was previously an editor at Gawker and The New York Observer. She lives in Brooklyn.With Jessica Grose she founded the Postcards From Yo Momma website...
, Hilton Kramer
Hilton Kramer
Hilton Kramer is a U.S. art critic and cultural commentator.Kramer was educated at Syracuse University, Columbia University, Harvard University, Indiana University and the New School for Social Research. He worked as the editor of Arts Magazine, art critic for The Nation, and from 1965 to 1982,...
, Andrew Sarris
Andrew Sarris
Andrew Sarris is an American film critic and a leading proponent of the auteur theory of criticism.-Career:Sarris is generally credited with popularizing the auteur theory in the U.S...
, Richard Brookhiser
Richard Brookhiser
Richard Brookhiser is an American journalist, biographer and historian. He is a senior editor at National Review. He is most widely known for a series of biographies of America's founders, including Alexander Hamilton, Gouverneur Morris, and George Washington.-Life and career:Brookhiser was born...
, Michael Thomas, Michael Tomasky
Michael Tomasky
Michael Tomasky is a liberal American columnist, journalist and author. He is the editor in chief of Democracy, a special correspondent for Newsweek / The Daily Beast, a contributing editor for The American Prospect, and a contributor to The New York Review of Books.-Biography:Tomasky was born...
, John Heilpern
John Heilpern
John Heilpern, a contributing editor to Vanity Fair and longtime drama critic for the New York Observer,Heilpern, the son of a bookmaker, was born in Manchester, England, and educated at Oxford University...
, Robert Gottlieb
Robert Gottlieb
Robert Adams Gottlieb , is an American writer and editor. From 1987 to 1992 he was the editor of The New Yorker.-Personal:Robert Gottlieb was born in New York City in 1931 and grew up in Manhattan...
, Nicholas von Hoffman
Nicholas von Hoffman
Nicholas von Hoffman is an American journalist and author. He wrote for the Washington Post. Later, TV audiences knew him as a "Point-Counterpoint" commentator for CBS's 60 Minutes, from which Don Hewitt fired him in 1974.-Biography:He is of German-Russian extraction, descendant of Melchior...
and Steve Kornacki.
The paper is perhaps best known for publishing Candace Bushnell
Candace Bushnell
Candace Bushnell is an American author and columnist based in New York City. She is best known for writing a column that was anthologized in a book, Sex and the City, which in turn became the basis for a popular television series and its subsequent film adaptations.-Personal life:Bushnell was born...
's column on Manhattan's social life on which the hit television series Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
was based. It is visually distinctive because of its salmon-colored pages and sketch illustrations, in the style of La Gazzetta dello Sport
La Gazzetta dello Sport
La Gazzetta dello Sport is an Italian newspaper dedicated to coverage of various sports. It was first published on April 3, 1896, allowing it to cover the first modern Olympic Games held in Athens...
. Henry Rollins
Henry Rollins
Henry Rollins is an American singer-songwriter, spoken word artist, writer, comedian, publisher, actor, and radio DJ....
once described it as "the curiously pink newspaper."
The fourth and longest serving editor for the newspaper, Peter Kaplan
Peter Kaplan
Peter Kaplan is the former Editor-In-Chief of the New York Observer, a weekly newspaper. He wrote the introduction to the book The Kingdom of New York....
left the newspaper on July 1, 2009. Interim editor Tom McGeveran announced on October 28, 2009 that he plans to leave the newspaper by the end of 2009.
The New York Observer asserts to advertisers that it delivers Manhattan’s most affluent, educated and influential consumers, with the average net worth of its readership exceeding $1.7 million and 96% of readers being college graduates. It has a paid circulation of 51,000. The Observer operates several blogs: Betabeat.com, The Politicker, the Daily Transom, the Media Mob, and the Real Estate.
Ownership
The publisher and original owner, Arthur Carter has had other publishing interests in the past including the Litchfield County Times. At one time, he was a part-owner in The East Hampton StarThe East Hampton Star
The East Hampton Star is a weekly, privately owned newspaper published each Thursday in East Hampton, New York. It is one of the few independent, family-owned newspapers still existing in the United States. The owners live in East Hampton...
. Carter received a B.A. in French literature from Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
and an M.B.A. in Finance from the Tuck School of Business
Tuck School of Business
The Amos Tuck School of Business Administration is the graduate business school of Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, in the United States...
at Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
. He spent twenty-five years in investment banking until 1981, when he founded the Litchfield County Times in New Milford, Connecticut
New Milford, Connecticut
New Milford is a town in southern Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States north of Danbury, on the Housatonic River. It is the largest town in the state in terms of land area at nearly . The population was 28,671 according to the Census Bureau's 2006 estimates...
. He owned it for twenty years until selling to Journal Register Company
Journal Register Company
The Journal Register Company is an American media company, serving an audience of 21 million Americans in 992 communities. The company operates more than 350 multi-platform products in 992 communities. The company is led by CEO John Paton who openly blogs about the changes he is making to transform...
, later also selling his 50-percent interest in The East Hampton Star in 2003. He has been an adjunct professor of philosophy and journalism at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
and is currently a trustee. He is also a sculptor. Despite his "registered opportunist" political beliefs, from 1985 to 1995 he owned The Nation
The Nation
The Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
.
In July 2006, Jared Kushner
Jared Kushner
Jared Corey Kushner is an American real estate entrepreneur and newspaper publisher. He is the principal owner of Kushner Properties, his family’s holding company, and the publisher of The New York Observer. He is the son of American real estate developer Charles Kushner.-Early life:Kushner is the...
, a 25-year-old law student and son of a wealthy New Jersey developer, Charles Kushner
Charles Kushner
Charles Kushner is an American real estate developer, philanthropist and political fundraiser.- Family :Kushner's parents were Joseph and Rae Kushner, who had come to America from Belarus by way of Italy in 1949...
, purchased the paper for just under $10 million. In April 2007 Bob Sommer became president.