The Spotlight
Encyclopedia
The Spotlight was a weekly newspaper
in the United States, published in Washington, D.C.
from September 1975 to July 2001 by the now-defunct Liberty Lobby
. The Spotlight ran articles and editorials professing a "populist
and nationalist
" political orientation.
position and giving positive coverage to the political campaigns of Pat Buchanan
and David Duke
. The Spotlight gave frequent coverage to complementary and alternative medicine
, including advertisements for the purported anti-cancer
supplement Laetrile. Kevin J. Flynn's book The Silent Brotherhood described The Spotlight as regularly featuring "articles on such topics as Bible
analysis, taxes and fighting the IRS
, bankers and how they bleed the middle class, and how the nation is manipulated by the dreaded Trilateral Commission
and Council on Foreign Relations
", adding "the paper attracted a huge diversity of readers". NameBase
described the newspaper as "anti-elitist, opposed the Gulf War
, wanted the JFK assassination reinvestigated, and felt that corruption and conspiracies can be found in high places"
, who also stated the newspaper "reflected Carto
's conspiracy theory
of history" and called the paper anti-Semitic.
Howard J. Ruff in his 1979 book How to Prosper During the Coming Bad Years praised The Spotlight for its investigative reporting while criticizing it for a "blatantly biased" right-wing point of view and concluded "there are many things I detest about it, but I wouldn't be without it."
U.S. Congressman and John Birch Society
leader Larry McDonald
criticized The Spotlight in the Congressional Record
in 1981 for purported use of the Lyndon LaRouche
movement as a source of news items.
sparked a defamation lawsuit against Liberty Lobby from former CIA agent E. Howard Hunt
because the article implicated Hunt as being involved in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy
. Lawyer and conspiracy author Mark Lane
successfully defended Liberty Lobby against the defamation charges, which became the basis for Lane's book Plausible Denial
.
it was reported that Timothy McVeigh
had taken out a classified advertisement in The Spotlight in August 1993 under the name "T. Tuttle" and had used a telephone card
purchased from the newspaper.
as a result of a lawsuit brought by former associates in the Institute for Historical Review
. Willis Carto
and other people involved in The Spotlight then started a new newspaper, the American Free Press
, which is very similar in overall tone. An August 2, 2002 court order in the Superior Court of California transferred the assets of Liberty Lobby, including The Spotlight, to the judgment creditor, the Legion for the Survival of Freedom, Inc. who maintains an online archive of Spotlight articles from 1997 to 2001.
shortwave
and on AM talk radio
outlets.
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
in the United States, published in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
from September 1975 to July 2001 by the now-defunct Liberty Lobby
Liberty Lobby
Liberty Lobby was an American political advocacy organization founded in 1958 that went bankrupt in 2001. It was founded by Willis Carto. In their own words,-Antisemitic world-view:...
. The Spotlight ran articles and editorials professing a "populist
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
and nationalist
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
" political orientation.
Description
The Spotlight has been described in media reports as promoting an America FirstAmerica First
America First may refer to:*America First Committee, a group that opposed entry of the United States into World War II*America First Credit Union, a credit union in Utah*America First Party , an isolationist political party...
position and giving positive coverage to the political campaigns of Pat Buchanan
Pat Buchanan
Patrick Joseph "Pat" Buchanan is an American paleoconservative political commentator, author, syndicated columnist, politician and broadcaster. Buchanan was a senior adviser to American Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan, and was an original host on CNN's Crossfire. He sought...
and David Duke
David Duke
David Ernest Duke is a former Grand Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan an American activist and writer, and former Republican Louisiana State Representative. He was also a former candidate in the Republican presidential primaries in 1992, and in the Democratic presidential primaries in...
. The Spotlight gave frequent coverage to complementary and alternative medicine
Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
, including advertisements for the purported anti-cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
supplement Laetrile. Kevin J. Flynn's book The Silent Brotherhood described The Spotlight as regularly featuring "articles on such topics as Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
analysis, taxes and fighting the IRS
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
, bankers and how they bleed the middle class, and how the nation is manipulated by the dreaded Trilateral Commission
Trilateral Commission
The Trilateral Commission is a non-governmental, non-partisan discussion group founded by David Rockefeller in July 1973 to foster closer cooperation among the United States, Europe and Japan.-History:...
and Council on Foreign Relations
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
", adding "the paper attracted a huge diversity of readers". NameBase
NameBase
NameBase is a web-based cross-indexed database of names that focuses on individuals involved in the international intelligence community, U.S. foreign policy, crime, and business...
described the newspaper as "anti-elitist, opposed the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, wanted the JFK assassination reinvestigated, and felt that corruption and conspiracies can be found in high places"
Circulation
Circulation of The Spotlight peaked in 1981 at 315,000 but fell to about 90,000 by 1992.Critical reaction
The Spotlight was called "the most widely read publication on the fringe right" by the Anti-Defamation LeagueAnti-Defamation League
The Anti-Defamation League is an international non-governmental organization based in the United States. Describing itself as "the nation's premier civil rights/human relations agency", the ADL states that it "fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects...
, who also stated the newspaper "reflected Carto
Willis Carto
Willis Allison Carto is a longtime figure on the American far right. He describes himself as Jeffersonian and populist, but is primarily known for his promotion of antisemitic conspiracy theories and Holocaust denial.-Influences on Carto:...
's conspiracy theory
Conspiracy theory
A conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.-Usage:The term "conspiracy...
of history" and called the paper anti-Semitic.
Howard J. Ruff in his 1979 book How to Prosper During the Coming Bad Years praised The Spotlight for its investigative reporting while criticizing it for a "blatantly biased" right-wing point of view and concluded "there are many things I detest about it, but I wouldn't be without it."
U.S. Congressman and John Birch Society
John Birch Society
The John Birch Society is an American political advocacy group that supports anti-communism, limited government, a Constitutional Republic and personal freedom. It has been described as radical right-wing....
leader Larry McDonald
Larry McDonald
Lawrence Patton McDonald, M.D. was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the seventh congressional district of Georgia as a Democrat...
criticized The Spotlight in the Congressional Record
Congressional Record
The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published by the United States Government Printing Office, and is issued daily when the United States Congress is in session. Indexes are issued approximately every two weeks...
in 1981 for purported use of the Lyndon LaRouche
Lyndon LaRouche
Lyndon Hermyle LaRouche, Jr. is an American political activist and founder of a network of political committees, parties, and publications known collectively as the LaRouche movement...
movement as a source of news items.
Lawsuit by E. Howard Hunt
An August 1978 article published in The Spotlight by Victor MarchettiVictor Marchetti
Victor Marchetti is a former special assistant to the Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency and a prominent paleoconservative critic of the United States Intelligence Community and the Israel lobby in the United States....
sparked a defamation lawsuit against Liberty Lobby from former CIA agent E. Howard Hunt
E. Howard Hunt
Everette Howard Hunt, Jr. was an American intelligence officer and writer. Hunt served for many years as a CIA officer. Hunt, with G...
because the article implicated Hunt as being involved in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
. Lawyer and conspiracy author Mark Lane
Mark Lane (author)
Mark Lane is an American lawyer who has written many books, including Rush to Judgment, one of two major books published in the immediate wake of the John F. Kennedy assassination that questioned the conclusions of the Warren Commission. Another book, Plausible Denial, published in 1991, continued...
successfully defended Liberty Lobby against the defamation charges, which became the basis for Lane's book Plausible Denial
Plausible Denial
Plausible Denial is the title of a book by American lawyer, Mark Lane that chronicles his legal defense of Victor Marchetti, a former-CIA agent who wrote an article for The Spotlight about the JFK assassination and was sued for defamation by E...
.
Timothy McVeigh
After the Oklahoma City bombingOklahoma City bombing
The Oklahoma City bombing was a terrorist bomb attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. It was the most destructive act of terrorism on American soil until the September 11, 2001 attacks. The Oklahoma blast claimed 168 lives, including 19...
it was reported that Timothy McVeigh
Timothy McVeigh
Timothy James McVeigh was a United States Army veteran and security guard who detonated a truck bomb in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995...
had taken out a classified advertisement in The Spotlight in August 1993 under the name "T. Tuttle" and had used a telephone card
Telephone card
A telephone card, calling card or phone card for short, is a small plastic card, sized and shaped like a credit card, used to pay for telephone services. It is not necessary to have the physical card except with a stored-value system; knowledge of the access telephone number to dial and the PIN is...
purchased from the newspaper.
End of publication
The Spotlight ceased publication in 2001 after Liberty Lobby was forced into bankruptcyBankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
as a result of a lawsuit brought by former associates in the Institute for Historical Review
Institute for Historical Review
The Institute for Historical Review , founded in 1978, is an American organization that describes itself as a "public-interest educational, research and publishing center dedicated to promoting greater public awareness of history." Critics have accused it of being an antisemitic "pseudo-scholarly...
. Willis Carto
Willis Carto
Willis Allison Carto is a longtime figure on the American far right. He describes himself as Jeffersonian and populist, but is primarily known for his promotion of antisemitic conspiracy theories and Holocaust denial.-Influences on Carto:...
and other people involved in The Spotlight then started a new newspaper, the American Free Press
American Free Press
The American Free Press is a weekly newspaper published in the United States.According to one former correspondent, the newspaper's direct ancestor was the publication The Spotlight, which ceased publication in 2001 when its parent company, Liberty Lobby, was forced into bankruptcy...
, which is very similar in overall tone. An August 2, 2002 court order in the Superior Court of California transferred the assets of Liberty Lobby, including The Spotlight, to the judgment creditor, the Legion for the Survival of Freedom, Inc. who maintains an online archive of Spotlight articles from 1997 to 2001.
Other activities
From 1988 to 2001, the paper sponsored the Radio Free America talk show which was heard on WWCRWWCR
WWCR is a shortwave radio station located in Nashville, Tennessee in the United States. WWCR uses four 100 kW transmitters which broadcast on 14 different frequencies....
shortwave
Shortwave
Shortwave radio refers to the upper MF and all of the HF portion of the radio spectrum, between 1,800–30,000 kHz. Shortwave radio received its name because the wavelengths in this band are shorter than 200 m which marked the original upper limit of the medium frequency band first used...
and on AM talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
outlets.
Notable reporters and columnists
- Mike Blair
- Martin A. LarsonMartin A. LarsonMartin A. Larson was an American populist freethinker and a writer specializing in theological history and the Essenes. Originally from a fundamentalist Evangelical background, he "rejected its dogmas and practices" when he was about 20 years old. Following service in the United States Navy, he...
- regular column "Our World In Conflict" - Michael Collins PiperMichael Collins PiperMichael Collins Piper is a political writer, conspiracy theorist, and talk radio host living in Washington D.C. He is a regular contributor to the American Free Press, a newspaper backed by Willis Carto....
- Jim Tucker (journalist) - wrote on the Bilderberg GroupBilderberg GroupThe Bilderberg Group, Bilderberg conference, or Bilderberg Club is an annual, unofficial, invitation-only conference of approximately 120 to 140 guests from North America and Western Europe, most of whom are people of influence. About one-third are from government and politics, and two-thirds from...
See also
- Alternative press (U.S. political right)Alternative press (U.S. political right)Under the broad heading of the alternative press are several subcategories including periodicals published by groups, movements, or individuals affiliated with the U.S. political right. As the word press implies, these are printed publications, as opposed to electronic forms of alternative media...
- Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, , is a United States Supreme Court case articulating the standard for a trial court to grant summary judgment. Summary judgment will lie when, taking all factual inferences in the non-movant's favor, there exists no genuine issue as to a material fact such that the movant...
- Barnes ReviewBarnes ReviewThe Barnes Review is a bi-monthly magazine founded in 1994 by Willis Carto, dedicated to historical revisionism such as Holocaust denial. Willis Carto had earlier founded the Institute for Historical Review in 1979 but lost control of that organization in an internal takeover by former...