Editing Skeptical Inquirer (section)

== History ==

The magazine was originally titled ''The Zetetic'' (from the Greek meaning "skeptical seeker" or "inquiring skeptic"), and was originally edited by [[Marcello Truzzi]].{{R|Exuberant}} About a year after its inception a schism developed between the editor Truzzi and the rest of the [[Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal]] (CSICOP). CSICOP was more "firmly opposed to nonsense, more willing to go on the offensive and to attack supernatural claims" while Truzzi wanted science and pseudoscience to exist "happily together".{{R|HofstadterMetamagP95}} Founder [[Paul Kurtz]] strongly believed "it's important that, when claims of the paranormal get wide public attention and belief, the skeptical position also get media attention".{{r|rensberger}} Truzzi resigned to start ''The Zetetic Scholar'' and CSICOP changed the magazine's name to ''Skeptical Inquirer'' and hired [[Kendrick Frazier]] as the new editor.{{R|Hofstadter|rensberger}}

The first issue of S.I. was Fall/Winter 1976.{{r|foster}} In 1995, S.I. changed format from [[digest size]] to a standard magazine size, increased the publication frequency from quarterly to bimonthly, and added [[newsstand]] circulation in addition to subscription.{{r|stein|p=176}}

In 2013, writer and skeptic [[Daniel Loxton]] posited that if ''Skeptical Inquirer'' was not the first skeptical publication, it is yet considered the {{"'}}birth of modern skepticism' (at least for the English-speaking world)" because CSICOP organized "this scholarship collectively [and] comprised a distinct field of study", and was the first to establish "best practices... specialist experts... buildings... periodicals and professional writers and researchers".{{R|LoxtonMandate}}

[[Barry Karr]] is the executive director of CSI and ''Skeptical Inquirer.'' In June 2023, Stephen Hupp, a professor in the Department of Psychology at [[Southern Illinois University Edwardsville]], was named as the magazine's editor.{{r|ibj}} Hupp replaced [[Stuart Vyse]], who was the interim editor in November 2022 following the passing of Kendrick Frazier.{{r|csi-hupp}}

<gallery>
File:Barry Karr reading Skeptical Inquirer.jpg|[[Barry Karr]], Executive Director
File:Stephen Hupp, PhD.jpg|Stephen Hupp, Editor
File:Kendrick Frazier at CSICON 2011.JPG|[[Kendrick Frazier]], Editor 1977–2022
</gallery>

In 2025, as a way to be more inclusive, Skeptical Inquirer launched an audio version of the magazine, available on several podcast sites.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hupp |first1=Stephen |title=News Bites: From Hurricane Fake Photos to Skeptical Inquirer’s Audio Edition |url=https://skepticalinquirer.org/2024/12/news-bites-from-hurricane-fake-photos-to-skeptical-inquirers-audio-edition/ |website=Skeptical Inquirer |access-date=21 April 2025}}</ref>