Editing Utne Reader

{{short description|American quarterly magazine}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox magazine
|              title = Utne Reader
|         image_file = Cover of Utne Reader.gif
|         image_size = 220px
|      image_caption = ''Utne Reader'', cover from the January–February 2012 issue
|             editor = Christian Williams
|       editor_title = Editor
|       staff_writer =
|          frequency = Quarterly
|        circulation =
|   paid_circulation =
| unpaid_circulation =
|  total_circulation =
|   circulation_year =
|           category = U.S. [[politics]] and [[public policy]]
|            company = [[Ogden Publications]]
|          publisher =
|            founded = 1984
|          firstdate =
|            country = United States
|              based = 1503 SW 42nd Street <br /> [[Topeka, KS]] 66609-1265 U.S
|           language = English
|            website = {{URL|https://www.utne.com/|utne.com}}
|               issn = 8750-0256
}}

'''''Utne Reader''''' (also known as '''''Utne'''''; {{IPAc-en|ˈ|ʌ|t|n|i}}, {{respell|UT-nee}}) is a digital digest that collects and reprints articles on politics, culture, and the environment, generally from [[alternative media]] sources including journals, newsletters, weeklies, [[zine]]s, music, and [[DVD]]s.

The magazine's writers and editors contribute book, film, and music reviews and original articles that tend to focus on emerging [[cultural trend]]s. The magazine's website produces ten blogs covering politics, environment, media, spirituality, science and technology, great writing, and the arts.  The publication takes its name from founder Eric Utne.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20118662,00.html |title=Eric Utne Created the Impossible: a Reader's Digest That Both Baby Boomers and Highbrows Can Love|publisher=people.com |date=September 10, 1990 |access-date=September 28, 2016}}</ref> Eric Utne's surname is ultimately derived from the Norwegian village of [[Utne]], which loosely translates as "far out".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/23/crosswords/what-the-heck-is-that-utne.html|title=What the Heck Is That?: UTNE |last=Amien|first=Deb|date=April 23, 2018|website=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=August 1, 2018}}</ref>

==History==
The magazine was founded in 1984<ref>{{cite web|title=The 20 Best Magazines of the Decade (2000–2009)|url=http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/the-20-best-magazines-of-the-decade.html|work=Paste Magazine|access-date=August 10, 2015|date=November 26, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150815062532/http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/the-20-best-magazines-of-the-decade.html |archive-date= Aug 15, 2015 }}</ref> by Eric Utne as the ''Utne Reader''.  Its tagline was "the best of the alternative press".  For its first 20 years [[Jay Walljasper]] was editor; Julie Ristau was its publisher.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-ristau-b8071882/ |url-access=registration |title=Julie Ristau |date= |website=LinkedIn}}</ref><ref>Jay Walljasper, "[https://web.archive.org/web/20210109183610/https://www.utne.com/community/itwas20yearsagotoday It was 20 years ago today...]", ''Utne'' magazine (March / April 2004.</ref>  During these years it was transformed "from a tiny New Age newsletter to a thick, ad-rich magazine with more than 300,000 subscribers."<ref>David Hawley, "[https://web.archive.org/web/20210109182041/https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19941223&slug=1948780 An Activist Agenda For New Utne Reader]", ''[[Seattle Times]]'' (December 23, 1994).</ref>  Utne chaired the magazine until the late 1990s, when his then-wife Nina Rothschild Utne took over.<ref name="Groening">{{cite news|author=Tom Groening|title=Former Utne magazine owner recounts publication’s struggles |url=http://archive.bangordailynews.com/2006/09/16/former-utne-magazine-owner-recounts-publications-struggles/|work=[[Bangor Daily News]]|date=September 16, 2006|access-date=September 28, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190809200209/https://archive.bangordailynews.com/2006/09/16/former-utne-magazine-owner-recounts-publications-struggles/ |archive-date=Aug 9, 2019 }}</ref> The magazine was headquartered in [[Minneapolis]].<ref>{{cite web|title=General Magazine Editors - Top General Magazines|url=http://www.bookmarket.com/magazines.htm|work=Book Market|access-date=February 1, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160219214329/http://www.bookmarket.com/magazines.htm |archive-date= Feb 19, 2016 }}</ref>

The cover logo was changed to simply ''Utne'' in 2003, continuing until 2006, with the subtitle, ''A Different Read on Life''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.magazine-agent.com-sub.info/utne/covers?c=1&cov=COVER0018375.JPG&pg=1 |title= ''Utne'' |website=Magazine Agent |access-date=2008-09-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721192843/http://www.magazine-agent.com-sub.info/utne/covers?c=1&cov=COVER0018375.JPG&pg=1 |archive-date=2011-07-21 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2006 the magazine was purchased by [[Ogden Publications]], publishers of ''[[Grit (newspaper)|Grit]]'', ''[[Mother Earth News]]'', ''[[Natural Home]]'', and other magazines.<ref name="Groening"/> The earlier title ''Utne Reader'' was brought back, and the magazine returned to and refocused on its original mission to reprint "the best of the alternative press".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.minnesotamonitor.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1188 |title=Utne Re-Reader: A 'Progressive Brand' Reclaims its Roots – and Name |website=Minnesota Monitor |first1=Paul |last1=Schmelzer |date=Jan 29, 2007 |access-date=June 6, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927033113/http://www.minnesotamonitor.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1188 |archive-date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref>

''Utne Reader'' ceased physical publication in 2019 and is now a digital digest at utne.com. Eric Utne looked into re-acquiring the magazine in 2020 but was rebuffed by the publisher. "'It's sad to see it go', Utne said. 'These times need something like this more than ever. Our editorial credo was to no particular point of view. No one has the sole proprietorship on good ideas. It takes multiple perspectives to come closer to the truth.'"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.twincities.com/2020/08/29/utne-reader-founder-eric-utne-shares-his-far-out-life-in-new-memoir/ |first1=Mary Ann |last1=Grossmann |title=Utne Reader founder Eric Utne shares his 'Far Out' life in new memoir|website=Twin Cities Pioneer Press|date=29 August 2020|access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref>

According to ''[[The New York Times]]'', ''Utne Reader'' was a leader of the [[Salon (gathering)|salon movement]] of the 1980s, devoted to debate on the issues of the day.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE2DB1038F930A25757C0A964958260 |url-access=subscription |title=An Attempted Comeback for the Literary Salon|author=Jonathan Rabinovitz|work=The New York Times|date=April 13, 1992|access-date=March 25, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220406095217/https://www.nytimes.com/1992/04/13/books/an-attempted-comeback-for-the-literary-salon.html |archive-date= Apr 6, 2022 }}</ref> ''Utne Reader'' was an early source of coverage of the [[mythopoetic men's movement]] when it first surfaced in the early 1990s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.utne.com/web_special/web_specials_archives/articles/648-1.html |title=The Virtuous Male |first1=Keith |last1=Thompson |website=Utne Reader Online |access-date=May 8, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070515093241/http://www.utne.com/web_special/web_specials_archives/articles/648-1.html |archive-date=May 15, 2007 }}</ref>

==Utne Independent Press Awards==
The magazine bestows annual Utne Independent Press Awards, which honor alternative and independent magazines from around the world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.utne.com/utne-independent-press-award-winners-2011 |date=May 17, 2011 |title=Utne Independent Press Awards: 2011 Winners|website=Utne|access-date=May 22, 2020}}</ref> Past winners include the ''[[Wilson Quarterly]]'', ''[[In These Times (publication)|In These Times]]'', ''[[Virginia Quarterly Review]]'', ''[[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]]'', ''[[Orion (magazine)|Orion]]'', ''[[High Country News]]'', ''[[Gnosis (magazine)|Gnosis]]'' and ''[[New Internationalist]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.utne.com/utne-independent-press-awards-winners-2010|title=Winners of the 2010 Utne Independent Press Awards|website=Utne|access-date=May 22, 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116031148/https://www.utne.com/utne-independent-press-awards-winners-2010 |archive-date= Jan 16, 2021 }}</ref>

==In popular culture==
*In ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[King-Size Homer]]", Lisa Simpson receives a letter for a subscription to the ''Utne Reader''. A later episode, "[[Dad Behavior]]", again references Lisa's collection of the magazines.
*In the ''[[Family Guy]]'' episode "[[The Son Also Draws]]", Brian Griffin is seen reading the magazine.
*In ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]'' episode "[[Zombie Nightmare]]", Tom Servo makes a reference to the magazine's staff during a rather tame and well-dressed disco scene.    
*In the webcomic ''[[Narbonic]]'', in one of the first few strips in the series, the lab's intern is shown reading the magazine. Later in the comic series, another character makes a reference to the magazine.
*In the second chapter of the novel ''[[House of Leaves]]'', the footnotes contain a reference to a fictitious 1993 article from ''Utne Reader'' authored by "David Liddel" (also fictitious).

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website}}
<!-- never developed since 2004 * {{cite web |url= http://www.utneinstitute.org/ |title= Utne Institute |url-status= dead |archive-date= Mar 25, 2007 |archive-url= http://web.archive.org/web/20070325120418/http://utneinstitute.com/ }} -->

{{Ogden Newspapers}}

[[Category:Alternative magazines]]
[[Category:Modern liberal magazines published in the United States]]
[[Category:Monthly magazines published in the United States]]
[[Category:Magazines established in 1984]]
[[Category:Magazines published in Kansas]]
[[Category:Magazines published in Minnesota]]
[[Category:Mass media in Minneapolis–Saint Paul]]
[[Category:Mass media in Topeka, Kansas]]
[[Category:Webby Award winners]]