{{short description|American magazine about journalism}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox magazine |title = American Journalism Review | image_file = American-Journalism-Review-Spring-2013.jpg | image_size = | image_caption = ''American Journalism Review'' (Spring 2013) |editor = |frequency = Varied |category = Journalism,<br />Journalism Review |company = Philip Merrill College of Journalism<br />University of Maryland, College Park |firstdate = October 1977 |finaldate = 2013 (print) 2015 (online) |country = United States | based = College Park, Maryland |language = English |website = {{URL|ajr.org}} |circulation = |issn = 1067-8654 | }}
The '''''American Journalism Review''''' ('''''AJR''''') was an American magazine covering topics in journalism. It was launched in 1977 as the '''''Washington Journalism Review''''' by journalist Roger Kranz. It ceased publication in 2015.
==History and profile== The first issue of the magazine appeared in October 1977. In 1987, it was acquired by Henry Catto, a former U.S. ambassador, and his wife Jessica Hobby Catto, who was part of the family that published the ''Houston Post''. The Cattos donated the publication to the University of Maryland, College Park in 1987. In 1992, Rem Rieder became the editor. It took the name ''American Journalism Review'' in 1993.<ref>Lori Robertson, [http://ajr.org/2013/10/12/history-of-ajr/ "The Life and Times of AJR"], ''American Journalism Review'', November 2002.</ref> The university's Philip Merrill College of Journalism took control of the journal in 2011. Rem Rieder left in 2013, and ''AJR'' became an online-only publication within the Merrill College's curriculum. In July 2015, the college announced that it was terminating publication.<ref>Gurman Bhatia, [http://www.poynter.org/news/mediawire/362197/american-journalism-review-to-cease-publication/ "American Journalism Review to cease publication"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150803013347/http://www.poynter.org/news/mediawire/362197/american-journalism-review-to-cease-publication/ |date=2015-08-03 }}, Poynter.org, July 31, 2015.</ref><ref>Anita Balakrishnan, [https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2015/07/31/american-journalism-review-ends-online-publishing/30956987/ "'American Journalism Review' ends online publishing"], ''USA Today'', July 31, 2015.</ref>
==Notable events== In January 1999, the Gannett Company pulled all its advertising, a few weeks after ''AJR'' published an article that contained negative comments about several Gannett leaders.<ref>Felicity Barringer, [https://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/08/business/media-talk-gannett-withdraws-ads-from-journalism-review.html "Gannett Withdraws Ads From Journalism Review"], ''The New York Times'', March 8, 1999</ref>
In its December 2006 issue, the ''AJR'' printed an article about the ''Santa Barbara News-Press'' and its owner, Wendy P. McCaw.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ajr.org/Article.asp?id=4226|title=Santa Barbara Smackdown|last=Paterno|first=Susan|website=American Journalism Review|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130114172514/http://www.ajr.org/Article.asp?id=4226|archive-date=January 14, 2013|access-date=January 14, 2020}}</ref> Later that month, McCaw sued the article's author, Susan Paterno, accusing her of libel and product disparagement.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070126040156/http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/12/19/business/NA_FIN_US_Newsroom_Turmoil.php "Publisher of California paper sues journalist over story in American Journalism Review"], ''Associated Press'', December 19, 2006</ref> This instance of a newspaper suing an individual journalist was highly unusual and though the ''AJR'' was not a named defendant, it agreed to pay Paterno's legal bills and indemnify her against any judgment. Paterno would ultimately prevail in the action as well as an Anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) suit she brought in conjunction with the AJR.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Welsh |first=Nick |date=2008-10-02 |title=News-Press Loses SLAPP Suit |url=https://www.independent.com/2008/10/02/news-press-loses-slapp-suit/ |access-date=2025-08-10 |website=The Santa Barbara Independent |language=en-US}}</ref>
In August 2007, ''The Washington Post'' reported that the ''AJR'' could shut down by the end of 2007 if it could not reduce its operating deficit, then running at about $200,000 per year (with a total budget of about $800,000). Donors provided at least a third of the budget; the remainder is from advertising. Donations to the ''AJR'' from 2004-2007 included about $1.25 million from a group of news veterans headed by former ''Philadelphia Inquirer'' executive editor Eugene Roberts.<ref name="E&P082207">Joe Strupp, [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930033645/http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003628948 "AJR Facing Major Debt — But CJR Says It's In The Black"], ''Editor & Publisher'', August 22, 2007</ref> By mid-2007, the ''AJR'' had only one full-time editorial employee, editor Rem Rieder, with the design and artwork of the magazine contracted out. Most of the content of the ''AJR'' was from outside contributors (freelancers).
In 2013, the ''Review'' ceased print publication and became an online-only publication.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://merrill.umd.edu/2013/07/ajr/|title=American Journalism Review To Become Online Only Publication|date=2013-07-17|website=Philip Merrill College of Journalism|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-15|archive-date=2020-01-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200115035503/https://merrill.umd.edu/2013/07/ajr/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The online publication ended in 2015, although the archives were to remain available online.<ref>[http://merrill.umd.edu/2015/07/ajr-2/ "American Journalism Review To Cease Online Publication"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803112434/https://merrill.umd.edu/2015/07/ajr-2/ |date=2020-08-03 }}, Philip Merrill College of Journalism, July 31, 2015.</ref>
==See also== *''Columbia Journalism Review'' *''Santa Barbara News-Press'' controversy
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{official website|http://www.ajr.org}} * {{cite archive |collection-url= https://ajrarchive.org |collection= American Journalism Review archive |institution= Philip Merrill College of Journalism }} * {{cite web |first= Matt |last= Kettmann |url= http://independent.com/news/2006/dec/19/details-of-mccaws-ajr-suit/ |title= Details of McCaw's ''AJR'' Suit |publisher= Santa Barbara Independent |date= Dec 19, 2006 }} * {{cite news |author-link= Howard Kurtz |first= Howard |last= Kurtz |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/21/AR2007082101898.html |title= Journal's Pains Reflect Media's Malaise |newspaper= The Washington Post |date= Aug 22, 2007 }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:American Journalism Review}} Category:1977 establishments in the United States Category:2013 disestablishments in Maryland Category:Bimonthly magazines published in the United States Category:Defunct magazines published in the United States Category:Journalism reviews Category:Magazines about the media Category:Magazines established in 1977 Category:Magazines disestablished in 2013 Category:Magazines published in Maryland Category:Online magazines published in the United States Category:Online magazines with defunct print editions