Erik Wemple is an American journalist who works as a columnist and media critic at ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...
''. He was formerly the editor of the
alternative weekly
An alternative newspaper is a type of newspaper that eschews comprehensive coverage of general news in favor of stylized reporting, opinionated reviews and columns, investigations into edgy topics and magazine-style feature stories highlighting ...
''
Washington City Paper
The ''Washington City Paper'' is a U.S. alternative weekly newspaper serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The ''City Paper'' is distributed on Thursdays; its average circulation in 2006 was 85,588. The paper's editorial mix is focu ...
''.
Early life
Wemple was raised in
Niskayuna, New York
Niskayuna is a town in Schenectady County, New York, United States. The population was 23,278 at the 2020 census. The town is located in the southeast part of the county, east of the city of Schenectady, and is the easternmost town in the county. ...
, and attended
Hamilton College
Hamilton College is a private liberal arts college in Clinton, Oneida County, New York. It was founded as Hamilton-Oneida Academy in 1793 and was chartered as Hamilton College in 1812 in honor of inaugural trustee Alexander Hamilton, following ...
in
Clinton, New York, graduating in 1986.
Career
Wemple began contributing articles to the ''
Washington City Paper
The ''Washington City Paper'' is a U.S. alternative weekly newspaper serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The ''City Paper'' is distributed on Thursdays; its average circulation in 2006 was 85,588. The paper's editorial mix is focu ...
'' in the late 1990s. From January 1999 to November 2000, Wemple wrote the paper's political column, "
Loose Lips", before becoming editor.
[ Brief biography in the ''People Directory'' of the ]Association of Alternative Newsweeklies
The Association of Alternative Newsmedia (AAN) is a trade association of alternative weekly newspapers in North America. It provides services to many generally liberal or progressive weekly newspapers across the United States and in Canada. AAN ...
(AAN) (incl. hyperlinked archive to "In the News" articles by and about Wemple and his AAN award and honorable mention.) Previously, he was Washington correspondent for ''Inside.com'' and ''CableWorld'' magazine.
[
In 2004, the ]Association of Alternative Newsweeklies
The Association of Alternative Newsmedia (AAN) is a trade association of alternative weekly newspapers in North America. It provides services to many generally liberal or progressive weekly newspapers across the United States and in Canada. AAN ...
awarded Wemple and Josh Levin
Joshua Benjamin Levin (born March 15, 1980) is an American writer and the national editor at ''Slate'' magazine. Levin also hosts the magazine's sports podcast, '' Hang Up and Listen.''
Biography
Early life
Levin was born and raised in New O ...
an Alternative Newsweekly Award for their article "Off Target", published in ''Washington City Paper''.
In June 2006, Wemple accepted the editor-in-chief
An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies.
The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...
position at ''The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the cr ...
''. A month later, he announced he would not assume the position, stating that "the paper's ownership and I have failed to come to terms in our many discussions about moving forward, particularly with respect to newsroom management."[Motoko Rich]
"Before He Moves In, The Village Voice's Editor Moves On"
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', June 16, 2006, accessed April 11, 2008.
In February 2010, Wemple informed the staff of the ''Washington City Paper'' that he was leaving to be the new editor of TBD.com.
In 2013, J. K. Trotter of Gawker Media
Gawker Media LLC (formerly Blogwire, Inc. and Gawker Media, Inc.) was an American online media company and blog network. It was founded by Nick Denton in October 2003 as Blogwire, and was based in New York City. Incorporated in the Cayman Isla ...
declared Wemple a "hero", and that "like a deeply embedded anthropologist, Wemple scours Washington media (and, not infrequently, their New York counterparts) for hypocrisy, excess, and corruption. He's the anti- Mike Allen, frequently piercing the Politico's madman's self-inflating bubble of hype at the moment it threatens to blot out the sun."
In February 2017, Wemple appeared on Tucker Carlson
Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson (born May 16, 1969) is an American television host, conservative political commentator and writer who has hosted the nightly political talk show '' Tucker Carlson Tonight'' on Fox News since 2016.
Carlson began ...
s show to discuss media bias. In the interview Carlson criticized Wemple for not covering mistakes made by The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...
were Wemple worked. In 2021, Carlson criticized Wemple for contacting several of his college classmates and attempting to find "naughty" things he had done when he was 19. Carlson compared Wemple's investigation into him to that of investigations politicians subject their political opponents too.
Personal life
Wemple is married to Stephanie Mencimer, who, as of 2018, worked as a staff reporter in the Washington office of '' Mother Jones''.
Notes
External links
Erik Wemple at ''The Washington Post''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wemple, Erik
1964 births
Living people
Hamilton College (New York) alumni
Place of birth missing (living people)
Writers from Schenectady, New York
The Washington Post people
Journalists from New York (state)
20th-century American journalists
21st-century American newspaper editors
American media critics
20th-century American male writers
21st-century American male writers
American male journalists