Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Slate (magazine)
open-in-new
<p><i>Slate</i> is an <a href="/facts/Online_magazine/MsAsjPNr">online magazine</a> that covers current affairs, politics, and culture in the United States. It was created in 1996 by former <i><a href="/facts/The_New_Republic/Ff6tcskp">New Republic</a></i> editor <a href="/facts/Michael_Kinsley/VAHx7UdG">Michael Kinsley</a>, initially under the ownership of <a href="/facts/Microsoft/nGIDDXdx">Microsoft</a> as part of <a href="/facts/MSN/IxAzVWYJ">MSN</a>. In 2004, it was purchased by <a href="/facts/Graham_Holdings/f6btrcsb">The Washington Post Company</a> (later renamed the Graham Holdings Company), and since 2008 has been managed by <a href="/facts/The_Slate_Group/tQQKHD2j">The Slate Group</a>, an online publishing entity created by Graham Holdings. <i>Slate</i> is based in New York City, with an additional office in Washington, D.C. </p><p><i>Slate</i>, which is updated throughout the day, covers politics, arts and culture, sports, and news. According to its former editor-in-chief <a href="/facts/Julia_Turner_(journalist)/LEUrcxqr">Julia Turner</a>, the magazine is "not fundamentally a breaking news source", but rather aimed at helping readers to "analyze and understand and interpret the world" with witty and entertaining writing. As of mid-2015, it publishes about 1,500 stories per month. </p><p>A French version, <i>slate.fr</i>, was launched in February 2009 by a group of four journalists, including <a href="/facts/Jean-Marie_Colombani/1uJCTUsd">Jean-Marie Colombani</a>, Eric Leser, and economist <a href="/facts/Jacques_Attali/oBbUaL8U">Jacques Attali</a>. Among them, the founders hold 50 percent in the publishing company, while The Slate Group holds 15 percent. In 2011, <i>slate.fr</i> started a separate site covering African news, <i>Slate Afrique</i>, with a Paris-based editorial staff. </p><p>As of 2021, the magazine is both ad-supported and has a membership model with a <a href="/facts/Metered_paywall/42qFQy1U">metered paywall</a>. It is known, and sometimes criticized, for having adopted <a href="/facts/Contrarian/HntTMUVz">contrarian</a> views, giving rise to the term "Slate Pitches". It has a generally <a href="/facts/Modern_liberalism_in_the_United_States/HGn9XCda">liberal</a> editorial stance. </p>