Exploding cars, office monkeys, Watergate: The origins of Mother Jones

The Founding of Mother Jones Magazine in 1976

In 2026, Mother Jones published a retrospective account of its own origins written by staff member Nina Martin. The article described the magazine’s launch amid the political and social conditions of the mid-1970s and traced its roots to an earlier publication, Ramparts. Mother Jones has maintained a consistent editorial focus on investigative reporting concerning corporate practices, government policy, and social issues, a perspective that media observers have characterized as progressive or left-leaning.

The mid-1970s featured ongoing U.S. military involvement in Southeast Asia, oil price increases following the 1973 embargo, the Watergate scandal and resignation of President Richard Nixon, congressional investigations into intelligence agencies, and divisions over civil rights, gender roles, and generational attitudes. Technological changes, including early developments in computing and media, were underway. Several journalists who had worked at Ramparts concluded that existing outlets did not adequately serve audiences interested in these topics and decided to establish a new publication.

Ramparts had begun in the 1960s as a magazine oriented toward Catholic readers before shifting its emphasis to opposition to the Vietnam War. It published investigative articles and photography, including a 1960s photo essay on the effects of napalm. Martin Luther King Jr. read the issue and subsequently stated his public opposition to the war. Staff at Ramparts included individuals such as Jann Wenner, later founder of Rolling Stone, and Brit Hume, later a Fox News analyst. Editor Warren Hinckle kept a pet monkey named Henry Luce in the San Francisco office. Later editors David Horowitz and Peter Collier advocated positions supporting the overthrow of existing systems and featured coverage of groups including the Black Panthers. Horowitz and Collier later moved to conservative political activity following the killing of a colleague.

In the early 1970s, Paul Jacobs, Adam Hochschild, and Richard Parker joined efforts to stabilize Ramparts. Jacobs, then in his fifties, had previously worked as an organizer and journalist covering farm labor and nuclear testing. Hochschild, in his late twenties, had reported for the San Francisco Chronicle and an anti-apartheid publication in South Africa. Parker, age 27, had operated an alternative newspaper in Santa Barbara. Internal disagreements at Ramparts over political direction led the three to consider a separate venture.

They identified an opening for a magazine that would reach larger audiences than established publications such as The Nation or The Progressive while using color photography, higher-quality paper, and professional design and distribution. The group recruited Louise Kollenbaum as art director, Jeffrey Klein as an editor, John Klingel for publishing operations, and Bill Jayme for direct-mail promotion. An initial name, New Dimensions, was abandoned after a cease-and-desist notice from an existing newsletter. The name Mother Jones was selected after reference to the early 20th-century labor organizer Mary Harris Jones. Direct-mail tests showed increased subscription response with the new name.

The first issue appeared in February 1976. Early content included articles on former Nazi officials, personal essays on marriage and communal living, coverage of music and food topics, and a letter concerning Israeli policy toward Palestinians. Contributors and letter writers included Hunter S. Thompson and Senator Frank Church. Staff later described internal debates over whether the magazine should function primarily as a service publication for readers on the political left or seek broader appeal.

The November 1976 issue featured reporting on the Dalkon Shield intrauterine device. Business manager Mark Dowie, who had prior reporting experience, initiated the project after noting the magazine’s limited delivery of promised corporate investigations. The article, co-written with Tracy Johnston, examined health complications reported by users, including infections linked to at least 17 deaths in the United States, questions about the device’s testing, financial interests of its developers, and continued marketing by manufacturer A.H. Robins despite internal awareness of problems. The piece received attention and contributed to the magazine’s subsequent emphasis on corporate accountability reporting.

Founders Hochschild, Parker, and Jacobs have stated in interviews connected to the anniversary that the magazine was intended to address topics including corporate conduct, environmental issues, and U.S. foreign policy from perspectives not dominant in mainstream outlets at the time. The publication has continued under reader-supported financing without a single controlling owner. Its editorial record includes both awards for investigative work and periodic criticism from outlets and readers who view its framing as consistently aligned with progressive priorities.

The 1976 launch occurred in a period when numerous small magazines were started to address perceived gaps in coverage. Mother Jones adopted an approach that combined narrative techniques with documented reporting on specific products and institutions. Its subsequent history reflects both the challenges of independent magazine publishing and the persistence of its chosen subject areas.