Here is more from the Washington Post:
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars is exploring selling or ceasing publication of the Wilson Quarterly, a wise, wonky and sometimes witty magazine that showcases the work of renowned intellectuals and policy experts but has struggled to find a footing in the digital world, according to sources.
The quarterly abruptly canceled its print edition last year, shifting its focus to digital platforms such as the Kindle and iPad, as well as its Web site. But readership has declined, and the cachet of a 37-year-old publication that once cultivated a loyal and elite audience drawn to its special brand of brainy, yet accessible, writing has slipped.
Preliminary contacts have been made with prospective buyers, according to sources, but no deal has been struck. Discussions about the uncertain future of the quarterly, which have not been publicly disclosed, coincide with increased financial pressures at the Wilson Center, a venerable institution that hosts scholars and foreign dignitaries, as well as housing numerous programs focused on world regions.
The center gets about a fourth of its budget from the federal government, but an annual spending bill being considered by the House Appropriations Committee would eliminate funding for the center. All or part of the $10 million funding request could be restored, but at a time when federal budget woes are consuming lawmakers, the threat of a cutoff of federal dollars can’t be taken lightly.The Wilson Center was recently ranked as the 11th best think tank in the world by the annual University of Pennsylvania think tank rankings. It was also ranked as the 6th best think tank in the United States.
