Erik Wemple

Erik Wemple (born August 18, 1964) is a media critic at The Washington Post. He was formerly the editor of the alternative weekly Washington City Paper.

In 2004, Wemple was the co-recipient with Josh Levin of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies for their article "Off Target" published in Washington City Paper.

Early life

Wemple was raised in Schenectady, New York, and attended Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, graduating in 1986. In 1986-87 Wemple taught and coached sports at Trinity Pawling School, in Pawling, New York. In the fall of 1987, he moved to Washington, D.C. to pursue graduate studies at Georgetown University.

Career

From January 1999 to November 2000, Wemple wrote the paper's political column, Loose Lips, after having contributed articles to the paper for a few years. Before becoming editor of Washington City Paper, he was Washington correspondent for Inside.com and CableWorld magazine.

On August 8, 2000, Wemple, while a columnist for the Washington City Paper, wrote a column criticizing Peggy Cooper Cafritz, then a candidate for president of the District of Columbia Public Schools, opining that a white woman should not run for such a position in a city that was predominantly African-American. Cafritz is African-American.