Soldier of Fortune (magazine)
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| Soldier of Fortune | |
|---|---|
 September 1995 cover |
|
| Editor/Publisher | Robert K. Brown |
| Categories | paramilitary |
| Frequency | monthly |
| First Issue | unknown |
| Company | Soldier of Fortune Inc. |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English, many others |
| Website | sofmag.com |
| ISSN | unknown |
Soldier of Fortune magazine, frequently abbreviated SOF, is a periodical publication devoted to coverage of conflicts around the globe, including conventional war, low-intensity warfare and terrorism. The motto of the magazine is "The Journal of Professional Adventurers."
Contents |
[edit] History
The magazine was founded by Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army Reserve, (Ret.) Robert K. Brown, a Green Beret who served in Vietnam. [1] After he retired from active duty, Brown began a circular with information on opportunities for mercenary employment in Oman. There, the Sultan Qaboos had recently overthrown his father and was battling a communist insurgency. This report eventually morphed into the present glossy periodical. Also significant in the history of SOF, was the unprecedented recruitment drive the magazine promoted in the 1970's for volunteers in the Rhodesian Bush War.
[edit] Readership
SOF is read by some serving soldiers and veterans. Critics claim that the magazine's audience also includes many "wanna-bes." Such critics cite the fact that many of the magazine's advertisers sell products oriented toward this market: military equipment, fake badges and IDs, weapons, etc.
These advertisements led to a landmark lawsuit in 1989, Eimann v. Soldier of Fortune Magazine, where the son and mother of a murder victim sued the magazine after it published an advertisement for a self-declared mercenary through which the victim’s husband hired the advertiser to kill her. SOF lost the case in federal district court, but won on First Amendment grounds on appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit; current Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts was one of the magazine's attorneys in the case. [2] However, SOF was found liable in a subsequent case, Braun v. Soldier of Fortune Magazine, for publishing a personal advertisement of a Mr. Michael Savage. Savage advertised himself as a GUN FOR HIRE, and from this ad was hired to kill plaintiff's father. A verdict of $4,375,000 was upheld by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit on Aug. 13, 1992.[3] SOF subsequently changed its advertising policies.
[edit] Content and editorial policies
SOF is notorious for sending its journalists into the most dangerous and obscure parts of the world, or purchasing independent reports from "stringers" covering these areas. Occasionally these on-the-spot reports are useful to intelligence professionals, but some can easily be spotted as outright fabrications. SOF maintains coverage of hot spots such as Bosnia, Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine even when the traditional news ignores the constant low-level violence typical in such areas. SOF also covers African warfare in greater depth than almost any other publication due to the historical link between Africa and mercenary activity.
SOF's editorials often take positions on controversial topics in the United States military such as the POW-MIAs in Vietnam, gender integration in the armed services, budget cuts and new weapons systems, cultural changes in the military, and gun control. Sometimes these positions are unprintable in any official military publication but reflect the views of thousands of soldiers who write letters to SOF's editorial staff. Even given that, SOF has often gone against the grain of its readership; for instance, the magazine was harshly critical of retired Colonel James "Bo" Gritz's attempts to rescue American POWs still purportedly held in Southeast Asia, to the point of publishing a special issue highlighting the shambolic nature of the missions. Another issue debunked several "New World Order" conspiracies and their proponents, who claim that the U.S. is about to be invaded by armies of foreign governments, and that the country should prepare itself for a United Nations takeover. The magazine is also staunchly anti-communist.
