Founded by co-op of writers and publishers, its first issue came out on October 1, 2000. The paper began as a bi-weekly newspaper with a print run of 20,000. It was distributed for free at rock clubs, record stores, galleries and similar businesses, as well as to newsstands and newspaper boxes. Distribution included the Northwest cities of Seattle, Portland, Spokane, Bellingham, Tacoma, Bellevue, Vancouver and Olympia. Its main rivals were the Seattle Weekly and The Stranger. In the Utne Reader's 2001 Alternative Press Awards,[1]Tablet won the Reader's Choice award for "Best New Title." Guest writers for Tablet included Margaret Cho and Public Enemy's Chuck D.
