Joseph H. Weston was born in Little Rock, Arkansas on August 6, 1911. According to Weston, he began working at a young age for the Arkansas Democrat, selling newspapers on the street before becoming a reporter for Little Rock’s Daily News at 14. During the Second World War, he served at a captain in the U. S. Army Air Force. He stated he was a reporter for newspapers in San Diego, Salt Lake City, and other cities before moving back to Arkansas.

In 1972, Weston began publishing Sharp Citizen, a weekly newspaper based in Cave City, Arkansas. From the onset, Sharp Citizen was controversial, with some seeing it as a tabloid, others seeing it as amusing, while some portrayed Weston as a courageous country editor. In 1975, Weston was sued and convicted for libel by the local sheriff, but it was overturned by the Arkansas Supreme Court, stating the state’s 1869 criminal libel law was unconstitutional. During this time, Weston published American Manifesto. The Sharp Citizen ceased publication in 1978.

In 1974, Weston attempted to run for governor but lost the Republican primary to Ken Coon. He ran again in 1976, leading the Republican party to run Leon Griffith against Weston to prevent him from being the party’s nominee.

Weston died on November 15, 1983 in the Veterans Administration hospital in Popular Bluff, Missouri.