The Village Voice-less
THE Village Voice, the famed alternative New York City weekly, is set to shut down its remaining editorial operations, according to reports last Friday.
A voice mail from owner Peter Barbey to staff obtained by news outlets including the Columbia Journalism Review and the Gothamist.com said half the staff was being laid off and those remaining would handle archival operations.
There was no official word but Voice staffers appeared to confirm the shutdown in comments posted on Twitter.
“And pour one out for the Village Voice .Itwasagoodrun,” tweeted news editor Neil deMause. Film editor Alan Scherstuhl meanwhile tweeted, “The Village Voice is the only place I’ve ever wanted to work .... It’s been an honour every week, even the dark ones.”
In September 2017, the Voice delivered its last print edition while continuing online, with a greatly reduced staff.
Founded in 1955 by writer Norman Mailer, as well as Dan Wolf and Ed Fancher, the weekly focused on culture and politics quickly became an institution.
Born of the cultural bustle of the Greenwich Village neighbourhood, the Voice was a place where ideas and debate flourished. Its contributing writers included huge names like Ezra Pound, Henry Miller, Katherine Anne Porter, James Baldwin, and E.E. Cummings.
The paper also devoted resources to investigative journalism, winning three Pulitzer prizes including one for a report on the murder of a Playboy Playmate, and one for coverage of AIDS in Africa. – AFP Relaxnews