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The Village Voice

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The Village Voice is a famous American news and culture publication. It is widely recognized as the first alternative newsweekly in the United States.

The Village Voice
The Village Voice

An alternative newsweekly focuses on different topics than standard newspapers. It serves as a platform for the creative community and local culture. The publication covers a wide range of subjects including arts, music, dance, and film. It also investigates New York City politics and national news. This unique focus helped it become a significant voice in American journalism.

The publication operates through a diverse group of writers and artists. These contributors provide specialized coverage of different cultural sectors. For example, music critics like Robert Christgau provided influential surveys of the music scene. Film critics such as J. Hoberman and Andrew Sarris offered deep analysis of cinema. Cartoonists like Jules Feiffer used art to express editorial ideas.

1955 October cover The Village Voice
1955 October cover The Village Voice

This variety of perspectives allows the paper to explore many different layers of society. Writers also perform muckraking, which is a type of investigative journalism that exposes corruption.

Throughout its history, The Voice has moved through many different locations in New York City. It was founded on October 26, 1955, in a two-bedroom apartment in Greenwich Village.

1955 October cover The Village Voice
1955 October cover The Village Voice

By the 1960s, its coverage area expanded beyond its original neighborhood. In 1960, it moved to a triangular corner building at 61 Christopher Street. This location was very close to the Stonewall Inn. Later, the offices moved to 11th Street and University Place. It eventually moved to Cooper Square in 1991 and the Financial District in 2013.

Village Voice (48072654421)
Village Voice (48072654421)

The newspaper has achieved significant professional recognition for its reporting. It has received three Pulitzer Prizes for excellence in journalism. Teresa Carpenter won in 1981 for her work in feature writing. Jules Feiffer earned a prize in 1986 for editorial cartooning. Mark Schoofs won in 2000 for his international reporting.

Village Voice (48072654421)
Village Voice (48072654421)

Additionally, the publication has won the National Press Foundation Award and the George Polk Award. It also established the Obie Awards to recognize excellence in alternative theater.

The publication has undergone several major changes in ownership and format. It was originally founded by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer. Over the decades, owners included figures like Rupert Murdoch and Clay Felker. In 2005, New Times Media purchased the company. Later, Voice Media Group formed in 2012 after a change in ownership. In 2015, Peter Barbey purchased the publication through Black Walnut Holdings LLC.

Village Voice (48072654421)
Village Voice (48072654421)

These transitions often led to changes in the staff and the direction of the paper.

In terms of format, the paper has transitioned from print to digital and back again. For many years, it was a paid weekly newspaper. In 1996, it switched to being a free alternative weekly. On August 22, 2017, the publication announced it would cease its print edition. The final printed version was distributed on September 21, 2017.

The Village Voice
The Village Voice

It then operated as a fully digital venture. However, in December 2020, editor R. C. Baker announced a return to publishing. In April 2021, a new spring print edition was released as a quarterly. A quarterly is a publication that comes out four times per year.

The history of The Voice also reflects changing social views. In its early years, the paper had a reputation for a homophobic slant. During the 1969 Stonewall riots, reporters used derogatory language in their articles. The Gay Liberation Front even had to petition the paper to change its policies. Eventually, the paper changed its stance and became more supportive of gay rights. In 1982, it became the second organization in the United States to offer domestic partner benefits to employees. This demonstrated how the publication evolved alongside the community it covered.

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The Village Voice.svg
File:Village Voice (48072654421).jpg
Village Voice (48072654421).jpg
File:1955 October cover The Village Voice.jpg
1955 October cover The Village Voice.jpg
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