Iconic Leftist Newspaper ‘The Village Voice’ Closes Shop
“half of the staff, which is around 15 to 20 people, will remain on to “wind things down”
The Village Voice was a weekly tabloid style newspaper which focused on arts, culture, and progressive politics. It was launched in 1955 and featured contributions from various cultural luminaries over the years. In 2017, it shut down production of its print edition and now has ceased all operations.
Christopher Robbins reports at Gothamist:
The Village Voice Is Officially Dead
Three years after buying The Village Voice, and a year after the paper shut down its print edition, owner Peter Barbey told the remaining staff today that the publication will no longer be posting any new stories.
“Today is kind of a sucky day,” Barbey told the staff, according to audio obtained by Gothamist. “Due to, basically, business realities, we’re going to stop publishing Village Voice new material [sic].”
Barbey said that half of the staff, which is around 15 to 20 people, will remain on to “wind things down,” and work on a project to archive the Voice’s material online.
The rest of the staff will be let go today.
“I bought the Village Voice to save it; this isn’t exactly how I thought it was going to end up. I’m still trying to save the Village Voice,” Barbey told the staff.
Alexandria Neason of the Columbia Journalism Review has more:
It’s unclear how many employees will lose their jobs today, or for how long those who remain will keep theirs. Barbey refers to a digital archiving project on the conference call and says that work will continue. Barbey also refers to meetings with “other entities” and suggests that suspending editorial content was a condition of the continuation of those meetings. It’s unclear if he is planning to sell the company.
“I’ve been having conversations with other entities for months now and it all depends, but [ending editorial content] is something we have to do before they could talk to us any further,” said Barbey. “I bought the Village Voice to save it. This isn’t exactly how I thought it was going to end up, and I’m still trying to save the Village Voice.”
Starting in the Obama years, the Village Voice began a regular feature called “Right Bloggers” which examined the conservative blogosphere and usually attempted to criticize and discredit the content. The screen cap below shows you how they imagined all right leaning writers as angry white men:
The most recent and presumably final entry for “Right Bloggers” focused on the hiring and firing of writer Kevin Williamson by The Atlantic:
Conservatives Cry for Kevin Williamson’s Right to a Job at the Atlantic
American conservatives often act the bully while playing the victim. On one hand, they believe their creed is the only true American one — often referring to themselves as “center-right” rather than “conservative” to make it seem more so — and dismiss any liberal principles as absurd, adding the ominous refrain, “This is why Trump won.”
On the other hand, when liberals strike back at them or even just tell them to go away, they flop like Fonseca and scream they’ve been fouled, oppressed, no-platformed, etc.
There have been many fine examples of the conservative victimhood reflex, but none more absurd than the Kevin D. Williamson affair.
From there, the post goes on to ridicule the opinion of writers at American Thinker, Instapundit and the Daily Wire, all of which, I am happy to report, are still in business.
Featured image via YouTube.
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Comments
Pissing off more than half of your potential customers is not the best business model.
Aren’t American Thinker, Instapundit and the Daily Wire pissing off the other half? Probably a lot more than half.
The Voice was much more leftist from the time of its founding by luminaries such as Norman Mailer (feel free to sneer). It was, after all, located in Greenwich Village, NYC.
It did not fail because of your half of potential customers felt offended. It failed because the bulk of its revenues came from classified ads. The rest were display ads for concerts, galleries, movies, restaurants, clubs and other cultural events. Maybe an anchovy doesn’t have the smarts to figure out why they no longer get that revenue.
Here’s a hint. The failing NY Times isn’t failing. They, too, were dependent on classified ads – much more than you would imagine. But they are prospering because of their change to a subscription model. They have millions of subscribers @ $20/month. For some odd reason the number of subscribers has grown since Nov 2016.
During their hey day and mine, I would consult the VV to figure out who was playing in hundreds of clubs and concerts. I could get movie times. People would literally line up and pay a buck to get an early copy so that they had the best shot at apartments for rent.
Every dog has its day. I am thinking of a party and a movement which peaked when they elected DJT as the President. None of those bloggers will last half as long as the VV. RIP
“Aren’t American Thinker, Instapundit and the Daily Wire pissing off the other half?”
No, because the “other half” is not part of the target audience of the sites you mentioned.
Actually, just for Sunday delivery of the NYT plus online access, it’s $42.37. My Mom is a democrat and it’s my standing gift to her.
No, I don’t like it, but what can you do?
Useful idiots don’t read.
Let’s try a syllogism.
Trump doesn’t read.
Therefore …………………..
Clever. Sorta.
Where did Odumbo read there were 57 states? Or about ‘corpsemen?’
Did Odumbo even read any of the books bill ayers wrote for him?
Viva Le Donald!
In today’s market, I expect the Voice was considered not left enough. Yet, I can’t see it’s end as a bad thing.
Boo hoo a bunch of anti American Fascists lost their jobs…..
I suspect that every leftist “news” outlet only survives through the mercy of a sympathetic billionaire, who’s willing to fund losses forever, including CNN. Maybe especially CNN. Still, even ESPN is starting to feel the pressure of losing so much money because of their political positions.
I thing you have a job as an economist waiting at the WH based on your ill informed understanding of markets.
CNN is not owned by a ‘sympathetic billionaire’.
ESPN is not doing well because of people who paid for it through cable subscription, but have cut the cord. ESPN is also hurt by increased costs for rights, production and talent. When I watch ESPN or any other sports program, the politics I hear is usually related to the sport I am watching.
Of course, if a President makes offensive remarks because he purposely or ignorantly misunderstood why some athletes protested, then right-wing robots might feel compelled to change the channel. That is certainly preferable to trying to understand why the athletes are protesting.
It is interesting that Trump chooses to go after Amazon because Bezos privately owns WaPo. He does that despite the fact that the Post Office makes money off of Amazon. It is also dangerously close to a violation of the 1st Amendment. You know that one. It comes right before the 2nd. Of course Trump is a would-be autocrat.
Would you like some whine with your cheese? The Village Voice failed because it’s progressive ideas are old and faded, just like the magazine and the people who still read it.
It’s true that it might have continued if life had stood still in the 1950’s or even 1990’s. Back when anyone who could hustle up enough classifieds and half-page local car and furniture dealer’s weekly “blow out sale” could attach whatever stories they wanted to the advertising.
Blame Trump and the white-trash-who-is-just-so-beneath-you all you want to. But the fact is that progressive ideas are of the 20th century, not the 21st. Yeah, it was great, back when you walked a mile in the snow to pay your extra dollar….zzzzzzz
I haven’t read it in years for exactly the reasons I gave. So much for the whine. What I was trying to do was add a little reality to the ideology and ridiculous gloating.
BTW, your whine with cheese joke was very funny. Never heard it before. Was that original?
Another thing you seem to have missed in your rush to prove your red state cred is that the VV published in and for NYC. Has NYC become ideologically pure Trump Country? Trump lost NYC by 8-1. Clearly, VV’s ‘ideology’ doesn’t explain its demise.
You appear to be a knee-jerk conservative. Try critical thinking. Does the story here really make more sense then what I am telling you from actual experience? Do you think I am lying when I tell you than my friends & girlfriends would consult the VV to figure out what to do on the weekend?
I am not interested in whose ideas you think will triumph in the 21st century. We have already established that you don’t think. The Know Nothings were the rage for a while. 1.3 Billion people believe in Islam. Maybe Islam is 21st century?
Don’t confuse the number of followers with Truth. Socrates was executed.
The sarcastic joke wasn’t original. Was it? Is anything you spout original or genuine? I am not even sure your hatred is genuine. You are just a not too bright camp follower.
It doesn’t appear that you read past the whine and cheese before you had a hot flash and spewed your superiority screed all over your keyboard.
I find it amusing that you would think anyone on the planet would think that an original joke, rather than a comment. How sad you don’t get out of the city more to realize that the world has moved past you and sees you as old and tired as a Sex and the City episode.
I hope for the sake of your movement that you are an underachiever.
If your movement is so 21st century, why did you pick a lazy, fat, 20th century swindler for a leader?
Socrates was executed? (We all his stay of execution was still winding its way through the Ninth Curuit.)
“I hope for the sake of your movement that you are an underachiever.”
Your movement is a bowel movement.
However, we are VERY happy with ours.
(You know, they do sell a lot of Odumbo toilet paper for a reason.)
“If your movement is so 21st century, why did you pick a lazy, fat, 20th century swindler for a leader?”
I didn’t vote for Hillary.
I think you might find this helpful:
https://menopausereport.org/top-products/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlsHjlfaa3QIVgfhkCh0v-gBMEAAYASAAEgK4EvD_BwE
Good one! Did you think that biting assessment up yourself?
Re: Technicalities and ESPN: The reason people cut the cord, SUCH AS MYSELF, is because I could no longer stand to subsidize the left.
Peter Jennings was an ass 25 years ago, and it just got worse and worse and worse.
I’d love to have cable, if they didn’t insult me so much.
Typical Leftist Troll exhibiting the requisite inability to post a reply without insult. Unfortunately in the Comments section of LI we have neither the much missed ability to edit comments, nor the highly desirable capability to block Leftists from posting so many worthless, space occupying bytes.
It is one thing to have a position, and I respect that of anyone. It is quite another when they cross the line to a pure subjective ideology that is no longer based in fact. Sure, the shift from print to electronic has affected all media, but some are simply disappearing because even those who agree with their slant can no longer trust their reporting, either by commission or omission. Misreporting that Hillarity was going to win was a short-term gamble that did not pay off for many of them. We had a field day abusing Oregonion subscribers after the election. “Of course you thought she was going to win. You were relying on the real “fake news” for your information.” The Oregonian suffered two of these in short order when it was revealed that they chose to not report on Neil Goldschmidt and then mis-reported on the death of a senior editor. They are continuing that proud tradition with the misreporting of the antifa, ICE, and the transient/homeless scourge. With privilege comes duty and responsibility, and these failing publications abdicated both of the latter long ago.
I actually subscribed to the Village Voice when I was around 18 or 19.
I’ve come a long way, baby.
Technicalities=desperate leftwing alt left nut job trying so very hard not to appear what he actually is…a hate filled intolerant bigoted rigid leftist….and failing
Yes – at first I wondered if I should be flattered to have attracted the attention of one of the lefty trolls, but that troll is banal and self righteous, it’s just too tedious to bother with. His big complaint is that someone on the internet referred to a meme that wasn’t original? WUT?
Wow, that’s as original as “whine with your cheese”.
Then this would be a leftist success story. They continued to be themselves right up until they extinguished themselves. Nice work. May it spread.
And Techni demonstrates the Achilles Heel of the Left – they do not learn from their mistakes. This is why it’s dangerous to revise history and spin up false narratives. This is why they keep trying Socialism expecting different results.
No worries Techni, we didn’t lose the harvest because of blight, oh no. It was that Goldstein chap again. I’m sure everything will be fine next season. Lol.
Fen,
They’re no trying to.learn anything. They’re just trying to scam their way to the top of goernment free rides.
You think the likes of maxine waters could do little more than being a bad shelf stocker at a wal mart if she had to compete in the private sector?
I’ve never read the VV . . . in fact, I’ve never seen anyone else read it, either. I used to see it lying around in the homes of the sorts of people who liked to leave things conspicuously lying around.
So, the excerpt is informative. I had no idea the VV was so intellectually primitive.
The times there are a changing …
“50 percent of the 4,000 colleges and universities in the U.S. will be bankrupt in 10 to 15 years.”
So what does this mean for the kids who are in grade school now? It would be interesting to know how to plan for the future.
It would be interesting to know how to plan for the future.
The ones worth attending will still be there.
Consider that, by definition, half of all existing colleges are sub-par. Their loss won’t hurt the field of education very much.
– They will be broke, because like the odumbo scam, the maddoff scam, the soros scam, the mccain scam, etc, the leftist student loan scam will have been fully exposed.
Go Woke, go Broke.
This is a hard and unforgiving rule folks. Lefty business leaders that don’t learn that are eventually not going to be around.
Has nothing to do with business, but everything to do with exploitation.
I haven’t seen “Ragspierre” lately. Actually I have. He changed his Nom de Plume to “Technicalities”.