Media News on the Alternative Weekly Front
posted by on July 24 at 10:59 AM
Both the Chicago Reader and Washington City Paper—two quality papers—have been sold to Creative Loafing, a chain that owns alt-weekly newspapers in Atlanta, Charlotte, Tampa Bay, and Sarasota.
The previous owners of the Reader and City Paper own a minority share of both The Stranger and our sister paper The Portland Mercury. This hasn’t changed. The small chunk of the Stranger and Merc owned by the Reader’s former owners was not included in the sale. The majority ownership of our papers remains in the hands of the same local dipshits that founded Seattle’s only newspaper 157 years ago.
Apparently, these owners also have a stake in the Amsterdam Weekly. Who knew?
Let's just hope the Chicago Reader retains it's own unique style. Their production will most likely end up moving to Atlanta, where all Creative Loafing papers are produced (in a bland, uninspired package, they're no Stranger).
The alt-weekly world is going to shit. These corporate mergers and buyouts are sucking the "alt" out of them. You end up with less community-based journalism and more generic, non-regional stories that will work in any market.
For the record, I used to be an art director for the Weekly Planet, which became Creative Loafing (after buying out the latter), at which point I high-tailed it to Seattle. I just couldn't take the new corporate atmosphere they were creating.
I love you The Stranger!
This is devastating. I loved The Reader when I lived in Chicago. I can't imagine it being produced in Atlanta.
I LOVE the Chicago Reader!! I read it all the time when I visit Chicago!! Guess I will have to tell the ex-BF...
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