the New Times and the Village Voice

[rusty charly]

We’ve been hearing rumors of a “merger” with the New Times publishing house, which is a bit like the McDonald’s of alt-weeklies. Staffers don’t know what, exactly, is happening, but perhaps that’s because all the email negotiations have been double super-secret secured, thus preventing the leak of any details. Nevertheless, the rumors are not unsubstantiated.

http://tinyurl.com/7zjhl

At this point, we hear the New Times and Voice higher-ups are waiting to see if a conglomeration of the two major alternative newsweekly houses would violate any federal laws. If the deal is closed, Voice writers would experience the joy of adhering to New Times policy, which sucks to such an extent that even arts writers must clear their stories with the central office in Denver. Perfect for destroying local arts coverage, no?

[lildreamer316]

1. SCREW that.

I have lived in backwater red NC my whole life and even "I" know the power and liberal presence of the Village Voice. That is messed up.

[asthmaticeog]

2. I've heard and dismissed these rumors in the past

because of the antitrust consent decree the two companies signed only a couple of years ago legally preventing them from doing business (they engaged in some shamefully obvious cartel behavior in L.A. and Cleveland back in '02, and got a smackdown from a DOJ inquiry initiated by Dennis Kucinich). But as the rumors seem to be more and more plausible, I'm REALLY glad I no longer work for a Voice-owned paper. The New Times is NASTY to work for, I'd hate to be stuck with those choadgobbing crypto-libertarian fucksticks for bosses.

BTW, New Times papers can't truthfully be said to actually HAVE any local arts coverage anyway, except for theater.