Village Voice Media being acquired by New Times very soon

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One possible welcome effect: better movie reviews from more reviewers. Another possible welcome effect: the fact that NT papers allow their music sections to re-use material from the other papers ... thereby possibly marrying the Kogan/Catucci approach with the Wilonsky/John Lomax/Michael Roberts approach. Good reportage and provocative thought together? Could be not such a bad thing ...

― Chris O., Tuesday, 25 October 2005 15:31 (eighteen years ago) link

That's something that's always bugged me about the NT film sections, the tendency to use the same handful of writers EVERYWHERE. How long has it been that way?

― Raymond Cummings (Raymond Cummings), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 15:47 (eighteen years ago) link

Don't know. Hmmmmm, will C. Eddy be pressured to run reviews from other New Times papers???? How about Matos in Seattle???

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 25 October 2005 18:24 (eighteen years ago) link

Putting aside VVM vs. non-VVM papers...

We all have different opinions on who are the better or worse editors of these papers. (This isn't even relating to music editors, necessarily. This can be arts editors, food editors, film editors, political editors, CHIEF editors, etc.) Every paper has a combination of good and bad editors... some are overall better than others.

What this New Times buyout will do is essentially equalize the good and bad qualities of these papers. The shitty editors will have to shape up, and the good editors will be likely (and this depends on which delegate at the Denver/Phoenix Borg Central is assigned to whom) be told how to do things, when they don't need to be told how to do things.

All in all, this is sad, because while a lot of really bad sections might improve, a lot of great sections are likely going to be compromised, and I don't think anything will arise from this that will equal the greatness of the latter. These singular visions that were enjoyable sections are going to be less singular, and this is the sad part. But hey, cut-to-the-chase corporate visions aren't really interested in preserving uniquely great quality in certain spots.. they're interested in across-the-board profitability, even if it means the referendums are going to blemish the good spots, as well as improve the bad spots.

― iDonut B4 x86 (donut), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 18:49 (eighteen years ago) link

Anyway, I suspect this thread is going to be deluged with bile very soon, once the competing non-VVM papers weight in on this when their stories come out this week... some cogently, some not-so-cogently...

― iDonut B4 x86 (donut), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 18:53 (eighteen years ago) link

xpost"busting the Stones makes you indie?" Uh, no, but just a reminder that already being indie doesn't have to mean that you kiss ass. Since a lot of the market is still indie, at this point, the New Times Village Voice Media merger doesn't nec. signal the end of all non-self-published dissent. (And what she wrote went way beyond any conventional Leno-type jokes about their age, etc.)

― don, Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:08 (eighteen years ago) link

One thing to keep in mind is that independently owned in no way guarantees "good," any more than pre-Gannett independently-owned daily papers were necessarily good. There are some pretty weak independently-owned alt papers, especially in smaller markets, and they're contending with all the same pressures from online and elsewhere that the corporate chains are. Some of them would benefit greatly from having, say, New Times or Village Voice movie or music reviews. Corporatization freaks people out, for a lot of good reasons, but it is far from the only issue in regard to the quality of alt-weekly journalism.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:09 (eighteen years ago) link

the good editors will be likely (and this depends on which delegate at the Denver/Phoenix Borg Central is assigned to whom) be told how to do things, when they don't need to be told how to do things.

Yup. Though the smart editors will listen to what they are being told ... a lesson from wise-old deposed Uncle Chris.

― Chris O., Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:10 (eighteen years ago) link

VV already uses film reviews from london T1me Out, or has done. but they have a good team, and it's a *team*, which is important?

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:10 (eighteen years ago) link

Well, NT's film reveiwers are a good team,. too ... most of em work out of LA together.

― Chris O., Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:12 (eighteen years ago) link

Re: papers in smaller markets, there's absolutely a tension between growing up and becoming corporate here. I sometimes write for a paper in the town where I live, that's run by exactly three owners who have big plans and a deep loyalty to the community. I've met more fascinating people around town and gotten a better feel for where I live from writing for that paper than any of my other gigs, and I've also had more opportunity to learn and screw up, because fewer than 10,000 people will ever see it. But when push comes to shove, my hard work goes to bigger papers - including ones where my editors are dicks and I don't have a future - because of cash, or exposure, or whatever other reason. I wish the paper in my town would become more professional, make the paychecks regular and live up to all the potential that we all see for it when we're having beers and talking about it. Why can't they get more advertisers, cut the weaker writers, steal people from the local daily's arts section, etc.? Wouldn't it be great if they could pay for a full-time music editor? But once you grow, you invite other problems.

― save the robot (save the robot), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 20:16 (eighteen years ago) link

Though the smart editors will listen to what they are being told ... a lesson from wise-old deposed Uncle Chris

haha thanks for making my blood run cold!

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 20:23 (eighteen years ago) link

Sure, indie isn't meant to mean The Solution; as w) indie rock, lots of probs, but not all of 'em have all the same problems; as with the biggies, you just have to know when to jump (Where to jump? Can never know for sure, even when you get there, unless you're staffbait mebbe, but I sense that most of us here are freelancers.)

― don, Tuesday, 25 October 2005 20:26 (eighteen years ago) link

"listening to what is being told" is not necessary the same "doing what is being told"... then again, I'm not sure what Chris O. meant by "smart."

― iDonut B4 x86 (donut), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 20:31 (eighteen years ago) link

As someone who contributes very occasionally to the Voice, and very regularly to a New Times paper (I'm in the Cleveland Scene more or less every week) I don't see what the big fucking problem is.

― pdf (Phil Freeman), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 20:38 (eighteen years ago) link

listening=doing/less fighting ... smart=still employed by NT. :-)

a little "I've moved on" humor there ...

― Chris O., Tuesday, 25 October 2005 20:47 (eighteen years ago) link

being employed /= being employed by NT, though, is the thing

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 20:49 (eighteen years ago) link

I mean, it's not like your deposing made you completely unemployable or anything, right? I just don't like the implication, however unintended, that NT employment is some kind of be-all end-all.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 20:51 (eighteen years ago) link

Phil, I think the big problem is if you're a unionized Voice employee and you're worrying that the non-union New Times chain will take on the union and further reduce pay and benefits that the union fought for...Also, as described above, the non-musical content of such papers tends to differ. As a music critic freelancer there may be no difference for you in submitting short music reviews though (although the New Times monopoly may try to push freelance rates down even further).

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 25 October 2005 20:55 (eighteen years ago) link

Just had the company meeting here, and a beer, which might not be the best combination. So I'll be rude now and say: This is not "growth." One business eating another business is not growth. It's a corporate buyout. The individual businesses involved could as easily be shrunk as a result.

One possible welcome effect: better movie reviews from more reviewers.

I see how it's welcome, but I don't see how it's possible.

― Pete Scholtes, Tuesday, 25 October 2005 21:39 (eighteen years ago) link

xpost to Matos:

I see your point. Definitely not intended to make it sound end-all be-all. My situation is my situation. I found it tough to work for them.

― Chris O., Tuesday, 25 October 2005 22:04 (eighteen years ago) link

Should make it clear -- I've moved on and have a good gig in NYC now. PHX was a good albeit kinda rough learning experience ...

... not gonna say anything else.

― Chris O., Tuesday, 25 October 2005 22:09 (eighteen years ago) link

What's your gig now?

― don, Tuesday, 25 October 2005 22:26 (eighteen years ago) link

Chris, you're basically saying what I'm thinking, and so is Pete Scholtes, as usual.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 23:11 (eighteen years ago) link

Copy and research editor at This Old House ... life is a funny thing, man.

― Chris O., Tuesday, 25 October 2005 23:23 (eighteen years ago) link

The TV show? Or is there a magazine now? That sounds interesting. Not music! There's a thought. ( You-you mean there are other things in the world?!)

― don, Wednesday, 26 October 2005 13:59 (eighteen years ago) link

one month passes...

It's a go.

http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2005/11/doj_approves_vi.asp
http://blogs.citypages.com/pscholtes/2005/10/new_times_takes.asp

― Pete Scholtes, Tuesday, 29 November 2005 19:06 (eighteen years ago) link

Voice editor resigns:

http://villagevoice.com/news/0549,murphy,70679,2.html

― Pete Scholtes, Tuesday, 6 December 2005 02:06 (eighteen years ago) link

wow.

― geeta (geeta), Tuesday, 6 December 2005 02:58 (eighteen years ago) link

wow!

oh, yeah, like the guy resigned, wow.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 6 December 2005 03:01 (eighteen years ago) link

dang, that didn't work.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 6 December 2005 03:02 (eighteen years ago) link

Managing editor Doug Simmons has been at the Voice a long time now himself...He used to write about music way back when...

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 6 December 2005 15:00 (eighteen years ago) link

has anybody else quit?

― Raymond Cummings (Raymond Cummings), Tuesday, 6 December 2005 16:09 (eighteen years ago) link

I quit reading the paper in 1996 -- does that count?

― Someone (Ian Christe), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 00:36 (eighteen years ago) link

three months pass...

So rumors are ciricling that the New Times axe is starting to fall across the music editors in the former Village Voice Media-owned papers and that Chuck Eddy may be looking for work soon.

― jeffree, Friday, 10 March 2006 19:06 (eighteen years ago) link

maybe he can start a blog.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 10 March 2006 19:11 (eighteen years ago) link

For whatever it's worth, the "rumor" is news to me (both the axes and me looking for a job soon). So far, I've been left alone to do my job.

(I'm not gonna post here again; just thought people might be curious.)

― xhuxk, Friday, 10 March 2006 19:12 (eighteen years ago) link

(it does seem kinda rude to circulate "rumors" - esp. personal/professional ones - about people that actually post here)

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 10 March 2006 19:15 (eighteen years ago) link

Quite. Since Chuck has graciously responded we will leave it at that but Jeffree might want to rethink his approach in future.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 10 March 2006 19:17 (eighteen years ago) link

Agreed.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Friday, 10 March 2006 19:18 (eighteen years ago) link

or post under his real name.

― mark p (Mark P), Friday, 10 March 2006 19:19 (eighteen years ago) link

Yes yes, quite.

― cracking sherry, this (nabisco), Friday, 10 March 2006 19:20 (eighteen years ago) link

And I would have gotten away with that joke, too, if it weren't for Mark P and his meddling cross-posts.

― nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 10 March 2006 19:21 (eighteen years ago) link

Toast, Gromit?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 10 March 2006 19:21 (eighteen years ago) link

"I want six words on MCR in my inbox by Monday!"

― Andy_K (Andy_K), Friday, 10 March 2006 19:28 (eighteen years ago) link

Writing six words on
My Chemical Romance soon;
A bird flies nearby

― Not Haikunym (Ned), Friday, 10 March 2006 19:29 (eighteen years ago) link

that was rude, but i love how all the freelancers kiss each others asses and make public shows of support for each other.

like it's gonna get you any work.

― midi sanskrit (sanskrit), Friday, 10 March 2006 19:37 (eighteen years ago) link

cynicism.jpg

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Friday, 10 March 2006 19:39 (eighteen years ago) link

i love how all the freelancers kiss each others asses and make public shows of support for each other.

You're fired.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Friday, 10 March 2006 19:40 (eighteen years ago) link

i've gotten work from ilm. i'm hardly the only one.

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 10 March 2006 19:41 (eighteen years ago) link

Skipping 467 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Forgot the #onethread

― It Is Dangerous to Meme Inside (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 18 April 2021 01:15 (two years ago) link

two months pass...

let's twist again

why do my hips hurt

Took a gander at the twitter account of the guy Brian Calle just hired as the new CEO of Village Voice. He's a Hamptons Trump bro obsessed with the Hunter Biden laptop conspiracy theory. Surprised he didn't go private before the announcement. pic.twitter.com/VNqjEryGKB
— April Wolfe (@AWolfeful) July 1, 2021

― bobo honkin' slobo babe (sic), Friday, 2 July 2021 06:42 (two years ago) link

For fuck's sake, someone please put the Voice out of its misery. It deserves a dignified death, not this.

― birdistheword, Friday, 2 July 2021 20:31 (two years ago) link

Same thought: just sad.

― clemenza, Friday, 2 July 2021 20:54 (two years ago) link

Think you'll find selling it to Calle eradicated any possibility of dignity.

― bobo honkin' slobo babe (sic), Friday, 2 July 2021 21:12 (two years ago) link

two months pass...

So they've got a Fall 2021 Print Edition online, and latest (?) music coverage:
https://www.villagevoice.com/category/music-2021/

― dow, Monday, 20 September 2021 16:48 (two years ago) link

I Don’t trust new owner based on what I have read, so kind of ignoring new Voice

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 28 September 2021 16:51 (two years ago) link

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