Alternative Newsweeklies and the Future of City Reporting
Open Access
Author:
McGill, Andrew
Area of Honors:
Journalism
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Russell Edgar Eshleman Jr., Thesis Supervisor Russell Edgar Eshleman Jr., Thesis Supervisor Russell Frank, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
journalism alternative weeklies news media
Abstract:
For more than 30 years, alternative newsweeklies have given cities a second look at themselves, offering off-center takes on the news. Known for their vibrant design, a focus on feature writing and a wealth of entertainment listings, such weeklies have carved out niches in nearly every major American city. But as debt-wracked metropolitan dailies bleed cash and readers, their alternative cousins are finding that their free-distribution business models have not protected them from industry woes either. Nowhere is this more evident than at the offices of Philadelphia City Paper, a proud 30-year-old alt weekly in the midst of a midlife crisis.
