New York Press

The New York Press is one of many free alternative weekly competitor to the Village Voice in New York City. Originally conceived and published as a conservative voice in traditionally liberal New York, the Press shifted towards a more left-leaning, if somewhat libertarian, viewpoint over time, which proved to have appeal for a wider audience than first thought. The paper developed an impressive following over its first decade, and by the late 1990s had forced the Village Voice to become a free paper to compete.

Related Topics:
Village Voice - New York City - 1990s

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Russ Smith founded the paper in 1988, publishing it until he sold it in 2004. He still contributes a column under the pseudonym Mugger.

Related Topics:
Russ Smith - Mugger

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Although Smith was nominally editor-in-chief, the actual editor through most of the paper's history was John Strausbaugh. When Smith sold the paper, Strausbaugh was let go. Since then the paper has seen a series of editors come and go, and has seen its page count shrink dramatically. Rumors persisted that, under Smith, the paper was a money-losing operation, intended as a tax shelter for Smith's wealthy family, and under new ownership has struggled to stay in the black.

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One notable columnist of the post-Smith era was Matt Taibbi, who wrote a weekly column on politics and current affairs until 2005. Longtime staff writer Jim Knipfel is another of the paper's mainstays. The Press has run Alexander Cockburn's "Wild Justice" column, and gay activist Michelangelo Signorile was also a contributing columnist.

Related Topics:
Matt Taibbi - Jim Knipfel - Alexander Cockburn - Michelangelo Signorile

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