| The Independent | |
| Type: | Alternative Weekly |
| Owners: | --> |
| Founders: | --> |
| Publisher: | Joan Seppala |
| Editor: | Aly Brown[1] |
| Photoeditor: | Doug Jorgensen |
| Language: | English |
| Headquarters: | 2250 First Street, Livermore, California 94550 |
| Publishing City: | Livermore, California |
| Publishing Country: | United States |
| Oclc: | 30961440 |
The Independent is a weekly newspaper in Livermore, California, United States, established in 1963.[2] The paper is offered to residents and businesses in Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, and Sunol for free.[3] As of May 2020, its editor is Aly Brown.[4]
The first issue of the Independent was printed on September 21, 1963, in the midst of a 100-degree Indian summer. Among other stories it featured an editorial describing the paper's principles, another promoting a local lecture series, some scathing stories on the activities of local politicians behind closed doors, and a few photographs.
In 1972, The Independent came out in support of Proposition B, a local measure titled the Save All Valley Environment Initiative (SAVE) designed to curb local development in the region.[5] Effectively, it blocked housing projects in Pleasanton and Livermore if there was insufficient school, water, or sewer capacity in either city. It also endorsed local politicians who supported the initiative. While the proposition was successful, the paper was boycotted by major advertisers as a result of the paper's support, which turned the paper into a weekly rather than thrice-weekly publication.[6] [7] According to Joan Seppala, the paper received donations which helped it to keep going.