Washington City Paper Explained

See also: List of newspapers in Washington, D.C..

The Washington City Paper
Type:Alternative weekly
Format:Tabloid
Foundation: (as 1981)
Owners:Mark Ein
Editor:Alexa Mills
Circulation:68,059 weekly in 2011[1]
Headquarters:734 15th St. NW, Suite 400
Washington, D.C., U.S. 20005
Website:washingtoncitypaper.com

The Washington City Paper is a U.S. alternative weekly newspaper serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area since 1981. The City Paper is distributed on Thursdays; its average circulation in 2006 was 85,588. The paper's editorial mix is focused on local news and arts. It is owned by Mark Ein, who bought it in 2017.

History

The Washington City Paper was started in 1981 by Russ Smith and Alan Hirsch, the owners of the Baltimore City Paper.[2] For its first year it was called 1981: Washington's Alternative Newspaper. The name was changed to City Paper in January 1982 and in December 1982 Smith and Hirsch sold 80% of it to Chicago Reader, Inc. In 1988, Chicago Reader, Inc. acquired the remaining 20% interest. In July 2007 both the Washington City Paper and the Chicago Reader were sold to the Tampa-based Creative Loafing chain. In 2012, Creative Loafing Atlanta and the Washington City Paper were sold to SouthComm Communications.[3]

Amy Austin, the longtime general manager, was promoted to publisher in 2003. Michael Schaffer was named editor in April, 2010, two months after Erik Wemple resigned to run the new local startup TBD.[4]

On December 21, 2017, it was announced that D.C.-area venture capitalist and philanthropist Mark Ein would buy the City Paper.[5] He became the first D.C.-based owner in the paper's history.[6] Ein announced the creation of two groups to ensure the paper's long-term success: "Alumni Group" and "Friends of Washington City Paper."[7]

Defamation lawsuit

In 2011, Daniel Snyder, the owner of the Washington Redskins, filed a lawsuit[8] against the City Paper for The Cranky Redskins Fan's Guide to Dan Snyder, a November 19, 2010 cover story that portrayed him in a negative light.[9] [10] He and the Simon Wiesenthal Center claimed that the story used anti-Semitic tropes.[11] Prominent sports journalists, Jewish groups,[12] and Jewish writers published sharp criticism of Snyder and the Simon Wiesenthal Center's claims of anti-Semitism, referring in various opinion pieces and public statements to their statements as, "breathtakingly dumb allegation",[13] "almost unbearably stupid",[14] and "so self-evidently lacking in merit".[15]

The Washington City Paper issued its own response in a published editorial, saying, "But we at City Paper take accusations of anti-Semitism seriously—in part because many of us are Jewish, including staffers who edited the story and designed the cover. So let us know, Mr. Snyder, when you want to fight the real anti-Semites."[16]

In response, hundreds of loyal readers donated over $30,000 to a legal defense fund.[17] [18]

In September 2011 the lawsuit was dropped, after, in December 2010, Washington D.C. passed[19] anti-SLAPP legislation ("David Donovan, the Redskins' former chief operating officer and general counsel, that threatened an expensive legal battle unless Snyder received a retraction and an apology"), while also, Amy Austin, the publisher, had written in a February article[20] that unauthorized switching of long-distance accounts by Snyder Communications and GTE Communications was not meant to be construed as, by Snyder himself, but people who worked for Snyder Communications and GTE Communications.[21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28]

Contents

Regular City Paper features include:

Also published is one syndicated feature:

Notable former staffers

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Annual Audit Report, December 2011. Larkspur, Calif.. . April 30, 2012.
  2. News: City Talk: The key players of Washington's influential and controversial weekly paper look back on its legacy . Stephen . Lowman. Washington Post . August 9, 2009 . October 19, 2012.
  3. Web site: Celeste . Eric . Nashville-based media company SouthComm acquires Creative Loafing Atlanta and Washington City Paper . Clatl.com . 2012-07-03 . 2014-04-13.
  4. Web site: Michael Schaffer is New Editor of Washington City Paper. Shott. Chris. 2010-04-27. Washington City Paper. 2014-04-13.
  5. News: Long Live City Paper. Mills. Alexa. 21 December 2017. Washington City Paper. 2018-01-07. en.
  6. News: 'Washington City Paper' Will Continue To Offer Local News With New Owner. Shapiro. Ari. 22 December 2017. NPR.org. 2018-01-07. en.
  7. News: Mark Ein Buys Washington City Paper. Beaujon. Andrew. 2017-12-21. Washingtonian. 2018-01-07. en-US.
  8. Web site: To Our Readers. 2 February 2011.
  9. Web site: The Cranky Redskins Fan's Guide to Dan Snyder. McKenna. Dave. 2010-11-19. Washington City Paper. 2014-04-13.
  10. News: Snyder Sues. Schaffer. Michael. 2011-02-02. Washington City Paper. 7 January 2018. Michael Schaffer.
  11. Web site: NFL Owner Enlists Wiesenthal Center After Being Ridiculed. Kaminer. Michael. The Forward. 2019-11-12.
  12. News: Snyder's devil is in the details - and a name. Courtland. Milloy. February 6, 2011. Washington Post.
  13. Web site: Wiesenthal Center Out-of-Bounds on Snyder. 2011-02-03. Tablet Magazine. en. 2019-11-12.
  14. Web site: Oh, Cut the Crap, Simon Wiesenthal Center!. Goldberg. Jeffrey. 2011-02-03. The Atlantic. en-US. 2019-11-12.
  15. News: Dan Snyder's Odd Case Against Washington City Paper. Carr. David. 2011-02-06. The New York Times. 2019-11-12. en-US. 0362-4331.
  16. Web site: On the Matter of Dan Snyder's Horns. Washington City Paper. 2 February 2011. en. 2019-11-12.
  17. News: Readers Rally Around Washington City Paper. Ember. Sydney. 3 July 2011. The New York Times. 2018-01-07. en.
  18. Web site: Stand With City Paper . Washington City Paper . 26 September 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110407013159/http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/legaldefense . 7 April 2011.
  19. Web site: Burke v. John Doe No. 1 . ACLU of DC . https://web.archive.org/web/20210428201817/https://www.acludc.org/en/cases/burke-v-john-doe-no-1 . April 28, 2021 . en . 31 December 2016 . In December of 2010, the D.C. Council passed (with our support) an Anti-SLAPP Act.
  20. News: Austin . Amy . Letter from the Publisher . 26 September 2021 . Washington City Paper . 25 February 2011 . The story didn't actually say the things Snyder has claimed it does—like call him a criminal, or a user of illegal military chemicals, or mock his wife's battle against breast cancer. It did none of those things. In media interviews and in our own pages, City Paper editors have pointed this out repeatedly since the case was filed..
  21. News: Farhi . Paul . Redskins owner Dan Snyder drops lawsuit against Washington City Paper . 26 September 2021 . Washington Post . 10 September 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150714055849/http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins-owner-dan-snyder-drops-lawsuit-against-washington-city-paper/2011/09/09/gIQA3hf1IK_story.html . 2015-07-14.
  22. News: Dan Snyder Lawsuit - The Story So Far . 26 September 2021 . Washington City Paper . 11 February 2011.
  23. News: Austin . Amy . From the Publisher to Our Readers (And Dan Snyder) . 26 September 2021 . Washington City Paper . 24 February 2011.
  24. Web site: Washington City Paper - D.C. Arts, News, Food and Living . www.washingtoncitypaper.com . 17 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110408193457/http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/ . 8 April 2011 . dead.
  25. Web site: Washington City Paper - D.C. Arts, News, Food and Living . www.washingtoncitypaper.com . 17 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110413062947/http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/ . 13 April 2011 . dead.
  26. News: Now Comes The District Of Columbia To Protest The Dumbassness Of Dan Snyder's Dumbass Libel Suit . 26 September 2021 . Deadspin . https://web.archive.org/web/20190824020031/https://deadspin.com/now-comes-the-district-of-columbia-to-protest-the-dumba-5836599 . August 24, 2019 . en-us.
  27. News: Alexander . Keith L. . D.C. law unconstitutional, Dan Snyder argues in City Paper lawsuit . 26 September 2021 . Washington Post . 2 August 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110803030454/https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/crime-scene/post/dc-law-unconstitutional-dan-snyder-argues-in-city-paper-lawsuit/2011/08/02/gIQApMqMqI_blog.html . August 3, 2011.
  28. News: Alexander . Keith L. . D.C. files motion in Daniel Snyder's lawsuit against the City Paper . 26 September 2021 . Washington Post . 31 August 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210926180132/https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/crime-scene/post/dc-files-motion-in-daniel-snyders-lawsuit-against-the-city-paper/2011/08/31/gIQAtq0rsJ_blog.html . 26 September 2021.
  29. Web site: Sommer . Will . Loose Lips - All About D.C. Politics . Washingtoncitypaper.com . 2014-04-13.
  30. Web site: Pipkin . Whitney . Young & Hungry - D.C. Restaurants and Food . Washingtoncitypaper.com . 2014-04-13.
  31. Web site: Wiener . Aaron . Housing Complex - D.C. Real Estate, Development, and Urbanism . Washingtoncitypaper.com . 2014-04-13.
  32. Web site: Lefrak. Mikaela. The David Carr Generation. The Atlantic. 14 September 2017. 29 October 2017.
  33. News: In Memory of David Carr, Who Made Me a Journalist. Coates. Ta-Nehisi. 19 February 2015. The Atlantic. 2018-01-07. en-US.
  34. Dixon. Glenn. The Paper Where Ta-Nehisi Coates Learned the Ropes. The New Republic. 14 July 2015. 29 October 2017.
  35. Web site: The 60-second interview: Erik Wemple, Washington Post media critic. Politico. 29 October 2017.
  36. Web site: Mullin. Benjamin. Press critic Jack Shafer to join Politico. 9 January 2015. 29 October 2017.
  37. Web site: Amanda Hess to be Keynote Speaker at Raliance Media Summit. Poynter. 29 October 2017.
  38. Web site: Lynch. Matthew. Deadspin hires Dave McKenna for the ESPN beat. Politico. 29 October 2017.
  39. Web site: Food's New Contributing Writer. The New York Times Company. 9 July 2019. 21 July 2019.
  40. Web site: Scocca. Tom. Washington NFL Owner Daniel Snyder Finds Another Embarrassing, No-Win Project to Spend His Money On. Slate. 2 February 2011. 29 October 2017.
  41. Web site: Who We Are. Slate. 29 October 2017.
  42. Web site: Roush. Chris. Houston Chronicle econ reporter DePillis leaves for CNNMoney. Talking Biz News. 30 September 2017. 29 October 2017.
  43. News: Three Ideas for Saving Washington City Paper*. Beaujon. Andrew. 2017-06-02. Washingtonian. 2018-01-07. en-US.
  44. News: Mike DeBonis joins congressional team . The Washington Post . 10 June 2018.
  45. Web site: AP hires Alan Suderman as Va. statehouse reporter . Associated Press . 10 June 2018.
  46. Web site: Roush . Chris . Daily Beast hires Sommer to cover tech and digital culture . Talking Biz News . 16 May 2018 . 10 June 2018.
  47. Web site: Los Angeles Times Names Shani Hilton Deputy Managing Editor. Los Angeles Times. 3 April 2019. 7 April 2019.
  48. News: 10 September 2022 . Perry Stein . 10 September 2022 . The Washington Post.

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