Southern Voice Closes Its Doors
November 16, 2009 | 11:29 amUPDATE: After doing more sleuthing, CL’s post on the closing of SOVO and David magazine is much more in-depth and substantive.
Another newspaper shuts down, as reported by another newspaper.
Southern Voice has closed its doors after a long-time financial battle to stay afloat.
The publishers closed it and a handful of other gay publications nationwide over the weekend, the newspaper’s editor, Laura Douglas Brown, confirmed Monday.
Thanks to Steve for pointing this out!
I am devastated by this. I have always loved SoVo. I can’t even make a snark.
This is a huge loss for the GLBT community in many cities. Windows Media also owned the Washington Blade, the local gay newspaper in DC, which due to its proximity to the power center, was a critical voice in what was happening on the Hill and in the White House for our community. It was a resource not just for DC but for the newsfeed it gave the rest of the country. This is not to mention how important these papers are for young people, and people new to these cities, in trying to find their way around and learn about local politics, businesses, organizations and social activities that are GLBT-friendly, often critical information in the past very unfriendly decade. Wow, they will be sorely missed.
I will miss their political analysis and local news analysis. It was indispensable to anyone wanting a full picture of the metro political scene, as well as information on national events. I hope some of our local blogs will continue or develop this now much needed information and opinion source.
Grift and Rusty have been right about this for a long time.
The news business is facing a dramatic restructuring and the failure of many of these newspapers is a VERY unfortunate but necessary step in the process to rebuild a more streamlined news media. (What we live with in the meantime is sorta frightening, but it is what it is)
I don’t know Windows Media’s financial state, but it is sort of concerning that with a relatively small office staff, they couldn’t make it work. But many media orgs are too over-leveraged to compete in a cheap media world. Others just refuse to conform (i.e. go online and go niche). Either way, these folks have or will die off.
They don’t deserve it, but that’s evolution for you. I’m as nostalgic as the next guy for a paper and a cup of coffee, but in this sorta world nostalgia is a determent to survival.
Anyway, back to your comment Rick. Of all things “news”, political analysis is easily one of the easiest to transfer online. Hopefully some of SOVO’s writers will take the risk and jump into the online space and continue to provide this vital service to Atlanta.
Not sure about being online only, but they are already putting together a leaner and meaner operation in DC. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/17/AR2009111702318.html?hpid=newswell
Hopefully some of SOVO’s writers will take the risk and jump into the online space and continue to provide this vital service to Atlanta.
This already happened like a year ago: http://www.projectqatlanta.com/
Great! Is it profitable?
i will miss the sassiness and naughtiness that awaited me along the sidewalk. RIP the insight and different perspectives.
If only Windows Media hadn’t spent all that money launching Windows 7.
What’s that? Different Windows? Oh, then never mind…
So some of the Washington Blade staff is reconfiguring at least with volunteers and donations: http://www.metroweekly.com/gauge/?ak=4666 and here they are: http://dcagenda.com/?p=50