The Village Voice, New York’s famous alternative newspaper, has changed hands again. It was sold on Monday to Peter Barbey, a member of one of America’s wealthiest families, reports the New York Times.
He acquired the weekly title for an undisclosed sum from Voice Media Group, which bought the paper in September 2012. It was previously owned by New Times Media.
The Village Voice was founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher and Norman Mailer. It became famous for its investigative journalism, as well as its criticism and reviews.
But it has suffered in recent years from faltering sales, falling ad revenue and the departure of several writers.
Barbey, who vowed to invest in the paper, said it had “a unique journalistic role in New York” and “deserves to survive and prosper.”
He certainly should have the money. The Barbeys, with a long history in newspaper publishing, rank 48th on the Forbes list of America’s wealthiest families.
Sources: New York Times/Forbes
