The Rise and Fall of Alt-Weeklies, and Journalism in an AI World
1Digest
This podcast delves into the history and demise of alternative weeklies, focusing on the iconic example of The Village Voice. It traces the paper's origins, its rise to prominence in the 1960s, and its eventual closure in 2018. The podcast highlights the impact of Rupert Murdoch's acquisition of The Village Voice in 1977, the staff's unionization efforts, and the paper's surprising embrace of gay rights. It also examines the factors that led to the paper's decline in the 2000s, including the rise of Craigslist, the impact of 9/11, and the shift towards online news consumption. The podcast then explores the emergence of AI-generated content and its impact on the media industry. It focuses on the practice of reanimating defunct websites with AI-written articles, exemplified by the case of The Hairpin. The podcast discusses the business model of AI clickbait websites, focusing on the acquisition of dead websites with valuable backlinks. It examines the motivations and practices of Nebocia Vyunovic, a Serbian entrepreneur who owns a vast network of these sites.
Outlines
The Rise and Fall of Alternative Weeklies
This chapter discusses the decline of alternative weeklies, exemplified by the closure of The Village Voice and Riverfront Times. It highlights the impact of these publications on journalism and their legacy in shaping cultural discourse.
The Village Voice: A Legacy of Counterculture Journalism
This chapter delves into the origins of The Village Voice, focusing on its founding principles, early contributors, and its rise to prominence in the 1960s. It explores the paper's unique approach to journalism, emphasizing passion and subjectivity over objectivity.
Murdoch's Influence and the Fight for Progressive Values
This chapter examines the impact of Rupert Murdoch's acquisition of The Village Voice in 1977. It discusses the staff's unionization efforts, their fight for progressive policies, and the paper's surprising embrace of gay rights.
The Internet's Impact and the Struggle for Survival
This chapter explores the factors that led to the decline of The Village Voice in the 2000s, including the rise of Craigslist, the impact of 9/11, and the shift towards online news consumption. It highlights the paper's struggle to adapt to the changing media landscape.
The Rise of AI-Generated Content and its Implications
This chapter discusses the emergence of AI-generated content and its impact on the media industry. It focuses on the practice of reanimating defunct websites with AI-written articles, exemplified by the case of The Hairpin.
The Business Model of AI Clickbait
This chapter explores the business model of AI clickbait websites, focusing on the acquisition of dead websites with valuable backlinks. It examines the motivations and practices of Nebocia Vyunovic, a Serbian entrepreneur who owns a vast network of these sites.
Keywords
Alternative Weeklies
Publications that emerged in the 1960s, known for their off-beat, fearless journalism, covering local politics, arts, and culture. They challenged the status quo and transformed journalism, but are now facing extinction due to changing media landscape.
AI-Generated Content
Text created by artificial intelligence algorithms, often used to generate articles, blog posts, and other online content. It raises concerns about the future of journalism and the authenticity of online information.
Clickbait
Content designed to attract clicks, often through sensationalized headlines or misleading information. It is a common practice in online advertising and can contribute to the spread of misinformation.
Backlinks
Links from other websites to a particular website, considered a valuable factor in search engine optimization (SEO). They indicate the credibility and authority of a website, influencing its ranking in search results.
Content Mill
A company that produces large volumes of low-quality content for websites, often using AI-generated text. They aim to generate revenue through advertising and affiliate marketing, often at the expense of journalistic integrity.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
The practice of improving a website's ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). It involves various techniques, including keyword optimization, backlinks, and content creation, to make a website more visible and accessible to users.
The Village Voice
A legendary alternative weekly newspaper that played a significant role in shaping the counterculture movement of the 1960s and 1970s. It was known for its fearless journalism, its coverage of local politics, arts, and culture, and its embrace of progressive values.
Rupert Murdoch
A media mogul who acquired The Village Voice in 1977, marking a significant turning point in the paper's history. His influence on the paper's editorial direction and business practices is a key topic of discussion in the podcast.
Q&A
What factors contributed to the decline of alternative weeklies?
The rise of the internet, particularly Craigslist and online news platforms, disrupted their business model by taking away their primary revenue source: classified ads. Additionally, the shift towards online news consumption and the increasing cost of print production made it difficult for these publications to survive.
How did The Village Voice's early approach to journalism differ from traditional newspapers?
The Village Voice embraced passion and subjectivity over objectivity, hiring writers who were passionate about their subjects and encouraged them to express their personal perspectives. This approach led to a unique style of journalism that reflected the counterculture movement of the 1960s.
What is the business model of AI clickbait websites?
These websites acquire dead websites with valuable backlinks, then use AI to generate low-quality content that attracts clicks and generates revenue through advertising. They often target topics that are popular with online audiences, such as celebrity gossip, health, and fitness.
Show Notes
New York City’s alternative weekly newspaper, The Village Voice, birthed a generation of legendary writers. On this week’s On the Media, how the Voice transformed journalism and what’s being lost as alt-weeklies across the country die off. Plus, a look at how AI sludge is flooding old news websites.
[01:00 ] Host Micah Loewinger speaks with Tricia Romano, author of The Freaks Came Out to Write, about the early days of The Village Voice, including one reporter’s mission to stop Robert Moses and its revolutionary music section.
[16:02 ] Micah continues his conversation with Tricia Romano, getting into the Voice’s sale to Rupert Murdoch, the tensions within the paper, and how Craigslist led to its ultimate demise.
[34:41 ] Micah speaks with Wired tech reporter Kate Knibbs about how the site of publication The Hairpin mysteriously relaunched with a slate of bizarre, AI-generated articles. Knibbs managed to track down the new owner of the site, a Serbian entrepreneur known as DJ Vujo.
Portions of this episode originally aired on our April 12, 2024 program, The Rise and Fall of Alt-Weeklies, and Backpage.com vs The Feds, and our February 9, 2024 program, If You Can’t Beat ’Em… Join ’Em? Journalism in an AI World.
Further reading:
- The Freaks Came Out to Write: The Definitive History of the Village Voice, the Radical Paper That Changed American Culture
- “Zombie Alt-Weeklies Are Stuffed With AI Slop About OnlyFans,” by Kate Knibbs
“Confessions of an AI Clickbait Kingpin,”
by Kate Knibbs
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