The Boston Phoenix suddenly folds

[ron_newman]

Boston Phoenix to close

Today's print edition, dated March 15, will be the last. There will be one more online edition, dated March 22. The Providence and Portland Phoenixes will continue publishing.

Without the Phoenix, we're going to lose a lot of coverage of music, theatre, visual arts, and other local culture.

Please use this post as an open thread for any thoughts or rememberances of this once-great publication.

Comments

[samcoren.livejournal.com]

I actually thought the "relaunched" version was doing well, but it's just the nature of the industry now I guess. So many bands I know got their first press mentions in the Phoenix too. Here's hoping the writers find new homes quickly.

[georgy.livejournal.com]

I read that Mindich was betting on the new glossy version attracting national advertisers to help keep the paper afloat. I don't know a ton about print publishing, but that doesn't strike me as a sure bet.

[samcoren.livejournal.com]

Well...well with readers, not so much with advertisers. I started picking it up again after the relaunch.

[ron_newman]

And I'm wondering why he needs them for Boston, since the Providence and Portland papers get by just fine without them (and they're going to keep publishing).

[shadow.livejournal.com]

Boston has a lot of alternative channels for local print advertising: The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald, The Weekly Dig, Boston Metro, Boston Magazine, Barstool Sports, Bay Windows, Spare Change, and The Improper Bostonian... just off the top of my head. Plus every little neigborhood newspaper (Somerville News, Scout Somerville, etc.)

I can't speak for Providence, but I know Portland ME doesn't have anywhere near that number of print publications. It makes sense to me that local advertisers have few options in Portland and so can support a local paper, whereas in Boston you would need national advertisers to fill in. Sadly I don't think we've seen the end of the closures and bankruptcies for Boston publications yet.

[josephineave.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure there were any sure bets. They could have kept going under the old model, but it wasn't enough to keep it going as its own entity. Not sure that's the route I would have chosen (they own the company that prints newspapers, but they weren't able to do magazines without a major investment), but it was Stephen's call.

I heard they were losing about a million a year, so, unless he wanted to pull from other wallets, it was time to think about winding it down. Guess there was no interest in selling (though I'll bet he sells off the archives).


* Disclosure: I worked for PMCG from 2004 to 2007.

[rmd.livejournal.com]

Such a shame.

[elements.livejournal.com]

Terrible shame! I especially value the political reporting of David Bernstein - I hope he is picked up elsewhere soon!

[agharta75.livejournal.com]

I'm going to really miss the events listings. Is there anything online or off that can substitute for that?

[ron_newman]

I actively dislike The Improper Bostonian, but it does have fairly comprehensive listings. You'll find their newsboxes in most of the same places as the Phoenix's. As far as I can tell, these listings are only in print, not on their website.

Also, the Thursday Globe 'g' section contains some event listings. (I still miss the old Thursday Globe Calendar, which was much better than 'g')

[agharta75.livejournal.com]

I should have said "other than IB" :-) (sharing your opinion of that thing)

[tenshikurai9.livejournal.com]

Because of the print listings, I always make sure to have the most recent copy of the Improper around the house. Otherwise I normally don't bother reading it.

[misterthorn.livejournal.com]

That's heartbreaking. So many of my early experiences when I first moved to Boston were mediated by the Phoenix classifieds. Robert Nadeau's restaurant reviews were how I first learned to start thinking and talking about food. I guess that's also the first place I discovered Dan Savage. Occasional glimpses of great local journalism. I'm used to letting go of beloved institutions in the relentless march of time, but this smarts more than usual.

[tenshikurai9.livejournal.com]

Never paid attention to the radio station, but I did read the paper. First issue I bought was in 1999 from a place on Hancock St, Quincy and the main article was on starving artists or some-such, so there was a graphic of a painter on the cover.