The Philadelphia Independent (2002–2005)

Last updated
DovecoteMasthead.gif
DovecoteIssueTen.jpg
Issue 10 front page of
The Philadelphia Independent
TypeBi-monthly newspaper
Format Broadsheet
Owner(s)Phindie Publishing LLC
PublisherMattathias Schwartz
EditorMattathias Schwartz
FoundedJanuary, 2002
Headquarters1026 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Website

The Philadelphia Independent was a bi-monthly newspaper that served the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area from January 2002 to March 2005. According to Mattathias Schwartz, former Editor and Publisher, the newspaper had a printed circulation of 10,000, 1,200 of which were sent to subscribers.

Contents

In "A Note to the Reader" in issue one, the Editors expressed a cynical yet hopeful view of urban culture in Philadelphia that would set the tone for the paper's 21 issue run: "For now, let us say that we are dissatisfied with modern life. We sense the germs of discovery, enlightenment and revolution lying dormant within us, the same germs that inferred the secret of the lightning bolt and cast off the yoke of empire. We want to create a frame where things are better, be that a chair, a photograph, a canvas, a song, or a newspaper." [1]

The paper had multiple mottos: "A General Interest Miscellaneous Newspaper" and "the Periodic Journal of Urban Particulars" were printed above the masthead. "Nostre manes sunt infantes," "It's all here & It's all true," "Too big to read on the subway," and "Beholden to No One" were printed beside the masthead.

Style and design

The Independent was set apart from other Philadelphia newspapers not only by its writing but by its layout and design. At 22 inches by 17 inches, The Independent was very large, even by broadsheet standards. In a compact, antiquated style, the front page would often have between 10-20 articles, far above the average.

Each section of the newspaper had illustrated page headers, with titles such as "Industry News," "Metronaut" and "The Bureau of Puzzles & Games" created by cartoonist Jacob Weinstein, who also created the layout for issues six through 21. The work of various cartoonists and illustrators were featured throughout the paper including Gary Panter, Ben Katchor.

Writing style

Much of The Independent’s writing style was an exaggeration of modern newspaper style, more in line with 19th-century or early-20th-century style similar to that of The New York Times . [2] Front page articles often had three headlines, and extreme examples of alliteration were not uncommon. In issue twenty, of winter 2004, after President George W. Bush was reelected, the second headline after "God Help Us" read, "Reverend Rove's Red Rubes Rock Rickety Republic / Righteous Rabble Ratifies Rogue Ruler's Reign." Allen Crawford ("Lord Whimsy"), a writer and editor for the paper, stated that his own "unapologetically pompous and florid" writing style found a regular place in the paper. [3]

Distribution

Issues cost $1 inside of Philadelphia and $2 elsewhere. Distributed in various retail locations as well as in wildly painted newspaper boxes throughout downtown Philadelphia. The Independent was sold in at least 60 stores and restaurants in Philadelphia including the Weavers Way (co-op), Wooden Shoe Books and Records, and Reading Terminal Market. Outside of the city, the paper was sold at locations in Doylestown, New Hope, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Brooklyn, Chicago, and Portland.

Dissolution

In issue 21, released in March 2005, the Editors announced a temporary but possibly permanent hiatus: "We may start up again one day, and if we do, we promise our second volume will be even better than our first. But the first volume may turn out to be it for the Independent, in which case we ask only that you keep a place for us, in your desk or on your shelf." [4]

On March 19, 2006, former Editor and Publisher Mattathias Schwartz used The Pigeon, The Independent's "eMailing List" to inform former readers of the Crier, [5] a new publication based out of New York City, partly edited by Christine Smallwood, a former staff writer for the Independent.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tabloid (newspaper format)</span> Type of newspaper

A tabloid is a newspaper with a compact page size smaller than broadsheet. There is no standard size for this newspaper format.

<i>The Economist</i> British weekly newspaper

The Economist is a weekly newspaper published in printed magazine format and digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture, and is mostly written and edited in Britain. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by the Economist Group, with its core editorial offices in the United States, as well as across major cities in continental Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The newspaper has a prominent focus on data journalism and interpretive analysis over original reporting, to both criticism and acclaim.

<i>Evening Standard</i> British newspaper

The London Standard, formerly the Evening Standard (1904–2024) and originally The Standard (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free of charge in London, England. It is printed in tabloid format, and also has an online edition.

<i>The Philadelphia Inquirer</i> American daily newspaper founded in 1829

The Philadelphia Inquirer, often referred to simply as The Inquirer, is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded on June 1, 1829, The Philadelphia Inquirer is the third-longest continuously operating daily newspaper in the United States.

<i>The Independent</i> British online daily newspaper

The Independent is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the Indy, it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was published on Saturday 26 March 2016, leaving only the online edition.

<i>Irish Independent</i> Irish daily newspaper

The Irish Independent is an Irish daily newspaper and online publication which is owned by Independent News & Media (INM), a subsidiary of Mediahuis.

<i>Washington Blade</i> American LGBT newspaper

The Washington Blade is an LGBT newspaper in the Washington metropolitan area. The Blade is the oldest LGBT newspaper in the United States and third largest by circulation, behind the Philadelphia Gay News and the Gay City News of New York City. The Blade is often referred to as America's gay newspaper of record because it chronicled LGBT news locally, nationally, and internationally. The New York Times said the Blade is considered "one of the most influential publications written for a gay audience."

<i>Daily Mirror</i> British daily tabloid newspaper

The Daily Mirror is a British national daily tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply The Mirror. It had an average daily print circulation of 716,923 in December 2016, dropping to 587,803 the following year. Its Sunday sister paper is the Sunday Mirror. Unlike other major British tabloids such as The Sun and the Daily Mail, the Mirror has no separate Scottish edition; this function is performed by the Daily Record and the Sunday Mail, which incorporate certain stories from the Mirror that are of Scottish significance.

<i>Morning Star</i> (British newspaper) British daily tabloid format newspaper

The Morning Star is a left-wing British daily newspaper with a focus on social, political and trade union issues. Originally founded in 1930 as the Daily Worker by the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB), ownership was transferred from the CPGB to an independent readers' co-operative, the People's Press Printing Society, in 1945 and later renamed the Morning Star in 1966. The paper describes its editorial stance as in line with Britain's Road to Socialism, the programme of the Communist Party of Britain.

The South End is the official student newspaper of Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, published in print and online. It was founded in 1967, and its publication is funded partly from university funds and partly from advertising revenues. It is distributed free of charge.

<i>BH</i> (newspaper) Malaysian newspaper

BH is a Malay-language daily newspaper published in Malaysia. It is owned by the New Straits Times Press. BH was first published on 1 July 1957, marking its debut as a major daily newspaper in Malaysia. Its Sunday Edition, BH Ahad, was launched on 10 July 1960.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Letter to the editor</span> Letter sent by readers to a publication

A letter to the editor (LTE) is a letter sent to a publication about an issue of concern to the reader. Usually, such letters are intended for publication. In many publications, letters to the editor may be sent either through conventional mail or electronic mail.

The Dartmouth is the daily student newspaper at Dartmouth College and America's oldest college newspaper. Originally named the Dartmouth Gazette, the first issue was published on August 27, 1799, under the motto "Here range the world—explore the dense and rare; and view all nature in your elbow chair."

The Fourth Estate, sometimes stylized as the IV Estate or IV, is the student newspaper of George Mason University in Fairfax County, Virginia with an independent City of Fairfax, Virginia postal address.

<i>Irish Daily Mail</i> Newspaper in Ireland and Northern Ireland

The Irish Daily Mail is a newspaper published on the island of Ireland by DMG Media. The paper launched in February 2006 with a launch strategy that included giving away free copies on the first day of circulation and low pricing subsequently. The 2009 price was one euro. The strategy aimed to attract readers away from the Irish Independent.

The Federalist, known colloquially among students as The Fed, is a tabloid-sized newspaper published every three weeks at Columbia University in New York City. Founded in 1986 by Neil Gorsuch, Andrew Levy and P.T. Waters, the paper has undergone many changes in mission, style, form, and success, though it has experienced relatively few interruptions in production since the publication of its first issues. Currently the paper publishes topical humor and satirical content.

<i>Public Ledger</i> (Philadelphia) 1836–1942 daily newspaper published in Pennsylvania

The Public Ledger was a daily newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, published from March 25, 1836, to January 1942. Its motto was "Virtue, Liberty, and Independence". It was Philadelphia's most widely-circulated newspaper for a period, but its circulation began declining in the mid-1930s. The newspaper also operated a syndicate, the Ledger Syndicate, from 1915 until 1946.

<i>San Francisco Examiner</i> Daily newspaper in San Francisco, California

The San Francisco Examiner is a newspaper distributed in and around San Francisco, California, and has been published since 1863.

<i>The University Times</i> Irish student newspaper

The University Times is a student newspaper. Published from Trinity College Dublin, it is financially supported by Trinity College Dublin Students' Union but maintains a mutually agreed policy of editorial independence.

<i>The National</i> (Scotland) Daily Scottish newspaper

The National is a Scottish daily newspaper owned by Newsquest. It began publication on 24 November 2014, and was the first daily newspaper in Scotland to support Scottish independence. Launched as a response to calls from Newsquest's readership for a pro-independence paper in the wake of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, it is a sister paper of The Herald, and is edited by Laura Webster. Initially published on weekdays, a Saturday edition was added in May 2015. The National is printed in tabloid format, and is also available via online subscription.

References

  1. ↑ "A Note To The Reader" . Retrieved 2007-12-22.
  2. ↑ Image:NYTimes-Page1-11-11-1918.jpg
  3. ↑ "interviewmagazine.com". November 2008. Retrieved 2013-03-25.
  4. ↑ "A Note To The Reader" . Retrieved 2007-12-22.
  5. ↑ "The Crier Magazine" . Retrieved 2007-12-22.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.