Saturday 1 September 2018

cooper square

Having faith that such decisions are not made lightly and hard choices have to be deliberated and considerations taken for the welfare of staff, but losing another journalistic institution—this time in the alternative weekly Village Voice, which was read all over the world and had inestimable cultural and musical influence over its six decade run—makes me wonder where are the true patrons (I suppose that might be willing to adopt a newspaper, especially the local ones that are disappearing at frightening rates to the severe detriment to community cohesion and engagement, until it can rehabilitate itself enough so its at least no longer loosing money.
This is made especially alarming at times when reporting itself is under assault with the legitimate news outlets characterised as the enemy of the people and subject to censorship while propagandists and panderers are lauded for their loyalty as patriots. I am reminded of the exchange between Charles Foster Kane and his banker and guardian Walter Parks Thatcher, to whom Kane replies when accused of squandering his personal fortunes on an insoluble venture, “You’re right, I did lose a million dollars last year. I expect to lose a million dollars this year. I expect to lose a million dollars next year. You know, Mister Thatcher, at the rate of a million dollars a year, I’ll have to close this place in… sixty years.” Even adjusting for inflation and how the backing and business of reporting has been transformed by the internet and social media, I am still fairly confident that we are flush with enough funds to keep what’s worth keeping afloat.