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‘Village Voice’ Unhires 8 More

The Village Voice, in off-again, on-again turmoil since New Times Media merged with Village Voice Media and assumed its name, has axed 8 more staffers, decimating the ranks of its arts staff.

Included in the mass dismissal was Robert Christgau, a senior editor and longtime pop music critic who has worked for the paper on and off since 1969, writes The New York Times. The layoffs are part of an effort to “reconfigure the editorial department to place an emphasis on writers as opposed to editors,” according to a statement quoted in the article.

After music editor Chuck Eddy was fired from the alternative weekly in April - the 17th employee to leave since the merger - Christgau discontinued his podcast, certain that he was next to be fired.

In addition to Christgau, theater editor Jorge Morales, dance editor Elizabeth Zimmer and Ed Park, senior editor in charge of the books section, were let go.

The newest editor in chief of the paper, David Blum, will come onboard on Sept. 12. He says that the decisions to lay off the eight workers was made by Village Voice Media before he was hired, but that he welcomes input from the parent company because, he is quoted as saying, “I think they put out terrific newspapers and are journalists who are committed to the same type of coverage that I am.”

Previous coverage:

• ‘Village Voice’ Dropping Editors Left and Right
• ‘Village Voice’ Publisher Out
• Village Voice Media Expected to Merge with New Times