Washington Blade
ISSN 0278-9892 | | |
Website | washingtonblade.com |
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The Washington Blade is an
The paper was originally launched as an independent publication in October 1969 with a focus on bringing the community together. In 2001, the Blade was purchased by Window Media LLC,[2] a group of gay-oriented newspapers circulated throughout the United States[8] with a staff composed of professional journalists, becoming a leading source of news for the readers both in Washington and around the nation.[9] The paper publishes weekly on Fridays[10] and celebrated its 50th anniversary in October 2019.[11]
In November 2009, the Blade and several related publications, including the Southern Voice, were shut down after Window Media announced it was closing business.[2][12] After Blade staff members were told they no longer had jobs, plans were made for a new gay publication entitled DC Agenda, since the trademark for Washington Blade was still held by the now-defunct Window Media.[12][13][14]
It was announced on April 27, 2010, that the DC Agenda would rename itself to the Washington Blade. The ownership group of the Agenda consisted of many former staff members of the Blade, who purchased the trademark and paper archives out of bankruptcy court. The first issue of the newly independent Blade debuted on April 30, 2010.[15]
History
Origins to 1973
The Washington Blade, originally called The Gay Blade, published its first issue on October 5, 1969.[16] Taking its roots from the Mattachine Society of Washington's newsletter in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Blade was conceived as a way to fill in a perceived gap in the organization of social communications within the gay community of Washington, D.C.[17] It was created by Nancy Tucker and Lilli Vincenz.[18] The Blade was originally published as a single page and distributed hand-to-hand in a variety of gay bars throughout the city. Afraid of a backlash over the publication, many of the initial authors of writings in the Blade used pen names during the early years of publishing.[19] The initial publications were entirely created by volunteers from the community with two editors, Nancy Tucker and Bart Wenger, at the helm.[17] Wenger stated the initial goals of the publication were to "...engender a sense of community" and that it was "very important for gays to become acquainted with one another."[11] Published monthly from 1969 to 1973, the newspaper evolved from its original size and shape of a single letter sized paper sheet. In June 1972, the Gay Blade published its first multi-page edition which consisted of four pages and in April 1973, the paper expanded to eight pages and was printed on legal sized paper sheets, stapled in the middle and folded.[20] As the looks of the paper evolved, so did the news coverage. The Gay Blade began to focus less on being a newsletter used to organize the community and more of a newspaper for the community.[11]
1974 to 1982
In July 1974, the first newsprint edition was published and signaled an evolution in the history of the Gay Blade.
1983 to 2000
The Blade started publishing weekly in January 1983 and coverage shifted to the AIDS crisis and news about this newly emerging disease. The ever-breaking news caused the paper to remain in a heightened state of coverage and nearly exhausted the papers resources with members of the community having to step in to support the work of the Blade. The reporting of the AIDS crisis from this timeframe allowed the newspaper to come of age to the mature and professionally driven publication seen today.
2001 to 2010
On May 25, 2001, the print edition announced the sale of the Washington Blade to Window Media, LLC, a group of gay publications. With the new ownership came several changes to standardize the paper with other Window Media publications, such as the return of editorials to the publication after being missing for several decades.[8] Shortly after the sale of the paper, staff at the Blade sought a vote to unionize with the help of the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild. The Guild and the staff of the Blade brought a complaint to the National Labor Relations Board and deliberated for a few weeks over this issue resulting in a ten to eight vote against unionization on July 20, 2001.[22]
Beginning in 2005, the Washington Blade also ran a free news clipping service called the BladeWire. This service collected news stories of interest to the LGBT community from a variety of local, state, regional, national, and selected international media sources. The service was generated by the Blades editors and was published on the internet. A feature of the BladeWire also allowed it to be syndicated onto other websites using JavaScript.
During the 2008 U.S. presidential election, Senator John McCain's decision to participate in a written interview with the Blade marked the first time a Republican presidential nominee agreed to be interviewed by a gay publication.[23][24]
On November 16, 2009, the paper was abruptly shut down because of the financial status of its parent company, Window Media, and its majority shareholder, Avalon Equity Partners.[25][26] Employees at the Blade were aware of Window Media's financial troubles, but the timing and total closure of the publication came as a shock to the entire staff. Kevin Naff, editor of the Blade, said employees "found out when two of the corporate officers were waiting for us when we got to work this morning".[27] Since the Blade had been a profitable newspaper, and because the debt-ridden Window Media was no longer draining the publication's finances, the same day the Blade shut down, Naff told the Washington City Paper he and the remaining staffers "We're all together. Our first meeting for our new venture is tomorrow morning."[13] Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton said the Blade had been a "weekly must-read", and pledged support for a new publication to serve Washington's LGBT community.
On November 20, 2009, a new venture, supported entirely by volunteering staff (who consisted of the majority of the Blade's editorial staff, as well as a few others, at the time of its closing), launched with its first issue. Called DC Agenda, no relation to the non-profit organization of the same name, the new venture released the same week as the closing of the Blade. From the placeholder website SaveTheBlade.com:
While we cannot save the name we can certainly save all that was the essence and spirit of our
LGBTQ Community.[28]
Issues were handed out at Washington, D.C., Metro train stations, and an online copy was available at www.washingtonblade.com.[29]
On February 25, 2010, DC Agenda acquired the assets of the Washington Blade from the US Bankruptcy Court. Included were the archives, name, trademarks, website, and fixtures from the Washington Blade offices. About a month later on April 26, 2010, the DC Agenda publisher announced that the Washington Blade name would return to the masthead of the paper with the DC Agenda becoming the name of the arts and entertainment section.[30]
On March 24, 2017, the paper launched a version in Los Angeles, called the Los Angeles Blade.[31]
Circulation and demographics
The Washington Blade was published weekly on Fridays with a circulation of 33,874 printed copies of each edition.
According to a survey conducted by Simmons Market Research in April 2000 for the Washington Blade, the median age of their readership was forty-one and 85% of their readers were between the ages of twenty-five and fifty-four years old. 92% of the readership is employed with 70% of the readers in
Awards
A series of articles from March 1985 and continuing for five months entitled "When Pretending Stops," written by Lisa Keen, won local acclaim and awards for the coverage of the slow death of local lawyer Ray Engebretsen. This series of articles chronicled the impact of AIDS in the gay community and was ground-breaking coverage in Washington.
Criticism and controversy
Publication of the paper has not been without controversy over the years. The news coverage from the early years to the mid-1980s was perceived by some as being "white-washed" for its lack of coverage of the gay
The newspaper has been accused from time-to-time of forcing public figures
In July 2005, Jeff Gannon began writing editorials for the paper. His pieces included criticism of gay blogger John Aravosis, who had helped uncover Gannon's pornographic ads.[4] Editor Chris Crain attracted his own criticism from many in the gay community for this decision, due to Gannon's history of anti-gay reporting as well as Gannon's refusal to disclose his sexual orientation. He has said, "My personal life is a private matter, despite the fact that I have become a public person." Crain defended his decision in a September 2005 editorial[42] and claimed the "steady stream of feedback/vitriol" had declined "a little" with each new Gannon article.
References
- ^ "District of Columbia Newspaper Circulation" (PDF). ANR. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Oldest US newspaper for gays and lesbians shutting down". Agence France-Presse. news.smh.com.au. November 16, 2009. Archived from the original on August 20, 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2009.
- ^ "Distant Voices - Alumni Updates..." (PDF). TunnelVision (5). Vanderbilt University Alumni Association: 5. Spring 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-07-04. Retrieved 2007-02-21.
- ^ a b Burnett, Richard (2006-10-28). "Double-edged Blade". Article. Fugues.com. Archived from the original on 2007-05-03. Retrieved 2007-02-21.
- ^ Bugg, Sean (2002-04-18). "Hard News". Article. Metro Weekly. Archived from the original on 2003-04-19. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
- ^ Segraves, Mark (November 16, 2009). "Longtime gay publication shutting its doors". WTOP-FM. wtop.com. Archived from the original on June 11, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2009.
- ^ Pérez-Peña, Richard (November 17, 2009). "Washington Blade Newspaper Closes Down". The New York Times. pp. B4. Archived from the original on July 31, 2012. Retrieved November 17, 2009.
- ^ a b "BladeRunners". Article. Washington City Paper. 2002-04-12. Retrieved 2007-02-21. [dead link]
- ^ Wolf, Buck (2006-07-14). "No Privacy for Lance Bass at Gay Bar". Article. ABC News. Archived from the original on 2007-03-09. Retrieved 2007-02-21.
- ^ a b "Verified Audit Circulation". Data Table. 2006. Archived from the original on 2008-02-16. Retrieved 2007-02-21.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Newspaper of Record: 35 Years of the Washington Blade" (PDF). Article. The Rainbow History Project. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-02-06. Retrieved 2007-02-21.
- ^ a b Schwartzman, Paul (November 16, 2009). "Washington Blade to close". The Washington Post. washingtonpost.com. Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2009.
- ^ a b Wemple, Erik (November 16, 2009). "Blade Staff to Launch New Publication". Washington City Paper. washingtoncitypaper.com. Archived from the original on November 19, 2009. Retrieved November 16, 2009.
- ^ Hess, Amanda (November 16, 2009). "The Final Hours of the Washington Blade". Washington City Paper. washingtoncitypaper.com. Archived from the original on November 18, 2009. Retrieved November 16, 2009.
- ^ Zak, Dan (April 27, 2010). "D.C. Agenda sets a memorable date: The return of the Washington Blade". The Washington Post. pp. C1.[dead link]
- ^ "DC Almanac". List. Progressive Review. Archived from the original on 2007-02-28. Retrieved 2007-02-21.
- ^ a b "Community Pioneers". Assembled Memories. 2006-12-03. Archived from the original (Essay) on February 13, 2008. Retrieved 2007-02-21.
- ^ Lou Chibbaro Jr. (2013-07-30). "Library of Congress acquires papers of Lilli Vincenz". Washington Blade. Archived from the original on 2013-08-02. Retrieved 2013-03-28.
- ^ a b c "D.C.'s landmark gay and lesbian weekly lands on the cutting edge of media conglomeration". Article. Washington City Paper. 2001-04-01. Retrieved 2007-02-21. [dead link]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Anderton, Bryan (2004-09-10). "35 Years of History" (PDF). Washington Blade. p. 74. Archived from the original (Article) on September 30, 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-05.
- ^ Dunlap, N. Leigh (1985–1995). "Morgan Calabrese". Washington Blade.
- ^ "Blade employees battle for union recognition" (PDF). The Guild Reporter. 68 (6). The Newspaper Guild and The Communications Workers of America: 5. 2001-06-15. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-11-29. Retrieved 2007-02-21.
- The Advocate. advocate.com. Archived from the originalon November 20, 2009. Retrieved November 16, 2009.
- ^ Kapfer, William R. (October 1, 2008). "McCain's gay Q&A". Washington Blade. logcabin.org. Archived from the original on October 8, 2008. Retrieved November 16, 2009.
- ^ Swartz, Kristi E.; Stafford, Leon (November 16, 2009). "Southern Voice, longtime gay and lesbian newspaper, shuts down". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ajc.com. Archived from the original on November 17, 2009. Retrieved November 16, 2009.
- ^ Turner, Dorie (November 16, 2009). "Nation's largest gay newspaper publisher closes". news.yahoo.com. Associated Press. Retrieved November 16, 2009. [dead link]
- ^ Perez-Pena, Richard (November 16, 2009). "Washington Blade and Several Other Gay Newspapers Go Out of Business". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 18, 2009. Retrieved November 16, 2009.
- ^ "WE DID IT!!! IS HERE..." Archived from the original on 2009-11-20. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
- ^ Special Reportsby Chris Johnson. "Washington Blade - America's Leading Gay News Source - the gay community's news source : Washington Blade – America's Leading Gay News Source". Dcagenda.com. Archived from the original on 2009-11-22. Retrieved 2013-12-05.
- ^ Zak, Dan (2010-04-27). "Gay weekly D.C. Agenda sets a memorable date: The return of The Washington Blade". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2017-06-22. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ "Washington Blade to launch newspaper in Los Angeles". Washington Blade. 10 March 2017. Archived from the original on 23 December 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
- ^ a b c "Masthead of "The Washington Blade"". Image. Washington Blade. 2006-11-24. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-05.
- ^ a b "Washington Blade Advertising Information". Article. Washington Blade. 2007. Archived from the original on February 7, 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-05.
- ^ "American Bar Association 1995 Silver Gavel Award Winners". American Bar Association. Archived from the original (Data Table) on February 15, 2006. Retrieved 2007-03-05.
- ^ "Society of Professional Journalists 2007 Dateline Award Winners". Society of Professional Journalists. Archived from the original (DOC) on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-13.
- ^ Sorensen, Mark (Summer 1996). "Censorship and the Public Librarian". Article. 78 (3). Illinois Libraries: 120–123. Archived from the original on 2007-01-03. Retrieved 2007-03-05.
- ^ a b Graham, Trey (2007-02-01). "Gay critic critiques gay paper ('cause of gay actor)". Blog. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-03-05.
- ^ "The Ethics of Outing Gay Politicians". Article. PBS Frontline/WGHB Educational Foundation. 2006-11-14. Archived from the original on 2007-03-07. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
- ^ Naff, Kevin (2006-02-10). "All the news straight enough to print". Editorial. Washington Blade. Archived from the original on June 19, 2006. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
- ^ Marzullo, Greg (2007-02-05). "A 'gay' rebuttal". Blog. Washington Blade. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
- ^ Dana, Rebecca; Vargas, Jose Antonio (2004-07-15). "Capitol Hill Insiders Irked By Campaign To 'Out' Them". Article. The Washington Post. pp. C01. Archived from the original on 2008-07-08. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
- ^ Crain, Chris (2005-09-23). "Gunning for Gannon is unhealthy sport". Editorial. Washington Blade. Archived from the original on June 27, 2006. Retrieved 2006-10-07.
External links
- DC Agenda The website for the new publication DC Agenda that was created by former Blade staff
- Save The Blade A temporary website utilized immediately after the Blade closed
- The Cutting Edge: A History of the Washington Blade, Metropolitan Washington DC's GLBT Newspaper of Record, via The Rainbow History Project
- Newspaper of Record: 35 Years of the Washington Blade, by The Rainbow History Project