An LA Tragedy

LA Weekly Trash
Hard copy archives of the LA Weekly. Stolen from marccooper.com

For years I read the LA Weekly. I loved how they would cover the news not only locally but also internationally. I remember in high school they uncovered the fiasco that was Belmont Learning Center aka the World’s Most Expensive High School. I remember sitting in Government class in my senior year just being steamed that the district would waste all that money on that site when it was like hell to get textbooks for my classes.

They were at their best earlier this decade exposing the Bush administration and being the loudest progressive voice in the city. Every Thursday I made sure to get my hands on the new issue despite the fact I spent most of the workday reading the articles online. Reading Marc Cooper, Harold Meyerson and other writers gave me a lot of motivation that writers can make a difference.

But all that ended in 2005. After three years of anti-trust investigation, New Times and Village Voice Media got the go-ahead from the Department of Justice to merge. At that point, I stopped picking up the Weekly. Knowing what I knew about New Times, I could smell the bloodbath that would ensue.

Former news editor Marc Cooper wrote a detailed piece of this downfall on his blog entitled “LA Weekly: The Autopsy Report.” Reading through it last night made me very sad.

I miss those Thursdays when I would waste the entire day reading stories of the Machiavellian exploits of politicians. I miss picking up that copy of the Weekly from the 7-11 on the way home as I bought a pack of cigs. And probably the worst I miss doing the Boston Globe Sunday crossword they would syndicate every week.

While they still have one of the best listings for local events and perhaps the best food writer in Jonathan Gold, that is not enough for me to pick up the skeletal remains of a rag that was once the most important paper in LA.