9 Alt-Weekly Papers that Changed Journalism

Cool kids read the newspaper, even if they read it online. But the coolest cats read alternative weeklies — independent news sources with attitude and flair. Known for their bevy of editorial tricks (their wheelhouses are quick reviews of what you missed last week and what you shouldn't miss this one, syndicated counterculture columns and comics, event lists, foodie reviews, film showcases, creative horoscopes, and wonky sexy personal ads in the back pages), only the best of the alt-weeklies survive, thrive, and consistently challenge journalism's norms. The shining light of the alternative weekly is the long-form non-fiction piece, whether illustrative or investigative. If your newsfeed needs a pick-me-up, or you just want to know what's going to be cool and important in the mainstream later — these nine alt-weekly papers are for you.

1. The Village Voice

   The grandaddy of all alternative weeklies, New York City's Village Voice is the first and most popular American alternative weekly. Since 1960, the paper has been on the cutting edge of the industry, winning awards and influencing culture. One of the first magazines to embrace gay culture, corporate fraud, and other alternative newspapers, the Voice has been a voice of counter- and subculture for more than 50 years. The tenure of the Voice has influenced the ways of mainstream newspapers like The Times, and has paved the way for the world of democratized journalism.

2. The Houston Press

   Although The Houston Press is one of the more tame alt-weeklies politics-wise, the food criticism section of this big city paper is leading its class nationwide. While the food and beverage community of Houston remains a tight one, both scathing and generous reviews from the Press can make or break a restaurant's success.

3. LA Weekly

   LA Weekly is the much-hyped alt-weekly of the City of Angels, and what better place to have the best film criticism in the alternative world. In recent years, the Weekly has had some staffing shake-ups, prompting some to be skeptical of its future, but with its toe-hold hyping and dissecting movies, as well as it's loyal readership, it won't be long until the Weekly is back on top.

4. Willamette Week

   The alternative weekly in Portland has long been known for its quality comics and investigative muscle, as well as its fresh take on all things Portlandia (or, more accurately, Portlandish). Among many political scandals broken in the paper, in 2005, Journalist Nigel Jaquiss broke a story about then-mayor and former Oregon governor Neil Goldschmidt's sexual misconduct with a 14 year old, winning a Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting — and being the only weekly that has a Pulitzer winner for Investigative Report on its staff.

5. The Seattle Stranger

   This alt-weekly, known as "Seattle's Only Newspaper" was founded by a co-creator of The Onion and gave rise to media darling Dan Savage. Savage's first sex advice column appeared in 1991, in the first issue of The Stranger. After his popularity grew into nationwide syndication, a podcast, and several activist projects, your sex lives — and Google searches for certain senator's names — would never be the same again.

6. The Austin Chronicle

   Long known for being one of the coolest papers in the country, The Austin Chronicle is the hipster's guide to what's going to be popular in three years. Having knockout music reviews and artist showcases, and heavily covering South by Southwest, Austin City Limits, Fantastic Fest, and other multi-media festivals to descend on the city, the Chronicle keeps Austinites, Texans, and everyone who indulges abreast of what all its non-readers will know far in the future. A long-time go-to for those looking for the next big thing, the Chronicle is a bastion of goodness and talent exposition for music, film, literature, and other arts.

7. The Washington City Paper

   Leave it to the nation's most power-obsessed city to found its alt-weekly in the 1980s. Just missing Watergate by a decade, The Washington City Paper routinely breaks inside-the-beltway scandals and publishes long-form opinion pieces on all things government. Meshing great investigation with D.C. city life — music reviews, events calendars, and foodie news galore — The Washington City Paper's "Best Of" every year rivals mainstream magazine's Do and Don't lists.

8. Chicago Reader

   The best in its area, the Chicago Reader is the Windy City's alternative weekly. The paper is known for its commitment to quality long-form nonfiction pieces, much like The Washington City Paper. The centrally located city has a history of scandalous municipal politics, and the Reader consistently delivers informative, captivating pieces on municipal leaders, as well as general interest non-fiction, and illuminating pieces on fine arts.

9. SF Weekly

   The SF Weekly, San Francisco's version of alternative press, was able to release journalist Lisa Davis for more than a year to work on exposing a scandal in the Mormon Church. Her work won a Polk Award for Investigative Journalism, among several others, and prompted the book The Sins of Brother Curtis, catapulting the Bay Area's alternative weekly to mainstream journalism's standards, as well as adding a huge chunk of intellectual and well-formed work to the many nuanced issues raised by covering sex abuse in churches.

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