Street News
Encyclopedia
Street News is a street newspaper
sold by homeless in New York City
, USA. Established in 1989, it is the earliest modern street paper still extant and the beginning of the American street newspaper movement. It aimed to provide a way of self-sufficiency to the many homeless and unemployed in New York. The creation of Street News quickly inspired the founding of many other street newspapers, including Chicago
's StreetWise
and Britain
's The Big Issue
; the paper has been called a "pioneer" for the street paper movement. Street News and The Big Issue have become prototypes of street papers worldwide.
the editor is John Levi "Indio" Washington Jr. Street News prints 3,000 copies of six issues per year, sold by 15 people getting 75 cents out of the $1.25 price.
, Liza Minnelli
and the Beach Boys
contributed opinion pieces. It sold for 75 cents, with the sellers getting 45 cents (plus the first 10 copies free).
The initial media and public excitement about the paper eventually faded, and the paper experienced financial troubles in the early 1990s; Some staff left and started the short-lived Crossroads Magazine. The paper was taken over by its printer, Sam Chen of Expedi Printing, and Persons left the paper. Chen attempted to turn a profit from Street News, but financial problems continued into the mid-nineties, with changing public attitude towards the homeless, low content and attempts by the city to sweep away homeless. Furthermore, in 1991 New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority
instituted a policy prohibiting the hawking of newspapers on the subways, which had been vendors' main selling place; this added to Street News troubles. By the mid-1990s, Street News sales had dropped significantly and some predicted that the newspaper was going to end. Eventually, though, the paper survived and revitalized, but never reached the circulation of the first few months.
Former homeless man and crack
addict Lee Stringer
was first vendor and then editor and columnist for Street News. He is now a writer and motivates young people to stay away from crime.
Street newspaper
Street newspapers are newspapers or magazines sold by homeless or poor individuals and produced mainly to support these populations. Most such newspapers primarily provide coverage about homelessness and poverty-related issues, and seek to strengthen social networks within homeless communities...
sold by homeless in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, USA. Established in 1989, it is the earliest modern street paper still extant and the beginning of the American street newspaper movement. It aimed to provide a way of self-sufficiency to the many homeless and unemployed in New York. The creation of Street News quickly inspired the founding of many other street newspapers, including Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's StreetWise
StreetWise
StreetWise is a street newspaper sold by people without homes or those at-risk for homelessness in Chicago. Topics covered in the paper vary depending on what is happening in Chicago at the time...
and Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's The Big Issue
The Big Issue
The Big Issue is a street newspaper published in eight countries; it is written by professional journalists and sold by homeless individuals. It was founded by John Bird and Gordon Roddick in September 1991...
; the paper has been called a "pioneer" for the street paper movement. Street News and The Big Issue have become prototypes of street papers worldwide.
the editor is John Levi "Indio" Washington Jr. Street News prints 3,000 copies of six issues per year, sold by 15 people getting 75 cents out of the $1.25 price.
History
Street News was founded in October 1989 by rock musician Hutchinson Persons, and was originally funded by the homelessness charity Street Aid, also started by Persons. It was launched with advertisement in regular media and garnered wide media attention. Sales grew very quickly from an initial 50,000 copies to over a million sold in its first four months of publication. Celebrities such as Paul NewmanPaul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast...
, Liza Minnelli
Liza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli....
and the Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
contributed opinion pieces. It sold for 75 cents, with the sellers getting 45 cents (plus the first 10 copies free).
The initial media and public excitement about the paper eventually faded, and the paper experienced financial troubles in the early 1990s; Some staff left and started the short-lived Crossroads Magazine. The paper was taken over by its printer, Sam Chen of Expedi Printing, and Persons left the paper. Chen attempted to turn a profit from Street News, but financial problems continued into the mid-nineties, with changing public attitude towards the homeless, low content and attempts by the city to sweep away homeless. Furthermore, in 1991 New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S...
instituted a policy prohibiting the hawking of newspapers on the subways, which had been vendors' main selling place; this added to Street News troubles. By the mid-1990s, Street News sales had dropped significantly and some predicted that the newspaper was going to end. Eventually, though, the paper survived and revitalized, but never reached the circulation of the first few months.
Former homeless man and crack
Crack cocaine
Crack cocaine is the freebase form of cocaine that can be smoked. It may also be termed rock, hard, iron, cavvy, base, or just crack; it is the most addictive form of cocaine. Crack rocks offer a short but intense high to smokers...
addict Lee Stringer
Lee Stringer
Lee Stringer is a writer who lived, homeless and crack-addicted, on the streets of New York City from the early eighties until the mid-nineties. He is a former editor and columnist of Street News. His essays and articles have appeared in a variety of publications, including The Nation, The New York...
was first vendor and then editor and columnist for Street News. He is now a writer and motivates young people to stay away from crime.