The Vancouver Voice
Encyclopedia
The Vancouver Voice was an alternative newspaper serving Clark County
and Southwest Washington in the United States, with a focus on the area's largest city, Vancouver
. It ceased publication with volume 5, issue 13 of August 19, 2011.
. Former Vanguard columnist and Willamette Week
Screen editor James Walling joined with longtime cohort Eric A. Johnson and soon-to-be production manager Melissa Wolf to found The Vancouver Voice.
In the summer of 2007, the publication became embroiled in some of the controversy surrounding the Camas, Washington
mayoral race after publishing a vitriolic letter from one of its readers that attacked the character of candidate and former city councilwoman Liz Pike. Pike responded by sending a letter of complaint from her attorney to the paper and the writer of the letter (who is unaffiliated with the paper's staff).
In September of 2010, Voice freelancer Marcus Griffith was the first journalist to question what was initially reported as a local acid attack. The incident which later was revealed to be a hoax
, and resulted in felony theft charges related to funds gathered for the alleged victim. Griffith posted his initial investigation on the website of the paper. This resulted in The Voice being labeled "Satan's paper" by religious groups sympathetic to the perpetrator of the hoax.
In 2011, the paper's Oregon-based owners offered if for sale, after having purchased it in 2008 from Vancouver resident James Walling. After three years the paper was folded by Oregon Lithoprint Incorporated, citing "general economic malaise in the region, and specific challenges to the newspaper industry."
periodicals, though more serious journalistic coverage of crimes and similar incidents has occurred. Past cover stories have included conflicting development models in the area (high density mixed use
versus urban sprawl
), and the tenth anniversary of Vancouver School of Arts and Academics
.
Clark County, Washington
Clark County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Washington, across the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon.Clark County was the first county of Washington, named after William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition...
and Southwest Washington in the United States, with a focus on the area's largest city, Vancouver
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
. It ceased publication with volume 5, issue 13 of August 19, 2011.
History
In early 2006, The Vanguard, a previous two-year old alternative publication for Vancouver, folded. Several of the staff and writers involved with The Vanguard came together soon after its demise to continue the nascent tradition of an alternative periodical for the rapidly expanding population of Clark CountyClark County, Washington
Clark County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Washington, across the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon.Clark County was the first county of Washington, named after William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition...
. Former Vanguard columnist and Willamette Week
Willamette Week
Willamette Week is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Portland, Oregon, United States. It features reports on local news, politics, sports, business and culture....
Screen editor James Walling joined with longtime cohort Eric A. Johnson and soon-to-be production manager Melissa Wolf to found The Vancouver Voice.
In the summer of 2007, the publication became embroiled in some of the controversy surrounding the Camas, Washington
Camas, Washington
Camas is a city in Clark County, Washington, with a population of 19,355 at the 2010 census. Officially incorporated on June 18, 1906, the city is named after the camas lily, a plant with an onion-like bulb prized by Native Americans. At the west end of downtown Camas is a large Georgia-Pacific...
mayoral race after publishing a vitriolic letter from one of its readers that attacked the character of candidate and former city councilwoman Liz Pike. Pike responded by sending a letter of complaint from her attorney to the paper and the writer of the letter (who is unaffiliated with the paper's staff).
In September of 2010, Voice freelancer Marcus Griffith was the first journalist to question what was initially reported as a local acid attack. The incident which later was revealed to be a hoax
Hoax
A hoax is a deliberately fabricated falsehood made to masquerade as truth. It is distinguishable from errors in observation or judgment, or rumors, urban legends, pseudosciences or April Fools' Day events that are passed along in good faith by believers or as jokes.-Definition:The British...
, and resulted in felony theft charges related to funds gathered for the alleged victim. Griffith posted his initial investigation on the website of the paper. This resulted in The Voice being labeled "Satan's paper" by religious groups sympathetic to the perpetrator of the hoax.
In 2011, the paper's Oregon-based owners offered if for sale, after having purchased it in 2008 from Vancouver resident James Walling. After three years the paper was folded by Oregon Lithoprint Incorporated, citing "general economic malaise in the region, and specific challenges to the newspaper industry."
Content and focus
The Voice featured content in the vein of most traditional alternative weeklyAlternative weekly
An alternative newspaper is a type of newspaper, that eschews comprehensive coverage of general news in favor of stylized reporting, opinionated reviews and columns, investigations into edgy topics and magazine-style feature stories highlighting local people and culture. Their news coverage is more...
periodicals, though more serious journalistic coverage of crimes and similar incidents has occurred. Past cover stories have included conflicting development models in the area (high density mixed use
Mixed-use development
Mixed-use development is the use of a building, set of buildings, or neighborhood for more than one purpose. Since the 1920s, zoning in some countries has required uses to be separated. However, when jobs, housing, and commercial activities are located close together, a community's transportation...
versus urban sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
), and the tenth anniversary of Vancouver School of Arts and Academics
Vancouver School of Arts and Academics
The Vancouver School of Arts and Academics , located in Vancouver, Washington in the Vancouver School District, is a public arts magnet school for grades 6 to 12...
.