Knoxville Voice
Encyclopedia
Knoxville Voice was a populist
alternative newspaper in Knoxville
, Tennessee
. It was published every two weeks and available free of charge in more than 300 locations throughout Knox
and Blount
counties. The paper debuted on April 20, 2006 and ceased publication on January 8, 2009. The summer 2007 sale of Knoxville alternative weekly Metro Pulse
to media conglomerate
E.W. Scripps, owner of the daily Knoxville News Sentinel
, left the Knoxville Voice as the only major, general-interest independent alternative newspaper in Knoxville until it ceased publication.
newspaper, also published in Knoxville and devoted to minority cultural and civil rights
issues. The oldest surviving issue (dated November 19, 1949) "focused almost exclusively on national news stories pertinent to African Americans, with a greater emphasis on the work of the NAACP to obtain equal rights, providing a glimpse of the beginnings of the civil rights movement of the 1960s."
The paper continues an editorial tradition of alternative media
that extends beyond Knoxville. The spectrum of influences runs from labor-run papers like the British Daily Herald to muckraking newsletters like I.F. Stone's Weekly. Like its local, national, and international predecessors, Knoxville Voice practiced advocacy journalism
, covering stories as they affect the public at large and filling gaps in reporting left by mainstream media. With most mainstream media outlets owned by a handful of multinational corporations, polls regularly report that nearly half the U.S. public has little or no "trust and confidence" in the mass media. Knoxville Voice is a reflection of such public attitudes embodied in its reporting and approach to news coverage.
Knoxville Voice worked to accomplish this mission by:
. In early 2007, Don Williams left the News Sentinel, the Scripps-owned daily after 20 years and began writing a regular column and online blog for Knoxville Voice.
Knoxville Voice was the only local newspaper to publish an article critical of the controversial summer 2006 deal involving the long-term leasing of the Sunsphere
, the iconic Knoxville structure built for the 1982 World's Fair
.
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
alternative newspaper in Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. It was published every two weeks and available free of charge in more than 300 locations throughout Knox
Knox County, Tennessee
Knox County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Its 2007 population was estimated at 423,874 by the United States Census Bureau. Its county seat is Knoxville, as it has been since the creation of the county. The county is at the geographical center of the Great Valley of East Tennessee...
and Blount
Blount County, Tennessee
Blount County is a U.S. county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Its population was 123,010 at the United States Census, 2010. The county seat is at Maryville, which is also the county's largest city....
counties. The paper debuted on April 20, 2006 and ceased publication on January 8, 2009. The summer 2007 sale of Knoxville alternative weekly Metro Pulse
Metro Pulse
Metro Pulse is a weekly newspaper in Knoxville, Tennessee.It was founded in 1991 by Ashley Capps, Rand Pearson, Ian Blackburn, and Margaret Weston. Metro Pulse has been a member of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies since 1993....
to media conglomerate
Media conglomerate
A media conglomerate, media group or media institution is a company that owns large numbers of companies in various mass media such as television, radio, publishing, movies, and the Internet...
E.W. Scripps, owner of the daily Knoxville News Sentinel
Knoxville News Sentinel
The Knoxville News Sentinel is a daily newspaper in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA owned by the E. W. Scripps Company. It operates , an award-winning news website....
, left the Knoxville Voice as the only major, general-interest independent alternative newspaper in Knoxville until it ceased publication.
Origins and influences
The Knoxville Voice was originally an African AmericanAfrican American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
newspaper, also published in Knoxville and devoted to minority cultural and civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
issues. The oldest surviving issue (dated November 19, 1949) "focused almost exclusively on national news stories pertinent to African Americans, with a greater emphasis on the work of the NAACP to obtain equal rights, providing a glimpse of the beginnings of the civil rights movement of the 1960s."
The paper continues an editorial tradition of alternative media
Alternative media
Alternative media are media which provide alternative information to the mainstream media in a given context, whether the mainstream media are commercial, publicly supported, or government-owned...
that extends beyond Knoxville. The spectrum of influences runs from labor-run papers like the British Daily Herald to muckraking newsletters like I.F. Stone's Weekly. Like its local, national, and international predecessors, Knoxville Voice practiced advocacy journalism
Advocacy journalism
Advocacy journalism is a genre of journalism that intentionally and transparently adopts a non-objective viewpoint, usually for some social or political purpose. Because it is intended to be factual, it is distinguished from propaganda...
, covering stories as they affect the public at large and filling gaps in reporting left by mainstream media. With most mainstream media outlets owned by a handful of multinational corporations, polls regularly report that nearly half the U.S. public has little or no "trust and confidence" in the mass media. Knoxville Voice is a reflection of such public attitudes embodied in its reporting and approach to news coverage.
Mission statement
As Knoxville's locally owned, independent and free newspaper, Knoxville Voice published bi-weekly with a focus on local news and cultural events. Knoxville Voices mission was to:- Give voice to issues, events, and people in our community often underrepresented in mainstream media
- Sustain a reader demographic that is as diverse as the issues we cover
Knoxville Voice worked to accomplish this mission by:
- Reporting stories as they affect ordinary people
- Eschewing the interests of large corporations
- Maintaining a progressive world view
- Emphasizing social responsibility and democratic participation
Notable editorial features
Knoxville Voice regularly published opinion-editorial articles from notable local and national commentators, including the award-winning columnist Don Williams, local nuclear nonproliferation activist Ralph Hutchison, and scholar and activist Noam ChomskyNoam Chomsky
Avram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and activist. He is an Institute Professor and Professor in the Department of Linguistics & Philosophy at MIT, where he has worked for over 50 years. Chomsky has been described as the "father of modern linguistics" and...
. In early 2007, Don Williams left the News Sentinel, the Scripps-owned daily after 20 years and began writing a regular column and online blog for Knoxville Voice.
Knoxville Voice was the only local newspaper to publish an article critical of the controversial summer 2006 deal involving the long-term leasing of the Sunsphere
Sunsphere
The Sunsphere, in Knoxville, Tennessee, is an high hexagonal steel truss structure, topped with a gold-colored glass sphere that served as the symbol of the 1982 World's Fair.-Design:...
, the iconic Knoxville structure built for the 1982 World's Fair
1982 World's Fair
The 1982 World's Fair, formally known as the Knoxville International Energy Exposition, was held in Knoxville, Tennessee, in the United States. The theme of the exposition was "Energy Turns the World."...
.
External links
- Archives of Knoxville Voice web site
- New Millennium Writings journal edited and published by Don Williams
- Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance
Further reading
- Ben H. Bagdikian, The New Media Monopoly (Beacon Press, 2004)
- Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky, Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media, (Pantheon, 2002)
- Robert W. McChesney, The Problem of the Media: U.S. Communication Politics in the Twenty-First Century (Monthly Review Press, 2004)
- James Curran, The British Press, a Manifesto (MacMillan, 1978)