Weekly Dig
Encyclopedia
Boston's Weekly Dig sometimes just called the Weekly Dig or even just the Dig is a free alternative newsweekly found in Boston, Massachusetts
. It offers commentary on music, arts, politics, technology, film, sex, food, drink and more, as well as local bar, entertainment and club listings, and classified ads. It is distributed Wednesday, free of charge, in self-serve newspaper
dispensers located throughout the city. Its content is written mostly by unpaid interns.
In September 2003, Lawrence moved to change the editorial direction by dismissing - and amidst some acrimony - Joe Bonni, founding editor. Assistant editor (and junior partner) Seth McM. Donlin was named interim editor; 'Judas Goat' columnist Joe Keohane was appointed the replacement editor later in 2003.
In October, 2004, Boston
magazine publisher Metrocorp
announced that it bought a majority stake in the Weekly Dig. Metrocorp, which has operated Boston magazine
since 1971, also publishes Elegant Wedding, Concierge, Home & Garden and New England Travel and Life. It also has operated Philadelphia
since 1946.
Three months later, in January 2005, the paper went through a relaunch that offered a new, updated design and broader content. Since then, its circulation has more than doubled to about 70,000 copies distributed weekly.
In May, 2007, Lawrence announced that he had purchased the paper back from Metrocorp in what both sides called "an amicable divorce".
music critic David Thorpe.
Comics are near the end of the issue, and currently contain the strips The K Chronicles
by Keith Knight, Ted Rall by Ted Rall
, Perry Bible Fellowship by Nicholas Gurewitch, Lulu Eightball by Emily Flake, Thinking Ape Blues
by Mark Poutenis, and Secret Asian Man
by Tak Toyoshima
. On the opposing page is a themed crossword puzzle
.
The Weekly Dig carries the syndicated advice column Savage Love
.
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. It offers commentary on music, arts, politics, technology, film, sex, food, drink and more, as well as local bar, entertainment and club listings, and classified ads. It is distributed Wednesday, free of charge, in self-serve newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
dispensers located throughout the city. Its content is written mostly by unpaid interns.
History
The Weekly Dig was founded in September 1999, by Jeff Lawrence. Previously, Lawrence had published a monthly magazine called Shovel founded in 1997. Shovel discontinued publishing in the Spring of 2000, where it had become an insert to the Weekly Dig.In September 2003, Lawrence moved to change the editorial direction by dismissing - and amidst some acrimony - Joe Bonni, founding editor. Assistant editor (and junior partner) Seth McM. Donlin was named interim editor; 'Judas Goat' columnist Joe Keohane was appointed the replacement editor later in 2003.
In October, 2004, Boston
Boston magazine
Boston is a monthly magazine concerning life in the Greater Boston area and has been in publication for more than 40 years.-About the magazine:The magazine is self-described as:...
magazine publisher Metrocorp
Metrocorp
Metrocorp Marketing is a media conglomerate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that publishes lifestyle magazines in numerous regions across the United States. Metrocorp publishes the following magazine titles:...
announced that it bought a majority stake in the Weekly Dig. Metrocorp, which has operated Boston magazine
Boston magazine
Boston is a monthly magazine concerning life in the Greater Boston area and has been in publication for more than 40 years.-About the magazine:The magazine is self-described as:...
since 1971, also publishes Elegant Wedding, Concierge, Home & Garden and New England Travel and Life. It also has operated Philadelphia
Philadelphia (magazine)
Philadelphia is a regional monthly magazine published in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by Metrocorp....
since 1946.
Three months later, in January 2005, the paper went through a relaunch that offered a new, updated design and broader content. Since then, its circulation has more than doubled to about 70,000 copies distributed weekly.
In May, 2007, Lawrence announced that he had purchased the paper back from Metrocorp in what both sides called "an amicable divorce".
Content and sections
The Dig's feature articles most often deal with current local news issues, though not to the extent of the competing Boston Phoenix. The bulk of the paper is made up of reviews of music, theatre, movies, and local restaurants. Current regular columns include the staff-written Media Farm, covering mostly the Boston market print media; The Burn Unit, written by somethingawful.comSomething Awful
Something Awful, often abbreviated to SA, is a comedy website housing a variety of content, including blog entries, forums, feature articles, digitally edited pictures, and humorous media reviews. It was created by Richard "Lowtax" Kyanka in 1999 as a largely personal website, but as it grew, so...
music critic David Thorpe.
Comics are near the end of the issue, and currently contain the strips The K Chronicles
The K Chronicles
The K Chronicles is the autobiographical comic strip by independent cartoonist Keith Knight. Until February 2010 one could find it updated every Wednesday at Salon.com. The strip previously appeared in the San Francisco Examiner....
by Keith Knight, Ted Rall by Ted Rall
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is an American columnist, syndicated editorial cartoonist, and author. His political cartoons often appear in a multi-panel comic-strip format and frequently blend comic-strip and editorial-cartoon conventions. The cartoons appear in approximately 100 newspapers around the United States...
, Perry Bible Fellowship by Nicholas Gurewitch, Lulu Eightball by Emily Flake, Thinking Ape Blues
Thinking Ape Blues
Thinking Ape Blues is a webcomic created by freelance illustrator Mark Poutenis.The strip stars three "brothers" Abe, Ben and Carl Progress , and frequently explores themes of conflict between man's primordial and civilized selves while throwing in the occasional pop culture reference...
by Mark Poutenis, and Secret Asian Man
Secret Asian Man
Secret Asian Man is a syndicated comic strip written and drawn by Tak Toyoshima and published in Boston's Weekly Dig, Metro Silicon Valley, San Jose Mercury News, RedEye, Nichi Bei Times, AsianWeek, Georgia Asian Times, The Everett Herald, and on the internet.The strip has appeared weekly since...
by Tak Toyoshima
Tak Toyoshima
Tak Toyoshima is an Asian American art director with the Weekly Dig and the author of the comic strip Secret Asian Man....
. On the opposing page is a themed crossword puzzle
Crossword Puzzle
For the common puzzle, see CrosswordCrossword Puzzle was the second to last album made by The Partridge Family and was not one of the most popular albums. It was released in 1973 and did not produce a U.S. single. This album was finally released on CD in 2003 on Arista's BMG Heritage label...
.
The Weekly Dig carries the syndicated advice column Savage Love
Savage Love
Savage Love is a syndicated sex-advice column by Dan Savage. The column appears weekly in several dozen newspapers, mainly free newspapers in the US and Canada, but also newspapers in Europe and Asia...
.
Further reading
- Wildman, David, "Weekly Dig on the Trail of the Phoenix", The Boston Globe, February 27, 2000