In this week’s episode of “On Contact,” host and Truthdig columnist Chris Hedges sits down with Tom Robbins and Michael Musto to discuss the decline of print journalism. Robbins and Musto are former writers for The Village Voice, a legendary New York newspaper that announced last month it would be ending print publication.

The three reminisce on some major stories covered by The Village Voice—such as the AIDS crisis—that were overlooked by mainstream media.

“The Voice was many voices,” Robbins notes.

“Of course, everyone at The Voice had an opinion, if they didn’t like what you wrote,” Musto adds. “But you were still allowed to write it.”

The discussion turns to the broader decline of local print journalism. “Newsprint has withered,” Hedges says, mourning the loss of independent publications that “have been so vital to the health of American journalism.”

Watch the full conversation, which also features a segment from correspondent Anya Parampil, in the player above.

–Posted by Emma Niles.

 

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