Have alternative papers jumped the alternative shark?
The short answer is no, but the question has been rising from the lips of media critics since last October's merger of New Times and Village Voice Media (VVM), which brought 17 alternative papers under the VVM ownership umbrella.
That sparked the obvious observation that media consolidation is striking the alternative media world, the one venue where independent ownership should ideally persist. New Times' editorial leadership is famous for instituting template-like editorial philosophies in all ...