Houston Press ceases print publication

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The Houston Press' 28-year run as the region's alternative weekly ended at approximately 3 p.m. on Friday, when the nine full-time editorial staff members learned they had lost their jobs and print publication would cease.

In a post this afternoon, the newspaper's parent company cited declining ad revenue and "devastation" from Hurricane Harvey. The Press, one of the nation's first alt weeklies to have an online presence, will continue as a web-only product.

Andy Van De Voorde, executive associate editor at parent company Voice Media Group, said in an interview that houstonpress.com would continue to provide news and culture coverage and that editor-in-chief Margaret Downing would remain.

The staffers will receive severance pay, Van De Voorde said. From now on, all content will be provided by freelancer writers.

While revenue losses attributed to Hurricane Harvey led Denver-based Voice Media Group to shutter print production, Van De Voorde said, improved performance by the company's digital advertising agency, V Digital Services, encouraged executives to pursue an online-only model.

Van De Voorde did not provide any financial numbers, pre- or post-storm. He insisted that Harvey made it more difficult to appeal to potential advertisers.

Voice Media Group publisher Stuart Folb elaborated in a statement:

"The loss in print revenue we suffered as a result of Harvey and the time it might conceivably take for that print business to come back was the final straw," he said. "Thankfully we'll be able to continue covering Houston with a streamlined approach online."

Press managing editor Zach Despart said Friday's announcement came as a shock to an editorial staff that for years catered to a broad readership seeking quality art, food, music and news coverage.

"It's been an important voice for the Houston area, including Harris County and Galveston," Despart said.

He said staffers logged more than 80 hours covering Harvey's destruction and then followed up with coverage of the Arkema chemical plant explosion and other post-storm developments.

While providing a quirky insider's look at the local cultural scene, the publication regularly proved its investigative chops winning several national and state journalism awards.

Accolades include a 2007 Investigative Reporters & Editors award for "Run Over by Metro," by staff writer Todd Spivak and a 2014 PEN Center USA journalism award for "Deadly Charades," by staff writer Craig Malisow on a Texas A&M University professor who committed suicide after experiencing online extortion.

Despart called Malisow "a voice that will be missed" by Press fans.

Van De Voorde said there are no current plans to put the Press up for sale but it has not been ruled out.

Voice Media Group also owns weeklies in Dallas, Phoenix, Denver and Miami. It announced last month that it was selling its LA Weekly in Los Angeles, the seventh to be sold by the company in the last five years.