Riverfront Times

The paper was founded in 1977 by Ray Hartmann[https://web.archive.org/web/20121104005504/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/csmonitor_historic/access/187179322.html?dids=187179322:187179322&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=May+20,+1980&author=By+Stewart+McBrideStaff+correspondent+of+The+Christian+Science+Monitor&pub=Christian+Science+Monitor&desc=Underground&pqatl=google Underground], The Christian Science Monitor, May 20, 1980 (noting "Ray Hartmann's fledgling Riverfront Times ...")[http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SL&p_theme=sl&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB05097F26C03F4&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM WELL ESTABLISHED: RAY HARTMANN HAS TURNED AN ALTERNATIVE PAPER INTO A 20-YEAR-OLD COMMUNITY FIXTURE], St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 16, 1997 who, along with co-owner Mark Vittert, sold the newspaper in 1998 to New Times Media{{cite web|access-date=2008-12-27|url=http://aan.org/news/new_times__inc__buys_riverfront_times/Aan/ViewArticle?oid=897|title=New Times, Inc. Buys Riverfront Times|publisher=Association of Alternative Newsweeklies|date=1998-09-16}}[http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/1998/09/21/daily15.html Riverfront Times being sold to chain], St. Louis Business Journal, September 24, 1998[http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SL&p_theme=sl&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB0871F08D8FB34&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM PHOENIX CHAIN BUYS RIVERFRONT TIMES PRICE IS ESTIMATED AT $6-10 MILLION], St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 25, 1998 (later known, following a 2006 merger, as Village Voice Media).[http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-7115078/Riverfront-Times-turns-30.html Riverfront Times turns 30], St. Louis Journalism Review (October 2007)[http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2005/10/24/daily4.html?jst=b_ln_hl Riverfront Times parent to merge with Village Voice], St. Louis Business Journal, October 24, 2005 In September 2012, Village Voice Media executives Scott Tobias, Christine Brennan and Jeff Mars agreed to purchase Village Voice Media's papers and associated web properties from its founders and formed Voice Media Group.{{cite web |last=Ha |first=Anthony |date=24 September 2012 |title=Village Voice Media Execs Acquire The Company's Famed Alt Weeklies, Form New Holding Company |url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/09/23/voice-media-group-acquisition/ |access-date=27 September 2012 |publisher=Tech Crunch}} In 2015, Euclid Media Group acquired the Times from Voice Media Group.{{Cite web| title = Euclid Media Group Acquires St. Louis Weekly, Riverfront Times| work = AltWeeklies.com| access-date = 2015-05-24| date = 2015-03-25| url = http://www.altweeklies.com/aan/euclid-media-group-acquires-st-louis-weekly-riverfront-times/Article?oid=8059188}}

The paper has received more than three dozen awards from the Missouri Press Association, along with the group's Gold Cup.{{Cite web|title=About Riverfront Times|url=https://www.riverfronttimes.com/stlouis/AboutRiverfrontTimes/Page|access-date=2020-12-10|website=Riverfront Times|language=en}} The paper and website also currently feature a weekly syndicated column by relationship and sex advice writer Dan Savage. In the past, the paper carried Chuck Sheppard's News of the Weird column. Former journalists that wrote for the paper include Suzanne Langlois, who won the 1994 Con Lee Kelliher award for distinguished achievement.{{cite news |last=Rose |first=Louis J. |date=26 September 1994 |title=Panel Rips TV for Initiating Furor over Simpson Hearing |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch-panel-rips-tv-fo/139253307/ |newspaper=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |page=6}}

In June 2019, editor-in-chief Sarah Fenske announced her departure after being selected to host St. Louis on the Air on St. Louis Public Radio.{{Cite web|url=https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/sarah-fenske-named-new-st-louis-air-host|title=Sarah Fenske Named New St. Louis On The Air Host|last=Painter|first=Madalyn|website=news.stlpublicradio.org|language=en|access-date=2019-07-21}} News editor Doyle Murphy was selected as interim editor-in-chief.{{Cite web |last=Fenske |first=Sarah |date=June 27, 2019 |title=The RFT's New Boss Is Doyle Murphy (Not the Same as the Old Boss) |url=https://www.riverfronttimes.com/newsblog/2019/06/27/the-rfts-new-boss-is-doyle-murphy-not-the-same-as-the-old-boss |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629083424/https://www.riverfronttimes.com/newsblog/2019/06/27/the-rfts-new-boss-is-doyle-murphy-not-the-same-as-the-old-boss |archive-date=June 29, 2019 |access-date=2019-07-21 |website=Riverfront Times |language=en}} Murphy served as editor-in-chief until he announced in the February 9, 2022, edition that he would be leaving the paper to work for St. Louis Public Radio.{{Cite web |title=Issue of Feb 9-25, Vol. 46, No. 6 |url=https://www.riverfronttimes.com/stlouis/IssueArchives?issue=37145303 |publisher=The Riverfront Times |page=6 |format=PDF}} Ben Westhoff, the executive editor of Euclid Media Group,{{Cite web |last=Murphy |first=Doyle |title=I'm Leaving, But You Should Absolutely Work at the RFT |url=https://www.riverfronttimes.com/stlouis/im-leaving-but-you-should-absolutely-work-at-the-rft/Content?oid=37076034 |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=Riverfront Times |language=en}} served as interim editor-in-chief{{Cite web |title=St. Louis News and Events |url=https://www.riverfronttimes.com/stlouis/IssueArchives?issue=37184555 |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=Riverfront Times |language=en}} following Murphy's resignation, but announced on February 24, 2022, that Rosalind Early, who was then serving as deputy managing editor for Washington Magazine at Washington University in St. Louis, would be the paper's next editor in chief, starting in March.

In August 2023, Euclid Media Group dissolved and the newspaper was sold to Chris Keating, operating under the name Big Lou Holdings LLC.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=August 10, 2023 |title=The RFT Has a New Owner, and He's Based in St. Louis |url=https://www.riverfronttimes.com/news/the-rft-has-a-new-owner-and-hes-based-in-st-louis-40637841 |access-date=2024-01-06 |website=Riverfront Times |language=en}} The paper was sold again in May 2024 to an unnamed buyer and all staff were laid off.{{Cite web |last=Kirn |first=Jacob |date=May 22, 2024 |title=Riverfront Times sold, newspaper's editorial staff laid off |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2024/05/22/riverfront-times-rft-sold-editorial-staff-laid-off.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=May 22, 2024 |website=St. Louis Business Journal}}{{Cite web |last=Merrilees |first=Annika |last2=Barker |first2=Jacob |date=2024-05-22 |title=St. Louis alt-weekly Riverfront Times sold, lays off all staff |url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/business/st-louis-alt-weekly-riverfront-times-sold-lays-off-all-staff/article_ac86a632-1859-11ef-9fe3-27ced32897ce.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=2024-05-22 |website=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |language=en}}

{{Portal|United States|Journalism}}

• Wm. Stage, RFT columnist
• St. Louis Beacon
• Suburban Journals
• St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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• [http://www.riverfronttimes.com RFT website]

{{Euclid Media Group}}

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Category:1998 mergers and acquisitions

Category:2012 mergers and acquisitions

Category:2015 mergers and acquisitions

Category:1977 establishments in Missouri

Category:Alternative weekly newspapers published in the United States

Category:Newspapers published in St. Louis

Category:Newspapers established in 1977