Village Voice Sold; Jettisons Backpage.com

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Village Voice Media Holdings, which includes its namesake free newspaper and a dozen other alternative weeklies, has been sold for an undisclosed sum to the company's CEO Scott Tobias and a private equity management team, Forbes reports.

Among other papers included in the sale are the Dallas Observer, LA Weekly and Phoenix New Times. Christine Brennan has been tapped to be the newspaper group's Executive Editor.

Former Village Voice Media heads Michael Lacey and James Larkin will retain Backpage.com, the controversial Web site that has attracted harsh public criticism and the interest of authorities over its adult ad services offerings (see "TUOL" posts 6/7/12 & 4/3/12).

UPDATE: Fed Judge Enjoins Wash. Age-Verifying Law for Adult Ads

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)United States District Court for the Western District of Washington Judge Ricardo Martinez this week issued a temporary restraining order ("TRO") preventing a Washington law from taking effect that would require companies that accept online classified adult ads to verify the age of those offering "adult services."

Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire signed S.B. 6251 into law last March that subjects violators who don't check ID regarding adult ads to jail time of up to five years and a $10,000 fine (See "TUOL" post 4/3/12). The four-page TRO in Backpage.com, LLC v. Rob McKenna et al. (Case No. 2:12-cv-00954-RSM) enjoins the measure, which was scheduled to take effect June 7, for two weeks pending further litigation. 

Village Voice Media-owned Backpage.com is challenging the constitutionality of the statute, claiming it violates both the First Amendment and the Communications Decency Act of 1996 [47 U.S.C. sec. 230(c)(1)], which states: "No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider."  In its complaint, the plaintiff claims requiring providers, both in-state and out-of-state, to determine whether third-party posted content "is an ‘implicit’ ad for a commercial sex act in Washington, and whether it includes a depiction of a person, and, if so, ... maintain a record of the person’s ID...would bring the practice of hosting third-party content to a grinding halt.”

In granting the TRO,  Judge Martinez found: “Backpage.com has shown a likelihood of success on the merits of its claim, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and the Declaratory Judgment Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2201, as well irreparable harm, the balance of equities tipping strongly in its favor, and injury to the public interest, justifying injunctive relief. “

Washington Law Targets Adult Classified Ad Purveyors

LAS VEGAS, NV - AUGUST 30: Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire speaks during the National Clean Energy Summit 4.0 at the Aria Resort & Casino at CityCenter August 30, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Political and economic leaders are attending the summit to discuss a domestic policy agenda to advance alternative energy for the country's future. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)Gov. Christine Gregoire (D.-Wash.) last week signed into law a measure exposing to criminal sanctions classified ad companies that don't use ID to verify the age of people in online or print adult ads.

As reported by the Associated Press, Village Voice Media-owned Backpage.com, which accepts classified ads for a variety of adult services, is braced to challenge the new law's constitutionality. The law accepts as an affirmative defense good-faith efforts by the classified ad company to verify the age of the advertised individual in a sex escort or adult-related ad.

Backpage.com is expected to claim immunity based on the provision of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, 47 U.S.C. sec. 230(c)(1) that states: "No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider."

Village Voice Ousts Long-time Senior Film Critic

Image via WikipediaThe Village Voice's senior film critic since 1988, (James Lewis) J. Hoberman, has been cut loose by publication owner Village Voice Media, according to reports on the New York Observer and Capitalnewyork.com Web sites.

Hoberman, 63, co-author of Midnight Movies (1983), was quoted as being "shocked, but not surprised" by his ouster. A Voice staffer dating back to 1983, Hoberman was a vocal union shop steward during staff labor negotiations with Village Voice Media last summer, when a strike was narrowly averted.

Hoberman joins a growing list of veteran Voicers who have departed the weekly in recent years, including Tom Robbins and Nat Hentoff, though the latter still is a contributor.

AGs Have Backpage.com Adult Services Ads in Their Sites

Image by Thomas Hawk via Flickr
Buoyed by Craigslist's decision earlier this month to discontinue accepting adult services ads, attorneys general from 21 states are pressuring Village Voice Media-owned Backpage.com to follow suit.


According to Dallas Morning News and Associated Press stories, Connecticut AG Richard Blumenthal and Texas AG Greg Abbott both signed on to a letter urging the company to oversee their personal and paid classified ads for suspicious listings and to discontinue free adult online listings. Blumenthal alleges Backpage.com has pocketed $17.5 million from "prostitution ads."


Thus far, Village Voice Media is defiant, claiming only 6 million of its 58 million ads over the past two years involved adult services and that Backpage.com has only testified in five cases involving the alleged abuse of underaged individuals.


"TUOL" believes the AG pressure tactics mask a First Amendment battle the authorities suspect they cannot win. More to the point, the exercise of chasing adult ads from Craigslist to Backpage and beyond is akin to picking up watermelon seeds from a freshly waxed floor--a difficult task that accomplishes little in the end.