SCOOP: Paper Magazine Resurrected By Controversial Media Publisher
The magazine has been purchased by Brian Calle, CEO and publisher of The Village Voice and L.A. Weekly.
Nearly two months after its entire staff was laid off, Paper Magazine shall be resurrected. An anonymous source has informed Study Hall that Brian Calle, CEO and publisher of The Village Voice and L.A. Weekly has purchased Paper Magazine and is contacting some previously laid off staff members to join the new venture.
Calle has been a controversial figure in the media in the past for platforming conservative extremists as editor-in-chief of CalWatchDog. In 2017, he acquired L.A. Weekly and fired nine staff members, which triggered a boycott. Calle was sued by David Welch, one of the magazine’s co-owners, in 2018 over alleged ethical violations. In 2019, the lawsuit was settled.
Study Hall reached out to Calle for comment and will update this story if we hear back.
“Whispers” of this sale were first reported by The Daily Beast.
This is a developing story. If you have any information, please send it to [email protected].
Subscribe to Study Hall for access to resources and original content about the media industry.
Subscribe to Study Hall for Opportunity, knowledge, and community
$532.50 is the average payment via the Study Hall marketplace, where freelance opportunities from top publications are posted. Members also get access to a media digest newsletter, community networking spaces, paywalled content about the media industry from a worker's perspective, and a database of 1000 commissioning editor contacts at publications around the world. Click here to learn more.