The Village Voice Stops The Presses

The Village Voice, a New York journalism staple and the country's first alternative newspaper, announced Friday it will no longer continue to publish stories after more than 60 years.

"This is a sad day for The Village Voice and for millions of readers. The Voice has been a key element of New York City journalism and is read around the world," said the Voice's owner, Peter Barbey, in a statement. "As the first modern alternative newspaper, it literally defined a new genre of publishing."

"Although the Voice will not continue publishing, we are dedicated to ensuring that its legacy will endure to inspire more generations of readers and writers to give even more speed to those same goals," Barbey added. "We have begun working to ensure that the enormous print archive of The Village Voice is made digitally accessible.

The Village Voice, co-founded by legendary novelist Norman Mailer, was launched in 1955.

The paper captured journalism's top honors, including three Pulitzer Prizes, a National Press Association Award and Polk Award.

According to The Hill, The Voice's demise underscores the challenges for the local newspaper industry as more convenient and inexpensive or free digital options are readily available for consumers on their phones and computers.