 | This article needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(August 2017) |
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| Type | Media company |
|---|---|
| Format | Website / Weeklytabloid |
| Owner | Voice Media Group |
| Publisher | Kurtis Barton |
| Editor | Matt Hennie |
| Founded | September 1970; 55 years ago (1970-09) (as New Times) |
| Headquarters | 1201 E. Jefferson Phoenix, Arizona 85034, U.S. |
| Circulation | Print: 30,000 (2023) |
| ISSN | 0279-3962 |
| Website | phoenixnewtimes |
Phoenix New Times is a free digital and print media company based inPhoenix, Arizona.PhoenixNew Times publishes daily online coverage of local news, restaurants, music, arts, cannabis, as well as longform narrative journalism. A weekly print issue circulates every Thursday. The company has been owned byVoice Media Group (former owner of the veneratedVillage Voice) since January 2013, when a group of senior executives bought out the founding owners. Scott Tobias is the CEO of Voice Media Group. The Voice Media Group's purchase of the Phoenix New Times did not includeBackpages, the online classified site.[1][2][3][4] Matt Hennie was named editor-in-chief ofPhoenix New Times in 2022.
The paper was founded in 1970 by a group of students atArizona State University, led by Frank Fiore, Karen Lofgren,Michael Lacey, Bruce Stasium, Nick Stupey, Gayle Pyfrom, Hal Smith, and later,Jim Larkin, as acounterculture response to theKent State shootings in the spring of that year. Gary Brennan played a role in its creation. According to the 20th Anniversary issue of theNew Times, published on May 2, 1990, Fiore suggested that the anti-war crowd put out its own paper. The first summer issues were called theArizona Times and assembled in the staff's La Crescenta apartments across from ASU. TheArizona Times was renamed theNew Times as the first college issue went to press in September 1970.
In October 2007,Maricopa County sheriff's deputies arrested Lacey and Larkin on charges of revealing secretgrand jury information concerning the investigations of theNew Times's long-running feud with Maricopa CountysheriffJoe Arpaio. In July 2004, theNew Times published Arpaio's home address in the context of a story about his real estate dealings, which the County Attorney's office was investigating as a possible crime under Arizona state law. Special prosecutor Dennis Wilenchik served Village Voice Media with a subpoena ordering it to produce "all documents" related to the original real estate article, as well as "all Internet web site traffic information" to a number of articles that mentioned Arpaio. Wilenchik further ordered Village Voice Media to produce theIP addresses of all visitors to thePhoenix New Times website since January 1, 2004, as well as which websites those readers had been to prior to visiting. As an act of "civil disobedience",[5] Lacey and Larkin published the contents of the subpoena on or about October 18, which resulted in their arrests the same day.[6] On the following day, the county attorney dropped the case after declining to pursue charges against the two.[7]
Special prosecutor Dennis Wilenchik's subpoena included a demand for the names of all people who had read the Arpaio story on the newspaper's website. It was the revealing of the subpoena information by theNew Times which led to the arrests.[8]Maricopa County AttorneyAndrew Thomas dropped the charges less than 24 hours after the two were arrested.[9]
In the weeks following the arrests, members of theAssociation of Alternative Newsweeklies, of which thePhoenix New Times is a member, provided links on their websites to places where Arpaio's address could be found.[10] This was done to show solidarity with thePhoenix New Times.
In February 2008, the paper filed a formal notice of claim, which is required by Arizona law before suing government officials.[11][12]
In December 2013, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors agreed to payPhoenix New Times founders Michael Lacey and Jim Larkin $3.75 million to settle their false arrest lawsuit against the county defendants.[13]
On April 19, 2023, SenatorWendy Rogers obtained arestraining order against Camryn Sanchez, anArizona state Senate reporter for the Phoenix New Times.[14] Rogers accused Sanchez of stalking her after seen she had shown up to two of her residences inTempe andChandler caught on herring doorbell footage.[15]
Sanchez began investigating whether Rogers primary residence was inlegislative district 7 after rumors had long circulated that Rogers allegedly did not live in herFlagstaff residence.[16] Rogers had also previously "dismissed" Sanchez after she had asked her a question and was banned from approaching her desk on theSenate floor.[17]
On May 10, 2023, a Flagstaff judge dismissed the restraining order against Sanchez citing that investigative reporting is a "legitimate purpose" and is protected by theFirst Amendment.[18]