The Boston Phoenix, an alternative weekly newspaper that attracted a following with its sharp political coverage and smart insight into the cultural and music scene, announced Thursday that it would be folding after failing to attract sufficient advertising revenue.
The print publication will cease immediately. The online issue for the week of March 22 will be the publication’s last. Sister papers in Maine and Rhode Island will remain open, the company said.
The Phoenix has struggled with the loss of advertising that has affected the rest of the newspaper business, yet only six months ago the owners announced a transition to a glossy magazine format that seemed to signal a commitment to continue publishing. However, on Thursday it was clear that the advertising they had hoped would materialize did not.
“We are a textbook example of sweeping marketplace change,†the executive editor, Peter Kadzis, said in a statement. “Our recent switch to a magazine format met with applause from eaders and local advertisers. Not so â€" with a few exceptions â€" national advertisers. It was the long-term decline of national advertising dollars that made the Boston Phoenix economically unviable.â€
