Washington City Paper

The Washington City Paper is an alternative weekly newspaper that caters to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Founded in 1981 by Russ Smith and Alan Hirsch, who also owned the Baltimore City Paper, it was initially named 1981. The publication changed its name to City Paper in January 1982, and later that same year, Smith and Hirsch sold 80% of it to Chicago Reader, Inc. By 1988, Chicago Reader, Inc. took full ownership by acquiring the remaining 20%. In July 2007, both the Washington City Paper and the Chicago Reader were purchased by Creative Loafing, a chain based in Tampa. Then in 2012, Creative Loafing Atlanta and the Washington City Paper were sold to SouthComm. The City Paper is distributed every Thursday, and in 2006, it had an average circulation of 85,588. The paper primarily focuses on local news and arts coverage.

Local, Consumer

English

Online/Digital

Outlet metrics

Domain Authority

Ranking

Global

#122334

United States

#41904

News and Media

#1858

Traffic sources

Monthly visitors

Articles

Despite Pleas For Help From His Family and Lawyer, Daniel ‘Bip’ Jeffers Took His Own Life in the DC Jail

6 days ago | washingtoncitypaper.com | Mitch Ryals

Thanks for being a member of City Paper! After Daniel Jeffers was sentenced to 280 days in the DC Jail, he asked the judge if he could approach the bench. Standing beside his attorney, Carrie Weletz, Jeffers requested to be placed in protective custody. He told the judge that he previously spent several years overseas working to “penetrate Russian intelligence networks.”“There are gangs in America that want to kill me.
Rhiannon Giddens and Etran De L’Aïr: City Lights for May 9-11

1 week ago | washingtoncitypaper.com | Steve Kiviat |Brandon Wetherbee

Thanks for being a member of City Paper! Etran De L’Aïr are a guitar-led band from Agadez, Niger, the same city that acclaimed guitarist Mdou Moctar calls home. But where Moctar melds homegrown guitar stylings with American rock influences, Etran De L’Aïr stick to African inspirations such as Northern Malian blues, Congolese soukous, and Hausa bar band stylings from Agadez.
Domestic Violence Advocates Warn of Potential Increase in Incidents and Call for Budget Support

1 week ago | washingtoncitypaper.com | Sarah Marloff

Thanks for being a member of City Paper! Domestic violence service providers across the city are bracing for a perfect storm. As the Trump administration continues to lay off federal workers and the city government prepares to eke by on a congressionally imposed budget that’s $1 billion short of its 2025 funding needs, advocates believe two issues are likely to collide: an increase in domestic violence and a shortage of funds needed to support local survivors.
The Needle: Ed Martin’s Nom in Doubt, Judge Bars Deportations Under Wartime Law, and Republicans Iffy on DOGE Cuts

1 week ago | washingtoncitypaper.com | Mitch Ryals

Thanks for being a member of City Paper! Major blow to mass deportations: A federal judge in Texas permanently barred the Trump administration from continuing to deport Venezuelans under the Alien Enemies Act. Judge Fernando Rodriguez, a Trump appointee, said the administration has improperly expanded the law in its mass deportation efforts.
GW Students Unite the D.C. Scene With Plenty Happening, a Compilation for Trans Health Care

1 week ago | washingtoncitypaper.com | Taylor Ruckle

Thanks for being a member of City Paper! Throughout their college years, George Washington University students Max Cohen and Carolina Carmo have felt a void at the heart of D.C. music. The two met through WRGW, the school’s student-run radio station, where Cohen served as board member and blog editor and Carmo worked as production director and blog contributor.
The Needle: Protections For Journalists Rescinded, May Day Protests, and More

1 week ago | washingtoncitypaper.com | Mitch Ryals

Thanks for being a member of City Paper! Pen > sword: Attorney General Pam Bondi rescinded Biden-era rules that protected journalists from government subpoenas and search warrants.
David Lynch and Love in a F*cked-Up World: City Lights for May 1-7

2 weeks ago | washingtoncitypaper.com | Serena Zets |Pat Padua |Allison R. Shely |Brandon Wetherbee

Thanks for being a member of City Paper! When Dean Spade wrote his newest book, Love in a F*cked-Up World: How to Build Relationships, Hook Up, and Raise Hell Together, he didn’t predict just how fucked up the world would be by its 2025 publication.
The Needle: Trump Says ‘I Could’ Bring Kilmar Back To U.S., and Republicans Look to Cut Medicaid

2 weeks ago | washingtoncitypaper.com | Mitch Ryals

Thanks for being a member of City Paper! ‘I could’: Convicted felon and President Donald Trump said he “could” bring back Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man who was illegally dported. But he won’t because he believes Abrego Garcia is a gang member (a questionable allegation that Abrego Garcia and his family have denied).
The Needle: Ed Martin Called a Nazi Sympathizer an ’Extraordinary Leader,’ and the House Has No Plans to Fix D.C.’s Budget

2 weeks ago | washingtoncitypaper.com | Mitch Ryals

Thanks for being a member of City Paper! Very fine person?: Another title to add in front of email deleter and Acting U.S. Attorney for D.C. Ed Martin’s name: friend to Nazi sympathizers?
People Keep Dumping Trash in the Alley Behind These Northeast D.C. Homes

2 weeks ago | washingtoncitypaper.com | Sloane Airey

Thanks for being a member of City Paper! The residents on Monroe Street NE have been consumed by trash. For about the past 40 years, these neighbors say, they have watched as trash of all shapes and sizes has piled up in the alley that runs behind their homes.