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

#111648

United States

#37446

News and Media

#1648

Traffic sources

Monthly visitors

Articles

Stronger Together: On Pride, Resilience, and Working Toward a Better Future

2 weeks ago | washingtoncitypaper.com | Sarah Marloff |Stephanie Rudig |Tanya Paperny |Taylor Ruckle |Amelia Roth-Dishy |Douglas Corzine

Thanks for being a member of City Paper! It’s Pride Month and the queer and trans communities are not OK. We’re scared. We’re tired. We’re hoarding prescriptions and contemplating if we can leave the country. We’re packing go bags. We’re working long hours, and we’re losing our jobs. But we also keep going. We’re hosting fundraisers, creating art, protesting, and putting on Pride celebrations—not just in D.C. and other big cities, but in small towns across the country.
Drag, Janelle Monáe, and Perfume Genius: City Lights Celebrates WorldPride, June 5-11

2 weeks ago | washingtoncitypaper.com | Steve Kiviat |Christina Smart |Brandon Wetherbee |Matt S. Siblo |Allison R. Shely

Thanks for being a member of City Paper! Professor I. Augustus Durham’s talk with Marvin Davis of the Library of Congress, “Marvin Gaye: Melancholy and Genius in Black Culture and Media,” will go way deeper than simply describing how the late soulful Motown star was born in D.C., had a number of commercially and critically successful songs, and was shot and killed at age 44 by his father after a family dispute in 1984.
Kerfuffle Outside Ward 8 Candidate Forum Leads To Criminal Charge

2 weeks ago | washingtoncitypaper.com | Mitch Ryals

Thanks for being a member of City Paper! Eric Cleckley was arrested outside Union Temple Baptist Church Monday evening while a forum for candidates in the Ward 8 special election was taking place inside.
Trayon White Skips Ward 8 Candidate Forum as His Potential Successors Lay Out Their Vision for His Old Job

2 weeks ago | washingtoncitypaper.com | Mitch Ryals

Thanks for being a member of City Paper! Four empty chairs sat at the front of the room in the basement of Union Temple Baptist Church in Anacostia. And by the time candidates in the Ward 8 special election took their places for the Monday evening forum, one remained empty. That would be the seat reserved for Trayon “Ward Eight” White, as his name has appeared on the ballot in previous elections.
The Needle: Supreme Court OKs Another Trump Immigration Rollback, and U.S. Rep Wants to Rename Metrorail ‘Trump Train’

3 weeks ago | washingtoncitypaper.com | Mitch Ryals

Thanks for being a member of City Paper! How to tank Metro ridership: A U.S. representative from Florida looking to suck up to Trump has introduced legislation that would withhold federal funds for Metro unless the transit agency renames its rail system “Trump Train.” The Make Autorail Great Again Act would also rename the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) as the “Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access,” or WMAGA.
India’s New Dark Comedy Sister Midnight Announces Exciting New Talent on Both Sides of the Camera

3 weeks ago | washingtoncitypaper.com | Alan Zilberman

Thanks for being a member of City Paper! Though the first several minutes of Sister Midnight unfold without dialogue, they communicate a great deal. We learn a lot about the young newlyweds, and their small single-room apartment in Mumbai, India. Their union seems like a traditional arrangement, so when the characters speak, the woman’s deadpan vulgarity is a slight shock. That’s part of the film’s consistent charm—you never quite know what to expect.
The Shade Gap: How Development Is Taking a Toll on D.C.’s Tree Canopy, Putting Human Health At Risk

3 weeks ago | washingtoncitypaper.com | Christine Macdonald |Lori Rampani |Francisco Rodriguez |Francisco Rodríguez

Thanks for being a member of City Paper! This story was supported by Spotlight DC and a seed grant from the Fund for Investigative Reporting. The story was reported by participants in Hola Cultura’s Storytelling Program for Experiential Learning. The story was written by Christine MacDonald, Hola Cultura’s executive director and editor, and SPEL editorial fellows Lori Rampani and Francisco Rodriguez.
Spanish Cinema Now!, Samia, and More: City Lights for May 29-June 4

3 weeks ago | washingtoncitypaper.com | Alan Zilberman |Serena Zets |Pat Padua |Louis Jacobson |Hannah Docter-Loeb

Thanks for being a member of City Paper! There is more to Spanish cinema than Pedro Almodóvar. We can’t deny that the director is a master of the form, but there are plenty of treasures beyond his prolific output. Co-sponsored by the Embassy of Spain and AFI Silver, the mini-festival Spanish Cinema Now! includes provocative films across many genres—without input from the beloved auteur.
17 Best Sugar Momma Sites: Date Wealthy Women

3 weeks ago | washingtoncitypaper.com | Morris Munene

Looking for the best sugar momma sites to find wealthy women? Our experts have reviewed the top 12 to help you find the perfect one. Click here to learn more.
The Needle: Someone Spat on Ed Martin, and Trump Hosts Crypto Patrons Looking to Line His Pockets

4 weeks ago | washingtoncitypaper.com | Mitch Ryals

Thanks for being a member of City Paper! Hawk tuah: Emily Gabriella Sommer did what many of you (but certainly not I) would have loved to do as you watched Ed Martin’s uniquely destructive tenure as U.S. Attorney for D.C. On May 8, Sommer spotted Martin, a friend to a Nazi sympathizer, standing on the sidewalk outside his office about to give an interview to Newsmax.