What's Happening?
St. Louis archivists have launched an updated and redesigned online database to preserve hundreds of articles from the Riverfront Times, an alternative weekly newspaper. The database, co-founded by Joshua Lawrence and Jaclyn Crow, now includes articles published
between 2014 and 2024, featuring cover stories, cover galleries, and other significant pieces. This initiative comes after the Riverfront Times was sold in May, leading to the layoff of its editorial staff and the cessation of its print publication. The new owners did not retain the original staff, and much of the newspaper's historical content was stripped from its website, which subsequently began publishing content focused on OnlyFans creators. The updated database aims to make these archived stories more accessible through a user-friendly layout, with efforts to sort through the articles intensifying after the death of Riverfront Times founder Ray Hartmann in a car accident.
Why It's Important?
This archival effort is crucial for preserving local journalism and historical records in St. Louis. The Riverfront Times played a significant role in documenting local events, particularly its reporting on the 2014 Ferguson uprising following the killing of Michael Brown Jr. The loss of these articles from the original website represents a significant gap in the public record and collective memory of the region. By creating this database, archivists are ensuring that critical historical narratives, especially those concerning social justice and local politics, remain accessible to researchers, historians, and the public. This initiative highlights the vulnerability of digital news archives when media outlets undergo ownership changes or closures, underscoring the need for dedicated preservation efforts to safeguard journalistic contributions to community discourse and historical understanding.
What's Next?
The archivists plan to continue expanding the database, although some articles may be permanently lost as the Wayback Machine does not contain every piece of content. Joshua Lawrence, who also founded STL PoliticClips to preserve political news in the St. Louis region, emphasizes the ongoing importance of archiving these stories to document injustices and influence future understanding. The project will likely focus on identifying and integrating more missing articles, potentially through community contributions or further digital archeology. The success of this database could serve as a model for other communities facing similar challenges with the preservation of local news archives, particularly as traditional media outlets continue to evolve or cease operations.
Beyond the Headlines
The situation with the Riverfront Times and the subsequent archival project illuminates broader issues concerning the fragility of local journalism and the digital preservation of historical content. The shift in the newspaper's online content to OnlyFans creators post-acquisition raises questions about the changing landscape of media ownership, editorial integrity, and the commercial pressures faced by news organizations. This event underscores the ethical responsibility of new owners to preserve the journalistic legacy of acquired publications. Furthermore, it highlights the critical role of independent archivists and community initiatives in safeguarding public information when commercial entities fail to do so, emphasizing that historical documentation is not solely the responsibility of the original publishers but a collective societal endeavor.
