Tom Finkel Named Village Voice Editor

Tom Finkel has been named the new editor of the Village Voice, after several big shake-ups for the alt-weekly.

Finkel is a veteran editor in the Voice Media Group, and will go to his new post after ten years as editor of the Riverfront Times in St. Louis. "Tom understands our media business at a high level," VMG executive editor Christine Brennan said in a statement released Monday. "He has been one of our most progressive editors in balancing print and web journalism. I know I can entrust the Voice to him, and that he'll do great work there."

Finkel called the Voice "the quintessential reflection of New York culture" in the statement, and touted his family's roots in New York City. When congratulated on the new job, he had this to say:

Finkel will be taking over at a rough time for the Village Voice. His appointment comes months after the last editor Will Bourne stepped down. He and deputy editor Jessica Lustig chose to resign in May when asked to cut five jobs from a 20-person staff. The newspaper then laid off several writers, including iconic nightlife writer Michael Musto, which only triggered more tumult. After his firing, Musto said that the layoffs left the mood at the Village Voice "dour."