The Voice (newspaper)
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The Voice is a British national weekly tabloid newspaper owned by the Jamaican publisher, GV Media Group, aimed at the British Afro-Caribbean community. The paper is based in the London Docklands and is published every Monday.
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[edit] History
The late Val McCalla, Jamaican by birth, and an accountant by profession, founded the paper. He reportedly took advantage of government policy on equal opportunity advertising to secure the financial future of the paper.[citation needed] Shortly after the death of Val McCalla The Voice was reportedly sold and is now owned by the Jamaica based Gleaner Company. For years The Voice has sported the banner Britain's best Black newspaper, although it has not been quantifying or even qualifying what it means by 'best'. At its peak, under Winsome Grace Cornish, one of its many editors in its 20 year history, circulation was thought to have peaked at 57,000 in the early to mid 90s. Later in its history it would abandon Audit Bureau of Circulations certification altogether. It was once said that the newspaper based on its name alone could see-off and survive all rivals - a statement which to this day has proved true, although rival paper the New Nation, helmed by ex-Voice journalist Michael Eboda is giving the title a good run for its money.[citation needed]
The Voice was not the first Black British newspaper. Other titles have included Black Britain, helmed by Guardian staffer Joseph Harker, Arif Ali's West Indian World and Caribbean Times, The Weekly Journal, The Drum, Black Voice, Grassroots and many more.
The Voice emerged from the ashes of the Brixton riot as a forum through which the views and news from within the Black communities could be expressed. It has over the years been a thorn in the side to establishment, campaigning on numerous issues and championing the causes of Black people nationwide.[citation needed]
Many of today's most popular Black television, radio and print journalist have in the past been associated with the newspaper. Its roll of honour reads like a Black who's who and includes former Commission for Racial Equality chair Trevor Phillips, former BBC and currently Al Jazeera newsman Rageh Omaar, ITV's Martin Bashir, authors Diran Adebayo, Leonie Ross and Vanessa Walters. Broadcasters Henry 'the Big' Bonsu, Dotun Adebayo, Onyekachi Wambu, publisher Steve Pope and the list goes on. In the mid 90s, Peter Pek, the brand specialist well known for launching publications, worked on its design. A full-colour cartoon is provided weekly by Dave Saunders.
[edit] Complaints
The paper was criticised in 2005 due to its response to the Lozells riots in Birmingham that year. They received complaints from the Asian community within Birmingham as well as other people because of the way the newspaper depicted the Asian community. A Press Complaints Commission finding of February 2006 censured the paper for reporting the alleged rape of a teenage girl as a fact when it was merely a rumour.
