Vice (magazine)

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Vice

January 2009, the Universal Sadness Issue
Editors Rocco Castoro (editor-in-chief) Andy Capper (global editor)
Categories Lifestyle
Frequency Monthly
Circulation

900,000 (worldwide)

80,000 (United Kingdom)[1]
Founder Suroosh Alvi, Shane Smith, Gavin McInnes
First issue 1994 (1994)
Country Canada
Based in Montreal, Canada
Language English
Website www.vice.com
ISSN 1077-6788
OCLC number 30856250

Vice is an international magazine focused on arts, culture, and news topics. Founded in 1994 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in later years the company expanded into VICE Media, with divisions including the magazine, a website, a film production company, a record label, and a publishing imprint. As of March 2013, the magazine's editor-in-chief is Rocco Castoro[2] and its global editor is documentary filmmaker Andy Capper.[3]

The magazine's editors have championed the "Immersionist" school of journalism, regarded as a DIY antithesis to the methods practiced by mainstream news outlets, and the monthly publication is frequently focused on a single theme.

History

Established by Suroosh Alvi, Shane Smith, and Gavin McInnes, the magazine was launched in 1994 as the Voice of Montreal with government funding, and the intention of the founders was to provide work and a community service.[4]

When the editors later sought to dissolve their commitments with the original publisher Alix Laurent, they bought him out and changed the name to Vice in 1996. Apparently unhappy in Canada, and in search of more streetwear advertising income, the magazine's personnel relocated to New York City in 1999.[5] Andy Capper co-founded the UK division of Vice with Andrew Creighton.

Numerous media sources reported in mid-August 2013 that Rupert Murdoch's corporation 21st Century Fox had invested US$70 million in Vice Media, resulting in a 5 percent stake. Following the announcement, Smith explained, "We have set ourselves up to build a global platform but we have maintained control."[6][7]

Core staff

Content

Scope

VICE includes the work of journalists, columnists, fiction writers, graphic artists and cartoonists, and photographers. Vice's content has shifted from dealing mostly with independent arts and pop cultural matters to covering more serious news topics.[citation needed] The magazine's editors have championed the "Immersionist" school of journalism, regarded as something of a DIY antithesis to the methods practiced by mainstream news outlets, and has published an entire issue of articles that were written in accordance with the ethos. Entire issues of the magazine have also been dedicated to the concerns of Iraqi people,[8] Native Americans,[9] Russian people,[10] people with mental disorders,[11] and people with mental disabilities.[12] Vice also publishes an annual guide for students in the United Kingdom.[13]

In 2007, a Vice announcement was published on the Internet: "After umpteen years of putting out what amounted to a reference book every month, we started to get bored with it. Besides, too many other magazines have ripped it and started doing their own lame take on themes. So we're going to do some issues, starting now, that have whatever we feel like putting in them."[14]

Politics

In a March 2008 interview with The Guardian, Smith was asked about the magazine's political allegiances and he stated, "We're not trying to say anything politically in a paradigmatic left/right way ... We don't do that because we don't believe in either side. Are my politics Democrat or Republican? I think both are horrific. And it doesn't matter anyway. Money runs America; money runs everywhere."[4]

Founder Smith has stated: "I grew up being a socialist and I have problems with it because I grew up in Canada [and] I've spent a lot of time in Scandinavia, where I believe countries legislate out creativity. They cut off the tall trees. Everyone's a C-minus. I came to America from Canada because Canada is stultifyingly boring and incredibly hypocritical. Thanks, Canada."[5]

Website

VICE.com
Web address vice.com
Owner VICE Media
Launched 2011
Alexa rank Increase 1,542 (August 2013)[15]
Current status Active

VICE originally founded their website as Viceland.com in 1996, as Vice.com was already owned. In 2007, they started VBS.tv as a domain, which prioritized videos over print, and had a number of shows for free such as The Vice Guide to Travel. In 2011, both Viceland.com and VBS.tv were combined into VICE.com.[16]

The website has expanded and diversified to include a network of online video channels, including TheCreatorsProject.com, Motherboard.tv and Fightland.com, Noisey.com and Thu.mp.

Vice News

Vice news is a global news channel where Vice will broadcast documentaries about the worlds most important, current topics. It was created by Vice in December of 2013.

VICE Books

The magazine has published the collections The DOs and DON'Ts Book and The Vice Guide to Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll. In 2008, the photograph compilation The Vice Photo Book was released and featured published works from previous editions of the magazine.[17]

VICE Music

VICE Records
Parent company VICE Media
Founded 2002 (2002)
Status Active
Genre Various
Country of origin United States
Location Brooklyn, New York
London
Official website www.vicerecords.com

VICE Records or VICE Music, founded in 2002, has released albums and singles by the following artists through various major label distributors:

VICE Film, VBS.tv,

Main article: VBS.tv

Vice releases documentaries and television shows through Vice Films, many of which have won awards or been aired on major channels such as HBO. The channel and website VBS.tv began as a deal between Viacom-owned MTV Networks and Logo Group. In March 2007, the VBS.tv network was formed; MTV funded its formation and Vice magazine would supply the content.[18] The videos and documentaries, such as the Vice Guide to Travel (2006), are accessible on the Internet-based Vice channel.[19]

According to Vice co-founder Suroosh Alvi, "traditional journalism always aspires to objectivity, and since day one with the magazine we never believed in that...Our ethos is subjectivity with real substantiation. I don't think you see that on CNN."[19] Vice Films released the feature length rockumentary Heavy Metal in Baghdad in 2008, which follows the thrash metal band Acrassicauda in Iraq. The New York Times praised the production and reporting, calling it a "splendid feat of D.I.Y. reportage...Both a stirring testament to the plight of cultural expression in Baghdad and a striking report on the refugee scene in Syria, this rock-doc like no other electrifies its genre and redefines headbanging as an act of hard-core courage."[20]

Vice Films had its first theatrical release White Lightnin' in 2009, and a documentary on professional bull riders, entitled The Ride, in 2010.[21]

Swansea was featured in a television documentary "Swansea Love Story" as part of the Rule Britannia series on VBS.tv. The episode covers a heroin epidemic in the UK.[22]

Reincarnated, a documentary film on Snoop Dogg's transformation into reggae artist and Rastafarian Snoop Lion, was released in 2013.[23]

Vice, a news series featuring founder Smith, debuted on HBO on April 5, 2013.[24] Lil Bub & Friendz, a feature documentary about meme cats such as Grumpy Cat,[25] premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 18, 2013[26] and won the Tribeca Online Festival Best Feature Film.[27]

Vice (MTV series)

The MTV series The Vice Guide to Everything premiered in December 2010 and features Vice films, as well as new material.[citation needed]

Vice (HBO series)

Main article: Vice (TV series)

In 2013, HBO aired the first 10-episode season of a Vice TV series. A second season is currently being filmed.

Acquisitions

Pictured: the Old Blue Last in 2012.
Old Blue Last at Wikimedia Commons

Old Blue Last pub

VICE runs a pub and music venue in Shoreditch, east London named The Old Blue Last, in which a live music program entitled "Live at the Old Blue Last" is filmed.[28] After VICE bought the Old Blue Last in 2004[29] it underwent a series of improvements, with most taking place in 2010.[30] Bands who have played at the venue include Arctic Monkeys, Amy Winehouse, Chromeo, Black Lips, and Florence + the Machine.[31]

i-D magazine

VICE integrated with the British fashion magazine i-D[32] in December 2012,[33] with VICE CEO Andrew Creighton calling it "one of the only fashion publications in the world we actually respect."[34]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Tom Horan (15 July 2006). "From chic to cheek". The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 April 2013. 
  2. ↑ Admin (1 March 2013). "Rocco Castoro of Vice Magazine says John McAfee is a Liar". John McAfee. http://john-mcafee.com. Retrieved 26 April 2013. 
  3. ↑ Marlow Stern (15 March 2013). "VICE Filmmaker Andy Capper on Snoop Lion Doc, Chief Keef Series, More". The Daily Beast. The Newsweek/Daily Beast Company LLC. Retrieved 26 April 2013. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Wilkinson, Carl (30 March 2008). "The Vice Squad". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2009-01-30. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Jeff Bercovici (3 January 2012). "Vice's Shane Smith on What's Wrong With Canada, Facebook and Occupy Wall Street". Forbes. Forbes.com LLC. Retrieved 26 April 2013. 
  6. ↑ Ben Quinn (17 August 2013). "Rupert Murdoch firm dips into hipsters' bible with $70m stake in Vice". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 August 2013. 
  7. ↑ Anthony Ha (16 August 2013). "Fox Invests in Vice, A Media Company That Makes Money Being Terrible And Brilliant". TechCrunch. AOL, Inc. Retrieved 17 August 2013. 
  8. ↑ "The Iraq Issue". Vice. Retrieved 2009-01-28. 
  9. ↑ "The Native Issue". Vice. Retrieved 2009-01-28. 
  10. ↑ "The Russia Issue". Vice. Retrieved 2009-01-28. 
  11. ↑ "The Mentally Ill Issue". Vice. Retrieved 2009-01-28. 
  12. ↑ "The Special Issue". Vice. Retrieved 2009-01-28. 
  13. ↑ "Student Guide". Vice. Retrieved 2009-03-10. 
  14. ↑ "Dear Vice Readers!". Vice. 11 April 2007. Retrieved 2008-07-01. 
  15. ↑ "VICE.com Site Info". Alexa Internet. Retrieved August 15, 2013. 
  16. ↑ Castoro, Rocco (2012). "Finally, All Our Crap Is in One Place". Vice. Retrieved 2013-08-00. 
  17. ↑ The Vice Photo Book (book review) Harp. March/April 2008
  18. ↑ A Guerrilla Video Site Meets MTV New York Times. 19 November 2007
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 The Snarky Vice Squad Is Ready to Be Taken Seriously. Seriously. Wired. 18 October 2007
  20. ↑ (Movie Review) Heavy Metal in Baghdad (2007) New York Times. 23 May 2008
  21. ↑ "Interview: VICE’s Jesse Pearson on Where the Wild Things Are, Spike Jonze, and the Future of VICE Films & VBS.TV". /Film. 
  22. ↑ CNN: Swansea Love Story by Andy Capper
  23. ↑ Ellen E. Jones (21 March 2013). "The rebirth of Snoop Dogg". The Independent. Retrieved 26 April 2013. 
  24. ↑ ""Vice," News Series Featuring Startling, Groundbreaking Stories from Around the World, Debuts April 5, Exclusively on HBO". The Futon Critic. March 14, 2013. 
  25. ↑ "'Lil Bub & Friendz' Trailer: From Meme To The Movies (VIDEO)". Huffingtonpost.com. 2013-03-18. Retrieved 2013-04-08. 
  26. ↑ "Lil Bub & Friendz | 2013 Tribeca Film Festival". Tribecafilm.com. Retrieved 2013-04-25. 
  27. ↑ The Editors (2013-04-25). "Here Are Your TFF 2013 Award Winners | Tribeca". Tribecafilm.com. Retrieved 2013-04-29. 
  28. ↑ Meg Carter (22 October 2007). "Television for trendsetters". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 April 2013. 
  29. ↑ Andrews, Robert (April 5, 2011). "Vice Media Takes Investment From WPP, Others". PaidContent. Retrieved 2013-08-12. 
  30. ↑ "About". The Old Blue Last. Retrieved 2013-08-12. 
  31. ↑ Rickett, Oscar (2013). "How Vice Bought a Brothel". VICE. Retrieved 2013-08-12. 
  32. ↑ William Turvill (19 December 2012). "Consumer Vice aims high following acquisition of UK style magazine i-D". PressGazette. Retrieved 26 April 2013. 
  33. ↑ Sweney, Mark (18 December 2012). "Vice Media buys style publication i-D". The Guardian. Retrieved 2013-08-12. 
  34. ↑ "We Just Acquired 'I-D' Magazine". VICE. December 2012. Retrieved 2013-08-12. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to VICE Media.
Key people
Current
Past
Divisions
Acquisitions
Web channels
  • VICE.com
Filmography
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