The ''River Cities' Reader'' is an independently owned

alternative newspaper An alternative newspaper is a type of newspaper that eschews comprehensive coverage of general news in favor of stylized reporting, opinionated reviews and columns, investigations into edgy topics and magazine-style feature stories highlighting l ...

based in

Davenport, Iowa Davenport is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Iowa, United States. Located along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state, it is the largest of the Quad Cities, a metropolitan area with a population of 384,324 and a ...

. The newspaper was founded in 1993 and is circulated throughout the

Quad-Cities The Quad Cities is a region of cities (originally four, see #History, History) in the U.S. states of Iowa and Illinois: Davenport, Iowa, Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa, Bettendorf in southeastern Iowa, and Rock Island, Illinois, Rock Island, Moli ...

metropolitan area and outlying communities. ''The Readers format is tabloid size on newsprint; its masthead reads "business, politics, arts and culture".

Content

Like many alternative weeklies, the ''Reader'' publishes feature-length, in-depth stories on a number of topics of interest, including: * Local business and political issues, including investigative reporting and in-depth interviews with the people involved. The publishers often tout the publication as a "civic watchdog" for the community. * Full-length interviews and in-depth articles with local and national artists, and other nationally renowned figures. Interview subjects have included former FEC chairman

Bradley A. Smith Bradley A. Smith (born 1958) is the Josiah H. Blackmore II/Shirley M. Nault Professor at Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio. He previously served as commissioner, vice chairman, and chairman of the Federal Election Commission (F ...

actor/artist

Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (born June 22, 1936) is a retired American singer, songwriter and actor. Among his songwriting credits are "Me and Bobby McGee", " For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Nig ...

and

Ian Anderson Ian Scott Anderson (born 10 August 1947) is a British musician, singer and songwriter best known for his work as the lead vocalist, flautist, acoustic guitarist and leader of the British rock band Jethro Tull. He is a multi-instrumentalist w ...

leader of the rock band Jethro Tull. Each issue of the ''Reader'' also contains a listing of arts and entertainment events taking place throughout the area, and provides critical reviews for regional art exhibitions, music concerts, and theatrical performances.

History

The ''River Cities' Reader'' was first published in October 1993 as a monthly. In June 1995, the ''Reader'' began a weekly publishing schedule. It is published every Wednesday of the year and features special guides once per month. The paper was founded by owners Kathleen McCarthy and Todd McGreevy who still remain active in its operation as editor and publisher, respectively. Jeff Ignatius, the publication's managing editor, has been with the Reader since 2000. The website underwent an overhaul in June 2006 and now features local wikis for the community, an enhanced calendar, streaming video, and a more modern look.

References

External links

{{official website, http://www.rcreader.com/ Newspapers published in Iowa Alternative weekly newspapers published in the United States Publications established in 1993 Newspapers published in the Quad Cities Davenport, Iowa