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''The Voice'', founded in 1982, is a British national African-Caribbean newspaper operating in the United Kingdom. The paper is based in London and was published every Thursday until 2019 when it became monthly. It is available in a paper version by subscription and also online.


History

''The Voice'' was founded in 1982 by
Val McCalla Val Irvine McCalla (3 October 1943 – 22 August 2002) was a Jamaican accountant and media entrepreneur who settled in Britain in 1959. He is best known as the founder of ''The Voice'', a British weekly newspaper aimed at the Britain's black com ...
, who was working on a London local paper called the ''East End News'' in 1981. He and a group of businesspeople and journalists created a weekly newspaper to cater for the interests of British-born African-Caribbean people. Until then, relevant publications had mastheads such as the '' West Indian Gazette'', ''West Indian World'', ''
The Caribbean Times ''The Caribbean Times'' was a British weekly newspaper that was first published in 1981 by Hansib Publications, a publishing house for Caribbean, African and Asian writers and their communities, founded in London by Guyanese-born businessman A ...
'' and ''
West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...
''. This was in order to address the interests of a generation of immigrants, by passing on news from their countries of origin in the Caribbean and Africa, rather than addressing the concerns of generations born in the UK. According to Beulah Ainley, who worked with McCalla on the ''East End News'', "...nobody thought the Voice would work". However, as ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' noted in 1996, "The previous summer, Brixton had rioted, and African-Caribbean enterprises of all kinds were now being encouraged in the hope of preventing a repetition. London councils, in particular, were keen to advertise for black staff, and even keener to do so in an African-Caribbean newspaper. McCalla also had a business partner,
Alex Pascall Alex Pascall, OBE (born November 1936), is a British broadcaster, journalist, musician, composer, oral historian and educator. Based in Britain for more than 50 years, he was one of the developers of the Notting Hill Carnival, is a political ca ...
, with
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
connections; soon the Corporation was advertising too." ''The Voice'' was established with a £62,000 loan from
Barclays Bank Barclays () is a British multinational universal bank, headquartered in London, England. Barclays operates as two divisions, Barclays UK and Barclays International, supported by a service company, Barclays Execution Services. Barclays traces ...
, at a time when African-Caribbean businesses found it particularly hard to get financial backing from banks. Barclays had attracted a boycott by the
Anti-Apartheid Movement The Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM), was a British organisation that was at the centre of the international movement opposing the South African apartheid system and supporting South Africa's non-White population who were persecuted by the policie ...
for its investments in
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
and was thus eager to show support for African-Caribbean causes. The
Loan Guarantee A loan guarantee, in finance, is a promise by one party (the guarantor) to assume the debt obligation of a borrower if that borrower defaults. A guarantee can be limited or unlimited, making the guarantor liable for only a portion or all of the d ...
Scheme, set up by the
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
government to help small businesses, was also a help. The loan was in fact paid off within five years. The first issue of ''The Voice'' was printed at the same time of year as the
Notting Hill Carnival The Notting Hill Carnival is an annual Caribbean festival event that has taken place in London since 1966
in August 1982. Its cover price was 54 pence, and it was only sold in Greater London.. ''The Voice''s first office was in
Mare Street Mare Street is a street in the London Borough of Hackney. It has existed since the 15th century, when it was one of the first roads at the centre of the parish. It was then known as ''Merestret''. The word ''mere'' was either the Old English '' ...
, Hackney, east London. The newspaper's first editor, Flip Fraser, led a team of young journalists who set about addressing issues of interest to Britain's African-Caribbean community. They combined human-interest stories and coverage of sports, fashion and entertainment with hard news and investigative reporting. In under a decade the paper was selling more than 50,000 copies weekly. Within two decades it had become "Britain's most successful African-Caribbean newspaper". From 1996, ''The Voice'' had a new competitor in the form of ''
New Nation ''New Nation'' was a weekly newspaper published in the UK for the Black British community. Launched in 1996, the newspaper was Britain's Number 1-selling black newspaper. The paper was published every Monday. ''New Nation'' was initially la ...
'', which sought to position itself as an "upbeat, aspirational publication", rather than the typically "
advocacy journalism Advocacy journalism is a genre of journalism that adopts a non-objective viewpoint, usually for some social or political purpose. Some advocacy journalists reject that the traditional ideal of objectivity is possible or practical, in part due to ...
" contained within ''The Voice''. ''New Nation'' published its final online issue on 17 February 2016. McCalla died in 2002. In 2004, the newspaper was taken over by the Jamaican
Gleaner Company The Gleaner Company Ltd. is a newspaper publishing enterprise in Jamaica. Established in 1834 by Joshua and Jacob De Cordova, the company's primary product is ''The Gleaner'', a morning broadsheet published six days each week. It also publishes ...
. Its publisher is GV Media Group Limited. Paulette Simpson is the Executive Director, as well as being the Deputy Chair of the Windrush Commemoration Committee.


Type and circulation

''The Voice'' is produced in tabloid format and is now a monthly publication, published on the last Thursday each month, and aimed at the African and Caribbean diaspora in the UK. There is also a website, ''The Voice Online''. Regular columns in the newspaper include Faith, News, Campaigns, Sport, Black British Voices. In addition there are special supplements such as: * Black Business Guide - an annual publication highlighting and showcasing small black business owners and their trades. * Apprenticeships - each year, a supplement highlighting apprenticeships across the UK is published alongside the newspaper. The supplement includes features from key figures in business and apprenticeships. * Carnival - every August, ''The Voice'' publishes a Carnival supplement to coincide with the
Notting Hill Carnival The Notting Hill Carnival is an annual Caribbean festival event that has taken place in London since 1966
. * Bound volumes of the periodical from 1982 to 1999 are held in the Black Cultural Archives. The Voice also features in the
British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...
collection of Black Britain publications.


Events

In 2012, ''The Voice'' journalists were denied entry to the Olympic stadium despite the strong presence and interest in Black British athletes. In July 2017, ''The Voice'' hosted a special charity dinner for
Usain Bolt Usain St. Leo Bolt, , (; born 21 August 1986) is a retired Jamaican sprinter, widely considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time. He is the world record holder in the 100 metres, 200 metres, and 4 × 100 metres relay. An eight- ...
ahead of his final appearance at the
World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
. The event, which took place at the Dorchester Hotel in London, raised money for Bolt and coach Glen Mills' Racers Track Club through auctioning off special items and raised over £30,000. ''The Voice'' has been a key player in Africa on the Square – a yearly event that takes place every October in
Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, laid out in the early 19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. At its centre is a high column bearing a statue of Admiral Nelson commemo ...
, celebrating Africa's culture, cuisine, music and more. In 2022, the paper launched a survey to find out more about the lived experience of Black British people. In 2022, the publishing house Ebury Press announced the upcoming publication of a book entitled ''The Voice: 40 years of Black British Lives.''


Staff

In September 2021,
Lester Holloway Lester John Holloway (born 22 July 1970) is a British journalist and editor, as well as a campaigner and local politician. Career Born in Shepherd's Bush, London, Holloway began his media career as a reporter for '' Eastern Eye'', a weekly ne ...
was announced as the editor of the newspaper. Rodney Hinds has been sports editor since 2000, after starting his career at the '' West Indian World'' newspaper. Vic Motune is head of news and Joel Campbell is entertainment editor. Paula Dyke is head of Corporate Affairs and Communications. Paulette Simpson is the executive director of ''The Voice'', she is also a director of The Voice Media Group, and a deputy chief executive officer at the Jamaica National Bank Ltd (UK), parent company of the newspaper. Former writers for ''The Voice'' include one-time
Commission for Racial Equality The Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom which aimed to address racial discrimination and promote racial equality. The commission was established in 1976, and disbanded in 2007 when its ...
chair
Trevor Phillips Sir Mark Trevor Phillips (born 31 December 1953) is a British writer, broadcaster and former politician who served as Chair of the London Assembly from 2000 to 2001 and from 2002 to 2003. He presented '' Trevor Phillips on Sunday'', a Sunda ...
, former BBC and currently
Al Jazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...
newsman
Rageh Omaar Rageh Omaar (; so, Raage Oomaar; ar, راجح أومار; born 19 July 1967) is a Somali-born British journalist and writer. He was a BBC world affairs correspondent, where he made his name reporting from Iraq. In September 2006, he moved to ...
,
Martin Bashir Martin Henry Bashir (born 19 January 1963) is a British journalist. He was a presenter on British and American television and for the BBC's ''Panorama'' programme, for which he interviewed Diana, Princess of Wales in 1995. Although the intervie ...
, authors
Diran Adebayo Oludiran "Diran" Adebayo FRSL (born 30 August 1968) is a British novelist, cultural critic and academic, best known for his tales of London and the lives of African diasporans. His work has been characterised by its interest in multiple cultura ...
,
Leone Ross Leone Ross (born 26 June 1969, Coventry, England) is a British novelist, short story writer, editor, journalist and academic, who is of Jamaican and Scottish ancestry. Biography Early years and education Leone Ross was born in Coventry, England, ...
, and Gemma Weekes; film maker and novelist Kolton Lee, novelist
Vanessa Walters Vanessa Walters, (born 1978, in London, United Kingdom) is an English novelist and playwright. She is also a commentator and critic. She is best known as the teenage novelist discovered to be writing a novel as a hobby to share with her school f ...
, broadcasters Jasmine Dotiwala, Henry Bonsu,
Dotun Adebayo Oludotun Davey Moore "Dotun" Adebayo (born 25 August 1959) is a British radio presenter, writer, and publisher. He is best known for his work on '' Up All Night'' on BBC Radio 5 Live, as well as the obituary programme ''Brief Lives''. Early ...
,
Onyekachi Wambu Onyekachi Wambu (born 1960) is a Nigerian-British journalist and writer. He has directed television documentaries for the BBC, Channel 4 and PBS. Life Onyekachi Wambu was born in Nigeria in 1960. In 1970, after the Nigerian Civil War, he and his ...
, Joel Kibazo, educationalist Tony Sewell and publisher Steve Pope, among others.


Recognition and awards

''The Voice'' has received many awards, which include:. * Young Voices – two "Best Magazine" awards from the
Urban Music Awards The Urban Music Awards (UMA) is a hip-hop, R&B, dance, and soul music awards ceremony which was launched by Jordan Kensington in 2003 and is now held in several countries. The US version of the award ceremony, the Urban Music Awards USA, was ...
2010 and 2009 * BBI Media and Entertainment Award 2008 * Voice of Sports – Performance Award 2003 from
Western Union The Western Union Company is an American multinational financial services company, headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1851 as the New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company in Rochester, New York, the company chang ...
* BEEAM Awards for Organisation Achievements 2003 * Black Plus Awards 2002 * Britain's Ethnic Minority Federation at the
Bank of England The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694 to act as the English Government's banker, and still one of the bankers for the Government of ...
, Partnership Awards 1999 * NLBA Enterprise Excellence Awards 1996 * BGA Gospel Awards – Best Media 1980s


Criticisms

The editorial tone and content of ''The Voice'' has often come under criticism. At the launch of the ''
New Nation ''New Nation'' was a weekly newspaper published in the UK for the Black British community. Launched in 1996, the newspaper was Britain's Number 1-selling black newspaper. The paper was published every Monday. ''New Nation'' was initially la ...
'' newspaper, the paper's editor, Richard Adeshiyan referred to ''The Voice'' as a "doom-and-gloom sheet" which prints damaging news and images of Black people as victims. In July 2020, educationalist Tony Sewell publicly retracted and apologized for
homophobic Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred or antipathy, m ...
remarks he had made in a column published in ''The Voice'' in 1990, in which he commented on the announcement by footballer
Justin Fashanu Justinus Soni "Justin" Fashanu ( ; 19 February 1961 – 2 May 1998) was an English footballer who played for a variety of clubs between 1978 and 1997. He was known by his early clubs to be gay, and came out publicly later in his career, beco ...
that he was gay. Sewell had written:
''We heteros are sick and tired of tortured queens playing hide and seek around their closets. Homosexuals are the greatest queer-bashers around. No other group of people are so preoccupied with making their own sexuality look dirty.''
On 30 July 2020, ''The Voice'' received widespread criticism for publishing an interview with rapper
Wiley Wiley may refer to: Locations * Wiley, Colorado, a U.S. town * Wiley, Pleasants County, West Virginia, U.S. * Wiley-Kaserne, a district of the city of Neu-Ulm, Germany People * Wiley (musician), British grime MC, rapper, and producer * Wiley Mil ...
shortly after he posted a series of
anti-Semitic Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...
comments on social media. Rather than challenging Wiley on his comments, the interview merely asked Wiley if he felt he had made any "salient points". This received widespread criticism from many Jewish people, with music producer
Mark Ronson Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, Robbi ...
tweeting Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
a series of comments criticising the publication. On 31 July the article was removed, with ''The Voice'' issuing a statement apologising for the offence caused by the article.
Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...
was invited in 2022 to guest edit an issue celebrating 40 years of ''The Voice''. The choice of a white member of British Royalty to do this was challenged by some.


See also

*
List of newspapers in the United Kingdom Twelve daily newspapers and eleven Sunday-only weekly newspapers are distributed nationally in the United Kingdom. Others circulate in Scotland only and still others serve smaller areas. National daily newspapers publish every day except Sunday ...
* ''
New Nation ''New Nation'' was a weekly newspaper published in the UK for the Black British community. Launched in 1996, the newspaper was Britain's Number 1-selling black newspaper. The paper was published every Monday. ''New Nation'' was initially la ...
''


References


External links


The Voice Online

Young Voices

The Gleaner Company Limited
* McKenzie, Paul
"Out of tune: Why nobody’s listening to The Voice"
''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'', 13 January 2004 {{DEFAULTSORT:Voice, The 1982 establishments in the United Kingdom Black British mass media National newspapers published in the United Kingdom Publications established in 1982 Weekly newspapers published in the United Kingdom