Due to an unexpected financial crisis, the Dayton City Paper (DCP) is no longer in business. Paul Noah, DCP creative director, publisher and owner, made the decision to terminate the paper on Sept. 14. The last edition ran on Sept. 11.
For months, Noah fought to keep DCP running, spending his own money to keep things afloat. After a nine-month battle, he finally was forced to throw in the towel.
Wanda Esken, former associate publisher for DCP, is currently charged with three counts of grand theft and one count of forgery. Esken neglected to pay DCP’s rent for months; she instead made checks out to herself by forging Noah’s signature. Esken’s hearing is scheduled for Oct. 1.
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Previously, DCP had been in good financial standing. In fact, Noah was in the process of starting a weekly in Lexington, Ky. when the above mentioned financial issues arose.
DCP was an alternative paper that explored underground themes and topics, monthly debate forums, performing and visual arts, culture, film reviews and book reviews. “My job was to provoke thought,” explained Noah.
DCP was known for its unique, eye-catching covers and headlines. Noah tells that, “the cover had to say, 'pick me up'."
Noah broke traditions in the layout of the paper to make it a more fun read.
Noah’s biggest regrets about closing the paper are that Dayton lost its independent voice and that his writers lost an outlet for their voices. “We were the cheerleaders of Dayton,” he proclaimed.
Noah was head over heels for his job as creative director; it is what he will miss most. He exclaimed, "it's the first time in my life that I've ever had a job where I can't wait to go to work."
He was responsible for compelling people to pick up the paper by creating seductive covers and headlines. He took great pride in the paper’s ability to provoke thought and affect change.
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On Jan. 20, 2015, DCP made the brave decision to print a cover depicting Kim Jong-un reading a paper with the Prophet Muhammed on its cover. They did so to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in Paris after they printed the Prophet Muhammed on a cover of the French magazine Charlie Hebdo.
Noah made sure that everyone was in agreement to print the cover, warning them that it was a risk. He said, “we’re either all in or we don’t do it.”
On Apr. 25, 2015, DCP’s website was hacked by a supporter(s), and possible member(s), of ISIS. “I think it had to do with that cover,” Noah said.
The first edition of DCP ran on Aug. 26, 1993. It originally went by the name The Dayton Voice but was pressured into changing its name by The Village Voice. It then became Impact Weekly. In April 2003, the name changed to its current name.
The DCP website is now an archive for their past, online editions from 2010 on. Their Facebook page was also taken down.
As for his future career, Noah is unsure. He is playfully considering running an alpaca farm but says he never knows where his options will take him.
