Deadline has the news that the Village Voice has found a lead film writer to replace the recently departed Scott Foundas: it’s Stephanie Zacharek, formerly of Salon and Movieline. As a weekly Voice reader, I’d noticed Zacharek’s byline popping up more and more frequently in the paper’s pages in recent weeks, and wondered if Foundas’ move to Variety meant this promotion might be in the cards. As a longtime fan of Zacharek’s work, I’m very pleased that my hunch was correct.
Zacharek was at Salon for eleven years and then at Movieline for two more, before her position as “Chief Critic” was eliminated last June. Since then, she’s been freelancing for numerous websites and publications, including the Voice and Film.com. I emailed Stephanie for a comment about the new gig; here’s what she sent me:
“I’m over the moon right now, just really excited about going to work for Will Bourne and Alan Scherstuhl over at the Voice. I’ve been freelancing there for a few months, and I’ve seen how committed and enthusiastic they are. As excited as I am, though, I do recognize what a rough time it is for criticism as a profession. I received the job offer the day after Roger Ebert died, so the anniversary will always be a little bittersweet. But in addition to being a wonderful critic, Roger found ways to keep criticism alive even in the face of so many drastic changes in the media world, and even when he was very ill. And he was unfailingly generous with so many writers, including me. I’m going to try to honor his spirit as well as I can.”
Zacharek’s first day on the job will be Wednesday, April 24th.
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