In a significant move that has left many in the music and pop culture community reeling, Paramount Global has erased more than two decades of content from the MTV News website. This decision, which also affects content from CMT.com, follows the shuttering of MTV News in 2023 due to financial difficulties faced by Paramount Global. Now, any attempt to access MTV News articles redirects users to the main MTV website, effectively erasing a vast archive of music journalism, interviews, reviews, and significant hip-hop-related content, including the beloved “Mixtape Monday” column.
MTV News, which began in the late ’80s with “The Week in Rock” hosted by Kurt Loder, has been a cornerstone of music journalism for decades. The removal of its online archive has sparked outrage among former staffers and fans alike. Patrick Hosken, a former music editor for MTV News, expressed his frustration on social media, stating, “So, mtvnews.com no longer exists. Eight years of my life are gone without a trace. All because it didn’t fit some executives’ bottom lines. Infuriating is too small a word.”
Crystal Bell, now a culture editor at Mashable and former entertainment director at MTV News, also voiced her dismay, calling the deletion “sickening” and lamenting the loss of decades of music history, including early K-pop stories. Rolling Stone senior writer Brian Hiatt echoed these sentiments, describing the move as “disgraceful” and highlighting the loss of valuable pop culture history and research material.
The decision to erase the MTV News archive comes after Paramount Global’s announcement in May 2023 that it would shut down MTV News as part of a 25% workforce reduction across the Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Media Networks groups in the U.S. This move was led by CEO Chris McCarthy and was part of a broader effort to cut costs amid financial challenges.
The loss of the MTV News archive is particularly poignant given the site’s rich history and its role in documenting and shaping music and pop culture. From its early days, MTV News was known for its in-depth coverage of the music industry, providing a platform for artists and fans alike. The site was a go-to source for music news, interviews, and reviews, and its archives contained a treasure trove of content that chronicled the evolution of music and pop culture over the past few decades.
Former MTV News staffers have taken to social media to share their memories and express their frustration at the loss of their work. Ryan J. Downey, a freelance writer for MTV and former staff member, described his time at MTV News as some of the greatest experiences of his career and lamented the loss of the archive. He quoted comedian Hannibal Buress, calling the decision “WACK.”
The possibility of accessing MTV News articles via the Wayback Machine, an internet archive, was noted, but Hiatt mentioned that older articles do not show up there, further compounding the loss. This means that much of the content that was once available on MTV News is now effectively lost to history.
The erasure of the MTV News archive is a stark reminder of the fragility of digital content and the power that corporations hold over the preservation of cultural history. As more and more content moves online, the risk of losing valuable archives increases, particularly when financial pressures lead to cost-cutting measures.
For many, MTV News was more than just a website; it was a cultural institution that played a significant role in shaping the music and pop culture landscape. Its loss is a blow to music journalism and to the countless fans who relied on it for news and insights into the music world.
As the music and pop culture community grapples with this loss, there is a growing call for better preservation of digital archives and for greater accountability from corporations that hold the keys to our cultural history. The erasure of the MTV News archive serves as a cautionary tale and a call to action to ensure that the rich history of music and pop culture is preserved for future generations.
Source: The Wrap
