For 40 years, PAPER Magazine—New York City’s grittiest and most glamorous publication–has exposed the world to the city’s notorious nightlife soirees, boldly launched emerging artists from front-cover to stardom, and pushed the boundaries of societal norms through art, music and fashion. By platforming a subculture of misfits and trendsetters, PAPER has shaped mainstream pop culture for decades

Recently revived by the queer-owned Street Media and led by creative genius Justin Moran as Editor-in-Chief, the publication continues its legacy of pushing boundaries in the digital age. 

The Legacy of PAPER

PAPER was founded in New York City in 1984 by Kim Hastreiter and David Hershkovits who met while working at The SoHo Weekly News. Originally an underground publication in the Village, PAPER quickly made its mark, featuring notable names from the jump, such as artist Keith Haring—whose work is featured on commercial brands across the globe —and Patricia Field, the stylist behind New York’s nightlife scene in the 70s and 80s  who would eventually style the the iconic looks of Sex and the City. With its black-and-white, 16-page monthly fold-out, the magazine set the stage for decades of trendsetting content.

Eventually the publication transformed into a quarterly print magazine with daily updated online content. Now led by Editor-in-Chief, Justin Moran, PAPER is a strictly digital platform with occasional one-off prints —like the 40th Anniversary zines.

Looking ahead, Moran says that PAPER plans to maintain its digital focus rather than a return to its tangible printed roots, saying “We romanticize print in a way, but realistically, people consume things so fast. So print, in the way we think about it, can’t keep up with that pace and demand.”

However, Moran acknowledges the value of print for special projects, such as the 40th anniversary, where PAPER pays homage to its 1984 newspaper roots. The four collectible zines celebrating PAPER’s 40th anniversary feature cover stars like The Dare, Doechii, NLE Choppa, and Halsey.

“The cover lineup of the 40th anniversary contains many newcomers, and that’s our place as PAPER to really get behind people and cosign them as [artists],” Moran said.

One of PAPER’s greatest strengths has been its editorial team’s talent for spotting rising stars—especially future queer icons—before they achieve global fame. Early features included the likes of Sandra Bernhard, Deee-Lite, Cyndi Lauper, Queen Latifah, and Chloë Sevigny, showcasing their potential before they became household names.

"That’s our place as PAPER–to really get behind people and cosign them as [artists]."

“They were making things for their immediate community—for people like RuPaul, who had her first ever cover with PAPER,” Moran told Queerency.

Revamping the Revenue Playbook

Although ownership of PAPER has changed hands in the last decade, Moran says that the ideas and the staff has always stayed true to its roots—queer, that is.

In 2017, Hastreiter and Hershkovits sold PAPER to ENTtech Media Group, an entertainment technology company. In April 2023, following a decline in advertising revenue since the pandemic, ENTtech laid off the magazine’s staff and ceased all editorial operations. PAPER joined the dozens of other digital media platforms faltering due to reduced ad revenue, including Insider and BuzzFeed News.

While the publication did not shutter its doors, it began exploring alternative ways to stay afloat. In September 2023, PAPER resumed publishing, after its acquisition by Street Media, a queer-owned company founded by Brian Calle, that also owns a dozen other publications including The Village Voice and LA Weekly. 

“In the time in between [the magazine's shuttering and relaunch], I hadn’t really taken a break!” Moran said. “I’ve always been very career-driven. I had a vision for myself and the work I wanted to create. I never stopped until that layoff. There was always some form of hustle going on. Then I found myself asking, 'Who am I right now?’ and ‘What kind of work do I want to create?'”

Moran remarked that when PAPER ceased operations, it left a significant gap in the market, as if a piece of pop culture had paused.

“We’ve been kind of stronger than ever in the past year, because we're really zeroing in on what we’re good at,” he said. “The culture is shifting where niche ideas are the mainstream ideas.” 

So what now? How does a publication survive in such a turbulent time? Moran says traditional advertising is out the door these days. To diversify revenue streams, companies like Street Media, have transformed its publications into one-stop creative agencies that can pump out eye-catching and lucrative brand activations.

“We have a creative agency within the company and most media properties are set up this way,” he said. “The agency side that works with brands and we’re a creative think tank for other companies. PAPER is the shiny toy that companies buy into.” 

For example, PAPER’s cover featuring Chappell Roan was a collaboration with Coach, which Moran refers to as a “seamless brand integration.” He emphasizes that PAPER retains creative control and editorial integrity in every brand partnership.

The Fashion and editorial mind driving PAPER’s future forward

Born in Minneapolis, Moran craved a bigger city life that could nurture his passion for fashion and entertainment, something his hometown couldn’t provide. After high school, like many Midwesterners, he moved to Chicago to study fashion and journalism at Columbia College Chicago, where he finally found culture steeped in the queerness he had been seeking.

“Chicago is really where I learned about queer ideas and queer culture,” he said. “The dream scenario was to move to NYC right out of college, but Chicago was a helpful [stop along the way]."

While writing for his university newspaper as the arts and culture editor, Moran freelanced for Nylon magazine, and secured a three-month editorial internship at PAPER where his coverage surrounding nightlife cemented his presence into PAPER’s DNA. After graduating, he continued working with PAPER and other publications, and also became content director for Nicopanda. He then joined Out magazine as digital managing editor, before returning to PAPER in 2017.

If there’s one person that knows queer media, it’s Justin Moran.

And what about PAPER’s future? Moran laughed that oftentimes they’re flying by the seat of their pants in regards to what content will come out, admitting that sometimes their “internet breaking” storytelling happens out of spontaneity. 

“I think the biggest thing for queer people to know, especially today more than ever, is that there is space and room for all of our ideas than ever before," Moran said. "Don’t water down ideas, perspective and values. If you’re feeling that way, that means you’re not working with the right people. I’ve done my best to work with  people who uplift and help advance ideas. That's [how] I got to where I am today.”

Follow along the PAPER trail for the latest trends at www.papermag.com and @papermag on social handles.